John 1:43-46

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

Here we have another story of a believer giving the good news of our Savior to another. Philip was called of the Lord, and he went to Nathaniel to tell him of the Savior.

Nathaniel asked a very intriguing question: "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said, "Come and see."

Wow! What a question! Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Well, the great Nazarene did. He came out of a country in which Jesus was without honor. As a whole they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. But what good is a man who is rejected in his own country?

Well, Jesus is called "the good seed" in Matt. 13:37.  That seed is none other than the "seed of David" (John 7:32; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8).   He is the "seed" mentioned in Genesis 3:15. He is the seed (as of one) as stated in Gal. 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Jesus is also "the good shepherd" John 10:11-14. He gives his life for the sheep. He knows them, and he is known by his sheep. Then he said in John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Jesus is called "Good Master" (Matt. 19:16; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18 -- all the same occurrence). This man, who wanted to know how to inherit eternal life, may not have known how good this Master was, but he called him "Good Master." We know that Jesus is a Good Master.

I am sure that many bad things had come out of Nazareth, but there is one certain thing: there is at least one "good thing" that came from Nazareth, and that is Jesus Christ, the righteous.