Notes on the Gospel of John 1:46-51

Today I wish to look at the final section of John 1:19-59; namely, verses 46-51. However, a little summary of what we’ve seen so far might be in order.

First, recall that this first unit of the body of John’s Gospel is concentrically structured. That is to say that the five part text was written in the form of a reverse parallel; with part one paralleling part five, and part two paralleling part four. These parallels were built around the third or center part, thus giving the structure its name. Today I will comment on parts 2, 3, and 4. For the sake of the convenience of the one reader who seems to care, I will begin by reproducing the overall outline from the last post.

The following outline is in my own words but the actual structure comes from Peter Ellis’ THE GENIUS OF JOHN. Please not that the text in boldface type is meant to help highlight verbal parallels between the A1 and A2 sections, and the B1 and B2 sections. Text in italics is meant to highlight conceptual parallels
A1) The testimony of the Baptist that the Messiah might be revealed to Israel as the Son of God. Jesus is addressed as Rabbi. The first disciples are told to come and see (1:19-39)

B1) Andrew finds his brother Simon Peter and says we have found the Messiah (1:40-41)

C) Peter is brought to Jesus who predicts a future name change for him (1:42)

B2) Jesus finds Philip, who was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Philip finds Nathaniel and says we have found… (1:43-45)

A2) Nathaniel, a true Israelite is told to come and see Jesus. He calls Jesus Rabbi and testifies that he is the Son of God and the King of Israel. Jesus speaks of further revelation (1:46-51)

In the previous posts we looked at the A1 section (1:19-39) and it was noted that the focus was on the testimony of the Baptist who, with the exterior aid of the spirit identified Jesus as the Messiah. There was also a focus on the mission and function of the Baptist. We then saw in the post on the B1, C, And B2 sections (vss40-45) that these passages foreshadowed the future mission of the Church exercised by the power and in the presence of the Risen Lord. This mission consisted in finding and bringing people to Jesus, who is proclaimed “Messiah,” and “The one written of by Moses and the prophets.” It was noted that at this stage of their experience with Jesus, these testimonies were not much to the point; for only in the light of the resurrection and with the Spirit can one fully understand what it meant that Jesus was the Messiah, the one written of.

A2 (1:46-51)

46 And Nathanael said to him, “is any good able to come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming up to him and said, Behold, truly an Israelite in whom no guile is found.” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How is it you come to know me?” Jesus answered, and said to him, “Before Philip’s calling you, I saw you beneath the fig tree. 49 Answering, Natanael said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered, saying to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? Greater things than these shall you see. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, from this time forth you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

The text in bold face type represents verbal parallels with the A1 section (1:19-39). In A1 Jesus invited two of the Baptists disciples to become his disciples with the words, “come and see.” Here in A2 the same phrase is spoken to Nathanael by Philip, and for the same reason. In A1 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him and said “behold.” This was the result of a special exterior revelation of the Spirit, for in and of himself the Baptist did not know who the Messiah was. In the A2 section, Jesus knows who Nathanael is; indeed, he saw him under the fig tee and knew him; No special revelation is attributed as being necessary for Jesus’ knowledge concerning Nathanael, he has it in and of himself. This confirms the superiority of Jesus over the Baptist, which the Baptist himself had spoken of in the A1 section. In the A2 section, in response to Jesus’ special knowledge, Nathanael declares him to be the Son of God, and, the King of Israel. Son of God parallels the Baptist’s title for Jesus in A1. In A1 the Baptist had said that he was sent so that the Messiah might be revealed to Israel. In A2 Jesus is shown revealing himself as the King of Israel to a true Israelite. But just as the Baptist needed to see the Spirit descend and remain upon Jesus in order to recognize him for what he was; so too, the disciples will see the angels of God ascending and descending Upon the Son of Man. That is, they will need further revelation to understand fully what it means that he is the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the King of Israel, and the one written of by Moses and the Prophets.

The words of the Lord about angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man are directed to all the disciples (“You shall see” is plural), but they build upon His description of Nathanael as “a true Israelite in whom no guile is found.” Jesus is alluding to the very guileful father of the twelve Tribes of Israel, Jacob, and his experience at Bethel, a name meaning “House (implication, temple) of God.” It was at this spot that the guileful Jacob began to dedicate himself to the Lord. Here is what the text of Genesis 28:10-17 tells us:

28:10 Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. cb(28,11);28:11 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. cb(28,12);28:12 He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. cb(28,13);28:13 Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed. cb(28,14);28:14 Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. cb(28,15);28:15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” 28:16 Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” cb(28,17);28:17 He was afraid, and said, “How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”

28:18 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top. cb(28,19); 28:19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. cb(28,20); 28:20 Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, cb(28,21); 28:21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God, cb(28,22); 28:22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give the tenth to you.”

In many ways, Jesus’ allusion to this text is programmatic. In the Gospel passage which follows (Jn 2:1-12), Jesus will show himself to be the place where heaven opens by revealing his glory (Jn 2:11. Note, the opening of Heaven is a biblical phrase for revelation). In the passage after that (Jn 2:13-25) Jesus will show himself to be the House of God by declaring his resurrected body a temple. Of course, the temple was the place where God revealed his glory; so it is no accident that these passages concerning revelation (1:19-59), glory (2:1-12), and temple (2:13-25) follow upon one another. Neither is it an accident that he begins to reveal himself through the instigation of his mother, who embodied him; for “The Word became flesh, and set up his tabernacle (temple) among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father…No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Fahter’s side, has revealed him” (Jn 1:14, 18).

cb(28,16);

Introduction to Hosea

 Jacob steals his brother’s blessing from Isaac (See Gen 27; Hosea 12:1-7.  Photo public domain)

Hosea (ho-zay-uh). the name means “Yahweh has saved,” or “Yahweh is salvation.” Variants of the name include Hoshea, the name of the last ruler of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 15:30); Joshua, whose name was originally Hoshea (Numbers 13:16), which in Greek is spelled Iesus and in English as Jesus.

Hosea (Greek spelling: Osee) the prophet, with whom we are concerned here, lived in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC. The superscription of the book that bears his name identifies him as “the son of Beeri,” about whom we know nothing. The date of the prophet’s birth and death are unknown; however, from information contained in the superscription, and from details within the book itself, we can date his ministry between the final years of Jeroboam II’s reign (ended circa 742 BC) and the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC.

Important Introductory Readings:

The law of the king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). The kings over God’s people were supposed to obey certain laws. These included not making military and economic alliances with foreign kings. Such alliances involved swearing oaths to the foreigner’s gods and were usually sealed by a marriage.

The rise and fall of Solomon (1 Kings 1-11). At the very least, chapter 9:1-9 and chapter 11 should be read and compared to Deut 17:14-20 which was linked to above.

The political division of the kingdom (1 Kings 12:1-25). Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, decides to continue his late father’s policies with disastrous results. Ten tribes rebel against the tribe of Judah (to which David and his descendants belonged) thus bringing into existence the new kingdom which retained the name Israel. The tribe of Judah, along with the tribe of Benjamin, remained under the authority of the Davidic kings and become known as the Kingdom of Judah. The text implies that Rehoboam could have avoided the division of the kingdom by taking a different course than he did in fact take.

The religious rebellion of Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:26-13:34). Though God willed the political division of the kingdom, he still expected the people of the new Northern Kingdom of Israel to offer sacrifice in the temple at Jerusalem in accordance with the law given to Moses (Deut 12:1-14). Jeroboam I, the first king of the new state , apparently feared that if his subjects continued to go to Jerusalem (the capital of Judah) to worship, they would be tempted to reunite with the south, so he decided to erect two sanctuaries in his own kingdom where the people could offer sacrifice. Worse still, he had two golden altars manufactured in the shape of bulls; this was reminiscent of the Egyptian god Apsis and the golden calf of the Exodus. Recall that Jeroboam I had been in exile in Egypt which is where he probably got the idea for the bull altars (1 Kings 11:49).

Useful Background Reading:

The Jewish Encyclopedia. (Useful but dated)

The Catholic Encyclopedia. (also dated but useful)

Old Testament Prophets. A good on-line introductory audio series by Father Mitch Pacwa. For background on Hosea listen to shows # 1; 16; 22-25. Requires Real Player in order to be listened to. Real Player can be downloaded and used for free here.

Reading the Old Testament. A good, non-technical, Protestant introduction. Click on the headings “Assyrian period” and “Hosea.” You may also wish to read “Amos”. He was an earlier prophet to the northern kingdom and it seems likely that his ministry and Hosea’s overlapped by at least a few years.

A good map which allows you to situate the extent of the Assyrian empire on a map of the Middle-East of today can be found here.

Here is a map showing the extent of David’s kingdom at the time of his death.

Here is a map of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah circa 830 BC. This would place the details on the map in relation to Hosea’s ministry circa 750-725 BC. Although both kingdoms lost territory after the division they had, by Hosea’s day, gained virtually all of it back. In other words, combine the land area of the two kingdoms and it is almost exactly the same as in the days of David.