NOV 24 | QR Codes to the Kingdom: How God Hides Divine Encounters in Ordinary Moments (John 1:46)
The Divine Hidden in Plain Sight
You scan a QR code at a restaurant and—boom—you're suddenly looking at the menu. Just a square of black and white pixels, completely ordinary, utterly forgettable. But what if I told you that's exactly how God designed His kingdom to work?
We live in a world where we're constantly scanning codes, following links, and engaging with ordinary markers that lead to extraordinary destinations. And here's the thing that'll blow your mind: Jesus was using this exact principle 2,000 years before anyone invented QR codes.
In John chapter 1, verse 46, we encounter a moment that perfectly captures how God embeds divine appointments in the most mundane circumstances. It's a story about Nathanael, skepticism, and a nowhere town called Nazareth that would change the trajectory of human history.
The Nazareth Problem: When God Chooses the Unlikely
Let me paint you a picture of first-century Nazareth. We're talking about a town of maybe 500 people—if we're being generous. No mention in the Old Testament. No famous rabbis. No historical significance whatsoever. If first-century Palestine had QR codes, Nazareth wouldn't even qualify for one.
So when Philip tells Nathanael that he's found the Messiah—the one Moses and the prophets wrote about—and mentions He's from Nazareth, Nathanael's response is painfully honest: "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
That's like saying the savior of the world is from some forgotten truck stop off Interstate 80. No offense to truck stops—some of my best coffee experiences have happened there. But you get the point. Nathanael isn't being particularly harsh; he's being logical. The Messiah from Nazareth? That's like expecting to find a Michelin-star chef at a gas station.
The Power of "Come and See"
But here's where it gets interesting. Philip doesn't argue. He doesn't pull out prophecy charts or launch into a theological debate. He simply says two words that would echo through the Gospel of John: "Come and see."
That's it. No apologetics. No persuasion tactics. Just an invitation to engage with something that seems utterly ordinary.
The Greek word used here for "see" isn't just about visual observation. It's horao—meaning to perceive, to experience, to understand through encounter. Philip is essentially saying, "Just engage with this ordinary thing from this nowhere place, and watch what happens."
The Kingdom Algorithm: Finding God in the Mundane
Think about QR codes for a second. You can't tell what's behind them just by looking. That random square at your local coffee shop might link to their WiFi password, their entire business story, or—and I've actually seen this—a marriage proposal. The only way to know is to engage, to scan, to follow where it leads.
This is what I call the kingdom algorithm: God places ordinary markers everywhere—conversations that seem random, coincidences that feel meaningless, that verse that keeps showing up, that person who "just happened" to text you at the perfect moment. Every single one is Philip's invitation echoing through time: "Come and see."
Biblical Patterns of the Ordinary Becoming Extraordinary
This pattern shows up everywhere in the Gospels:
Five loaves and two fish—that's just somebody's lunch until it feeds five thousand hungry people.
Water in stone jars—that's for washing dirty feet until Jesus transforms it into the finest wine anyone's ever tasted.
A carpenter from Nazareth—just another laborer until He forgives sins, heals the sick, and walks out of a tomb three days after being executed.
Mud and spit—disgusting, really, until it opens blind eyes.
A Roman cross—an instrument of torture and shame until it becomes the symbol of redemption for billions.
God consistently chooses the ordinary as His vehicle for the extraordinary. It's His signature move, His divine calling card.
Why We Miss Divine QR Codes
Let me be honest with you—I think we're more like Nathanael than we'd care to admit. We see where something comes from—that messy person with the complicated past, that small church with the worn carpet, that unimpressive opportunity that doesn't Instagram well—and we think, "Can anything good come from that?"
Meanwhile, God's probably thinking, "I literally chose a feeding trough in Bethlehem to start this whole thing. Do you really still not understand My style?"
The Problem with Spectacular Expectations
We've been trained by our culture to look for God in the spectacular:
The mountaintop experiences that give us goosebumps
The obvious miracles that defy explanation
The perfectly orchestrated moments that feel like movie scenes
The successful ministries with professional lighting and smoke machines
But Jesus? Jesus embedded divinity in the mundane. He taught that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed—the smallest, most insignificant thing that grows into something that changes the entire landscape.
The Transformation of Nathanael: What Happens When We Scan
Here's what happened when Nathanael finally "scanned the code." He came to see Jesus, and immediately, Jesus reads him like an open book. He tells Nathanael things about himself that only God could know—that he was under a fig tree, that he's a true Israelite without deceit.
Within minutes, this skeptic who questioned whether anything good could come from Nazareth is declaring, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
All because he was willing to engage with something from nowhere-Nazareth. All because he accepted Philip's simple invitation to "come and see."
The Promise of Greater Things
But Jesus doesn't stop there. He tells Nathanael something that should stop us in our tracks: "You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
That's Jacob's ladder language from Genesis 28. Jesus is saying, "I'm not just FROM Nazareth. I'm the connection point between heaven and earth. I'm the living QR code that links ordinary reality to divine reality."
Modern QR Codes: Recognizing Divine Appointments Today
So what does this look like in our lives today? How do we recognize these divine QR codes scattered throughout our ordinary days?
The Unexpected Conversation
That person who sits next to you on the plane and starts talking about their struggles—that's not random. That's a QR code. Scan it with compassion and see where God leads.
The Recurring Theme
When the same topic, verse, or idea keeps showing up in different contexts—your devotional, a podcast, a conversation with a friend—pay attention. That's not coincidence; that's coordination.
The Small Promptings
That urge to text someone you haven't talked to in months. That feeling to take a different route home. That impulse to actually stop and help instead of just driving by. These aren't just neurons firing randomly; these are divine invitations.
The Ordinary People
The coworker everyone else ignores. The neighbor with the messy yard. The relative with different political views. Each one might be a Nazareth hiding a divine encounter.
The Challenge: Start Scanning
Here's my question for you: What ordinary thing are you dismissing right now because of where it comes from? What's your "Nazareth" that you're certain God couldn't possibly use?
Because here's what I'm learning after years of studying scripture and watching God work—the kingdom of God isn't hidden in the spectacular. It's encoded in the ordinary. Every single day, God's dropping QR codes all around us. Little moments. Small invitations. Ordinary people from unimpressive places.
Practical Steps to Engage
Practice sacred pausing—When something seems coincidental, stop and ask, "God, is this You?"
Lower your expectations of packaging—Stop waiting for God to show up in Instagram-worthy moments. He's more likely in the mundane Tuesday afternoon.
Accept more invitations—When someone says "come and see," whether it's to a small group, a service project, or just coffee, consider that God might be the one extending the invitation.
Look for patterns—Keep a journal of "ordinary" moments that felt significant. You might be surprised at the patterns that emerge.
Engage with skeptics—Remember, Nathanael started skeptical and ended up as one of the twelve apostles. Don't write off the doubters; they might be one encounter away from transformation.
The Beautiful Truth About God's QR Codes
The most beautiful part of this whole story is that God doesn't hide Himself from us—He hides Himself FOR us, in the ordinary places where we live our actual lives. He's not a God who only shows up in cathedrals and carefully orchestrated worship experiences. He's a God who shows up in Nazareth, in fishing boats, at wells, during lunch.
Every ordinary moment carries the potential for divine encounter. Every mundane circumstance might be a sacred invitation. Every "nothing special" might be the exact place where heaven touches earth.
Time to Start Scanning
The invitation Philip extended to Nathanael extends to us today: "Come and see." Come and see how God uses ordinary people. Come and see how He works through mundane circumstances. Come and see how the spectacular hides in the simple.
That conversation you've been avoiding? That might be a QR code. That serving opportunity that seems too small? That might be a QR code. That person from the "wrong" place with the "wrong" background? That might be a QR code.
Every single one is whispering Philip's invitation: "Come and see."
Maybe—just maybe—it's time we start scanning.
Because if God can use Nazareth to save the world, imagine what He might do with the ordinary QR codes He's placed in your life today.
An Invitation to go Deeper….
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