John 1:50

1:43-51 See the nature of true Christianity, it is following Jesus; devoting ourselves to him, and treading in his steps. Observe the objection Nathanael made. All who desire to profit by the word of God, must beware of prejudices against places, or denominations of men. They should examine for themselves, and they will sometimes find good where they looked for none. Many people are kept from the ways of religion by the unreasonable prejudices they conceive. The best way to remove false notions of religion, is to make trial of it. In Nathanael there was no guile. His profession was not hypocritical. He was not a dissembler, nor dishonest; he was a sound character, a really upright, godly man. Christ knows what men are indeed. Does He know us? Let us desire to know him. Let us seek and pray to be Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile; truly Christians, approved of Christ himself. Some things weak, imperfect, and sinful, are found in all, but hypocrisy belongs not to a believer's character. Jesus witnessed what passed when Nathanael was under the fig-tree. Probably he was then in fervent prayer, seeking direction as to the Hope and Consolation of Israel, where no human eye observed him. This showed him that our Lord knew the secrets of his heart. Through Christ we commune with, and benefit by the holy angels; and things in heaven and things on earth are reconciled and united together.

John 1:50 . Ῥαββεί , he exclaims, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ , σὺ βασιλεὺς εἶ του Ἰσραήλ . Nathanael had been praying for the manifestation of the Messiah: now he exclaims Thou art He. That Nathanael used both expressions, Son of God, and King of Israel, we may well believe, for he found both in the second Psalm. And it is probable that he used both as identifying Jesus with the Messiah (see chap. John 11:27 , John 12:13-15 ). It is not likely that he would pass from a higher designation to a lower; more probable that by the second title he means more closely to define the former. Thou art the Son of God, fulfilling the ideal of sonship and actually realising all that prophecy has uttered regarding the Son of God: Thou art the ideal, long-expected King of Israel, in whom God’s reign and kingdom are realised on earth. “The words are an echo of the testimony of the Baptist. Nothing can be more natural than to suppose that the language of John had created strange questionings in the hearts of some whom it had reached, and that it was with such thoughts Nathanael was busied when the Lord ‘saw’ him. If this were so, the confession of Nathanael may be an answer to his own doubts” (Westcott).

Christ encourages the beginnings of faith in the souls of his people, and magnifies Nathanael’s faith from the revelation which he had, which was but imperfect; for Christ had said no more, than that he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him. He tells him that he should see greater things than these. To him that hath, shall be given. What those greater things are, which our Lord here meaneth, he telleth him, in part at least, John 1:51 .

John 1:50 . εἶδον , I saw ) The repetition confirms [the assertion]: as at ch. John 4:17-18 .— πιστεύεις ) Others read it without the interrogation, which however the succeeding sentence, as being without the particle οὖν or any other such like particle, requires, μείζω τούτων ὄψει . The same figure [the interrogation expressing surprise, rather than a query] occurs, Luke 22:52 . At the same time the admiration of the Lord at the prompt faith of Nathanael is expressed; as in Matthew 8:10 , at the faith of the centurion; and the Lord shows by a new proof, that Nathanael is intimately known to Him, and He [thereby] confirms his faith.— μείζω , greater things ) concerning which [see what is contained] in the following verse, and in ch. John 21:25 [There are also many other things, which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written]. [ To him that hath it is given. There is a perpetual (principle of) increase (in the case) of Divine gifts, works, and testimonies : ch. John 5:20 ; John 5:35 (The Father showeth Him all things, that Himself doeth: and He will show Him greater works than these:—John was a burning and a shining light, etc., But I have greater witness than that of John). Ch.

John 14:12 “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father.” Avail yourself of the means which first offer themselves: if you do not so, you are wanting to yourself by delaying .—V. g.]— ὄψει , thou shah see ) In this word is contained [the assurance of] Nathanael’s staying with Jesus.

(50) Believest thou. —This is not necessarily a question, and a fuller sense is obtained by taking it as an assertion. (Comp. the same word in John 16:31 ; John 20:29 .) On this evidence thou believest; the use of the faith-faculty strengthens it. Thou shalt see greater things than these.

John 1:50 . The double designation is uttered in the excitement of joyful certainty. The simple faith in the Messiah, expressed in John 1:41 , is here intensified, not as to its subject-matter, but in its outward expression. Comp. Luthardt, p. 344. The second designation is the more definite of the two; and therefore the first, in the sense in which Nathanael used it, is not as yet to be apprehended metaphysically (against Hengstenberg) in John’s sense, but is simply theocratic, presupposing the national view ( Psalm 2:7 ; John 11:27 ) of the promised and expected theocratic King (comp. Riehm in the Stud. u. Krit . 1865, p. 63 ff.), and not perhaps implying the teaching of the Baptist (Olshausen). The early occurrence of such confessions therefore conflicts the less with that later one of Peter’s in Matthew 16:3 , which implies, however, a consciousness of the higher import of the words (against Strauss).