David Bahn – Reflections

John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ 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.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ 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.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”⁵⁰ 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.” ⁵¹ 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.”

Years ago there was a TV program called, “That’s Incredible!” It was aptly named. The producers would put together clips of various events or people doing things to which we would regularly say, “That’s incredible!” Falls from high places with no damage or injury, acrobatic fetes that amaze: all these and more garnered our attention.

Jesus says that a more incredible event would unfold in the future that Nathaniel would see: heaven would open, and angels would ascend and descend on the Son of Man. Jesus was referring to himself with the title, “Son of Man.” And frankly, we often often misunderstand the reference – as though it is a demeaning title. In reality the Son of Man is spoken of in the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Daniel as a mighty, prophesied, eternal, and divine ruler. This is no shy and retiring self-deprecating title of Jesus. This is his claim of greatness and glory. One day Nathaniel will see the angels ascending and descending on him into the open heavens.

The reference also points back to the dream of Jacob who saw a ladder extended from the heavens on which angels were descending and ascending. The implication is that there is a portal or pathway between heaven and earth, and God’s servants come and go into the presence of God. Jesus himself is the means by which God’s servants travel to and from God. Nathaniel will see that some day. The glory is not only that there is a way, the glory is that Jesus is that way. He is the one by whom we go to the Father. His way of life is the way of life with God. Not only is that a promise; it is a calling – to live in Jesus and embrace his glory as truest and greatest of all.