Scripture in Action

Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his app.

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Scripture in Action

John 1:47-48 — Jesus Knows You!

June 19, 2023 • Aneel Aranha • Season 2 • Episode 13

0:00 | 3:48

Jesus knows us, warts and all, but when he looks at us, he doesn't see us just as we are; he sees us as the people he created us to be. If we trust him, he will help us become these people.

John 1:47-48 — Jesus Knows You! — Aneel Aranha

Hello and welcome to the Bite-Sized Gospel with Aneel Aranha. Today we will reflect on John 1:47-48. Listen.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

This interaction between Jesus and Nathanael is fascinating, especially because it reveals much about Jesus' divine nature. When Philip told Nathanael about Jesus, Nathaniel said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).

However, when he met Jesus, he found himself flabbergasted. Jesus said, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit" (John 1:47). An astonished Nathanael asked Jesus, "How do you know me?" Jesus responded by saying, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael immediately realized he was in the presence of the divine and acknowledged it. "Rabbi," he said, “You are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel."

This encounter reveals Jesus' omniscience, his ability to possess perfect and complete knowledge of people and events. Jesus knew Nathanael's character even before they met. It was a knowledge that extended beyond the physical realm and into the realm of the heart and soul. Jesus recognized Nathanael as an honest and upright man. And his awareness of Nathanael's presence under the fig tree revealed his supernatural knowledge of the lives of people. There are no secrets to be kept from him.

Can we keep secrets from him? Think again. Jesus knows us! We sometimes believe nobody can see the things we do, but Jesus always does. We also think nobody understands us, but again, Jesus always does. And he can genuinely empathize with our feelings, thoughts, and struggles because he walked in the flesh once and knows what it is like to go through life as we do. He knows it isn't easy; he knows that we want to change. So, he invites us into a personal relationship with him where he will help us change.

We might feel it is terrible that God knows everything about us, but let this thought comfort us instead. Despite his knowledge of us — even of our deepest, darkest secrets — God still loves us! How amazing is that! And when he looks at us, he doesn't see us only as the people we are but as the people he created us to be: pure, holy, and perfect. If we trust him, he can transform us into these people. Paul spoke about "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Let us be confident too.

God bless you.