Nathanael wonders whether anything good can come out of Nazareth. To my ear, he sounds not only dubious but also world-weary, discouraged, perhaps protecting himself from further disappointments. In this way, he doesn't sound at all like a model disciple, yet maybe he is.

Nathanael catches the eye of Jesus. Jesus observes him from a distance and gets the sense that he is real, authentic, without deceit. Nathanael is not pretending.

Philip had invited Nathanael to "come and see" for himself what Jesus is like. Now Nathanael has a decision to make. He decides to take the risk of following Jesus and finding out what it is like to be in his presence, hear his words, watch his actions.

Over time, we learn that Nathanael found Jesus to be trustworthy. Nathanael appears again near the end of John's gospel, when the risen Jesus visits his followers on the shore of Lake Galilee and cooks breakfast for them on the beach. Jesus is faithful even beyond death. As he promises in his farewell to the disciples in John 14:19. "Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you will live also."

Also in his words of farewell, Jesus renews his call to the disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Jesus is real, without deceit. Jesus loves the world today and forever. Jesus is faithful.