Behind the Quote: Come and See

“Come and see.”

This simple phrase changed everything for Nathanael in Season Two, Episode 2 of The Chosen. And those three little words packed quite a punch not only for him, but also for The Chosen viewers. Chances are, you’ve seen that phrase on this website, or maybe on a t-shirt, or even a bumper sticker. Heck, thousands of people have put it on their doorsteps as a welcome mat.

But that phrase didn’t actually originate with us. One of the best things about a historical drama like The Chosen is that we’ve got plenty of source material to pull from. Our writers and consultants scour ancient literature, especially the Bible (duh). And, while you might not see anything there about a fattened goose, this phrase comes directly from the first chapter of John’s gospel when Philip told Nathanael to “come and see.”

The Story of a Skeptic

The story behind “come and see” is, in many ways the story of a skeptic. In the biblical account, it’s awfully hard to miss that Nathanel’s skeptical. But, Nathanael isn’t a skeptic in the traditional sense. He’s actually a faithful, truthful believer. His skepticism comes from that place of truthfulness—here’s yet another guy claiming to be the Messiah. So, when our writers tackle a story like this, they tackle tough questions head on: what could possibly make this type of skeptic drop everything to “come and see”?

When we’re first introduced to Nathanael in The Chosen, he’s a Jewish architect who wants nothing more than to build a synagogue for worship, to do a great thing in God’s name. But it’s not long before that dream literally crashes around him. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong, and Nathanael ends up with nothing to his name. He stumbles out of town, collapses under a fig tree, and turns his blueprints to ash.

The Story of a Skeptic and a Disciple

Here’s the thing. When we said the story behind those three words—“come and see”—is the story of a skeptic, we were holding back just a bit. (If you’re an overachiever and you’ve read our source material in John 1:43-51, you already know this.) The story behind “come and see” is the story of a skeptic named Nathanael and a man named Philip. 

In John’s gospel, It’s clear that Nathanael seems to have been good friends with a man named Philip. And while Nathanael is stumbling to his tree steeped in skepticism, a few miles away, Philip has an encounter with Jesus. And we’re told (source material!) that in the wake of that encounter, Philip becomes a disciple of Jesus—an apprentice-like relationship in the Jewish world. Now, where does Nathanael fit into all of this? Well, remember: they’re good friends. And Nathanael decides to nudge his skeptical friend just a bit in the direction of Jesus.

And there’s those three words: “Come and See.” Lifted right from Season Two Episode 2 of The Chosen, which was lifted right from our source material of John 1:44-51. “Come and see” is Philip’s winsome (and frankly, chill) way of saying to a skeptic, “Maybe just give him a chance? Maybe just come and spend some time with him, see what he has to say and what he can do, and go from there?” And according to the story that’s been handed down to us by John, Nathanael goes.

The Story of a Skeptic Who Becomes a Disciple

All of the source material we work off of—the Bible and other ancient resources—tells us that Nathanael pushed past his skepticism and became a disciple himself. That’s why if you watch the rest of The Chosen from Season Two, Episode 2 onward, you’re going to see Nathanael always right there, always in the mix of what’s going on. And he’s there because someone said, “Come and See.” Three words rewrote Nathanael’s story, and the reality of that story captured the imagination of millions of viewers around the world.