When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
4 sermons cite this verse
… who he is. When I was in my 30s, I did a series called Savage Jesus. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age. Now I'm preaching about seeking Jesus. Now, when we say seeking Jesus, as you find John chapter 1, verse 43 through 51 in your Bible, understand that when we say seeking Jesus, we're seeking someone, not something. Here's the difference. The other day, Holly lost her ring, and I could see she was getting frustrated. I said, move aside. The professional is on the job. I paid for it. I guarantee you I'll find it. I'll stick my hand through your nostril to find it if I have to. The ring was expensive. I said, I bet you I'll find it in three seconds. It wasn't three seconds, but it was only about two minutes. I was seeking her ring. I found her ring. I handed her a ring, and we were done. Because when you're seeking a thing and you find it, you're done. …
… So I'm praying for the spirit of wisdom and revelation. I am in John chapter 1, verse 47. I'm reading from the New King James Version. Context is that Jesus is beginning to show himself to his disciples. They don't know it yet that they're going to be his disciples, but he's showing himself. And as he's showing himself, they're realizing that he is the Messiah. the promised one. And in the process of them beginning to experience Jesus, they go and tell other people. You know how we do when we get a revelation about something, we go and tell somebody else about it. And so when we enter this text, Philip has gone to Nathaniel to tell Nathaniel, I think we found him, the one that the prophets told us about, the Messiah. I think we have discovered him. And Nathaniel cannot believe it primarily because he comes from a place that no one would have suspected. He came from Lagos, Nigeria. Can anything good come out of Lagos? …
For instance, we read of the Apostles, that "Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed Him." Again; when He saw James and John with their father Zebedee, "He called them; and they immediately left the ship, and their father, and followed Him." And so of St. Matthew at the receipt of custom, "He said unto him, Follow Me, and he left all, rose up, and followed Him." Again, we are told in St. John's Gospel, "Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto Him, Follow Me." Again, "Philip findeth Nathanael," and in like manner says to him, "Come and see." "Jesus saw Nathanael coming unto Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." On the other hand, the young ruler shrunk from the call, and found it a hard saying, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow Me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Others who seemed to waver, or rather who asked for some little delay from human feeling, were rebuked for want of promptitude in their obedience;--for time stays for no one; the word of call is spoken and is gone; if we do not seize the moment, it is lost. Christ was on His road heavenward. He walked by the sea of Galilee; He "passed forth;" He "passed by;" He did not stop; all men must join Him, or He would be calling on others beyond them. "He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee: but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." …
“Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” 1. Some years ago a very ingenious man, Professor Hutcheson of Glasgow, published two treatises, The Original of our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue. In the latter of these he maintains that the very essence of virtue is, the love of our fellow-creatures. He endeavours to prove, that virtue and benevolence are one and the same thing; that every temper is only so far virtuous, as it partakes of the nature of benevolence; and that all our words and actions are then only virtuous, when they spring from the same principle. “But does he not suppose gratitude, or the love of God to be the foundation of this benevolence?” By no means: Such a supposition as this never entered into his mind. Nay, he supposes just the contrary: He does not make the least scruple to aver, that if any temper or action be produced by any regard to God, or any view to a reward from him, it is not virtuous at all; and that if an action spring partly from benevolence and partly from a view to God, the more there is in it of a view to God, the less there is of virtue. …