Good Morning Friends,
In today’s Gospel of John, Nathanael is introduced to Jesus as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida. He is named Bartholomew in the other three Gospels but in the Gospel of John is called Nathanael. Interestingly he is impressed that Jesus has seen him under a fig tree, which some believe is a reference to the place of study of the Torah. This passage caught my eye because on many Wednesday mornings past I would literally be studying the Bible under a fig tree at a local potter’s business. So, the scripture, as I meditated on it, spoke to me in a way that gave me a glimpse of a deeper reality of existence and confirmation of who Jesus is as Christ and King. You see, we are given the opportunity to see the greatest love in the universe in these little moments of our life so that we might believe. It is more than about those thin places where heaven and earth merge. It is about the Way between the two through the Word made flesh. Now Nathanael will see this, and we too are to see this revealed, but not just in the visions of Ezekiel or the dreams of Jacob but even more powerfully in the miracles of Jesus beginning with the water being turned into wine and with Jesus at his Baptism, and the Transfiguration, but ultimately, friends, we are to see it in the death and Resurrection of our Lord. So, Are You Ready To See The Gate of Heaven Open Up?
Scripture: For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God;
1 John 3:11-21 (NRSV)
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 about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 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.”
John 1:43-51 (NRSV)
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Ezekiel 1:1 (NRSV)
And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
Mark 1:10 (NRSV)
When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Acts 7:54-56 (NRSV)
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Genesis 28:10-17 (NRSV)
Message: There are several instances in the Bible where someone sees heaven open, and I would argue that they all relate to Jesus. I imagine this same perspective was fully revealed to Nathanael when he saw the resurrected Christ in Cana, but I think it was based upon him also having read and understood scripture references to the vision of Ezekiel, and the dream of Jacob. As with the baptism of Christ and the stoning of Stephen, the person describing the event has a vision that accords some greater divine reality and understanding of Jesus as Messiah. You see, the phrase from John about “the angels of God ascending and descending” links Jesus’ statement back to Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 but instead of rungs on the ladder the connection for footing is Jesus himself. In the story of Jacob, as with the stoning of Stephen and the Baptism of Christ and the transfiguration and resurrection we get glimpses of this new reality. Jacob says, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” In connecting himself to this, Jesus is indicating that what Jacob saw, Nathanael will soon see in the Son of Man. Jesus is saying that he is the presence of the I AM. He is the house of God. He is the gate of heaven. However, the title “Son of Man” suggests another reality that Nathanael does not yet understand about Jesus. While Nathanael has declared Jesus to be Messiah, the terms he uses – “Son of God” and “King of Israel” – are highly political. But the title Jesus uses – “Son of Man” – is less so. At that time, Nathanael likely understands Jesus’ messianic purpose in a political way. By changing titles, Jesus gives indication that Nathanael will come to understand Jesus as Messiah in a very different way.
And So, the deeper reality of who Jesus is as Christ and King…as God and man unfolds to bring us to the conclusion that Jesus is the very Gate of Heaven the bridges both realms and changing the rules forever in the hope that someday we will be one.
Pray we realize that Jesus is the Gate of Heaven… the gate to peace and to purity. Pray we experience the Gate of heaven in the places where we worship and that we become believers. Pray therefore we discover a wise way to bring our doubts to a place that transforms them. Pray we like Nathanael study the Word of God. Pray we get a glimpse of God and the Word speaking and the Holy Spirit active in the celebration of our lives. Pray that the Gate of Heaven opens for us and floods us with blessing after blessing including ultimately a place that Jesus has prepared for us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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