The enigmatic "sitting under the fig tree" was explored brilliantly in "The Chosen". Nathanael is at his lowest ebb and sits alone under the fig tree crying out to God "do you see me?" He doesn't think God has seen him, and then Jesus says: "I saw you sitting under the fig tree". My eyes were strangely moist at that moment. ua-cam.com/video/HAbwGTcPA_k/v-deo.html (ps. my wife is a proud Bedfordian, James!)
My slight struggle with this is that, as is often the case, The Chosen dumps a whole load of non-textual stuff into the text. I worry that people will remember The Chosen scene more vividly than the actual story in John 1...
@@Psephizo - quite understand that concern. But John leaves a lot unsaid by going from the scornful "Does anything good from Nazareth?", to Jesus' innoculous-seeming "I saw you under the fig tree", to Nathanael's rapturous: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!". If we look only at the text it's hard to see why Nathanael goes from scorn to rapture so suddenly. Is there not space for imaginative (and faithful) filling-in-the-blanks? [As long as we're clear that this is what we are doing]
Very helpful once again! Lots in here. The throwaway comment that it isJohn who gives us three years for Jesus ministry caught my attention.. is there a verse? I’ve always seen Nathaniel under the fig tree, praying and asking God to send the messiah… his place of personal petition… and here is Jesus saying… I heard you! Here I am.
Thanks. I think there might be a hint of expectation by Jesus saying 'I saw you under the fig tree' which is a symbol of OT expectation for God's reign of peace. The fourth gospel tells us Jesus' ministry lasted three years simply by mentioning Passover three separate times in John 2.13, John 6.4, and John 11.55.
Ha. I also have a vine and a fig tree in my garden - and I'm in Newcastle! The grapes never ripen enough to eat. The fig tree is so prolific that I leave bowls of fresh figs by the road for neighbours to help themselves. - I actually don't like fresh figs. I only got the tree for kudos! I've read somewhere that the phrase 'sitting under a fig tree' was a saying that meant studying the Law & Prophets. Do you know of any support for this?
My main vine is in a greenhouse. I am impressed with your fig haul. My wife loves them, and she has converted me... Will check out the studying link...
Hats off to the true theologians - my thought, prior to hearing the link to Micah, helpful, was this: Sitting under a leafy (cool) tree in the heat of the day (assuming) means (to me) that he is at rest and being still; he is waiting -- for how the Messiah is to be revealed he doesn't know -- but he's still ... and waiting ... and Jesus "sees" him like he sees us -- waiting, wondering, (hoping), and all other kinds of verbs .... and Jesus answers the hopeful anticipation; (too bad for my theory he didn't say "here I am" instead of "come and see,"); Nathanael represents that "blank slate" of humanity -- and of the expectant Jews -- that is merely in a state of suspended animation because the expectation (of the Israelites, from the prophets) was that something, someone, is coming.
Very enlivening as always! Isn't the point around the Hebrew word being ambiguous as either "him" or "it" that Jesus is essentially both; he is the ladder that bridges heaven and earth. (Apologies if that was the point you were making.)
Brilliant.
Psalm 46:8 is also a 'Come and see' invitation.
Yes it is, though in a slightly different grammatical form δεῦτε ἴδετε rather than in John 1.46 ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε.
My son's insightful comment on this video is "vicars and stuff like books"
Well, we cannot deny it! But I hope he also admired the updated lighting set up...!
The enigmatic "sitting under the fig tree" was explored brilliantly in "The Chosen". Nathanael is at his lowest ebb and sits alone under the fig tree crying out to God "do you see me?"
He doesn't think God has seen him, and then Jesus says: "I saw you sitting under the fig tree". My eyes were strangely moist at that moment.
ua-cam.com/video/HAbwGTcPA_k/v-deo.html
(ps. my wife is a proud Bedfordian, James!)
Of course I knew there were splendid people from Bedford really!😂
My slight struggle with this is that, as is often the case, The Chosen dumps a whole load of non-textual stuff into the text. I worry that people will remember The Chosen scene more vividly than the actual story in John 1...
@@Psephizo - quite understand that concern. But John leaves a lot unsaid by going from the scornful "Does anything good from Nazareth?", to Jesus' innoculous-seeming "I saw you under the fig tree", to Nathanael's rapturous: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!".
If we look only at the text it's hard to see why Nathanael goes from scorn to rapture so suddenly. Is there not space for imaginative (and faithful) filling-in-the-blanks? [As long as we're clear that this is what we are doing]
Very helpful once again! Lots in here. The throwaway comment that it isJohn who gives us three years for Jesus ministry caught my attention.. is there a verse? I’ve always seen Nathaniel under the fig tree, praying and asking God to send the messiah… his place of personal petition… and here is Jesus saying… I heard you! Here I am.
Thanks. I think there might be a hint of expectation by Jesus saying 'I saw you under the fig tree' which is a symbol of OT expectation for God's reign of peace. The fourth gospel tells us Jesus' ministry lasted three years simply by mentioning Passover three separate times in John 2.13, John 6.4, and John 11.55.
I didn't know that!!!!@@Psephizo
Ha. I also have a vine and a fig tree in my garden - and I'm in Newcastle! The grapes never ripen enough to eat. The fig tree is so prolific that I leave bowls of fresh figs by the road for neighbours to help themselves. - I actually don't like fresh figs. I only got the tree for kudos! I've read somewhere that the phrase 'sitting under a fig tree' was a saying that meant studying the Law & Prophets. Do you know of any support for this?
My main vine is in a greenhouse. I am impressed with your fig haul. My wife loves them, and she has converted me...
Will check out the studying link...
Hats off to the true theologians - my thought, prior to hearing the link to Micah, helpful, was this: Sitting under a leafy (cool) tree in the heat of the day (assuming) means (to me) that he is at rest and being still; he is waiting -- for how the Messiah is to be revealed he doesn't know -- but he's still ... and waiting ... and Jesus "sees" him like he sees us -- waiting, wondering, (hoping), and all other kinds of verbs .... and Jesus answers the hopeful anticipation; (too bad for my theory he didn't say "here I am" instead of "come and see,"); Nathanael represents that "blank slate" of humanity -- and of the expectant Jews -- that is merely in a state of suspended animation because the expectation (of the Israelites, from the prophets) was that something, someone, is coming.
Very enlivening as always! Isn't the point around the Hebrew word being ambiguous as either "him" or "it" that Jesus is essentially both; he is the ladder that bridges heaven and earth. (Apologies if that was the point you were making.)
Yes I would agree...though in John 1 he refers to himself personally.