ladder to heaven

Jacob as the younger of Isaac’s sons was not legitimately entitled to the blessing of a firstborn; by deceit he stole that honor from his older brother Esau.  But the blessing of his father came with a price—he had to leave home and find his fortune elsewhere, out of range of the fury of his brother. 

“Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.  When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.  Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it all stood the Lord.”  (Genesis 28:10-13)

Without a doubt, Jesus, as a good Jewish man, knew of Jacob’s dream.  So, early in his ministry, when he was calling his disciples, his statement to Nathanael must have hit all his followers like a lightning bolt.  He makes this declaration in John 1:51: “I tell you the truth, you shall see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Effectively he was saying that he was the ladder that Jacob had seen in his dream at Bethel.  He is our access to heaven.  We can’t get to God or all the comfort and bliss that He promises without Jesus.  Our own best efforts fall so far short.  And here we have Jesus’ portrayal of himself as that wonderful spiritual ladder.

Are we content to see the glory of God’s face from the bottom run?  Or will we risk all and set our foot on the stairway…set our lives on Jesus?

Love, Liz