John 1:47-51
Jesus calls Nathanael
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.”
v47
Nathanael didn't need much to be convicted of the deity of Christ. That our Lord Jesus calls him by the title "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit" is indicative of Nathanael's devotion to his Jewish heritage. He probably knew the Jewish scriptures very well, and like many Jews of his time, he would be looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.
v48
"How do you know me?"
There is a difference to being doubtful and being discerning. We are so easily led astray by skillful displays of natural prowess--how much more so when we are faced with supernatural prowess! Nathanael, like any good steward of truth, wanted to enquire, test and examine. Particularly for us who are in the end times, where false "Christian" spirituality is rife, we need to be discerning of everything we come into contact with, be it theology, testimonies of miraculous healing, or supposed dreams and visions from God.
v49
Some people are born with less ability to discern the spiritual, but they are compensated when they read and are convicted by the Word. Others are so attuned to the Spirit that listening and obeying God's voice comes easier, but their ability to glean truth from the Word is limited. Thus, keen spiritual awareness coupled with a good working knowledge of the scriptures helps one to perceive the workings of the spiritual dimension.
v50
Nathanael is promised that he will see greater things not because Jesus will exclusively show these to him, but rather, because of his acute awareness of Christ, he will be one of the quickest to identify God's fingerprints in His handiwork.
v51
Jesus gives Nathanael an illustration from Genesis 28:12, where Jacob is shown the dream of an open-access to God by means of a ladder extending from heaven to earth. By superimposing the imagery, Jesus is essentially saying that He will be the fulfillment of open-access to the Father. He is the ladder, and everywhere that Jesus goes, He will turn the place into a "New Bethel".
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