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  • Writer's pictureJoe Durso

Nathaniel’s Confession


God, by virtue of omniscience sees all things; man foolishly tries to hide the wrong that he does. When a person becomes a believer, however, he ceases to hide sin and begins to confess it to God.

Such was the case with our Lord’s disciple Nathaniel; in John 1:47-49 we read, “Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathaniel said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathaniel answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”


When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching he said to him, “Here is a true Israelite, there is no, (dolos: craft, deceit, guile), in him,” in other words, Nathaniel does not hide sin. When Nathaniel heard what Jesus said, he questioned Him, ‘how do you know me,’ he did not deny Jesus’ accuracy. Jesus reply was that he saw him confessing his sin under a fig tree. Nathaniel acknowledged this as true by calling him teacher, Son of God and King of Israel or Messiah.

A Christian may fail, or fall, but he will rise again because Jesus is able to make Him do so because the necessary ingredient is present – the willingness to confess sin, which is evidence of a transformed heart and mind.

Do not allow time to pass once you recognize sin, Jesus will say to you as he did to Nathaniel, a Christian in whom is no hiding of sin, and you will reply teacher, Son of God, and King of Israel. This is assured to all those who have been born again! 

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