Friends Are Friends Forever
Introducing the apostles Philip and Nathaniel
based on John 1:43-51
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Today, I would like to introduce you to a couple of disciples that were really good friends. I think most people would like to have a close friend that they can hang out with and really talk to.

The Gospel of John describes how Philip was the third disciple called by Jesus. Apparently, Philip was from the same town as Andrew and Simon Peter, and actually knew them well.

Philip then introduced his friend Nathaniel (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) to Jesus.

Nathaniel was initially skeptical about Jesus, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  But he trusts his friend Philip. If Philip is excited about Jesus, then there must be something to it.  People trust the judgment of their friends, that’s the reason why Facebook is making millions in advertisement, if your friend has “liked” an advertisement, you are much more likely to check it out—its ingenious.

Jesus seems impressed by Philip’s friend as he says to him: "Here is a man in whom there is no deception."

Some scholars hold that Jesus' quote "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you", is based on a Jewish figure of speech referring to studying the Torah. [1]

Nathaniel then makes an amazing statement; similar to the one Peter made much later in Jesus’ ministry: "You are the Son of God, the King of Israel."

Nathaniel’s calling story is my favorite one among the apostles; it reminds me of the calling of Jeremiah in the first chapter of Jeremiah:

 ⁴ The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
 ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
   before you were born I set you apart;
   I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Both Nathaniel and Jeremiah’s calling stories make you aware of the fact that God has already been working in your life, long before you knew about it, always pulling you closer and working on your heart (a work of the Holy Spirit our church founder, John Wesley, called “prevenient grace”)

So here we have these two upright and very noble friends, Philip and Nathaniel, following this incredible call by our Lord, being trained and ministering side by side alongside him. And, according to church tradition, even after Jesus’ ascension these two stayed together, traveling to Caucasian Armenia to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Both friends are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. After Philip’s martyrdom on a cross, Nathaniel is also said to have undertaken mission trips as far as India.

I want to close with an incredible story, recorded in church history about Philip's martyrdom in the city of Hierapolis. According to this account, through a miraculous healing and his preaching Philip converted the wife of the proconsul of the city. This enraged the proconsul, and he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Mariamne (Philip’s sister) all tortured. Philip and Bartholomew were then crucified upside down, and Philip preached from his cross. As a result of Philip's preaching the crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they not release him, and Philip died on the cross.

Their friendship reminds me of Michael W. Smith's song "Friends Are Friends Forever"

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends.

Philip and Nathaniel were apostles for Christ and best friends, reaching the world together for the Kingdom of God. What an inspirational story! Amen.

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[1] Wikipedia, Bartholomew the Apostle  -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_the_Apostle