Please read the passage before the commentary.
Philip found Nathanael. It is a chain-like event, and it is the way we pass on our faith from one generation to the next. We invite others to “come and see” and the Lord takes it from there.
Jesus called Nathanael a true child of Israel. Israel, also called Jacob, was known for his duplicity. He swindled his twin brother out of his rights as the firstborn and then stole his father’s final blessing from his brother. Nathanael, however, has no duplicity in him.
Jesus found Nathanael under a fig tree, which was a place for the rabbi to study the word of God. Nathanael’s namesake, Jacob-Israel had escaped from this brother’s murderous anger and had seen a vision of God’s angels ascending and descending a ladder stretching from heave to earth. Jesus promised Nathanael that he would see God’s angels ascending and descending on Jesus: the ladder becomes Jesus.
So are we to sit under the fig trees God gives us for the study of God’s word and recognize Jesus as thew one who has come down from heaven to take us back with him to heaven. There will be no duplicity in us.
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