Advent: 1 Days to Go

In this installment of our Christmas adventure, God with us...

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

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.

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.
--John 1:35-51 KJV Bible

The title “Son of Man” links Jesus to the earth and His mission as God’s Messiah. It was Jesus’ favorite designation for Himself. Scripture records Jesus using it over 80 times. The title is based on a dream of Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14). The title emphasizes Jesus’ lowliness and humanity, His suffering and death, and His future reign as King.

When Jesus tells Nathanael he will see “heaven open,” Jesus is using symbolism. Jesus is telling Nathanael that he, and others will experience the open fellowship with God, available to followers of Christ.

When Jesus tells Nathanael he would see “the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man,” many are reminded of Jacob’s dream at Bethel, in which he saw a ladder that reached to heaven with the angels ascending and descending upon it (Genesis 28:12). Christ is that ladder, the way from earth to heaven, the way heaven sends messages to the world and the way we must go to reach it. Jesus is the Mediator through which God the Father communicated with mankind. Because of Jesus Christ, the “Light” shining in our dark world, we have a connection to God; God is with us. In Hebrew, Immanuel.

A very Merry Christmas to all!

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