Sitting Under The Fig Tree

[onli-one-jehovi]

I was pondering about all the people I know who never seem to come to God. You know the ones, friends, relatives, acquaintances who have been direct recipients of my { and others} witness. The ones you almost get tired praying for. I almost thought.... what's the use? Then the Lord showed me this meeting. Hope it will encourage others.

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                                                                 SITTING UNDER THE FIG TREE


Nathanael saith unto him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these.

                                                                                            John 1:48-50



Nathanael, when found by Philip, could be considered searching for God. After all, when Philip told him the Messiah had been found, he did not hesitate to check up on the information. This would seem to suggest at least a casual interest and knowledge about the coming of the LORD, since the prophecies of His coming had been preached for hundreds of years. Isaiah spoke clearly of Messiah's credentials, as well as providing a job-description of His herald. Daniel calculated the year and Micah gave the exact location of His birth. He was even said to be a Nazarene. The coming of Christ could only be missed on purpose! The assurance of Philip's claim regarding Jesus of Nazareth intrigued Nathanael enough to warrant verification.

Nathanael's response is amazing. Jesus simply says – I saw you sitting under the fig tree – and immediately, Nathanael confesses Him to be the Son of God; the King of Israel. How could such a simple statement by the Lord bring lifelong dedication?  There was no altar call; no beseeching to turn from wicked ways. There was just an acknowledgement of awareness by the Son of God. Jesus told Nathanael – I know where you are. I've got my eye on you. I saw you sitting under the fig tree.

The Lord has commanded His people to work in the field – scripturally called the world – sowing and tending the Word of God. Just a little bit of faith is enough to grow a tree capable of providing both shelter and shade. Scripturally, the fig tree is a type of the people of God; a haven for the weary souls lost, without Him. Nathanael becomes a type of people sheltered by the covering of the Church; souls for whom the Body continually intercedes. These are they to whom the Word of God has been sown, but not yet sprouted. Such are seekers in their own right, searching for the Promised One of scripture, hearing the call of the cross. Nathanael has no guile- no deceit-; recognizing truth when he sees it. He knows what the Bible says, and he has listened to your voice. For him, the gospel message is not new. In fact, it is while sitting under the fig tree that he attempts to put all the pieces together. In the fullness of time, it is to the fig tree that Jesus sends Philip.

Jesus said He came to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. He also stated that His sheep know His voice. This means the call of the cross will only be answered by those foreknown from the foundation of the world. Those who never were His will not respond to the call. The work of the Church is to be led by the Chief Shepherd in locating the lost sheep. The fig tree will always draw Nathanael to sit under its branches, succored by the love of God. Through intercessory prayer, godly lifestyle, worship & praise, being kind, being neighborly, a good worker, etc; we provide the covering for those called, but having not yet decided. Our lives are full of souls who have yet to come to the Lord, even though our prayers and witness has been constant. Some even hang around and attend church for years. No need to despair. Nathanael is simply waiting for Philip. Rest assured, when he finally meets Jesus, conversion is instantaneous. All the planting, and watering, and covering have not been in vain. A lifelong commitment by Nathanael makes it all worthwhile.

Remember – Before Philip called thee, when thou wast sitting under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Jesus knows exactly where they are.

Jesus knows when to send Phillip.

[Babs]

that is so awesome!!! good insight, thank you for sharing it! a very timely message for sure.

[iridiscente]

I've heard that trees have specific meanings in the Bible and about that verse in particular, that many times saying "I've been under the fig tree" was a way of saying "I've been praying" since that's where many people went to pray. Do you know more about this?