Philip was not an out-front, look at me, kind of guy. Yet, God used him to do some amazing things. In John 1:43, Jesus calls Philip and says, “Follow me.” Philip immediately follows, and this is the defining moment in which Philip shows he believes Jesus to be the Messiah. He proved this by leaving Jesus to find Nathanael and proclaiming Jesus as the one who was written about in the Old Testament. He was from Bethsaida. This was a Jewish fishing village near the Sea of Galilee. This was also the hometown of Andrew and Peter.
John 1:43-45 “The next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. 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.”
Philip shows us another great character trait when he finds Nathanael. His friend asked him if there was anything good that could come out of Nazareth? The town was looked down upon by those living in more prominent cities, such as Jerusalem. It was a small town with nothing to celebrate. Yet, God chose this humble, obscure town for His Son to be raised. Philp does not argue or try to defend his discovery; he gives the invitation to “Come and see.” In other words you decide for yourself after you meet Jesus.
John 1:46 “Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
In John chapter 6, see Jesus and the multitude of 5000. They are all tired and hungry, and Jesus asks Philip, “Where can we buy bread so everyone may eat?” Jesus said this to test Philip’s faith. Philip was one of the first disciples to be called; he had seen all his miracles, and particularly that of his turning water into wine. You would think that he would have understood that this is no task for Jesus. He had witnessed the healings; he had seen throughout Jesus’ ministry that Jesus would take care of every situation that had come their way. One would think he would have said, Jesus, this is no big deal for you. Of course, Jesus would help them. They were there to learn of Him. It was the town from which Philip came, Bethsaida. There was no reason for Philip to answer in any way but the positive, yet Philip only knew they did not have enough money to buy them all bread.
John 6:5-7 “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.”
In John 14:8, Jesus speaks to his disciples about the Father. Philip, out of curiosity, to settle their understanding of Jesus’ words, said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus rebukes Philip. He had been with them for 3 years, and Jesus says to Philip in verse 9-10, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Philip was a humble, teachable servant. He accepted what Jesus said and remained steadfast in his course. We never see him give a hint that he is going to walk away from Jesus. He shows us here that he has a desire to know Jesus and all that He can teach him.
What can we learn from Philip? First, we must be seekers of Jesus, not just for salvation, but for an enhanced relationship with the Master. Second, we must be obedient, regardless of the command. I believe many hear the call but struggle with their own plans and talk themselves out of many great blessings God has in store for them. Third, we must surrender to the point of reckless abandonment for the salvation of souls. Fourth, we need to pay attention to where God is working and join Him. Examine your situation and use it as an opportunity to be a witness for Jesus. There are souls all around us who need Jesus. We, unlike Philip, know the rest of the story, but it does no one any good if we keep it to ourselves. Nothing pleases God more than people who turn to Him and follow obediently. Where are you?
