Skip to main content
Then he said, 
"Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God  ascending and descending  on the Son of Man."
John 1:51 CSB
Jesus tells Nathanael the best is yet to come and then throws this in.
This seems to be a direct reference to Genesis 28 and Jacobs dream.
In that dream standing next to Jacob, giving him a promise was Yahweh.
God himself.
Perhaps he wanted Nathanael (& us) to know that God is close.
Right here.
That he is the God of that promise.
Here it is:

Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. 
I will bring you back to this land, 
for I 
will not 
leave you 
until I have done what I have promised you.
Genesis 28:15 CSB

I'm with you.
I'm here to fulfill this promise.
That ladder that joins heaven and earth, you don't see it yet, but it's me. 
And the way this promise gets fulfilled is not with spectacular power, but in sacrificial giving.
It's fulfilled by way of the cross.
I so easily connect the best is yet to come with my comfort. What's good for me.
For Jesus it was never that.
It was sacrificial love.
When we see that sacrificial love in a story, a movie, in someone's life, we get a glimpse of the face of God.
Our God who is near.
Who is at work.
Who has promised.
Who will restore.
Who does Love.
Who is Love 
#sunday
#worship
#thisisourGod

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,  for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16 NLT OK so this is an English translation of a letter Paul wrote to a church 2,000 years ago, but does it feel like Paul is wrestling with words and ideas to try and capture all of who Jesus is, of who God is, of how does it work that the walking around Jesus was also there before the beginning of the beginning of everything we can see and touch and know. Not only that but Jesus was somehow the agent of everything that has been made in the physical, social, and spiritual.  Jesus is at the centre of it all.  Walking around Jesus. Cooking fish for breakfast Jesus. Heart aching as he looks at p
Post a Comment
Read more
...four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus... Mark 2:3-4 NLT Great account of inventiveness and determination to get their friend to see Jesus. Love this. Do you wonder about the back story? Are these the same 4 people who bring this man food? Take him to the toilet every day. Clean him up. Does he live with one of them? Are they family? Are there whole families or groups of people in the background who have supported and cared for this man? A group of children who grew up seeing their parents love in action? Probably. Healing Help Hope These things are found in community. These 4 guys are the heroes here. The upfront people. One day it will be interesting to see who the background heroes are. #loveinaction #community #inthistogether #walkingeachotherhome #gospelofmark
Post a Comment
Read more
"Do not despise these small beginnings,  for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,  to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand." Zechariah 4:10 NLT At the centre of this story is not something shiny, something new, but the damaged, broken down ruins.  Jesus met people where they were, in the brokenness, in their hurt, in the mess. That's where he was.  We can tend to hide away the damage, sideline it, perhaps feature it only when there's been restoration.  But this story says something different.  Jesus life tells us something different. God is delighting in the small things going on in the broken down temple. He isn't saying "when it's all fixed up and looking good then I'm interested".  No, He is invested now.  Right now.  Right where we are.  Come as you are to church, to community, to fellowship, to friendship. Jesus never sidelines the hurt parts, never says they don't matter, and we don't need to either... #smallbeginnings #t
Post a Comment
Read more