And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’” vs. 51
John 1:47-51
Nathanael had made a confession of faith based on little evidence, and Jesus told him that his insight had been superficial. But it was a start! And according to the gospel writer, John, Jesus went on to tell him what was in store for him. The image used by John evokes memories of Jacob’s ladder from the book of Genesis. In Jacob’s dream the ladder was used by angels and stretched from earth to heaven. John now implies that Jesus is that connection between heaven and earth. No longer do humans have to climb a ladder to get to God. Rather, God has come to us in Jesus, and in Jesus we catch a glimpse of the new life that is our salvation. Of course it’s doubtful that Nathanael had a clue of what Jesus was talking about in that encounter. It’s like that with a bunch of what Jesus says in scripture. The truth of who he is and the depth of his promises remains a mystery, and we only discover the full picture after we’ve begun the journey. One thing will always be true. We don’t have to climb any ladders or reach some stage of perfection to experience his love. That’s God’s gift to us through him–and God always comes down to where we are when we need a hug.
Thought for the Day: How has my image of Jesus changed?
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