John 1:47-51
Chapter 1
47
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him:
“Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.”
48
Nathanael asked him:
“How do you know me?”
Jesus answered:
“Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree, and I saw you.”
49
Nathanael responded:
“Master, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!”
50
Jesus answered:
“You believe because I said, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that.”
And he said to him:
51
“Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Commentaries
Jesus Calls His First Disciples.
After the resurrection, following Jesus means trusting in Him, continuing His work, and fulfilling His mission. These are the main features of this account:
1. Every call in the Church comes from Jesus (38ff; 42ff.47-51).
2. The power of testimony: the newly called disciples, in turn, invite others through their witness of messianic faith. Faith in Jesus is contagious; it cannot be contained or limited.
3. Joy in discovering Jesus as the Messiah. This joy that fills the apostles’ hearts is shown in the repeated use of the Greek verb ‘eurekamen’: “we have found him!”