Judges 13-14 / John 1:29-51 / Psalm 102 / Proverbs 14:15-16
Jesus asked him (Nathanael), “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.” John 1:50-51
Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the LORD. Tell them the LORD looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. Psalm 102:18-20
The connection between Heaven and earth is fascinating to me. I don’t remember reading that Jesus is a stairway between the two, although He most certainly is. There’s an old song I haven’t sung in years that states, “You came from Heaven to earth to show the way. From the earth to the cross my debt to pay. From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky. Lord, I lift Your Name on high.”
Jesus in His perfection, His majesty and His glory knew we were here, and He knew we needed a rescue operation. No one could give access to Heaven and the Father except Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way and the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In this sense Jesus is a door that we must enter through.
Jesus came as a Rescuer because He loves us. He created us in His image, making us His image bearers. And no one leaves behind an image bearer because we are part of one another. We came out of Him; we belong to Him. I am His and He is mine. We’ve been separated by sin, but sin does not change ownership.
We have several sayings in our community of believers and one of them is, “We don’t throw people away!” Conversely we also say, “We don’t own people.” Yet if you’re part of our community I will regularly tell you that you are mine and I am yours.
We are His and He was not willing to allow the separation to continue. I know His heart grieved and longed for the ones He loved. So, He devised a plan. A plan that would cost Him everything and us nothing, yet He asks us to give him our all. I hope your brain hurts by now lol. The Kingdom of God is not understood with our mind, but must be discovered by Holy Spirit in us.
I’m forever grateful for my rescue. And because I’m grateful, I will give Him everything. After all, He is mine and I am His. Lord, I lift Your Name on high.
