"We have found the one Moses spoke of in the Law - the prophets, too - Jesus, Son of Joseph, from Nazareth." These words of Philip to Nathanael are a precise summary of the faith of the earliest disciples. The appearance of Jesus in their midst did not mean they had to abandon their Jewish faith, their Old Testament faith. Finding Jesus meant finding the fulfilment of all their religious expectations. Finding Jesus meant discovering the fidelity of God. In Jesus, God let these faithful Jews see that all the promises of the Old Testament - the Law and the Prophets - were true promises and were now fulfilled. God had not abandoned Israel. Even though heaven had been closed for four hundred years and no prophet had appeared in Israel since Malachi, God had not forgotten. God had not forgotten either Israel or the promise of the Messiah.

Not all the Jews were as open or as willing as Philip to accept that, in Jesus of Nazareth, their searching hearts could find rest. Nathanael was not so open at the beginning but he yielded to grace. He yielded, not to discussion, explanation, or logic, but to the gracious invitation of Philip.