17. And finally, turning to Judas, he said: Go your way and tell John what things you have seen and heard.
Luke 7:22;
Matt 11:4
18. When John the Baptist heard these words, he looked up to heaven and proclaimed: This is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
John 1:29
19. After this proclamation by John, Judas quickly retraced his steps to Galilee and sought out Jesus.
20. Once he had found him, he committed himself to his ministry.
21. Judas was inspired by his new Master, who taught with knowledge and authority. He was unlike the Scribes and Pharisees, who preferred to walk about the town in their long robes, and expected reverence when they took the most prominent places in the Synagogue, following which they made a pretence of making long prayers.
see
Mark 12:38–40;
Matt 23:2–7;
Luke 20:46–47
[ix]
22. Judas was moved by Jesus’ words and his interpretation of Israel’s sacred texts.
23. After Judas had been told all that Simon, Andrew, James and John had experienced, and what they had given up to follow Jesus, he too wanted to become a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth.
24. Judas’ faith in his new Master became so passionate, that he told everyone whom he encountered: We have found the long-awaited Messiah.
25. One of those to whom Judas passed on the good news was Philip, who was so moved by Judas’ words that he also gave up everything to follow Jesus.
26. He in turn told his friend Nathanael: We have found the Messiah, as foretold by Moses: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
27. However, Nathanael, a pious and cautious man, was not immediately convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. He reminded his friend Philip that Nazareth was a village with no biblical tradition, and that there was no evidence to be found in the Torah that suggested the Messiah would come from Galilee.
28. Nathanael proclaimed: Can anything good come out of Nazareth?
29. Philip responded: Come and see.
30. When Jesus first saw Nathanael walking towards him, he said: Behold a genuine Israelite who is without guile.
31. Nathanael was amazed, and asked Jesus: How can you know me?
[x]
32. Jesus responded with the words: Before Philip called upon you, I saw you sitting under a fig tree.
33. Nathanael bowed his head and declared: Rabbi, you are the son of God, you are the King of Israel.
[xi]
34. Nathanael also gave up all his worldly goods to follow Jesus, and because of his pious reputation, many others joined him and became followers.
35. They all began to spread the good news, telling everyone of the coming of a new kingdom for Israel that would no longer be occupied by the pagans from Rome.
36. Jesus did not openly acknowledge Nathanael’s declaration that he must be the expected one, the Messiah, and therefore the fulfilment of the Davidic promise.