Nathanael – Instant Believer (A Glimpse of Hope)

Nathaniel’s doubts were answered in a far more important way on the day he first encountered Jesus. Filled with questions about the dubious background of this new teacher Philip told him about, Nathaniel went to see for himself. Nazareth? Does anything good come from that backwater village in Galilee? But while approaching Jesus he overheard something that changed his doubts to belief instantaneously. “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit,” Jesus said as he in turn laid his eyes on Nathaniel. The natural question followed, “How do you know me?” And then the earth-shattering revelation—Jesus knew Nathaniel long before he met him, he even observed him sitting under a fig tree without having been in physical proximity to him. Now, we may wonder, why does Nathaniel jump to such a quick conclusion? Is it not even remotely possible that someone had told Jesus about Nathaniel? Could he not have been making a lucky guess?