(51) And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:51)
Explain
Do you remember Jesus’ greeting of Nathanael in verse 47?
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (John 1:47 )
As we said earlier this week, there is a connection between what Jesus says in the greeting, and the person of Jacob. The name Jacob means supplanter or deceiver. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. So when Jesus says that Nathanael is an Israelite in whom is no guile, it may indicate that he is like Jacob without the deceit.
In Genesis 28, Jacob had a dream. Let’s read about it.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I amthe LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
This was a repitition of the Abrahamic Covenant that was given to Jacob. It included the promise of a land, a nation, and blessing. Notice the last part of the promise. “And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
What is in addition to the Abrahamic Covenant repeated and promised to the deceiver Jacob in this dream is that there is a ladder that bridges heaven and earth. There are angels ascending and descending on this ladder.
So when he is greeted, Nathanael is likened to Jacob, yet without guile. In the middle part of the interaction, Jesus refers to something that Nathanael experienced “under the fig tree”, which has at least reference to the Messianic promises in the Old Testament. Now at the end Jesus refers to himself as “the Son of Man”, a messianic title, that is himself the ladder which bridges heaven and earth.
(51) And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:51)
This ladder is referenced in regard to the Abrahamic covenant that says that all the families of the earth would be blessed through the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus tells Nathanael that the greater work he would see is the Son of Man bridging heaven and earth.
When did that happen? It happened through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the ladder which bridges heaven and earth. Jesus is the seed of Abraham that blesses all of the families of the earth. Jesus is the one who will ultimately give this nation and this people the fulfillment of all of these promises.
Apply
Here we learn three critical truths.
- Jesus is the Messiah.
- Jesus is a friend of sinners.
- Jesus bridges heaven and earth, and blesses the nations.
Response
- Are you pointing to Jesus as Messiah?
- Is there a sin that you need to confess? Jesus is a friend of sinners, and close to the brokenhearted!