<TITLE>07. Par 23-26</TITLE>L-23 Oh, he had fifteen miles to converse with him. So, as they went along, I can imagine hearing Philip quote to him the things that our Lord had did about... Said, "You remember that old fisherman down there, that day when you bought those fish, and--and he couldn't sign the receipt for the fish?"
"Yes."
"When he came up in front of this Nazarene, He told him who he was and told him who his father was." Oh, I can hear him say, "It wouldn't surprise me if He didn't know who you were."
"Now, just a minute," say Nathanael. "I'll draw my own conclusions when I get there." And as they went along the road, they came to the meeting that evening where Jesus was at.
And when they walked up into His Presence, the eye of the Master looked out and caught him. And He said to him, "Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile."

L-24 Now, it might just seem just a little thing for us to think on that, but did you know in that day, all people dressed alike and they looked alike. He could've been a Arab, or he could have been a Greek, or of many other of the people of that day of the Orient. They were dark people, and they all looked about alike and dressed something alike. But Jesus knew he was an Israelite and a honest man.
And it astonished him in such a way, Nathanael, until he said, "Rabbi, whence knowest Thou me?" And he's waiting now, for the answer of Jesus yesterday.
And He said, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the tree." That was enough.
He said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel."
And He said, "Because I said this to you, you believed it?"

L-25 Now, if that was a sign to the Jews in that day, to mean that He was Messiah, that's the way He made the people to know that He was Messiah--and He hasn't changed a bit--It would have to be the same today if He is the same.
He would be unjust to manifest Hisself to us in a way of theology and a way of just keeping a certain declaration of--of traditions of the elders, and then make Hisself known in that way, and then claim that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He would have to keep that same thing.

L-26 There were those who stood by Him, who did not believe that-- and religious, very religious, the cream of the crop, as so to say, as we say it in the south. There were the priests, and the high priest, and the--the evangelicals, the Orthodox. And they said, "This man has an evil spirit. This man must be a fortuneteller. He must be a Beelzebub, the king and the prince of all the fortunetellers."
And what was the words that come from our Lord? He said, "I forgive you if you speak that word against Me, the Son of man." But in so much like this: "There will come a day when the Holy Ghost will come and will do the same thing, and one word against it will never be forgiven in this world nor in the world that is to come." Then how should we approach the Gospel?


<A HREF="P8">Next Page</A>