After Jesus summoned Nathanael, Philip told him,
“We have found the one Moses talked about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45)
This seems to imply that Philip and Nathanael were Law and Prophets scholars and that Philip knew through their research that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for.
This is evidenced by Bartholomew’s next remark,
“Nazareth! “Will anything good come of it?” (John 1:46)
demonstrates that he regarded Nazareth in the same way that many Jews did at the time. Nazareth and the neighboring Galilee region were considered inferior and immoral. Even a Galilean, Bartholomew/Nathanael, doubted that anything acceptable, let alone God’s Messiah, could come from such a place.
The next verse elucidates Bartholomew’s character.
“Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deception,”
Jesus said as he approached. In Greek, “deceitful, devious, or full of guile” means “deceitful, devious, or full of guile.”Jesus knew what was on Nathanael’s mind, just as He knows what is on everyone’s mind. Jesus saw Bartholomew as a “real” son of Abraham, a man who worshiped the true and living God without the deception or hypocrisy that characterized religious leaders.
A statement of Jesus’ divine essence and power follows.
“I saw you by the fig tree before Philip summoned you,”
Jesus said in response to Bartholomew’s inquiry. Even though Jesus was not present when Philip called Nathanael, He had seen and heard everything they were saying, confirming His omniscience.
He recognized Nathanael’s heart and his nature, not simply his words. Nathanael (Bartholomew) saw traits of heavenly knowledge and the capacity to read hearts in the Man who stood before him. Nathanael recognized Jesus for who He was: the promised Messiah, Son of God, and King of Israel, because he was familiar with Old Testament predictions (verse 49).
Despite being one of the lesser-known apostles, Bartholomew’s life and ministry continue to inspire Christians today. His willingness to follow Jesus, even when he was skeptical at first, serves as an example of faith and obedience. His commitment to sharing the gospel with others, even in the face of persecution, reminds us of the importance of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to all people.