This passage is a bit confusing and I think the magic word that needs to be decoded is the 'fig tree'.
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Why did Nathanael doubt something good could come from Nazareth? (note also that Jesus at one point ask a young man, 'why do you call me good? There is only one good, and that is God.')
By the way is Nathanael one of the twelve?
Nathanael is a true Israelite . . . no duplicity in him. (what is the sense of this?)
Jesus knew because he was sitting beneath a fig tree. (so what?)
and the all of a sudden Nathanael made the greatest confession, 'you are the son of God'. (what's the clue? Just because Jesus said he was sitting beneath a fig tree.)
I don't understand.
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