QT 10/16/2026 John 1:43–51, What is our response to the Gospel? Or do we have a response?

John 1:43–51 (ESV) —

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

 

NOTE: There is a lot of finding and being found expressed in these verses. But the real question is, who really finds who? God is the one who ultimately finds us, and then it is up to us to believe and receive Jesus. For some reason, it is very popular today to take a strong Calvinistic approach to life (i.e., God is completely sovereign). Possibly, at least in America, it is a backlash against our strong individual freedom culture, which I agree is very dangerous. But, I think the pendulum has swung too far. God does choose us, but we also respond in belief. The gospel clearly says both. In fact, this discussion of finding and arguing what we see (in Nathaniel's interaction with Jesus), has no place in a strong Calvinistic approach to scripture. Why do we care what Jesus saw beforehand or why Jesus questions Nathaniel, "do you believe?" It really is a meaningless story unless we believe in God's sovereignty and man's free will. From our understanding in our puny little brains, it might not make sense (sovereignty and free will), but whoever argued that we should completely understand God's infinite mind?

 

PONDER:

1. The real question, however worded, is, have you found Jesus yet? All of life hinges on the answer.

 

PRAYER: Father, years ago, I came to faith through the "I found it" campaign. Maybe today, people would say "God found me." But you Lord, never lost me. You have been there from the beginning working in my life so that I could hear and respond to the good news. If it was all predestined, hearing doesn't seem very important. I heard the gospel in a Catholic church and did not respond. But I saw it in a man who said that he knew God in the same way I knew my girlfriend, and it was at that moment that I realized I wanted what he had, a relationship with Jesus.