PT-1 “Bartholomew (Nathanael) (Luke 6:14f)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/30/2026 11:46 AM

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-1 “Bartholomew (Nathanael)

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 6:14f

            Message of the verse:  “Bartholomew”

            This morning I begin the first part of what John MacArthur has to write about the apostle “Bartholomew.”  I believe that it will take this morning’s SD along with this evenings SD to complete it.

            “Philip’s close companion Bartholomew appears by that name in all four New Testament lists of the Twelve, but the apostle John calls him Nathanael. Both names refer to the same individual.  Bartholomew means ‘son of Tolmai’ in Hebrew; thus, his full name was Nathanael, son of Tolmai.  In the lists in the Synoptic Gospels, his name immediately follows Philip’s, indicating the close relationship between the two.  In fact, it was Philip who introduced Nathanael to the Savior.

            “The New Testament records even less information about Bartholomew than Philip.  His only recorded appearance, apart from the lists of the apostles, is in John’s account of his call by Christ (John 1:45-51).  That encounter reveals both the strengths and weakness of Nathanael’s personality.”

 “45  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48  Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49  Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50  Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51  And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’” 

            “After the Lord called Philip (v. 43), he immediately ‘found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’’ (v. 45).  His use of the plural pronoun ‘we’ indicates that Philip already considered himself on of Jesus’ followers. His description of Him as the one of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote (i.e., the Messiah) indicates that Philip knew that Nathanael was a student of the Old Testament; a seeker after divine truth. It may be that Philip and Nathanael had spent hours together poring over the Scriptures.  Perhaps they had even come to the Jordan together to hear John the Baptist.

            “But Nathanael’s reaction to his friend’s excited claim reveals a different aspect of his personality.  Responding with skepticism, if not outright scorn, he asked rhetorically, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ (v. 46).  This was not a question based on the Old Testament’s prediction that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); it was an expression of prejudice.  The Galileans were despised by the Judeans as uncouth and unsophisticated.  Nathanael was himself a Galilean, from the village of Cana where Jesus turned the water into wine (John 21:2).  His remark indicates that Nazareth was despised even by other Galileans—hardly the place one would expect the Messiah to hail from.  So insignificant was Nazareth that it is not even mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud, or the writings of Josephus.  It was inconceivable to Nathanael that the Messiah would come from such an obscure town.

            “Prejudice often blinds people to the truth.  It was in one sense prejudice that kept the nation of Israel from accepting Jesus as the Messiah.  Most of them shared Nathanael’s disdain for Nazareth, and rejected Jesus out of hand.  Had they taken the time to investigate, they would have discovered that He was born in Bethlehem, just as the Old Testament predicted the Messiah would be.  That most of the men in His inner circle were Galileans and that He Himself had not been trained in the rabbinic schools (John 7:15) also did not endear Jesus to the elitist religious establishment.  Nathanael’s reaction reveals that he had not escaped the prejudice that was rampant in Jewish society.”

Spiritual Meaning for My life today:  Think things through before you make unwise comments on different situations as did those who did not research the truth that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and thus kind of made a fool out of themselves.

My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord that he will guide my steps as I go through what is the most difficult time in my life dealing with the terrible cancer that has ravished the body of my wife.

6/30/2026 12:32 PM