Homilies on the Gospel of John — Homily 21

St. John Chrysostom

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3

Beloved, we need much care, much watchfulness, to be able to look into the depth of the Divine Scriptures. For it is not possible to discover their meaning in a careless way, or while we are asleep, but there needs close search, and there needs earnest prayer, that we may be enabled to see some little way into the secrets of the divine oracles. Today, for instance, here is no trifling question proposed to us, but one which requires much zeal and enquiry. For when Nathanael said, You are the Son of God, Christ replies, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig-tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.

Now what is the question arising from this passage? It is this. Peter, when after so many miracles and such high doctrine he confessed that, You are the Son of God [[Matthew 16.16]], is called blessed, as having received the revelation from the Father; while Nathanael, though he said the very same thing before seeing or hearing either miracles or doctrine, had no such word addressed to him, but as though he had not said so much as he ought to have said, is brought to things greater still. What can be the reason of this? It is, that Peter and Nathanael both spoke the same words, but not both with the same intention. Peter confessed Him to be The Son of God but as being Very God; Nathanael, as being mere man. And whence does this appear? From what he said after these words; for after, You are the Son of God, he adds, You are the King of Israel. But the Son of God is not King of Israel only, but of all the world.

And what I say is clear, not from this only, but also from what follows. For Christ added nothing more to Peter, but as though his faith were perfect, said, that upon this confession of his He would build the Church; but in the other case He did nothing like this, but the contrary. For as though some large, and that the better, part were wanting to his confession He added what follows. For what says He?

Do you see how He leads him up little by little from the earth, and causes him no longer to imagine Him a man merely? For One to whom Angels minister, and on whom Angels ascend and descend, how could He be man? For this reason He said, You shall see greater things than these. And in proof of this, He introduces the ministry of Angels. And what He means is something of this kind: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say, when you see the Angels ascending and descending upon Me? Persuading him by these words to own Him Lord also of the Angels. For on Him as on the King's own Son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the Crucifixion, again at the time of the Resurrection and the Ascension, and before this also, when they came and ministered unto Him [[Matthew 4.11]], when they proclaimed the glad tidings of His birth, and cried, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace [[Luke 2.14]], when they c