46And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:43-51)
Nathanael suffered from a skepticism that afflicts many people today. Jesus is nothing more than someone who has caused a lot of trouble between people. All this “Jesus is the only way,” talk is divisive, and many people think nothing good comes from Christianity. Like Nathanael, they are doubters.
It is to Nathanael’s credit that he came to Jesus and gave Him a chance to prove who other people like Philip said He was. We can only speculate what it was that Jesus saw Nathanael doing under that fig tree (v. 50), but it is clear that it was something that proved beyond a doubt to him that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus didn’t rebuke Nathanael for his doubts; instead, He removed them.
Jesus is the Living Word, and His Word has an answer for every doubt that we or anyone we encounter might have. We need to be honest and forthright before Him as Nathanael was (v. 47), and we need to go to Him when we are plagued with doubts instead of running from or avoiding Him. Jesus knows what we go through in life; He’s been there (Ps. 103:14). It is not a sin to doubt, but it becomes sin if we harbor those doubts, never go to the Lord with them, and allow unbelief to take hold of our hearts and minds.
Be like Nathanael today and bring any doubts you have concerning your faith to Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit teach you the truth from His Word. I guarantee that you will be changed.
