by Prisca | 7 June 2021 08:46 am06
By the grace of God and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be glorified forever. Welcome, as we take time to study the Word of God together.
Many times, the greatest hindrance to experiencing the fullness of Christ is not external opposition but our own hearts. Scripture warns us against being double minded:
“He is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:8 (NKJV)
When we have divided loyalties or hidden hypocrisy, we close ourselves off from the deeper revelations of Christ. Today, we’ll examine two contrasting groups: the Pharisees, who were religious but spiritually blind, and Nathanael, a disciple who received profound revelation because of the integrity of his heart.
In Matthew 12, the Pharisees demanded a miraculous sign to prove Jesus’ authority:
“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’
But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.’”
Matthew 12:38–39 (NKJV)
Jesus rebuked them, not because asking for a sign is inherently wrong (cf. Judges 6:36–40), but because their hearts were unbelieving and hypocritical. They had witnessed miracles, healings, and exorcisms, yet refused to believe (Matthew 12:22–24). Their demand for signs came from a heart unwilling to repent, not a heart seeking truth.
Jesus gave them only one sign the sign of Jonah, which foreshadowed His death, burial, and resurrection:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,
so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Matthew 12:40 (NKJV)
This was a messianic prophecy of the resurrection the ultimate sign validating His divine identity (Romans 1:4).
For more on the sign of Jonah, read:
The Dangers of Seeking Signs
In contrast to the Pharisees, Nathanael exemplifies what it means to have a sincere, truth seeking heart. When he first hears from Philip that the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, he is skeptical but not cynical:
“And Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’
Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’”
John 1:46 (NKJV)
This question reflects cultural and prophetic expectations Nazareth was not considered a significant or prophetic place (see Micah 5:2, which points to Bethlehem). But what sets Nathanael apart is his willingness to investigate, rather than reject, something that didn’t align with his assumptions.
When Jesus sees him coming, He immediately discerns his heart:
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him,
‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’”
John 1:47 (NKJV)
The Greek word for “deceit” is dolos, which refers to guile, trickery, or hidden motives. Nathanael had none of that. He was sincere in his pursuit of truth and because of that, Jesus revealed something deeply personal to him:
“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
John 1:48 (NKJV)
This moment of supernatural knowledge convinced Nathanael of Jesus’ divine identity:
“Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
John 1:49 (NKJV)
Then Jesus makes a remarkable promise:
“Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe?
You will see greater things than these.”
John 1:50 (NKJV)
This echoes the biblical pattern that faith precedes greater revelation. God reveals more to those who are willing to believe the little He first shows them.
Jesus does not reveal Himself equally to everyone. Though He preached to multitudes, His deepest teachings were reserved for His disciples (Matthew 13:10–11). Even among the disciples, there were inner circles (e.g., Peter, James, and John) who witnessed events others didn’t (Mark 5:37, Mark 9:2, Luke 8:51).
Similarly, not everyone recognized Him, even when He was in their midst:
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”
John 1:10 (NKJV)
This shows that intimacy with Christ is conditional it depends on the posture of our hearts (James 4:8, Psalm 24:3–4).
Even today, many believers miss out on a deeper walk with Christ due to religious tradition, pride, or denominational loyalty. Like the Pharisees, some reject clear biblical truths simply because they don’t align with their church background.
For example:
When we prioritize tradition over truth, we become like those in Jesus’ time who “made the word of God of no effect through [their] tradition” (Mark 7:13).
If we want to experience greater things such as divine insight, spiritual gifts, deeper intimacy with Christ, and heaven opened over our lives we must return to pure, obedient faith:
“If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine…”
John 7:17 (NKJV)
We must:
When we do, we stand in the same place as Nathanael ready to see heaven opened, and Christ revealed in ways beyond what we’ve ever known.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)
The same Christ who promised Nathanael, “You will see greater things than these,” is still making that promise today to anyone with a sincere and humble heart.
If we obey His Word and walk in truth, we too will experience the unveiling of heaven, angelic encounters, divine direction, and an ever deepening relationship with the risen King.
May the Lord bless you and open your eyes to see greater things.
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