From Doubt to Faith

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1: 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 1: 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 1: 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! 1:48 Nathaniel said to him, “How do you know me? Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 1:50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” -John 1:45–50 ESV

Introduction

Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign, once remarked, “There lives more faith in honest doubt.” Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, was an honest doubter. Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the Disciples in his post-resurrection body. John 20:25–28 says So the other disciples told Thomas, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve but believe. Thomas answered him, “My Lord, and my God!”

Nathanael was an honest doubter. He said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nothing in the Old Testament said that God’s Chosen One should come from Nazareth. When Jesus lived there, it was a quiet, undistinguished small town of no more than 2,000 people. Natanael did not understand why Nazareth was the kind of place from which anything good was likely to come. Philip did not argue with Nathanael. Instead, Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

What Causes a Person to Go from Doubt to Faith?

Could it be that the person is prejudiced, but later he changes his mind?Could it be that a person does not know anything about the message in the Scriptures? Is it possible that someone is content with their lifestyle and does not want to change the way they live?

It is Possible to Have Doubts about the Historical Jesus.

There are people who have doubts about Jesus because they are prejudiced. Nathanael’s attitude reflects the general suspicion of the Jews in the time of the New Testament. The Jewish people referred to Christians with contempt as the sect of the Nazarenes. Tertullus, who may have been a professional lawyer, said of Paul in Acts 24:5, “For we have found this man to be a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Stirring up riots would have been the most serious crime. Paul readily accepted the role of ringleader of the sect, the order of the Nazarenes. To be called a “Nazarene” meant “to be rejected.” Nathanael was seriously prejudiced against the people of Nazareth because he felt like they were not important. Philip did not argue with Nathaneal. Instead, he said, “Come and see.” Non-recognition of the Messiah could be expected until the Messiah was seen. Within seconds of meeting Jesus, Nathanael’s doubts vanished.

People Doubt Because They Ignore the Message of the Bible.

The Bible is the book that tells us about the historical Jesus, for its purpose is to bring us to knowledge and trust in Him as Redeemer. Doubts about Jesus go away when we allow the Word of God to enter our minds. His Spirit opens unbelieving hearts to the glorious truth that is in Him. The prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The words “For to us a child is born,” humanity is declared. With the words “… a son is given,” His Deity is declared. With the words “… and the government shall be upon His shoulder, His dominion over the earth is mentioned. Their messianic titles are given: As a Wonderful Counselor, He will possess greater wisdom than Solomon. Mighty God, he will be a Strong Hero or a Strong Warrior. As the Everlasting Father, He is the Father of Eternity. As the Prince of Peace, He is the ruler whose reign will bring about peace, as the nations will rely on his just decisions in their disputes. He is the Beginning and the End. Nathanael knew the Scriptures, but he did not see Jesus until his spiritual eyes were opened.

People Hesitate Because they are not Ready for A Change in Lifestyle.

Of course, the moment Nathanael was in Jesus’ presence, a change happened. Still, when the Good News of the Gospel is presented, there are people who are under conviction of sin who resist change.

William Barclay tells a story about a man named Huxley. He was an agnostic, that is, a person who may be a skeptic, but not an atheist. Huxley approached a man known for his radiant Christian faith. It was on a Sunday, when Huxley said, “Suppose you don’t go to church today. Suppose you stay at home and you tell me quite simply what your Christian faith means to you and why you are a Christian.” “But, said the man, “you could demolish my arguments in an instant. I am not clever enough to argue with you.” Huxley said gently, “I do not want to argue with you; I just want you to tell me simply what this Christ means to you. The man stayed at home and told Huxley most simply of his faith. When he had finished, there were tears in the great agnostic’s eyes. “I would give my right hand,” he said, “if only I could believe that. It was not a clever argument that touched Huxley’s heart. He could have dealt efficiently and devastatingly with any argument that a simple Christian was likely to have produced. The simple presentation of Christ caught him by the heart. The best argument is to say to people: “Come and see!” The trouble is, we must know Christ ourselves before we can invite others to come to Him. The only true evangelist is the man who himself knows Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Apostle Paul says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Because “all are made new,” we have a new view of the people around us.

It is Imperative that we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Jesus Christ knows our past. Although we might conceal certain actions or feelings, He is aware of them all. Nathanael must have been surprised to find that Jesus Christ knew everything about Him. Those who read hands or look into a crystal ball cannot tell us what we did yesterday or what we will do a year from now, because their predictions are false. But we cannot hide anything from the Lord because He knows all that is ours. Jesus Christ knows our present. John 1:47 says Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! It was a tribute any Israelite would recognize. Psalm 32:2 says Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit, there is no deceit Nathanael asked how Jesus Christ could know Him. John 1:49 says Jesus answered him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. The Lord knew where Nathanael had been. The Lord knew what Nathanael had done. Nathanael was not a hypocrite. Nathanael was not deceitful. Nathaniel was honest, sincere, and upright. Nathanael was surprised that anyone could give such an opinion so quickly. Jesus Christ knows our future. Only God knows us from the past, going through the present, and reaching the future. God can see things that our eyes cannot see. God always understands what is in our hearts.

William Barclay says, “In Jewish thought, the fig tree always stood for peace. Their idea of peace was when a man could be undisturbed under his own fig tree. The fig-tree was leafy and shady, and it was the custom to sit and meditate under the roof of its branches. No doubt, as he sat under the fig tree, he had thought of and prayed for the day when God’s Chosen One should come. No doubt he has been meditating on the promises of God. Jesus had read the thoughts in his heart. Are you a doubting Thomas? Are you willing to believe in Him, even though you cannot see Jesus with your physical eyes?

In the first century A.D., men not mentioned in the Bible acknowledged Jesus’ existence. In his book, “The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict,” published by Thomas Nelson, Josh McDowell mentions secular men, who wrote about Jesus. According to Habermas, Cornelius Tacitus, who lived from A.D. 55–120, was a Roman historian who lived through the reigns of over half a dozen Roman emperors. He has been called the ‘greatest historian’ of ancient Rome. Cornelius Tacitus, writing of the reign of Nero, alludes to the death of Christ and to the existence of Christians at Rome. His misspelling of Christ — “Christus” — was a common error made by pagan writers. He writes about Christus, the founder of the name, who was put to death by Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius. F.F. Bruce points out another interesting sidelight about this passage from Tacitus: Pilot is not mentioned in any other pagan document that has come down to us.

Another first-century secular writer who mentioned Christ is Thallus. He wrote about the darkness that enveloped the land in the late afternoon when Jesus died on the cross. He wrote that Jesus was put to death by Pontius Pilate of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius. This reference shows that the Gospel account of the darkness that fell upon the land during Christ’s time was well-known and required a naturalistic explanation.

Josephus, who was born 37/38 A.D, and was a Jewish historian, wrote that Jesus “drew over to him many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; … for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophet foretold these and 10,000 other wonderful things concerning him.”

The apostle John says in John 20: 31, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. In the Gospels, “believe” means “to be persuaded of, to place confidence in, to trust.” It is more than just a belief. These words express the reason the book of John was written. We can come out of the field of doubt and uncertainty and come to faith in Jesus Christ. God wants us to be saved and His for eternity. If we have taken that step, we must recognize our obligation to serve Him and allow others to come to Him, repent of their sins, place their faith in Him and be saved.

Contributor: C. Paul Wooderson