Page 22 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

heart and all your soul. Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your
heart.

Jesus changed Simon's name, it appears, because He wanted the nickname to be a perpetual reminder to him
about who he should be. And from that point on, whatever Jesus called him sent a subtle message. If He called
him Simon, He was signaling him that he was acting like his old self. If He called him Peter (Rock), He was
commending him for acting the way he ought to be acting… This young man named Simon, who would become
Peter, was impetuous, impulsive, and overeager. He needed to become like a rock, so that is what Jesus named
him. From then on, the Lord could gently chide or command him just by using one name or the other. In my
opinion the most touching moment that our Lord used the name Peter, is found after one of his greatest
disappointments to our Lord. But go, tell His disciples and Peter… Mark 16:7 Peter had just denied our Lord
three times. But after our Lord’s resurrection He wanted to make sure that Peter not forget that he still
expected him to live like a rock.

The Seeking Savior

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43 The next day He decided to leave for Galilee. Jesus found Philip and told him, “Follow Me!” Now Philip
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was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have
found the One Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from
Nazareth!” “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip
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answered. Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said about him, “Here is a true Israelite; no
deceit is in him.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under
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the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered. “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God! You are the
King of Israel!” Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe [only] because I told you I saw you under the fig
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tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then He said, “I assure you: You will see heaven opened and the
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angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Like Andrew, Philip could not keep the good news about Jesus to himself, but immediately went and found his
friend Nathanael. Phillips part in the calling of Nathanael is like that of Andrew in the calling of Peter. One
lighted torch serves to light another; thus, saving faith propagates itself.

This is the first of 13 occurrences in John's gospel where the title, Son of Man, is used. This title was Jesus'
favorite way of referring to himself. He did so about 80 times in the gospels. Commentators are universal in their
comments regarding the use of this title referring to Daniel 7:13 – 14. “I continued watching in the night visions,
and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was
escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people,
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nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His
kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” This motif reaches its high point in the servant’s song of Isaiah 42:1 –
53:12. Nathanael could not be expected to grasp all of this at the time. Nevertheless, the effects of Jesus’ self –
designation as a Son of Man is gently to qualify and re-orientate the political expectations bound up with the
titles like, King of Israel. It will take John the rest of his book to unpack the significance of the title.

Depending upon the translation you are reading from verse 51 will either say, “I assure you” or “truly truly”.
When you see the statement “truly truly” you need to realize that Jesus is heightening its importance. The
phrase occurs in this double form 85 times in John’s Gospel and never in the Synoptic Gospels. Its usage is
intended to introduce an authoritative statement by Jesus.

Christ's First Miracle

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