In John 1, Phillip has an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, and he’s deeply changed by it. He immediately has to share this news with Nathanael. Nathanael doesn’t take issue with Jesus per se, but with his hometown of Nazareth. Nazareth was a relatively insignificant town and seemingly had a bad reputation, but scripture doesn’t tell us much about this town.
Some people we speak to today may share a similar skepticism about church – “Can anything good come from a church?” Churches have unfortunately developed a poor reputation, especially in the last 50 years. According to an annual Gallup poll, trust in the church as an institution is at an all time low. In 1975, 68% expressed a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the church. Today, that number sits at 36%.
And that skepticism shows up in the data around church attendance. Nearly 40 million Americans who used to regularly go to church have stopped going in the last 25 years. It’s the greatest spiritual shift in the history of our country. That could be for a variety of factors – from personal experience of church abuse, the ongoing headlines around church scandals, or a lack of connection with people and God in previous church attendance.
So how do we turn this tide?
We see a great example in how Phillip responds to Nathanael’s skepticism. He doesn’t try to defend Nazareth or get into a long-winded argument about who Jesus is. He simply encourages Nathanael to go see Jesus for himself. This is one of the best things we can do for our skeptical friends and loved ones, because ultimately it’s Jesus who changes hearts, not us.
While Nathanael had originally dismissed Jesus and Nazareth based on reputation, Jesus also appeals to reputation when he meets Nathanael. Jesus immediately comments about what a stand-up guy Nathanael is, which takes Nathanael by surprise. Nathanael soon learns that Jesus knows him better than he ever could have imagined. I know many people find the same thing to be true when they first start engaging with God’s word!
As we gear up for National Back to Church Sunday, let’s not lose sight of the most important invitation of all – the invitation to a relationship with Jesus. We see throughout scripture that even the most hardened skeptics can become followers of Jesus.
Don’t be discouraged!
