Day 1
Seen, Part 1
3
Each time Jesus chose a disciple—beginning with Andrew, his brother Simon (whom Jesus renamed Peter), and Philip—we see a similar pattern. He humbly engaged with them, extending an open invitation for them to follow along. And they did, without question. It’s almost as if they could not resist Him. Whether it was belief in Him as the Chosen One of God or simple curiosity, they hoped for and wanted to find out more. Jesus journeyed through the streets looking for and seeing each disciple, calling them by name to join Him. But the most intriguing invitation might be the one He extended to Nathanael. Philip, having decided to follow Jesus, went to find his friend. As they returned, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him” and referred to him as “an Israelite . . . in whom there is no deceit” (v. 47). Nathanael—likely surprised—asked Jesus how He knew him, and Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you” (v. 49). So Jesus saw Nathanael before Philip found him (v. 48), leading us to conclude that Jesus had a supernatural ability to see in a way humans cannot. Jesus not only saw him when Philip could not, but Jesus noticed him and recognized him as a man of impeccable character. Can you imagine what must have been going through Nathanael’s mind? What must it have felt like to not only be seen by the Messiah but also to be regarded so highly? Surely it made him feel special, honored, and important. The light was shining upon Philip and Nathanael, preparing them to relate to God in a new way. Years ago we took a family vacation to a large theme park. As the mom of four young children, I began to wonder how to keep my kids safe in the crowds of people. I decided to dress them in the same color T-shirts, one color for each day. I was constantly
