Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

Since Jesus walked this earth, people have turned to Jesus from many different roads of life that they have traveled and from varying reasons. Philip and Matthew heard Jesus speak and with the command, "Follow Me." (John 1:43 & Luke 5:27), and both men followed Him at those words, leaving everything! Others saw the miracles performed by His hand, or the casting out of demons, and even the raising of the dead (Mark 5:all) and did believe in Him. The leaders of the Jews delivered Jesus because of envy, (Mark 15:10), to be crucified upon the cross. But even during His time on the cross at least one believed as the criminal repented for life, (Luke 23:39-43), and even in death, the centurion who stood before Him said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39).

So that brings us to our question, "How did Nathanael come to believe in Jesus?". While Jesus was beginning His ministry upon this earth, He gathered His disciples together. Andrew, upon hearing John the Baptist say as Jesus approached, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:35-40), and Andrew followed Jesus. Andrew then introduces his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus as he tells him, "We have found the Messiah." (John 1:41), and at Jesus' bidding, they let down their fishing nets one more time after a long night of catching nothing, and caught so many even their nets began to break, and Simon Peter, being amazed, said to Him, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" And Jesus tells him, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." (Luke 5:4-11), and they too left everything and followed Him.

The next day, Jesus traveled into Galilee, and upon finding Philip of Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Simon Peter, He said to Him, "Follow Me." (John 1:43), and Philip did. "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also of the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' And Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!' Nathanael said to Him, 'How do you know me?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' Nathanael answered Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.' And He said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'" (John 1:45-51). And there we have the answer to our question, as Nathanael was told by Jesus that he saw him sitting under a fig tree, and He believed! Yes, Jesus saw him by a miracle, but greater things would follow that would continue to amaze these men, including Nathanael, who also is called Bartholomew, one of His twelve disciples.

When Nathanael told Philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?", Philip just told him to, "Come and see.", so must we come and see! It's just like glass bottles back then as they saw the works of the Lord. But even Thomas wanted to continue in the 'seeing' mode after Jesus' death when he wanted to place his fingers in the nail holes and his hand in his side, and Jesus told him, "'Reach here your finger, and see my hands; reach here your hand, and put it in My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.' And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God.' Then He said to Thomas. 'Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who do not see, and yet believed.' Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:27-31).

Let us recognize "So that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17), and of course, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). May we come obedient to His teaching by faith resulting in righteousness for life (Romans 6:all)!