The Confession of a Patriarch (John 1:43-51, Genesis 28:10-22)
Rev. William L. Barron, October 13, 2024Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Today's focal passages from Genesis and John both reference a heavenly stairway with angels ascending and descending. Jacob saw this vision, and Jesus promised Nathanael that he would see the vision. Regarding Jacob, sin was very present around him. His mother Rebecca wanted Jacob to have a godly wife, so she sent him to Haran and her own people to find such a wife. On the way, Jacob camped at what would become Bethel.
In a dream while seeing the stairway or ladder, he received a restatement of the Abrahamic covenant made to his grandfather, promising a homeland and a mighty nation from his offspring. Most importantly, God promised to be with Jacob and his offspring, even though Jacob was a trickster and rascal. Jacob awoke afraid, but realized that he was in the house of God and the stairway was the gate of heaven. He declared the awesomeness of the place and became a changed man, a partriarch to his offspring. Jacob accepted wrongs done to him, for example by his father in law, Laban. Jacob now sought to serve God and live for Him.
The stairway is the heart of this passage. Our age-old sin is our desire to be like God and be our own god. Yet, there is only one stairway to heaven, and as Nathanael would see, Jesus is that stairway. The gospel comes down and takes us up to heaven. Jacob responded to the awesome vision by building an altar where he praised God and worshiped Him.
Jacob then made a vow that if God provided for his needs, Jacob would proclaim God as his personal true God. He set up a memorial pillar as a reminder of his vow. Jacob received surprising grace, converting him from a cheater to a patriarch, even though Jacob did not deserve it. We must appreciate the grace of God that overflows us and places us in His service.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Communion with God and One Another | None | Proving Justification Always by Faith » |
John 1:43–51 (Listen)
43 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.”
(ESV)
Genesis 28:10–22 (Listen)
10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
(ESV)