We have now gone through the entire first chapter of the Gospel of John! There are so many things to learn and apply, and I hope that there were some things that enlightened you and brought you to a better and deeper understanding of the foundational chapter of this book.
Let’s get started.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Nathanael uses three titles of Jesus here. He calls Jesus “Rabbi” meaning “my great one” and “my teacher.” He also calls him “Son of God”, meaning both divine one who is directly from or begotten of God. Finally, he calls Jesus the “King of Israel.” It is important to realize that from the beginning of his ministry Jesus is recognized as the Christ, or the Anointed One who is King of Israel and ultimately inheritor of the world! On a deeper level, the name “Israel” can be interpreted as either “Prince with God” or “one who strives and prevails with God.”
So, Jesus is King over all, but he is especially King of those who rule with, strive with and prevail with God!
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
Jesus calls Nathanael’s attention to the fact that he had seen Nathanael with spiritual eyes, when he was nowhere near him physically. It is very true, Jesus will show him much greater miracles than this!
51 And he saith unto him, 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.
The word “verily” means “truly” in modern English. It may not be immediately apparent what Jesus is speaking of, but Nathanael surely understood the reference. The source for this idea can be found in the biblical book of Genesis, chapter 28. When Jacob the Patriarch was traveling, he slept outside and was had a very interesting dream… Genesis 28:12-15 says:
12 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. (emphasis mine)
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 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.
This is the only other place in the Bible where angels “ascend and descend” on anything, and Jesus is equating himself with the “Ladder” or “Stairway” to heaven. Jesus is actually saying that he is the connection between heaven and earth and that he is the mediator between man and God!
Prayer:
Jesus, I say with Nathanael that you are the Son of God, the King of Israel and of all. I accept that you are the ladder that connects heaven and earth, human beings and God, and that you are the Mediator between the Holy One and sinful humanity. You are the one who heals the rift and cleanses all who have faith in you. Thank you for your revelation to me and for your relationship with me.
Amen
“For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” – Proverbs 8:11
All Bible Verses are from the KJV Unless Otherwise Noted
All images used are in the public domain from Pixabay
