![](/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/jw-logo.png"){kind=logo}
Leg 1 Day 27
MEETING US WHERE WE ARE
Jesus With Us
Scripture:
JOHN 1:43-51 (NIV)
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
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.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
Life Lessons from Jesus:
All of us have moments of skepticism. Doubt is one way of protecting ourselves. And, whether we recognize it or not, we all carry prejudice from our experiences and upbringing into our interactions. Nathanael was no different. When he heard that Jesus had come from Nazareth, he immediately dismissed Him. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46 NIV). What a
human reaction!
Jesus knew Nathanael had scoffed at the idea of His being the Messiah, but He used that as a connection point instead of writing him off. Jesus leaned into the relationship when many of us would have cut our losses and moved on. Only after Jesus told Nathanael things about himself that nobody else could have known did Nathanael begin to believe.
Jesus meets you where you are. He knows exactly who you are, where you come from, and how you ended up where you are now. He has compassion and understanding for your circumstances. He wants to help you overcome your doubts because He has a purpose for your life. You just have to let Him meet with you.
The WAY:
Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:
How do you tend to react to new voices or new ideas?
What do you remember about your first encounter with Jesus?
In a world full of news—some of it fake news—how do you discern what is true?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your grace. You know everything about me—my strengths and my shortcomings—and You still want to meet me where I am. You still have a purpose and a plan for my life. Help me to glorify You as I follow You daily. In Your name, amen.