Greater things are yet to come....Homeboy.

John 1:47-50
 ⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
 ⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
   Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
 ⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
 ⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe^[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”

I love that God's word meets you where you're at.  What I mean by that, is that I can be reading a passage I read 100 times, but this time God uses a certain verse, in a certain way, to touch my heart.  And He always seems to know just what I need.


For some reason, I found this passage amazing last night as I was reading this chapter in John.  Jesus is just starting his ministry.  It's hard to fathom that, since for us, the name Jesus holds so much depth, meaning, and fame.  But at this point in scripture, he was just a regular young guy, in his early thirties.  No fame, no prestige, nothing.


He runs into Nathaniel, a young Hebrew.  Nathaniel had just been told by his friend Philip that he had found the Messiah, the one they'd been waiting for, the one who would come to save them. 

Nathaniel wondered if it Jesus could really be the one.  Jesus, of Nazareth?  How strange for the Messiah to come from such a lowly place.  It didn't quite align with Nathaniel's ideas and expectations...


How familiar does that sound?  I find myself doubting Jesus time and time again.  Maybe not with my words- but with my feelings, my heart, and my life.  Doubting him through my worry, my fears, and my insecurities.  But the beautiful thing about our Jesus, is that He never lets our doubting get in the way of his love for us.  He pursues us like a desperate lover, doing whatever it will take to allow us to be loved by Him.


"I saw you while you were still under the fig tree".  He knew just what Philip needed in order to believe.


But my favorite part about this passage is what Jesus says next:  You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree....but you will see greater things than that.  


I find Jesus so humble in how he approaches us silly human beings.  He could blow us away with his power...He could send fire from heaven and thunder from hell.  He could surround us with an incredible choir of angels, singing praises to His name...and say "Check that out homeboy..."


But he doesn't.  Instead, he meets us where we're at...and asks us to follow him from there.  He meets us where we're at, and bids us to come along.  He opens his power and his heart up to us piece by piece as we allow ourselves to truly commit to him.  "You will see greater things than that...if you come along for the ride.  If you follow me.  If you trust and believe.  I will take you to incredible places."

I'm glad Nathaniel took the chance on this young man from Nazareth.  I'm glad he decided to give it all up and follow this man who claimed to change his life.  I am glad...and I'm also challenged.  I want to live the kind of life that believes- not just when I see with my eyes, but just because I know the heart of the God I am choosing to trust.  I want to believe more, and more, and allow God to usher me into greater and greater things.  I don't want my doubt to hold me back anymore.  I want to wake up everyday, recommitting myself to the relationship I have with Jesus, and expecting great things. 


God has promised us great things....greater than we have ever imagined.  Not necessarily what we expect...because sometimes the unexpected is far better than we could have ever planned.  I want to step out of the way and allow God to have His way in my heart and in my life.  


Greater things are yet to come...will you choose to follow?