By: Lisa Wilmore
Scripture: Philip findeth Nathanael, and said unto him, we have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and see (John 1:45-46).
Dear Friends,
I am grateful once again to be provided this great opportunity to share a meaningful word with you through this message. I realize that God is the giver of all good gifts and I am thankful for the most precious gift of all, Jesus the Christ. James reminds us that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Now that we have accepted God’s gift, we should be excited about bringing others into the knowledge of Jesus and what he has done for us. We must be willing and ready to invite people to “come and see our lord and savior”.
In the above noted scriptures, Philip began to follow Christ and compels Nathanael to do the same. Philip shares with Nathanael, “we have found him, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” To Nathanael’s amazement, he asks Philip the following question. “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” The answer to this question is, yes. There is one who came out of Nazareth who set the captives free. He brought hope, joy and peace to the world. Matthew writes that “he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets; He shall be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). Yes, my friends, out of Nazareth, came our Christ.
Scholars noted that Nazareth was despised by the Jews and the people were treated as second-class citizens who were taxed heavily. So, one cannot blame Nathanael for questioning Phillip about Jesus’ residence, which can be noted as a typical thought for an average person. In fact, individuals may find themselves asking a similar question when they know of persons who resided in horrendous cities and places.
It is to our benefit to “come and see” the savior of the world. Nathanael was made a believer by following Philips’ command. With this in mind, we must invite people to “come and see” our savior-the one, who suffered, died and rose for us. If we never invite sinners to Christ, what hope would they have? Do not allow persons’ preconceived idea of Jesus hinder you from inviting them to come and see who he really is.
