"Come and See Greater Things!" The Feast of St. Bartholomew 2025

24. August 2025

St. Bartholomew

John 1:43–51

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!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:43–51)

This is the Word of the Lord that came to me, 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. AMEN.

St. Bartholomew is also known as Nathaniel. Nathanael’s first words about Jesus are not very flattering. Philip comes to him with excitement: “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” He is overjoyed. The promise of God has arrived, the Christ long expected is here. But Nathanael scoffs: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” It is not only sarcasm. It is unbelief. It is the judgment of reason over against the Word of God. The Messiah, the Son of David, was supposed to come from Bethlehem, the royal city, not from a backwater village of poor reputation. Nathanael had his expectations of how God should work. And Nazareth didn’t fit.

So it is with you. You also are tempted to ask, “Can anything good come from this?” Can anything good come from a Church that seems small and unimpressive? Can anything good come from preaching that is plain, water that looks ordinary, bread and wine that seem no different from the grocery store? Can anything good come from a word of forgiveness spoken by another sinner? The world despises it. Your flesh doubts it. And you are left wondering whether God could truly be present in such ordinary things.

But Philip doesn’t argue. He doesn’t attempt to prove that Nazareth could be great, or that Nathanael’s skepticism is unfounded. He simply says: “Come and see.” The Gospel is not a debate to be won but a gift to be received. And so Philip invites his brother into the presence of Jesus Himself. That is always how faith comes. Not by clever arguments or persuasive reasoning but by being brought to Jesus, by hearing His Word, by receiving His promise. That is why the Church continues to say to every doubter, every skeptic, every sinner weighed down by unbelief: Come and see. Come and hear. Come and taste and see that the Lord is good.

But notice what happens next. Before Nathanael ever sees Jesus, Jesus sees him. As he approaches, Jesus declares: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” Jesus knows him before Nathanael says a word. He knows his heart. He knows his doubts. He knows his question. And still, Jesus calls him true.

So also with you. Before you came here this morning, before you opened your mouth in confession, before you sang a single note or folded your hands in prayer, the Lord already knew you. He knows the sins that you hide. He knows the skepticism of your heart. He knows how often you have asked, “Can anything good come from this?” And yet, He sees you. He does not turn away. He calls you His own.

Nathanael is astonished: “How do you know me?” Jesus answers: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Jesus reveals His divine sight — not only of Nathanael’s location but of Nathanael himself. And with that word, faith is born. Nathanael confesses: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” The skeptic becomes a confessor. The one who mocked Nazareth now bows before the true King. All it takes is the Word of Christ, the promise that Jesus sees him, knows him, and still calls him.

This is also your story. You who doubt, you who question, you who are slow to believe — the Lord comes with His Word and calls you by name. He speaks His promises over you, and by that Word, faith is created. You learn to say with Nathanael: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are my King.” But Jesus is not finished with Nathanael. He does not allow him to rest on that first confession. He says: “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” What greater things? “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus recalls Jacob’s dream at Bethel. Jacob had seen a ladder set up between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending on it. It was the place where God promised His presence, the place where heaven touched earth. Now Jesus declares that He is that ladder. He is the place where heaven is opened. He is the One in whom God dwells among men.

And Nathanael would indeed see greater things. He would see Jesus transfigured in glory. He would hear Him teach with authority, heal the sick, raise the dead. He would see Him betrayed, handed over, lifted up on the cross. He would see Him risen from the tomb. And by tradition, Nathanael — known also as Bartholomew — would carry this confession to faraway lands, even unto martyrdom, testifying that Jesus is the Son of God.

Dear Christians, the same promise belongs to you. You too will see heaven opened. You too will behold angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Not in dreams, not in visions, but in the reality of Christ crucified and risen for you.

For in your Baptism, heaven was opened. The Father spoke His Word over you: “You are My beloved child.” The Spirit descended upon you and made His dwelling in you. You were joined to Christ, buried into His death, raised in His resurrection. You were given a name — the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That is heaven itself poured out upon you.

In Absolution, heaven is opened again. The word of the cross is spoken directly to you: “I forgive you all your sins.” That word does not come from the mouth of men but from Christ Himself. The absolution is the voice of the Shepherd calling His sheep by name, restoring them to His fold.

And here, at this altar, heaven is opened. The angels surround, the saints join in song, and Christ Himself is present. The bread and wine are not ordinary, for by His Word they are His true body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Here is the ladder between heaven and earth. Here is the Son of Man, present to save.

Still, you are tempted to despise it. You look at the smallness of the Church, the ordinariness of the means, and you wonder: “Can anything good come out of this?” The sermons may seem weak, the hymns imperfect, the people sinful. The water dries, the bread crumbles, the wine sours. It all seems so fragile.

But do not be deceived. The weakness of these things is precisely where Christ hides His strength. Just as He came from lowly Nazareth, just as He was lifted up in shame upon the cross, so now He chooses the humble things of the world to put the wise to shame. He chooses the ordinary so that the glory may be His alone.

This is what St. Bartholomew himself learned. He was not the foremost among the apostles. He wrote no letters that we know. His name is scarcely remembered. Yet tradition says he traveled far with the Gospel, even to Armenia, baptizing, preaching, and finally dying as a martyr. By worldly standards, his life looked like failure. But in God’s Kingdom, his greatness lay in humble service, in pointing away from himself to Christ.

So it is for you. Your vocations may seem small — raising children, caring for family, working faithfully in your job, serving in the congregation, loving your neighbor in quiet ways. The world may never notice. But in Christ, this humble service is true greatness. For it is not about being honored but about serving, not about being first but about being faithful.

This is what Jesus shows us in His own life. He is the One who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. He is the One who washed His disciples’ feet even as they argued over who was greatest. He is the One who bore our sin and shame upon the cross, who was despised and rejected by men, yet who in His weakness revealed the glory of God’s love. “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Lk 22:27).

And now He assigns to you, as His Father assigned to Him, a Kingdom. Not because you deserve it, not because you are great, but because He is gracious. He gives you a place at His table. He calls you into His fellowship. He shares with you His own body and blood, His own life and forgiveness. That is your greatness. Not what you accomplish, not what you achieve, not what others think of you, but what Christ gives you. Your greatness is hidden with Him. And it will be revealed when He comes again in glory.

So when you are tempted to doubt, when you ask, “Can anything good come from this?” hear again the words of Philip: “Come and see.” Come and see Jesus in His Word. Come and see Him in water, in bread, in wine. Come and see heaven opened, angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Come and see your Savior, who sees you, who knows you, who forgives you, and who gives you His Kingdom.

This is the Word of the Lord that came to me, 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. AMEN.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School - Sherman Center
Random Lake, Wisconsin