I just want to say, again, how deeply privileged I feel to be going through this material-it is such a sweet calling. Well, the passage we're going to look at is in John to answer the question, "How does the God who seems so distant come near to us?" This is John 1:43-51.
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these?" And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Wowee! The beginning of this passage focuses on the faith struggle of Nathanael. Nathanael doubts that anyone who comes from Nazareth, a rather small and unremarkable village, could be the promised Messiah. So, he follows Philip to Jesus rather reluctantly and skeptically. But as Nathanael walks up to Jesus, Jesus identifies him by his character. And Nathanael is a bit mind-blown and says, "How do you know me? I've never seen you and you've never seen me." And Jesus says, "Even before Philip called you; I saw you under the fig tree." This does it for Nathanael-case closed! He is convinced that this man from Nazareth is the Messiah because he's demonstrated supernatural knowledge. He has to be the son of God! He has to be the true King of Israel. There's no way that an average man could have known this.
And then Jesus responds to Nathanael with words that are what this passage is actually about. The faith of Nathanael is an introduction to a very significant declaration that Jesus makes about himself. He says, "You will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man!" What in the world is he talking about? Well, Jesus is connecting himself to a particular moment in the life of Jacob recorded for us in Genesis 28:10-17.
You ought to go back and look at this passage. Jacob has a dream of angels ascending and descending from heaven back and forth on a ladder. It's a moment where God is re-establishing his Covenant with Jacob. So, Jesus is saying to Nathanael, "Do you remember Jacob's ladder? I am the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham. I am the only means of access to God. It is through me that God will provide for you everything you need. I am Jacob's ladder. It's through me that you will ever have access and relationship to God. It's through me that all of the provisions of God's promises will be made. I'm the ladder to God. I'm the ladder from God." There is no way to God but Jesus!
The flow of all the provisions of God's promises, those provisions that say we will have "everything we need for life and godliness" come through Jesus. There is no supply of what we need except through Jesus. Jesus is God's ultimate provision. Jesus is God's ultimate gift. Jesus is Jacob's ladder. Through him there is a way to God and from him all the provisions of God's grace!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. When reading this passage from John 1 when Jesus talks with Nathanael, what is your initial response to it? What areas didn't make sense to you at first? What made you want to simply move on from this passage because it may have been confusing to you?
2. How has the unpacking of this passage today helped you to see more clearly what Jesus was talking about with Nathanael? What now makes sense that initially did not? How has the explanation of this passage helped you gain an appreciation for the more "obscure" passages of Scripture that are difficult to understand?
3. Because Jesus is explaining to Nathanael (and by extension, explaining to us as modern day readers) who he is as a manifestation of Jacob's ladder, he is obviously comfortable and clear about communicating his deity to anyone who needs to hear it. How might this revelation about the nature of Jesus as God lead you to appreciate and worship him more deeply? Why is what Jesus says here personal and important to you? Why is Jesus everything we need for life and godliness? How can this truth about Jesus personally change you?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• How does a ladder give someone access to something like a roof? What is the purpose of a ladder? At one point in the Bible, Jesus refers to himself as a ladder to and from God--what do you think he meant by that? Why would Jesus referring to himself as a ladder be important to you and me right now?
For Older Children:
• How does a ladder give someone access to something like a roof? What's the purpose of a ladder? A ladder allows someone to travel to and from a specific place--knowing that, what do you think Jesus meant when he referred to himself as a ladder? Why would Jesus referring to himself as a ladder be important to you and me right now?
• How might the truth of Jesus being a ladder change you and me now? Why is this truth important to us now?
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