SUMMER SERMON SERIES, 7/20/25
CHRIST’S CHOSEN: PHILIP & NATHANAEL
John 1:43-51 (other passages from the gospels)
Continuing our summer sermon series on CHRIST’S CHOSEN as we study the Apostles of Jesus Christ, the chosen twelve. This Sunday we will be studying two of the apostles: PHILIP AND NATHANAEL.
In just 9 short verses (John 1:43-51), John reveals how evangelism is supposed to work. It begins when one comes in contact with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who seeks us with relentless love, and then that person, in turn, goes to tell someone else about the saving grace of Jesus.
After Jesus found Philip (John 1:43), he went looking for his friend Nathanael to tell him about Jesus the Christ (John 1:44). If we truly believe that it is ONLY through Jesus Christ that one can come to the Heavenly Father and be saved (John 14:6), then why aren’t we telling our family and friends about Jesus? Philip realized this news of Jesus was too good to keep to himself, and he went immediately to tell his friend.
JOHN 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
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 because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
