You ain't seen nothin' yet...

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Evening

May 29

John 1:48,50-51 (NIV) 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."

50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51He then added, "I tell you the truth, youshall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

The Apostle John gives us a description of the other apostles' first encounters with Jesus. He describes how Philip invited Nathanael to "come and see". Philip was already using Jesus' words. Nathanael had a hard time believing the Messiah could come from Nazareth.

When he approached Jesus, Jesus said he was an Israelite in whom nothing false could be found. When Nathanael asked Jesus how he knew that, Jesus told him that He had seen him under the fig tree before Philip came to him. It seems that this was some kind of sign to Nathanael, because he immediately declared Jesus as the Son of God. The Holy Spirit must have revealed something to Jesus of a spiritual encounter under that fig tree. We would call it "a word of knowledge", but since Jesus is one with the Spirit, it would be more than that. Jesus can use the term "I saw you".

We sometimes wonder if God does see us in the secret place when we pour out our hearts to him. Perhaps Nathanael was asking God to give him a sign that his prayers were heard. We'll have to wait until heaven to find out. What we can know of a certainty is, Jesus sees us here and can let us know that He does.

Jesus then told Nathanael that seeing Him there was nothing compared to what Nathanael would see in the future. He was going to see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. That is a reference to Jacob's ladder. Jesus was saying that He is the ladder. The angels, messengers of God, go and come through Him. He is the connection between heaven and earth. The revelation of God and His work in the world comes through Jesus.

Consider: The answers you are searching for come via Jesus.

He saves the best for last.

May 30                                                                                                         Evening

John 2:9-11 (NIV) 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." 11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Some of John the Baptist's disciples were following Jesus. Sometime between the wilderness temptation and the first Passover of Jesus' ministry, Jesus and those disciples went up to a wedding. Cana is very close to Nazareth. A wedding is a weeklong party in the Jewish tradition of that day. The groom must have been a friend or relative of Jesus' physical family. We can see that Jesus was concerned about these social events during His ministry.

Mary, Jesus' mother, asked Jesus to deal with the problem of lack of wine. If the host ran out of wine before the week of celebration was up, it would be a shameful thing. At first Jesus seems to suggest that He will not do anything, at least anything miraculous, to help. He said His time had not yet come. Then He asks for six stone water jars that hold 20 to 30 gallons each to be filled with water. What changed His mind? I think we can safely assume the Spirit of God instructed Him to go ahead and act, giving Him specific instructions.

When the master of the banquet tasted the water that was turned to wine, he was surprised that the best wine was served last. When Jesus makes something, it is the best. The Spirit of God chose this to be the first miracle of Jesus' ministry. The disciples placed their faith in him when they saw this transformation of physical matter, but it may be saying much more to us. The Apostle Paul referred to men as clay pots with a treasure inside. We are a vessel for the Holy Spirit. Wine is often used as a symbol of the Spirit. John the Baptist had preached that the Lamb of God had come to baptize people with the Spirit of God. The bulk of our physical being is actually water. This first sign signified the great work Jesus had come to begin, the transformation of mankind into vessels filled with His Spirit. He would make that possible through His death, resurrection and ascension.

Meditation: Be filled with the Spirit. God has saved the best for last.