John 1:43-49

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!

 

Nazareth was a very small village in Jesus' time. The boyhood town of Jesus. It was inaccessible, and people rarely visited it. The city was known for digging pits for a living. The idea that such a leader as Jesus came out of Nazareth was surprising. Not only that Jesus came from an unpopular and despised Hamlet, he also had other identities that should have naturally worked against His greatness.

 

- Jesus was born in a manger which a horse-feeding trough.

- Jesus had no biological father. He had an adoptive father, Joseph, who was a carpenter. 

- Jesus was talked down and rejected by His siblings

 

John 7:2-5 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

 

Jesus did not rebuke Nathaneal for asking whether anything good came out of Nazareth. He knew Nathaneal was not far from the truth. Instead, Jesus commended Nathaneal, saying indeed an Israelite with no deceit. Thereafter, Jesus demonstrated the gift of knowledge to Nathaneal, and Nathaneal realised the presence of God was with Jesus. A conversation that started with belittling Jesus's personality because of His background was turned into a conversation of absolute acknowledgement of Him as the Son of God and the King of Israel.

 

1 John 4:17b ...as He is, so are we in this world.

 

I Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

 

I don't know what your background is or what your circumstance may be telling you today. The spirit of this message will elevate us from any barriers and strongholds preventing our rising.

 

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

 

The Gentiles shall come to (put your name here) light, And kings to the brightness of (put your name here) rising.

 

PRAYER 2

Against ancient doors holding you down. Your past, your background, the history of your family, etc. 

Psalms 24:7-8 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.

 

PRAYER 3

Divine enablement. Lord, prepare and use us to demonstrate your excellence to the world.

I Corinthians 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.