Jesus Calls Philip

Lesson #20

Our lesson today will cover the text from John 1:43 - 46 and takes place on the next day, which is day four if you are keeping track of the days for some reason. On this “next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee” (v43). No reason is given here for why Jesus wanted to go there, but he probably wanted to attend the wedding at Cana, which is about a two day journey away. Probably before Jesus left “He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’” (v43). “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter” (v44). Andrew and Peter are brothers and probably friends with Philip since they are from the same city. Philip wanted to take Nathanael along and so he goes to him “and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (v45).

I had to stop and review what I was writing and realized that of the five Philip was the only one directly asked by Jesus to join him. Andrew who left John and followed Jesus went and got his brother Simon Peter. Philip went and got Nathanael. No name was given for the other disciple of John and no indication given that he continued to follow. Do we have a problem here? When I looked at the other gospels it was clear that Andrew and Peter were at their boat fishing when Jesus called them to follow. What do we do with this difference? What is the focus of the authors at this time? Until today I have not, in 60 years, noticed this difference because I was focused on the general development by the authors. The selection of the disciples was minor compared to the entrance of God in the flesh and what that meant. If several people saw an accident would their reports about it be the same or contain some differences?

Philips statement to Nathanael caused him to reply, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.” (v46). Making such a negative statement after such a declaration by Philip would indicate the possibility tension between Bethsaida and Nazareth. Seeing things differently and tension between different groups of people is human. What is important is what Jesus says to Nathanael when he meets him. That will be our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, I found this to be a hard lesson to write. I feel like I can’t find the good stuff to make a sandwich with. One slice of bread is the announcement of the “Lamb of God” and the other slice will be the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana. I believe the next lesson will help when I look at the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. Father, thank you for the hard times because they cause me to draw closer and think more deeply.