NATHANAEL—OR, THE READY BELIEVER AND HIS REWARD – Charles Spurgeon
NATHANAEL—OR, THE READY BELIEVER AND HIS REWARD
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” John 1:50.
Introduction
Nathanael was by nature a man free from cunning and deceit. He was a specimen of that “honest and good ground” of which our Savior speaks in the parable, upon which, when the seed fell, a hundred-fold harvest was produced. We have some such men about us, thank God, in this country—regular John Blunts, as we say, clear as crystal, true as the sun in the heavens. Many men are well known to us who are upright, downright, truthful, honest, candid, and openhearted. You might trust them anywhere. Yes, trust them to repeat a conversation without misrepresenting it and that is saying a good deal in these times. Such people do not understand the clever arts of craft and cunning for they do not take to them naturally and have never been trained in the practice of policy. Speech is not to them the medium for concealing their thoughts. When they have a mind to speak, they speak their mind. You know where they are. They may have a great many faults but they have not the faults of deception and dissimulation. They are Israelites, indeed, in whom is no guile. You know the kind of people—they may at times speak too harshly and hurt your feelings. They may put things in an ugly shape and tread on people’s corns—but they are as straight as a plumb-line and you may be sure that you know them when you have heard what they say. In the end they cause far less pain to people’s feelings than those who have a great deal of finesse and policy, whose words are softer than butter but inwardly they are drawn swords. Smooth and oily tongues, with lying hearts at the back of them are fit instruments for Satan. But truth-speaking lips, which are joined to an honest heart, are precious things which the Lord Himself delights to use.
Nathanael’s Readiness to Believe
Now, when the good Brethren who had joined the Savior came to tell Nathanael that they had found the Christ, he blurted out his objection at once. They said, “We have found Him, of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth.” But he did not take everything for Gospel which his friends told him. Nathanael had been born and bred in the midst of people prejudiced against Nazareth, and he had sucked in their prejudice and felt sure that the Messiah could no more come from Nazareth than a profound philosopher could come from Gotham. He does not beat about the bush but he says at once, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” It is always a good thing, when a man has a prejudice, if he will but state it and “out” with it. You can always deal with this kind of fellow. If he will say what is troubling him and tell you what keeps him back from faith, why, then you can put your finger on his difficulty and try to remove it. It is a great miracle when a dumb devil is cast out. If the evil will but speak and so declare itself we have a chance of overcoming it.
Nathanael’s question was met at once by his comrades, who said to him, “Come and see.” And like the honest man that he was, he took up their challenge. He would “come and see.” How many there are who make objections but they will not “come and see”! They have heard concerning a certain preacher, perhaps, such-and-such absurd things. But another says, “It is not so. Come and see.” Not they. They do not want to come and see—for they are unfair and prefer to cherish a bad opinion of the man. They have heard that Calvinistic doctrine is cruel, harsh, and unjust. “Ah,” says a Believer in Free Grace, “you have only seen a caricature of it. You should read for yourself and judge by Scripture.” Oh, no—they do not want to read! They have made up their minds—not that they have much of a mind to make up. If they had more mind it might take them longer to make it up. But, having once made up their little mind, they have no mind to unmake it. They prefer to go blindly on whether they are right or wrong. They know so much that they do not wish to learn any more. Nathanael was not of that sort. “Come and see,” was an invitation which commended itself to his judgment. “Oh, yes,” said he, “by all means! I am open to conviction. I will come and see.”
The Lord’s Commendation of Nathanael
I wish I could prevail on each one of my hearers to search the Bible for himself to see what the true doctrine is, that he may have a firm foundation to build upon and not take his religion second-hand from another. Nathanael is on his way to see for himself, when the Lord Jesus Christ, turning to those round about Him, says, in a voice loud enough for Nathanael to hear, “Behold an Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile!” Here comes a man with no craft, no cunning in him. Nathanael is startled to find his real character so clearly read and somewhat bluntly asks, “From where do You know me?” I must do him the justice of believing that he said it respectfully, yet, nevertheless, he curtly said, “From where do You know me?” As much as to say—“You have hit the nail on the head. But how came You to know this?” You see, the enquiry that was in his mind is soon upon his tongue—his words at once declare his thought. It is a great mercy when men dare speak upon that which troubles them. Instead of letting a doubt or a difficulty fester in their souls, they bring it out—that the light may play upon it and it is soon gone. “Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
What Nathanael was doing under the fig tree I do not know. Some think that he was there in meditation. Others say in prayer. Very possibly, but I do not know, and the wisest expositors do not know, and you do not know. Nobody knew but Jesus and Nathanael. He was doing something of which he was not ashamed but which he modestly did not wish to have known, and so he had chosen a private place. That transaction was a secret between himself and the Lord, his God, and He who knew that secret must have come from God. Perhaps he was doing nothing there but sitting still before the Lord in anguish of spirit. Possibly he there had looked towards the God of his fathers with hope, or had enjoyed hallowed fellowship with Heaven. Anyhow, Jesus mentioned to him something which he remembered and thought much of, though it was entirely between God and his own soul. Between Jesus and Nathanael—“under the fig tree”—served as a password. They were known to one another by that. And at once Nathanael cried, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” He is fairly won and by an open confession he commits himself at once to what he believes. He is not ashamed of his convictions. He has enlisted beneath the banner of the King of Israel once and for all. Forth he comes without a moment’s reservation with that blessed confession of faith—“Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
The Reward of Nathanael’s Faith
Our Lord Jesus, charmed with the grace which He had Himself given, delighted with the faith which He had Himself created, answers, “Because I said unto you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” This ready convert, so speedily convinced, was very acceptable to the Lord Jesus. Now, we have tonight here, first, one who believed readily. I am going to speak of that. Secondly, here is one who was highly commended for it—“You shall see greater things than these.” Thirdly, here is one who might possibly in after days be subject to a peculiar temptation on account of his very readiness to believe. And, lastly, here is one who, I doubt not, was peculiarly grateful. And if there is another here like he, he ought to be very grateful, too.
The Ready Believer
I. First, then, here is one who believed readily. The first time he saw the Savior he was converted to the faith. The first sentences that were addressed to him by the Lord Jesus Christ fairly won him to hearty faith and loyal service. Why was that? Why was he so soon brought to discipleship? I think, perhaps, it was because he was such a true man himself that the element of suspicion was not in his character. Persons who are remarkably suspicious and constantly incredulous are seldom very truthful themselves. If you follow them home, you will discover that they are suspicious of others because they are not true themselves and their difficulty in believing others arises from the fact that they measure other people’s corn with their own bushel. They imagine that other people are as big liars as they are themselves. I believe that this is the bottom of much of the mistrust and questioning which seethes around us. Sometimes that suspiciousness comes upon men’s minds through long dealing with deceptive persons. But if you find that a man began life with a general suspicion and doubt of others, you may conclude that he was a born deceiver, radically false from his birth. He judges human nature from his experience within his own heart. He has observed his own trickiness and he thinks that everybody else is going to trick him. And so he is full of suspicion.
Nathanael had never taken anybody in nor tried to mislead anyone in his life and therefore he did not expect to be deceived. I wonder whether he was a sailor. I should think that he must have been, for sailors are generally as open as the sea they sail over. He never said anything with reserve. Not he. He was accustomed to wear his heart on his sleeve even if the crows did peck at it. He could not conceal anything, nor think that others did so. He was just as honest as the day. And so he came to the Savior with a heart that was open to faith, ready to believe Him.
Nathanael’s Search for Guidance
I should think the very sight of the Savior’s blessed face had half won him and the tone of that truthful voice had moved him. But when it came to his laying bare a secret in his life which he was sure that nobody knew but himself and God, then Nathanael yielded to conviction at once and became a Believer straightway. Now I do hope that there are some here to whom the Lord has given, from their very birth, a truthful, openhearted nature—and if you should believe in Jesus Christ tonight straightway, even though it is the first time you have ever heard of Him, I shall bless the grace of God which has led you to so speedy a closing in with Christ.
A Clear Evidence for Nathanael’s Faith
Oh that the Holy Spirit may complete the work of which there is already so hopeful a beginning! But, further, this Nathanael, this rapid Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, had, I have no doubt, been seeking guidance beforehand and that guidance he had honestly followed. I should think that he had for years been expecting the coming of the Messiah. The tone of his language argues that. Therefore, when Philip came to him and told him that he had found the Messiah and indicated to him that he had better come and see for himself, he was willing at once to come and without delay he came with the view of seeing for himself whether this Jesus of Nazareth was the Promised One. He was not only candid but he was interested. He was concerned about Divine things and in thorough earnest to know the Truth of God in reference to them.
Faith in Evidence
So he came to Jesus with solemn intent and eager desire. O dear Friends, if you came to hear the Gospel in sincerity, we should expect to see more of you converted. But people come into our great assemblies to see the congregation, or to inspect the building, or to hear the preacher. Their motive is mere idle curiosity. If they get a blessing we shall heartily thank God for it and admire the sovereignty of His Grace. But when persons come, as they often do, I thank God, even from a great distance with the desire to know what the Gospel is and with a wish to find the Savior for themselves, then we have surer hope. These enquirers are the people that are likely to be converted.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Nathanael was a man who, upon seeing just one bit of clear evidence, believed at once. Jesus simply said, “I saw you under the fig tree,” and Nathanael was convinced and confessed his faith immediately. This shows us that a quick faith is often a true faith, and those who believe at once, trusting in the Savior, will see greater things than they expect. May we all come to Jesus with the readiness to believe, trusting Him fully as our Savior and King.