Philip had just found the Son of God and was eager to tell Nathanael. When Philip told him Jesus was from Nazareth he scoffed and asked if anything good could even come from Nazareth, and Philip prompted him to go see for himself.
Jesus recognized Nathanael as soon as he saw him, and greeted him as an acquaintance. Nathanael, however, didn’t recognize him and needed his memory jogged. Jesus reminded him that he saw him under a fig tree. For context, in this time rabbis gathered around fig trees where it was shaded to study and discuss the Torah.
It must have been a lightbulb moment for Nathanael; he had studied and talked with Jesus before! The memories of how Jesus behaved and talked must have rushed back to him. He knew Jesus was trustworthy, and realized that if people were saying Jesus is the Son of God, then he probably was. Once he realized this he, in shock, told Jesus who he was.
Jesus was pleasantly surprised since, just a moment ago, Nathanael didn’t even remember him. He told Nathanael that if just learning alongside him was enough for him to believe that he was the Son of God, then he would see way cooler things than that, namely angels coming and going to and from Heaven.
I think that’s a pretty cool story. Nathanael and Jesus had spent time together learning and talking with each other, and neither seemed to feel it was much pressure or epicness. It was mundane and even forgettable to study with God. However, they had clearly built a trust through this time together. I see this with my own journey with God. There are times in my life where things had seemed mundane and forgettable as it was happening, but in hindsight they were very important moments for me. I see that with my other relationships as well. I chat with friends about things that I wont remember, but the friendships and trust that I develop are lasting.