John 1:43-51

An Allusion to Jacob’s Ladder

Introduction

Main points

The privilege of being called by Christ

The purpose of being called by Christ

The practicality of being called by Christ

The privilege of being called by Christ

v. 43

“decided” (θέλω)

word means to wish, will

Jesus’ will to go to Galilee

Galilee

Important small fishing town

Calling of disciples

Very place where Jesus would preach from a boat (Matt. 13.2)

Calm the sea (Mark 4.35)

Exercise of His deity amongst disciples

Walk upon water (Mark 6.45-53)

Even places near Galillee would see miracles of Christ

Healing Peter’s MIL (Matt 8.14)

Healing paralytic (Matt 9.2-8)

Healing centurion’s servant (Matt 8.5-13)

Seemingly insignificant hub of ordinary people removed from the grandeur of Jerusalem and the temple

“Follow me”

IMV, command

v. 45

“him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote”

Common theme in Gospels

Jesus in John 5:45–46 “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

Origin from Deuteronomy 18:18–22 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”

Philip has found the fulfilment!

The prophets

Quite interesting that Philip is reflecting on his own tutelage as a young man attending synagogue.

It didn’t take much for him to realize just who it was that came to him, called him, commanded that he follow him

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 53:2 “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.”

Micah 5:2 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph

First portion, Philip proclaims His deity as the Lord’s anointed

Second portion, recognizes His humanity

From a specific city

A “son” of Joseph

Though not an actual son

v. 46

Negative Nathaniel

Why ask such a question?

Perhaps likewise, Nathaniel knew the OT and did not see how the Messiah would come from Nazareth

John 7:41–42 “Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?””

Little do they know, He was the one born in Bethlehem

Odd presumption that disciples were 30-40 yr old men

Most likely teenagers are young men

John was probably a young teen, hence him living so long

Philip’s response

Come and see

v. 47

Jesus seeing Nathaneal

“an Israelite in whom there is no deceit”

“deceit”

cunning, treachery

Peering into Nathaneal’s soul

v. 48

“I saw you”

Happened before Philip even called him

Only God can see where others cannot

Revelation of who Christ is, who is standing before Him

Comes to realization

v. 49

“Son of God”

“King of Israel”

Anticipating triumphal entrance

And, his humiliation as well

Proclaimed in Davidic Psalms

Psalm 2:6 ““As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.””

Psalm 110:1 “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.””

Stretched back to Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7

Announced by prophets

Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

v. 50

Greater things indeed

Imagine mind blowing realization that Christ saw you where you were before you were called to come and see him and tells you there’s more to be seen

This small recognition of Christ’s deity does not compare to what will soon be seen

v. 51

“angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”

“Son of Man”

Distinct title for Christ

Daniel 7:13–14 ““I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Direct from Genesis 28:12 “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!”

What else happens in that place?

God of the covenants, confirms His promise to Jacob, same promise to Abraham and Isaac

Next major portion of Jacob’s life is promised betrothal to Rebecca

We all know how that works out

Nonetheless, ladder to heaven

God has connected the created world with the unseen world

Like Jacob enters into a marriage covenant after God confirms His covenant promises

So also does Christ enter into a marriage covenant with His church and confirms His covenant promises

No surprise that the next passage in John is a wedding feast

Something greater than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel is here

The purpose of being called by Christ (doctrine)

Two important words “found” and “follow”

To be found is necessary to follow

We cannot follow without knowing we are lost

“found”

Can you remember when Christ found you?

When you were unwilling to be found

When Christ calls, His people come

Effectual calling and doctrine of it

Two calls

Outward - Gospel, to all

Inward - application of Gospel, to elect

Guarantee and promise

“Follow”

When Christ calls, we answer

Army analogy, dropping what you are doing when told a command

Work analogy, dropping everything to please boss

Willingness to drop all we have to follow Christ

Why?

Good Shepherd

leads, feeds, guides, protects, nourishes, cares, etc.

The privilege of being called by Christ

5 points of application

Since Christ calls His own, we are personally discipled by God

Giving His Spirit to us

Comforter, advocate, Spirit of Christ

He teaches us all we need through His Word

He mediates His message through the Word

You are being discipled by God

Since Christ calls His own, we ought to take up our cross and follow

Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Self-denial is so challenging

We want to be seen, heard, known

Gospel is beautiful because Christ truly sees, hears, and knows us

Look at His interaction with Nathanael, John 1:48 “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.””

Since Christ calls His own, we have full access to the throne

Prayer

Communion

Fellowship

HS - in a way - is like that ladder for us, access (not to over spiritualize)

Since Christ calls His own, we have been found

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see

Christ finds us, seeks and saves the lost

Even in our blemishes, sin, depravity, treachery, covenant infidelity

Since Christ calls His own, we will see Him again

Christ descends, we ascend with Him

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Remembering our destiny

Horatio Spafford’s hymn

O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend; even so, it is well with my soul.