LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:00	[Music]
0:16	hello today let’s talk about what it
0:20	means to see the heavens
0:24	opened the text before us is from the
0:26	gospel of St John the 1 chapter:
0:31	43-51 this is the story of Jesus Calling
0:34	a new disciple
0:36	Nathaniel Jesus sees Nathaniel while
0:39	he’s sitting under a fig tree before the
0:41	two of them had ever
0:43	met but when Philip introduced Nathaniel
0:46	to the Lord Jesus said oh before Philip
0:50	called you when you were under the Fig
0:52	Tree I saw
0:54	you Nathaniel is astonished and he cries
0:57	out Rabbi you you are the Son of God you
1:01	are the king of Israel Jesus
1:04	responds because I said to you that I
1:07	saw you under the Fig Tree do you
1:08	believe you shall see greater things
1:11	than these truly truly I say to you you
1:15	shall see the heavens opened and the
1:19	angels of God ascending and descending
1:23	on the son of
1:25	man today we’re going to talk about what
1:28	it means to see the heavens
1:31	opened but first we have to address the
1:36	backstory you see every Jew at the time
1:39	of Jesus knew the Bible story that Jesus
1:42	just had referenced but many Christians
1:45	today do not know the story of Jacob’s
1:49	Ladder so let’s get the backstory first
1:53	and then we can talk about what Jesus
1:55	means when he says that you will see the
1:59	heav Heavens
2:01	opened introduction Jacob’s Ladder Jacob
2:07	was on the Run he had just lied to his
2:10	father and he had stolen his brother
2:13	Esau’s blessing so Jacob was on the run
2:16	to padan Aram to find a wife and he’d
2:20	better hurry because Esau is furious and
2:24	has decided to find Jacob and kill
2:28	him you see Jacob
2:30	had not only stolen Esau’s blessing but
2:33	before that he had stolen Esau’s
2:36	Birthright so Jacob was running now as
2:39	far and as fast as he possibly
2:42	could he got about as far as Jerusalem
2:45	though it was not yet called by that
2:47	name he was exhausted and he fell into a
2:51	fitful sleep the Lord visited Jacob in a
2:55	dream and first he showed Jacob a l lad
3:00	that started at the Earth and it went
3:03	all the way up into heaven and angels of
3:06	God were ascending and descending upon
3:09	this
3:11	latter then the Lord spoke to
3:14	Jacob I am the Lord the god of your
3:17	father Abraham the god of Isaac the land
3:20	on which you lie I will give to you and
3:23	to your descendants and behold I am with
3:27	you and will keep you wherever you go
3:31	that is the backstory now we’re ready to
3:34	hear what Jesus has to say point one you
3:38	will see the heavens
3:41	opened I think that there may be several
3:44	things that Jesus is saying when he
3:46	declares to Nathaniel you will see the
3:49	heavens opened first surely Jesus is
3:53	saying that God had shown Jacob a ladder
3:56	that reached from Earth to heaven and
3:58	that angels of God
4:00	ascended and descended upon it yes but
4:03	now I suspect that Jesus is thinking
4:07	that he himself is a ladder the
4:12	ladder from Heaven to Earth and from
4:15	Earth to
4:17	Heaven angels of heaven would Ascend and
4:20	descend Upon Jesus true he’s their Lord
4:23	he’s the captain of the Heavenly Host
4:25	they minister to him they await his
4:28	command but do you think that Jesus Also
4:30	may be saying that he is a latter for us
4:34	and for all who believe in him that
4:36	through him the heavens open for us and
4:39	that he enables us to ascend from Earth
4:42	to Heaven by grace through
4:45	faith as Nathaniel follows Jesus he will
4:48	see the heavens open and he will see
4:51	Angels Ascend and descend upon the Lord
4:54	but
4:55	perhaps he will see much more than
4:58	this
5:00	second God had promised Jacob that God
5:04	would give him land and descendants and
5:08	that God would be with Jacob and would
5:10	keep him wherever he went surely Jesus
5:13	knew of the promise the father had made
5:15	to Jacob the promise about land and
5:18	descendants but was Jesus also thinking
5:21	that as God’s son that is the word made
5:25	flesh that all of the land of all of the
5:27	Earth was already his because he had
5:29	made it and that as Savior of the
5:33	world was he thinking about his
5:36	descendants that would cover the entire
5:38	Earth the bloodline of Jesus that is
5:41	those bought by the blood of Jesus Will
5:44	number as the Sands of the seashore and
5:46	the stars of the heavens as Nathaniel
5:49	follows Jesus he will see all of these
5:52	things
5:53	too and third and this I suspect is
5:58	something that Nathaniel just did not
5:59	see coming and perhaps most of us do not
6:02	see coming
6:04	either the heavens were closed during
6:07	the Old Testament that they opened only
6:10	rarely when God did something that was
6:11	very revealing of himself but in Jesus
6:15	Christ God revealed himself completely
6:17	Jesus is the fullness of God and upon
6:21	the Advent of Jesus the heavens opened
6:25	and they never have
6:28	shut when Christ was born the Angels
6:31	Came and they sang because the Son of
6:33	God came down but the heavens were
6:37	open the Angels preached to the
6:39	Shepherds the heavens were open the
6:42	Shepherds went and proclaimed to Mary
6:44	and Joseph the heavens were open the
6:47	wise men came and declared the good news
6:50	the heavens were open because of the
6:52	coming of Jesus the heavens do not close
6:57	when the word of God is proclaimed the
6:59	heavens are
7:00	open when Christ’s death and
7:03	Resurrection are preached the heavens
7:05	are open the Angels Ascend and
7:09	descend we come to worship and we join
7:12	the song of the Angels the heavens are
7:15	open we receive the sacrament of holy
7:18	baptism we receive the sacrament of holy
7:21	communion the heavens are
7:24	open we confess our sins and we receive
7:28	the forgiven of our sins in the name of
7:31	the father and of the son and of the
7:33	Holy Spirit and the heavens are
7:36	open you say your prayers at home or
7:41	alone you read your
7:44	Bible the heavens are
7:48	open Jesus declared that Nathaniel would
7:52	see the heavens open and Angels
7:55	ascending and descending Upon Jesus but
7:58	the point is
8:00	because of Jesus the heavens are open
8:04	right
8:07	now point two our citizenship is in
8:12	heaven your enemy the devil does not
8:15	want you to know this or even to think
8:18	about it he wants you to be defeated in
8:21	this dark world he wants your head down
8:23	and your spirit broken he wants your
8:26	mind dull and your mouth
8:30	shut what he does not want is for you to
8:33	know that no matter how thick the Clouds
8:36	Of Darkness or how hard the Walk of Life
8:39	you can still see the heavens open
8:44	because God still speaks to you and you
8:47	can still hear his voice this is because
8:51	you are in Christ and Christ is in
8:54	you do you see you hear the word of God
9:00	the angels of heaven Ascend and descend
9:03	upon you why because beloved you are a
9:08	child of God you are a citizen of
9:13	Heaven Paul writes in Philippians 3: 20
9:18	for our citizenship is in heaven from
9:21	which also we eagerly await for a savior
9:24	the Lord Jesus
9:27	Christ your home
9:30	is not
9:32	Earthly you are already seated in the
9:34	Heavenly Realms Ephesians chapter
9:37	2 you may not see the doors of Heaven
9:41	open but don’t let that discourage you
9:43	you just do not see them with your
9:46	physical
9:48	sight Luther said
9:50	this even if I do not see this with my
9:54	physical eye as a cow looks at a door
9:58	that does not
10:00	matter Luther was being funny but he was
10:02	saying that seeing Heaven is not a
10:04	matter of physical sight it was
10:08	spiritual sight that Jesus used to see
10:11	Nathaniel under the tree it’s with
10:14	spiritual sight that you see the face of
10:17	Christ upon the cross and know his love
10:19	in your heart Luther said that he would
10:22	rather see with his spiritual sight
10:24	because his physical sight can be
10:26	deceived but your spiritual sight stands
10:29	on faith and faith is a gift of God that
10:32	is strengthened by God look beloved with
10:36	spiritual sight see with the eyes of
10:38	Faith see Christ upon the cross for your
10:41	sins see Jesus raised from the dead for
10:44	your eternal
10:46	life you are a citizen of
10:49	Heaven point three ministering Spirits
10:55	we cannot count on this world for our
10:58	security we must not depend upon Earthly
11:00	things that wither and Fade Away we know
11:03	to put our trust in the Lord and in the
11:06	promises that he gives to us through
11:08	faith in Jesus
11:10	Christ we are sojourners here upon the
11:14	Earth we’re like Mary and Joseph looking
11:16	for a temporary place to stay there may
11:19	be no room in the Inn but God sends
11:23	angels to guide them Messengers to help
11:27	them God provides pre ious gifts from
11:29	Wise Men and God gives encouragement and
11:33	understanding from
11:34	Shepherds you are God’s cherished
11:37	children
11:39	too and just as God’s own son received
11:41	Angelic protection and provision you too
11:44	are God’s child through Christ you also
11:49	receive Angelic protection and
11:52	provision plus the presence of Christ in
11:56	your heart and the indwelling of the
11:58	Holy Spirit to guide you and comfort you
12:02	until you reach your heavenly home
12:05	Hebrews chapter 1 verse 14
12:09	says are they not all ministering
12:12	Spirits sent out to render service for
12:15	the sake of those who will inherit
12:17	salvation God has commissioned angels to
12:20	be ministering Spirits for you who will
12:24	inherit
12:25	salvation do not doubt God’s grace to
12:30	you Jesus said do not despise one of
12:34	these little ones for I say to you that
12:36	their angels in heaven continually
12:38	behold the face of my father who is in
12:40	heaven Matthew
12:43	18:10 you are one of his little ones too
12:47	and your angels behold his face as you
12:52	yourself will one day see him face to
12:55	face in heaven God’s angels around about
13:00	us Christ Jesus is deep within us the
13:04	holy spirit is outpoured over us you
13:07	will not see them as a cow looks at a
13:09	door but look at them with spiritual
13:13	sight with eyes of
13:16	Faith now here’s the final Twist near
13:20	the end of the book of Revelation a
13:21	great marriage Feast takes place it is
13:24	the marriage Feast of the Lamb of God
13:26	and his bride the church she is now
13:29	ready clothed in fine linen bright and
13:32	clean St Paul speaks in similar terms
13:35	when he declares that a husband and wife
13:40	cleave to each other and the two shall
13:42	become one
13:44	flesh then the Apostle says
13:47	this this mystery is great but I am
13:50	speaking with reference to Christ and
13:54	the church Ephesians
13:57	532 beloved
13:59	we are joined to Jesus as a bride is to
14:04	the bridegroom for this reason what is
14:06	his is ours and what is ours is his
14:10	Jesus is in us we are in him and for
14:14	that reason the heavens are open now not
14:18	just for Jesus but the heavens are open
14:21	for us to the final twist is that the
14:25	heavens are open and the angels Ascend
14:27	and descend upon you clearly because
14:32	Jesus is in you the Angels now Ascend
14:35	and descend upon
14:37	you pretty
14:39	incredible isn’t
14:42	it
14:44	conclusion the Lord Jesus told Nathaniel
14:47	something that was difficult to
14:49	understand Nathaniel would see Heaven
14:51	opened and Angels ascending and
14:53	descending upon the son of
14:55	man
14:57	wonderful but Jesus has taught us
15:00	something that perhaps is even more
15:03	wonderful we see that the heavens are
15:07	open and Angels ascending and descending
15:11	upon us the devil says that this world
15:14	is his life is only War hatred
15:19	Bloodshed suffering sin and death but
15:24	the devil is a liar the world is not his
15:28	the heavens and the Earth are the Lords
15:30	and every moment yes right now this
15:33	moment the heavens are open and Angels
15:36	Ascend and descend upon
15:40	you in God’s house you sing the song of
15:44	the Angels you hear God’s word rightly
15:48	preached and the sacrament is
15:50	administered according to the word of
15:53	God the heavens are
15:56	open and even when when you are alone
16:00	and you pray to the Lord and you read
16:02	your Holy
16:04	Bible the heavens are
16:08	open and the angels of God Ascend and
16:12	descend upon
16:14	you thank you
16:17	Lord
16:26	[Music]
16:27	amen
16:34	[Music]