What is the significance of Jesus seeing Nathanael under the fig tree? In John 1:46-50, Nathanael is introduced to Jesus for the first time.

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, &quot;We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.&quot;
Nathanael said to him, &quot;Can anything good come out of Nazareth?&quot;
Philip said to him, &quot;Come and see.&quot;
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, &quot;Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!&quot;
Nathanael asked him, &quot;Where did you get to know me?&quot;
Jesus answered, &quot;I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.&quot;
Nathanael replied, &quot;Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!&quot;
Jesus answered, &quot;Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.&quot;

What is the significance of Jesus seeing Nathanael under the fig tree, that this one short statement would turn Nathanael's skepticism to such reverence?
Apparently Nathanael took it as evidence of some kind of supernatural knowledge on Jesus' part, but his reaction seems to be overblown - Maybe Jesus just happened to be passing by that tree and recognized him from earlier! I think his dramatic response tells us about Nathanael's personality - impulsive perhaps, certainly an all-or-nothing sort of guy. Someone who is very anxious for the Messiah to appear.

Jesus treats his response with a little bit of humor, it seems. My paraphrase: "You believe all that just because I saw you sitting under a tree? Your going to see much better evidence than that!"

Nevertheless, Nathanael's response is correct, and one of the great confessions of faith, parallel to Thomas' later in the book - "my Lord, and my God!" John may be telling us that great confessions like that, coming from two doubters, are evidence that God chooses to work through the people we'd least expect.