Gospel of John 1:43-51

Dr. Oz Lorentzen gave the message this past Sunday, and wrapped up chapter 1 for us very nicely.  I will endeavor to give the highlights of his sermon.

Jesus gives an invitation to the disciples to "follow me."  Jesus gives all of humanity that same message.  The meaning goes deeper and further with the changing of Simon's name to Cephas (or Peter, which means "the rock").  We know from the gospel's that Peter was anything but a 'rock'.  He was impetuous, flighty, obnoxious; all in his attempts to be a leader, especially one named 'the rock'.  It wasn't until much later (after the resurrection) that Peter began to act what God had already made him.  We too, that have been called to trust our Lord and Saviour have moments (some lasting years) where we do not act as a child of God.  We do not act holy.  This isn't because we're not holy, but because we have trouble believing that we ARE holy in Christ.  When we doubt our calling, when we doubt our ability to be what God has called us to be, we are in essence saying that we doubt God's word.  

Nathaniel, who was not one to be convinced easily, originally rebuffed Jesus' words of truth about Nathaniel.  He said to Nathaniel "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit."  Nathaniel was not impressed.  He responded "How do you know me?"  With one line, Jesus convinces him that He is the Son of God, simply by saying "I saw you under the fig tree."  We can look at this as a way of Jesus saying "I've known you all along."  We need to remember that we cannot hide who we are from Christ.  He knows us intimately, yet He died for us anyway.  How humbling.  Jesus tells Nathaniel that he would see heaven opened up and see angels ascend and descend from heaven.  In the gospels, we really didn't see that, so what did it mean?  Jesus was pointing to Himself as the living, breathing version of Jacob's ladder, that He was the link between heaven and earth.

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