A Sermon on John 1:43-51 for the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle. Delivered by Pastor Caleb Strutz.

St. Bartholomew is one of those many men in Scripture who seem to go by multiple names. Comparing the Gospel accounts, it seems like the man Matthew, Mark, and Luke refer to as Bartholomew, John calls Nathanael. This tracks, as Nathanael is a proper name while Bartholomew denotes his lineage. So just like Simon was Simon Bar-Jonah (Mt 16:17), Simon, son of Jonah, so this apostle is Nathanael Bar-tholomew, Nathanael, son of Tolmai. For consistency’s sake, when I talk about him, we’re gonna say Bartholomew, just know that the sermon text is talking about the guy we’re celebrating today.

When we look at the calling of Bartholomew, we see this interesting display of resistance and skepticism. This is something that we all struggle with in one area or another. But we also see how Christ overcomes objections, whether legitimate or illegitimate, by the power of faith.

I. Legitimate and Illegitimate

So this is really early on in Jesus’ ministry. Not very much is known about Him. He’s still assembling His core group of disciples. Just before this, He had called Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptist, and Andrew told his brother Simon, and now Jesus finds Philip, and Philip finds Bartholomew.

Philip is convinced that he has found the Messiah. He tells Bartholomew “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Now, Bartholomew seems like a more knowledgeable and less excitable character than Philip and he exposes a flaw in his reasoning.

Philip correctly appeals to the witness of Scripture, but doesn’t seem to have paid close attention in Sunday school. Bartholomew points this out, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Now, I don’t think we have to read in any kind of personal prejudice here, Bartholomew himself is from Galilee, and at this point Nazareth doesn’t really seem to have a reputation one way or the other. The problem is, Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament. But Micah prophecies, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel” (5:2).

Bethlehem is where the Messiah will come from, not Nazareth. Bartholomew knows his stuff and what Philip is saying just doesn’t track. Bartholomew is justified in this objection, but at least he still goes along with Philip who invites him to “Come and see.”

Bartholomew threw up his defenses, put up these obstacles between him and Jesus. Now, he did so on the basis of Scripture. I think we do the same on a lot less solid ground. What objections do you have to Jesus? What parts of the faith do you still struggle with?

Are your objections intellectual? Is there something that you just have a hard time wrapping your head around that’s leading you to doubt all of it? Letting our reason throw up these barriers to Christ.

Or is there a doctrine that you just have a hard time with? “Yeah, I know what the Bible says, but it just seems really mean. It can’t be that big of a deal.” So often, our objections come in spite of Scripture, not because of it.

Or how often is it even more simple than that, that our hearts are too attached to sin to want to give it up, that our objections are simply those of our flesh that resists the change that Christ calls us to? Objections abound in our old Adam.

But no matter what you’re struggling with in life or in faith, you’re still here, you’re in the right place. Come and see what Jesus has to say to you.

II. By Faith in Him

When Jesus sees Bartholomew coming, He clears him of any prejudice and validates his objections. “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” He’s referencing here Zephaniah 3:13, which speaks of the faithful remnant of Israel. “The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.” Bartholomew was looking for the Messiah and didn’t hide his doubts.

Bartholomew is amazed at how Jesus can make this call on his character, they’ve never met before. So Jesus explains, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Jesus knew Bartholomew. Not just where he was, but who he was looking for and even the doubts he would have. But He still issued that call through Philip. He still wanted him to come and see.

And so, too, Jesus sees you. He sees your doubts, He sees your objections, He sees the struggles you have, He sees your sin. But He still issues that call. He still wants you to be here.

Why? Jesus says, “I say to you,” this is a you plural, not just to Bartholomew, but to all of His disciples, to us, “I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Bartholomew knows his Bible, and Jesus does, too. He’s referencing Jacob’s vision (Gen 28:12) where he sees heaven open and this ladder between heaven and earth with angels coming up and down. Jesus is the ladder. He’s the bridge between us and God. Our doubts and our sins that would throw up these barriers are overcome by Jesus.

Jesus is our great Mediator to God, He bridges the gap as both God and man. By His death and resurrection, He has taken away our sin and has destroyed the barriers between us and God. Because of what He has done for us, heaven is opened and we have access to God. Through faith in Him, we ascend to heaven, overcoming any obstacle because He surpasses them all.

This is what Jesus invites us to come and see, this is what we experience through faith, communion with God with no barriers, an open heaven which we attain through Christ.

Through faith, these obstacles are overcome because Jesus is stronger than any doubt. But we still see love and care with how Jesus handles these doubts. Sometimes we think that if we don’t have everything straight, then we’re in trouble. But Jesus allows some space for that to happen, and those doubts don’t have to get in the way of genuine faith.

At that time, Philip didn’t know that Jesus wasn’t really “the son of Joseph,” but that He “was conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the Virgin Mary.” But that didn’t stop him from recognizing Jesus as the Messiah or from telling Bartholomew about Him.

Bartholomew’s objection about Nazareth wasn’t addressed by Jesus. But he still boldly confesses his faith, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” He’s referencing Zephaniah 3:15, continuing Jesus’ Scriptural allusion, “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” Bartholomew recognizes who Jesus really is as this passage refers to God Himself as the King of Israel, not merely any human ruler.

Now, in time, those misconceptions would be corrected. Philip would learn more clearly about Jesus’ nature and Bartholomew would learn that Jesus, in fact, was born in Bethlehem. But for now, that’s not the important thing, that’s not what Jesus wanted to address.

So bring your doubts. Bring your objections. Jesus doesn’t think any less of you because of them. You’re in the right place to have those questions answered. Focus on Jesus and what He has done for you, how heaven is open to us through the cross. And all those things will be addressed in due time.

The Apostles would continue to learn more about Jesus, and so do we. So don’t let those individual barriers prevent you from seeing the bigger picture. Learn to live with them for now, trusting that faith in Jesus will overcome them. Because Jesus sees you. He knows where you need to be corrected, but that doesn’t prevent His call. That doesn’t stop Him from finding you. He will “guide you into all truth,” as He promised (Jn 16:13). For now we pray, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24).

Bartholomew would be one of the seven disciples to whom the resurrected Jesus would appear on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias for breakfast. After this, tradition tells us that he went eastward spreading the Gospel in Arabia, Persia, and even India, and legend has it that he was flayed alived—skinned—and then beheaded or crucified. Martyred for his faith, just like the other Apostles. Clearly, this is a man who overcame his objections and boldly confessed Christ. And we see that not only in the legends of his later life, but even right here in Scripture when he is first called. May we, too, be strengthened in the faith so that any objections are overcome that we, as we prayed, “may both love what he believed, and preach what he taught.” As we celebrate this Apostle, may we never lose sight of the object of that belief and teaching, Jesus Christ, who sees us, calls us, and has opened heaven for us. Amen.

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