Jn 1:43-46   The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee . Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida . Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth , the son of Joseph." " Nazareth ! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

Philip is one of the apostles who tends to be very much in the background, at least as far as the Synoptic Gospels are concerned. In those first three Gospels he is only mentioned once in each of them, in the list of the apostles: “These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Mt 10:2-4) The lists are virtually the same in each case and Philip comes after the main four, Peter & Andrew and James & John. Whether there is any significance in this is unclear.

It is left to John to pick up four incidents that involve Philip. Our verses today, from chapter 1 of John show Philip down in the area of the Jordan where John the Baptist is baptizing people. Perhaps because he came from the same town as Andrew and Peter, they had all come down to see John the Baptist together. As Jesus was getting ready to move north he ‘finds' or comes across Philip and seeing something in him, calls him to follow him. He was, therefore, the first of the disciples to receive the ‘Follow me' call. What it was in Philip that Jesus saw, that resulted in him calling Philip, we don't know. Perhaps the incidents that John shows us about Philip will reveal it.

In this first incident, Philip immediately goes and finds (presumably a friend) Nathaniel and tells him that they have found the Messiah. Now we aren't given any reason for this pronouncement which is very similar to that spoken previously by Andrew (v.41) but he gives more content. He appears familiar with the Law and the Prophets and he has now found out where Jesus comes from and who his (human) father is. At this point he doesn't seem to attribute divinity to Jesus, simply that he is the long promised Messiah. Philip is a believer and a communicator, a people person who wants others to know what he knows. A good example!

For the second incident involving Philip, we have to wait until John gives us his account of the feeding of the five thousand. The Synoptic Gospels don't identify any particular disciple but John tells us that Jesus picked on Philip to test: “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip , "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him , for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (Jn 6:5-7) John realises that Jesus had this all planned out and that he first wanted to check the level of faith in the disciples. Did he choose Philip because Philip was usually such an open hearted, faith-filled individual? If Philip understood, then the message would be beginning to get through? But Philip hasn't understood yet that Jesus can do anything and so focuses on the impossibility of the task.

The third incident involving Philip comes in their last week together in Jerusalem : “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip , who was from Bethsaida in Galilee , with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.” (Jn 12:20-22) So, we have some Greeks who want to meet Jesus but daren't approach him directly. Philip is their first contact. Does this suggest that he was the most approachable or simply that he was the first of the band that they met. Linking it with the first incident, it would seem that Philip is a people-person, a bridge builder. So much so does this seem of him, that he immediately introduces them to another of the band, Andrew, and then the two of them take them to Jesus. Philip didn't want to take the glory of introducing new people to Jesus on his own (which he could have done) but he open heartedly shares with one of his friends and then together they do it.

The final incident is at the Last Supper: “Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” (Jn 14:8,9) His comment indicates first that he has an open relationship with Jesus whereby he feels sufficiently secure to be able to utter this and, second, that he hasn't yet come to a point of full understanding about Jesus.

Why did John choose to highlight Philip? Well of the disciples only Andrew and Philip had Greek names. Is there a suggestion here of a background that is outward looking and not inwardly Jewish? John writes for the whole world and Philip is possibly a representative of this world being included by Jesus. He was an open-hearted seeker who was drawn in by Jesus and became a close follower. He is a people person who draws his friends in and who is open to outsiders (the Greek seekers). In these ways he portrays the primary characteristics of those Jesus wants as his followers. He comes to call the whole world and looks for followers who will not have barriers up, but who will draw in whoever will come. That seems to be the message of Philip. May that be us!