Second Sunday After Epiphany

Option #1: GREATER THINGS AHEAD!
John 1:43-51

Rev. Wayne Dobratz, B.S., M.Div.

INTRO: Billboards along the highway tell you what awaits you at the next exit and beyond. If you were traveling in the Black Hills area, you might see many WALL DRUG signs, reminding you that your trip will not be complete unless you visit that famous Drug Store. In today’s text, Jesus has a conversation with Nathaniel. When Nathaniel marvels at Jesus’ knowledge of him, Jesus tells him: "You will see greater things than that!"

Let’s travel farther down the road and find out what Jesus meant when he said that there were: GREATER THINGS AHEAD!

I. In the physical realm–they would see things they had never seen before.

A. Cf. Mat 11:5 "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised..."

B. "And the good news is preached to the poor." Jesus himself rose from death–John 2:19-21, 11:25ff.; 1 Cor. 15:6ff.

II. In the spiritual realm, v. 51. See also Gen. 28 where God’s promises to Jacob were revealed in the Stairway to Heaven.

Adam Clarke: Heaven—This seems to be a figurative expression:

1. I take this saying to mean, that a clear and abundant revelation of God’s will should be now made unto men; that heaven itself should be laid as it were open, and all the mysteries which had been shut up and hidden in it from eternity, relative to the salvation and glorification of man; should be now fully revealed.

2.That by the angels of God ascending and descending, is to be understood, that a perpetual intercourse should now be opened between heaven and earth, through the medium of Christ, who was God manifested in the flesh. Our blessed Lord is represented in his mediatorial capacity as the ambassador of God to men....

THE MESSAGE FOR CHILDREN

A few minutes ago we heard about a boy named Samuel who lived in the Church. That sounds strange to us, but his mother dedicated him to the Lord even before he was born. He was to be a very special man. God would be speaking to him and through him. When people heard Samuel’s message, they were hearing God speak.

That happened often back then. What I want you to think about is how it all began. God called Samuel by name while he was sleeping in the Church of the time. Samuel didn’t know what to make of it the first time. He thought Eli, the old Priest, was calling him. That happened the 2^nd time. Finally Eli figured out what was happening. He told him to tell God, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." And that began the career of one of God’s greatest prophets.

Here’s why I am telling you all this. I don’t expect that God will speak to you the way He did to Samuel. But He still does speak to us. Someone may notice the talents God has given you and tell you to consider what God wants you to do with your life. Your best answer is the same one old Eli gave to Samuel: "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening."

And that’s good advice no matter how old you are.

Option #2: "Come and See"

Rev. Mark Borchert, B.S., M.Div.

Notes:

Prior to this passage, the readers of John have been led from the beginning of time to the day John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to his disciples and shown the "origin" and identity of Jesus.
- In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1
- The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…who came from the Father. John 1:14
- John <the Baptist> saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
John <the evangelist>, and Andrew followed Jesus.
Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus.
Jesus told Philip to follow him.
Philip found Nathanael to bring him to Jesus.
Philip pointed Nathanael in the direction of the Law of Moses and of the prophets for the identity of who he believed Jesus was.
However, Philip also betrayed his understanding as to the "origin" of Jesus by saying, “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Nathanael betrayed his understanding with his question, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
Jesus calls Nathanael a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit.
- This is the only reference to an Israelite in the Gospel of John.
- Israel--the name given to Jacob and to his descendants
- Deceit was a characteristic of Jacob, as the name Jacob implies.
- Later Jacob’s name was changed to Israel.
- Those who are true Israelites will come to Jesus; those who reject show they are not of Israel.
In Zechariah 3, a picture of the arrival of the Messianic Branch is given by whom, the Lord Almighty “will remove the sin of this land <Israel> in a single day.” In that day a man will call his neighbor under a vine and under a fig tree.”
- “The act of one man calling another under a vine and fig tree was to mark the arrival of the “Branch” who was widely understood to be the Davidic Messiah.” (Koester, 40)
- Messianic Branch foretold by Moses in the Law (Genesis 49:10, the branch of Judah)
- Messianic Branch foretold by the Prophets (Jeremiah 23:6; Zechariah 3:8, 6:12-13)
- Note above how Philip directed Nathanael.
The heir of David “would be considered Son of God and King of Israel. The text tells all readers that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, while directing readers familiar with the Scriptures to see how he is the Messiah: It enables them to see that Philip’s experience of being called under a fig tree (Zechariah 3:10) marks Jesus as the messianic Branch of David (Zechariah 3:8).” (Koester, 40-41)
“The Son of Man is the link between heaven and earth.” (Koester, 41)
- A direct connection is made to the store of Jacob. One night while Jacob slept, “he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:12). “God stood at the top of the ladder, so that the ladder was associated with the manifestation of God’s presence” (Koester, 41). Jesus is now this manifestation of God’s presence, “the new meeting place between heaven and earth” (Culpepper, 128).
- Another of Israel’s hopes for the future, the coming of the Son of man, has been fulfilled in Jesus.

Point: Jesus is the promised one. Come and see. Bring others to come and see.

Problem: We don’t expect enough of Jesus.

Promise: The Son of God, the King of Israel comes to us and shows us the love of His Father, the forgiveness of sins