A LADDER TO HEAVEN

Phillip was excited to share his newfound faith and his discovery of the Messiah with his friend Nathaniel after the Lord called him to follow Him.  Phillip went to his friend and told him, “We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,” (John 1:45). 

 

It’s perfectly natural for us, when we have discovered something extraordinary, to want to share what we have found with those we love.  Nathaniel, however, was skeptical.  After all, the prophecies were very clear about where the Messiah was to be born.  It was Bethlehem, not Nazareth, that the Prophet Micah spoke of when he prophesied about the Lord's birth and said, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” (Micah 5:2).  Nathaniel, not knowing that Jesus had indeed been born in Bethlehem but grew up in Nazareth said, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  It wasn’t a prejudice he had against the Nazarenes that caused him to say this, but a good knowledge of the scripture.  Phillip, seeing that his words alone were not enough to convince his friend to believe, said simply, “Come and see.”  Truthfully, when all of our arguments and testimonies fail to convince the skeptics about the Son of God, they must be willing to “come and see” for themselves.  Similarly, the Samaritan woman who Jesus met at Jacob’s well, went back to her city and told the people, “Come, see a man, which told be all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”  Many of the Samaritans believed on the Lord because of the woman’s testimony, but many more believed because they went and heard Him for themselves.  In the end, we must each be willing to "taste and see" that the Lord is good and that He is exactly Who He says He is.

 

Nathaniel accepted Phillip’s invitation; and, as they were approaching the Lord, Jesus said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”  Nathaniel, being a little surprised by this, asked the Lord how He knew him.  Jesus’ response was unusual.  He said, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.”  Jesus was letting Nathaniel know that even before his friend could tell him about the Savior, the Savior had His eye on him!  Jesus had not just noticed him in passing either.  He saw Nathaniel while he was alone – while he was seeking God under the fig tree, and He knew all the prayers and desires of Nathaniel’s heart.  And He sees you and me as well.

 

I don’t know about you, but for me this is exciting.  To know that my God sees me means everything in the world.  To know that He knows my heart and all that I am comforts me.  Even the things that I so carefully hide from the world He sees and offers me hope to be changed, to be saved from myself and from my past.  He sees me and yet He loves me.  Oh, boundless grace and endless love!

 

There are those who do not want to be seen.  They are content to abide in the darkness, harboring their hurts, past disappointments, and failures.  Every time that the Savior draws near to offer healing and forgiveness, they shrink away and harden their hearts a little more.  On the other hand, there are those who embrace the light, gladly receiving the gift of joy and peace that the Lord freely offers every honest heart.  We see the contrast between these two groups in John 6:66-69, “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him [Jesus].  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Notice that it was “many of His disciples” who walked no more with him.  How tragic it is when those who have known the Lord, and who have claimed Him as their Savior, become offended by what He asks, and walk no more with Him.  There are also many Christians who still go to church and act as though they are committed to the Lord; but, in fact, they have quit walking with Him in obedience long ago. 

 

Nathaniel was one of those who sought the words of eternal life.  His response to Jesus’ words was, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.”  Oh, that our response might always be the same when the Lord sees into the secret rooms of our heart!  To declare Him the Son of God, the King of Israel, and the Master of our hearts and souls!

 

Jesus said to Nathaniel, “Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.  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.”  What a revelation!  Oh, to understand that Jesus Himself is a Ladder between heaven and earth, and by Him, and through Him, and in Him alone God chooses to minister and reveal Himself to man!  It is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that the very heavens are open to us and we find access into this glorious grace by which we stand!  If we refuse the Christ, however, the heavens become closed to us, and we have no hope of eternal life.

 

This last statement that Jesus spoke to Nathaniel was meant to remind him of another Israelite whom God had seen when he was all alone.  Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the Jewish people, had fled from his home in the story told in Genesis 28.  He had, by deception, stolen his elder brother’s blessing from their father, and consequently, Jacob feared for his life at the hands of his brother.  Things looked uncertain for Jacob, and he was probably feeling very alone and hopeless.  He laid down in his journey to sleep and had a dream.  “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…And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:12-15).  Sound familiar?  This ladder to heaven, this stairway of faith and trust in the Lord Himself, was revealed to Jacob centuries before.  Jesus wanted Nathaniel to know and understand that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and that the same promises that He had spoken to the patriarchs, He was confirming to him and to all who believed in Him.  He wanted Nathaniel to know also that it was not through man’s efforts, nor by his deceptions and schemes that he would reach God, but through faith in the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Jesus is our Ladder to Heaven!

 

“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven,” (Genesis 28:16, 17).  How often do we go through difficult times, and struggles in our lives, but not realize that the Lord is in that place?  He is always there, however.  He sees you.  He understands you.  He wants you to know that this struggle that you are facing can become the very Gate of Heaven if you will just trust Him and let Him have His way in your life.  The difficulties that we pass through in life are the very things that He can use to open those gates and set us on a new, glorious path!  He told the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land that every place that the soles of their feet would tread would be theirs.  In the same way, we can only possess those places where we are willing to tread.  There are many places that you and I don’t want to go, and even fear to go, but God has promised them to us, and so we must walk there.  He will give us victory!  He wants you to know that He will be with you, and will keep you “in all places whither thou goest.”  He is saying to us, “I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”  We can trust in Him, for He loves us!  He is not like a man who will lie to us.  All His promises are good to those who believe in Him. 

 

In describing Abraham’s faith, the Bible says, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:20-25).  This is that faith that was once delivered to the saints.  It kept them through perilous times and was an anchor for them when things became difficult.  They were willing to lay down their lives in order to follow the Christ wherever He would lead them.  This is the same faith that we can have today!  Nathaniel believed what Jesus was telling Him and he found great inspiration, comfort, and hope in the Words of Life that he heard.

 

From that time forth, Nathaniel followed Christ.  He was there, with the other eleven Apostles, when Jesus broke the bread and poured out the wine at His last Passover Supper.  He was also with the ten in the Garden of Gethsemane when their Lord was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.  Like the others, he ran away in his Lord’s hour of passion – frightened that they would be taken too.  Nathaniel was there also when the Lord appeared to them after His resurrection.  He was there when Jesus ascended into heaven in their sight.  This disciple was there, too, when the Father sent the Holy Ghost from heaven to fill all of Jesus’ disciples on the day of Pentecost just as the Prophet Joel had fortold so many centuries before. 

 

We have been called, as Nathaniel was, to serve and follow our Lord all the days of our lives.  It is the Holy Spirit Who speaks to us today and directs us in the ways in which we are to go.  All of the promises and prophecies of the Book are good, and they all apply to us in this Gospel Age.  Jesus is our Ladder to Heaven and our access to the Father.  Will we lay down our lives and accept this call to discipleship?