John 1:45 Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. (46) And Nathanael said to Him, Can anything good be from Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.
[Part 2 of 2] When Philip met Jesus, he realized that Jesus was the Messiah. Then Philip went to Nathanael and told him that he had met the Messiah and that He was the son of Joseph, a man of Nazareth. Immediately Nathaniel said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Did Philip give Nathanael the wrong information? It is difficult to say. Philip only knew that Jesus was the son of Joseph and that He was a Nazarene. Although Jesus was from Nazareth and was a Nazarene, He had not been born in Nazareth, but in Bethlehem. Nathanael was troubled. However, Philip did not argue with him; he simply said, "Come and see." In appearance, Jesus was a Nazarene, but within Him...there was the glory of God. Second Corinthians 5:16 says that we should not know Christ or any man after the outward appearance. Rather, we must discern the inward reality of Christ. We must keep this principle today. We must not go according to the outward appearance, but according to what is within. If you would know the church or the saints, do not be bothered by the outward appearance. Do not give any value to outward things, such as huge cathedrals, large church buildings, or pipe organs. Forget all that. Jesus had nothing outstanding outwardly. He was a little Nazarene, One who grew up in a province that was called "Galilee of the nations" and who was raised in a city despised by people--"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" But if you "come and see" and get into Him, you will appreciate Him and be caught by Him.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Matthew, 1986, pp. 89-91. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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