Praise to Jesus! You all did such an incredible job giving input on “I saw the Spirit come down as a dove and remain on Him…,” truly, I am SO thankful, and there were MANY eye-opening ideas/insights, things I hadn’t considered…
I am currently grouping all your comments and emails into “writing,” “direction,” “special effects” (SFX)… to make it easier to work through them. Then I will blend them with my research, ideas from pros, and yes, even my own thoughts… and I can’t wait for you to one day see it on the screen.
Can you imagine sitting there, watching tears come down people’s eyes all around you, and at the same time, see glimpses of your input on the screen!
And here’s the thing – knowing that you had a part in this, that the Lord literally chose you specifically to make this happen, not only as a Producer with your support, but literally as an advisor in the creative aspects – literally using you to create this work that will invite countless souls to salvation for generations to come. I don’t know how that makes you feel, but I feel a hearty GLORY TO JESUS is in order! Glory to Jesus!
So let’s move on to the next section of script that I’d like to hear comments on. I’m guessing we all know the story, Phillip brings a VERY skeptical Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45-49) and with that one line out of Jesus’ mouth (verse 48), Nathanael falls to his face, blown away, proclaiming what not one had yet proclaimed, “You are the Son of God! The King of Israel!”
It’s a tricky moment to bring to life on screen - what is it beneath the surface of those words that would cause such a dramatic reaction? What does that mean, “under the fig tree”? Was it a literal fig tree? And if so, what was Nathanael doing beneath it? Why would he react as he did?
I’ve read every commentary I can get my hands on, consulted several leaders/teachers… I keep getting the same couple things from them all (which I won’t share here so as to not influence your input). So now I turn to you!
Come on, Bible experts! Come on, you who have sought God on this verse and sensed his leadership! JESUS NGL needs you! Glory to Jesus!
Please leave your comment here in the blog. Some people are having trouble with this (apparently it is an Internet Explorer/WordPress issue that limits us to only 25 comments), so you can also leave comments on our Facebook page, or email them to info@newjesusmovie.com.
Hey, did you ever think you’d be co-writing/directing a Jesus movie? Pretty cool, isn’t it! I look forward to hear from you – hopefully from 1000’s of you, the more the better!
Ready, set, GO! Glory to Jesus!
Bruce Marchiano
9 Comments
When thinking about HOW Nathanael felt when Jesus was speaking to him..it brought to mind the situation with Peter in Matthew when Jesus asked ” who do you say that I am?” Only by a revelation from God the Father or the Spirit of God ..did Peter know who Jesus was. I can imagine that Nathanael, one moment did not know who Jesus was..just an ordinary man BUT the very next moment by the Spirit of God..He knew!! He knew who He was…Jesus chuckles because He knows all along that the light would come on…BUT such AMAZING things were to happen in the future and at that moment, Jesus…… pictures them in His mind.( deep in thought) Yes, Nathanael was very well versed in scripture but it was NOT his intellect that brought the revelation!!…………bless you today!!………..Kim L.
Bruce
Thank you kindly for allowing me to throw my two cents worth in. This passage holds a golden nugget for us all…. I love the word!
Philip has just met God and what does he do? Runs to go find one of his buddies (what a guy!). I’m gonna guess Nathanael was a reflective person. I bet he spent countless hours studying and discussing the law & the prophets cause when Philip found him that’s how he sparked Nathanael’s interest…he mentioned the scriptures about Jesus. He may have been skeptical but it was enough for Nate to drop what he was doing and go see if this was the Messiah for himself. Verse 47 reads Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (Did you catch the nugget?) Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him… He didn’t wait to be introduced but paid him a compliment before Nathanael even got to him…… Jesus was excited! In Psalms 32:2 it says, “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Behold (Look guys whose coming!) I mean I can see Jesus bouncing on His toes with excitement! Nate walks up to Him and asks how do you know me? And here comes the divine ZING – When you were under the fig tree I saw you – (He says with twinkling eyes) and Zing… there goes Nathanael’s heart!
I’m gonna figure that Natanael’s fig tree was his prayer closet. He may have found an isolated private cove with a fig tree and this became his alone place where he no doubt met lots of times with God. I see him as a humble, praying, obedient, God-fearing, truth-loving servant. Not a “religious” Jew but a spiritual Jew. He had no hidden sin for he must have confessed everything & all things then laid it down at God’s feet. And Jesus was there to hear his heart. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Because Nathanael must have spent a lot of time in prayer it wasn’t hard for him to recognize his Lord.
And that golden nugget…and I find this downright amazing… if we confess our sins, surrender our lives to Jesus, love Him with our whole hearts then when we walk thru Heaven’s gates He’ll be just as excited to see us as we will be to see Him!!!
I’ll see you in Heaven
Bev
wow.. Bev said so much that really resonated with me, I too just see so many of Jesus’ encounters especially in John as divine appointments.. places where the Spirit LED him there for a specific person(s).. it says Jesus WANTED to go to Galilee.. why? because He KNEW He would meet Nathanael(and Philip too).. a man whose heart LONGED to see HaMaschiach come, to see God’s promises to Israel come to pass.. who sat as Bev said sat under that fig tree, with tears in his eyes and an earnest devoted heart.. communing with God.. interceeding for Israel.. WOW! likely he did know the fig tree was symbolic of Israel.. I agree with Bev Jesus was so excited to meet him.. one of those times when truly spirit witnessed with Spirit!!! humbly loving the opportunity to share my thoughts.. God bless u all!
Hello,
I love all the postings so far both here and on the facebook.Great–great–great!!!Yeah, alot of it my own thoughts too.Alot of what Bev said was the closest to my own thoughts.
I think partly whats trying to be established here is what did Nathanial look like and sound like–nooo mayby more like…sound like.How did Jesus sound and what was his expression also….what did Jesus think of him and why did he say what he said etc…So to get that picture –we’re trying to find out what kind of a person was Nathanael.Who is Nathanael?What was he doing–what was he feeling? etc…
The two things Jesus said to him gives us a glimpse of Nathanael. One was what he is like and the other what he was doing.
Yessss commentaries say that it was a custom to sit under fig trees for quiet and prayer. But I wonder….. was it mandatory for all to do this? Or was Nathanael one of those who loved going to his special place to be “alone” with God.What Jesus says about him and also to him:”Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”To me thats someone who has character–who has integrity.And So it was….. Jesus was commenting on this. I agree with Bev…I think Jesus had a twinkle in his eye and he was smiling as he said that for it pleased him–really pleased him.I say that becausssse….to live like that does not come naturally but with great effort and from great love and by choices. Effort? Effort for what–for who…For God!Just like what Bev has said –I think Nathanael was a spiritual Jew not a “religious” Jew.
But I dont think Jesus was just making a comment or observation only.I think it was two fold.He said this also for Nathanaels’ sake.I mean can you imagine someone telling you something so true so over the top true where no one can know this about you except God alone.So that very first statement alone just blew his mind.That is why I think Nathanaels’ eyes got very big as he looked intently at Jesus now for the very first time–not even realizing he was thinking –who is this!!! And stammering –”How do you know me”?
So assuming all of this about Nathanael; I think he was under a literal fig tree. I think he was alone. I believe he was spending time with God.I believe he was having a very private moment with God.Yesss as the others have said he could have been crying out to him–just struggling and even saying something as specific and simple (but not so simple because his heart was heaving inside )as “can you see me–do you see me”???? (This is only speculating of course.)
I happen to think Nathanael was under that fig tree right before Phillip called him.–Just the words Jesus used– “still” and “before’ –”I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Phillip called you”.
So that was it– that was the clincher.This not only blew Nathanaels’ mind– IT BLEW HIM AWAY!!!.And that is how he exclaimed or declared or said what he said to Jesus.–”Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” I personally think he exclaimed it….. with great emotion and great excitement and mayby with a little loudness too!!
I know of a different movie that showed Nathanael have a flashback of being under that tree as Jesus spoke that statement to him.–Just a glimpse of him–because we dont know what he was actually doing.I dont know–its just throwing a visual out there of it though.
Wellll……..I can’t think of anything else right now anyway (ha ha ha).
okayyyyyyyyyyyyy
I was thinking also about Jesus’ response a little more.. “”I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” I realized that the only other place we read of this phrase is Jacob’s ladder!! was the Lord inferring that in actuality He was the ladder, in other words the way to Heaven??
praise god for your input, it means the world. and i want to also tell you, i am SO excited about this – about you weighing in on these things. this thing of all of us coming together to make this happen, to shape it according to his leadership, to literally unify to create each scene, it’s sooooooooo cool! let me toss this out, i did a search on the phrase “under the fig tree.” i was wowed to see it all thru the old testament. look at micah 4:4 among several others. is it possible that jesus is using the phrase to link into one/all of those scriptures? and then he goes on to refer to jacob’s dream – was there something in jacob’s story that he is referring to? does the fig tree somehow tie in with jacob? come on, scholars, go for it! this is great fun – soooooooo exciting to dig deep into scripture. glory to jesus!
I thought about the references to the fig tree regarding Israel..the ones where the fig tree is blossoming & fruitful indicate when Israel has been restored to the Lord..
Psalm 1 came to mind kinda of in agreement with that.. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
in contrast the fig dropping is indicative of God’s judgment ..
Jeremiah 8:13 I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.
Revelation 6:13
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
but this prophecy of the Messiah in Zechariah might be the key to what is going on with Nathanael and the Lord, Zecariah 3:8 for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 9For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree(!!!)
not sure why but my mind goes to this verse too. “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel;”
so I would say the Lord was establishing that season of His ministry as a time when “the Kingdom of Heaven” was near, when the favour of the Lord was upon the nation.. the fig tree was fruitful
and we see later on that as the Jews begin to reject the Lord as their Messiah, he gives the parable of the fig tree as a picture of what will befall them..
Hello, all. I’m totally new to the website, but not to the movies! Love them, and my kids have memorized so much Scripture from watching them over and over (we haven’t had our tv hooked up to cable/antennae/etc. for years — we only watch educational videos/DVDs, so lots of re-runs! …which we don’t mind, especially when they deposit LIFE into our hearts and minds…)
Anyway, just a teeny tiny nugget… I heard that it was customary for mothers to set their babies under the fig trees while they worked the fields, also. Just a neat way of looking at it, but from my experience, I agree with the above: it must have been so personal for Nathaniel to have reacted in that way. In my opinion, Jesus answered a question he’d asked, like “Do you see me? Lord, show yourself to me,” etc. (I’ve been there sooo many times.) How you would shoot that without adding lib…I have no idea.
Agape love. <3
Dear Brother Bruce, I think Nathaniel was LITERALLY under a fig tree praying. And NO ONE knew what he was doing or where he was at the time. So when JESUS told him that He saw him under the tree, and couldn’t have known any other way but BE GOD,and maybe possibly Jesus even told him what he had been praying for, Nathaniel was convinced of His Diety!!What an amazing scene! I am LOVING being a part of this movie! Thanks so much!! Blessings to all involved and my husband and I are praying that the money comes in like a FLOOD in Jesus name!! Deborah and Paul Fry