Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward
Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 48Nathanael
said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before
Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael
answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
John 1:47-49
How is it that Nathanael received
the truth about Jesus so readily, when all Israel failed to recognize their
Messiah? It was because Nathanael
possessed the grace of integrity, which Jesus immediately recognized and
acknowledged – “...an Israelite in whom
there is no deceit.” This was a man
who was honest with himself and others, a straight-shooter, one who meant what
he said and said what he meant. Jesus
commended him for his truthfulness, because it made the way for him to see the
Son of God.
Total honesty is an essential
trait of God’s children. When we embrace
any deception or dishonesty, we may see Jesus, but not as Lord and King. The longer we refuse to accept the truth
about ourselves, the longer it takes for us to recognize Christ as the Master
of our lives. We will never find our
true identity in what others say about us, or even what we say about ourselves. But immediately when the Lord speaks the
truth about us and we receive it, we are set free to see Him for who He
is. God can only reveal Himself to those
of us who speak the truth about ourselves in our hearts (Psalm 15:2).
The Lord shows us what is wrong
in us, because He loves us as our Father; and He wants us to repent and be
cleansed, so we can enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him. He shows us what’s right in us, because it
confirms His hand upon us, and assures us He’s shaping us in the image of
Jesus. God becomes real to us when we
are real with Him. May we all be “real” like
Nathanael – so God can truly reveal Himself to us!
