The Gospel of John-10 – Heaven Opened Above the Son of Man

John 1:45–51

 

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here is a truly Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’ Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on” the Son of Man.’” Amen.

 

The Grand Overture of the Kingdom of God and the Calling of the Disciples

The Apostle John, the author of the Gospel of John, shows us through the opening chapters—Chapter 1 and the beginning of Chapter 2—how God is bringing about a new creation based on a new covenant. Today’s text also lies within that great flow. In other words, it is a scene where a new community is being called within the history of God’s new creation. The fact that Jesus called His disciples goes beyond simply finding people to teach for three years of public ministry. It is a grand proclamation that a new covenant people, namely the new Kingdom of God, has begun, centered on Jesus Christ. Like the introduction of a movie that begins with majestic music, Jesus is calling His disciples amidst this declaration of the overture of the Kingdom of God.

 

Therefore, we must examine what kind of character these called disciples possess as the new Israel and the new community, and what they testify to. The journey that began on the first day has now reached the fifth day, and Jesus calls Philip. Philip, upon being called, not only followed the Lord immediately but also went straight to Nathanael to begin witnessing. Verse 45, the first verse of our text, shows Philip witnessing about Jesus to Nathanael, whose name means “Gift of God.” “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’” Hearing this, Nathanael immediately retorts, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” From this short reply, we can guess that Nathanael was a person with considerable knowledge of the Scriptures.

 

Nathanael was from Cana in the Galilee region. It is a town not far from Bethsaida, Philip’s hometown. The story of the wedding at Cana will soon appear, but Nathanael’s intention in questioning was clear. Based on the records of the Old Testament, his logic was that if the Messiah, whom Moses and the prophets foretold, were to descend, He should rightfully come from Bethlehem, not Nazareth. This is based on the prophecy given through the prophet Micah during the reign of King Hezekiah, specifically Micah 5:2. It is the famous prophecy: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” The fact that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem was widely known knowledge in Jewish society at the time, and this was exactly why King Herod massacred the children of Bethlehem. To those who knew the Scriptures, the claim that the Messiah’s hometown was Nazareth was simply unacceptable.

 

Nathanael’s Skepticism and Jesus’ Unexpected Praise

Nathanael questions with strong doubt at the mention of "Nazareth." However, the situation that follows develops quite interestingly. Jesus likely already knew what Nathanael was curious about. Even though Nathanael reacted skeptically, saying, "Can anything good come from Nazareth," his heart, having been brought along by Philip's persuasion, must have still been unsatisfied. This was because he felt the biblical prophecies did not align with reality. What if Jesus, upon seeing Nathanael, had immediately explained, "Nathanael, actually, around the time I was born, there was a census, so my parents went to Bethlehem, and I was born there. Is your curiosity satisfied now?" To our limited way of thinking, that would have been the fastest way to make Nathanael understand, and it would have made Philip’s effort worthwhile, making for a very convenient development for a sermon. Nathanael would have immediately rejoiced, saying, "Oh, I see! So Jesus was indeed from Bethlehem!"

 

However, the Lord sets aside that easy method and does not mention "Bethlehem" even once. He does not even refute Nathanael’s prejudice against Nazareth, but immediately says this. Look at verse 47: “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here is a truly Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.’” I think this is perhaps the greatest praise a person could ever hear. Thus, some interpret this as Nathanael having deep wounds from the religious leaders or the environment of the time, and that Jesus gave him comfort and peace by recognizing his sincere faith as soon as He saw him.

 

From Nathanael’s perspective, these were very thankful and sensible words, but his following answer is somewhat unusual. In verse 48, he asks, “How do you know me?” To help your understanding, let me dramatize this with an example. Suppose I introduced a newly appointed pastor, praising him by saying, "This person is truly a servant of the Word and prayer." If that pastor then replied, "My, how did you know I was such a precious person?" how awkward would that situation be? Normally, the proper reaction would be to wave one’s hand in humility or say that one is lacking. Yet, Nathanael asks as soon as he hears the Lord’s praise, "My, how did you know I was such a wonderful person?" so we can see that this flow of conversation is extraordinary.

 

The Meaning of a True Israelite and the Wrestling at the Jabbok River

Therefore, we find that a much deeper meaning than we generally think is contained in the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. First, pay attention to the expression “there is no deceit,” which Jesus spoke to Nathanael. Here, ‘deceit’ (or being 'guileful') means ‘to trick.’ In other words, it means Nathanael is not a deceiver. How did Jesus know this? Was it because He followed him to see if he lived honestly, or did He simply recognize it because He is the Son of God? Rather, it contains the intention to show who Nathanael truly is through a significant contrast.

 

In the Old Testament, who is the representative figure that comes to mind when you think of a ‘deceiver’? It is Jacob. And what was Jacob’s name later changed to? It was changed to Israel. But Jesus, looking at Nathanael, now says, “A true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.” This is an intentional contrast, bringing up the story of Jacob and Israel. To put it simply, that famous scene you encounter when studying the Old Testament or reading Genesis—the incident where Jacob wrestled with the angel of God at the Jabbok River and his name was changed to Israel—Jesus has captured that entire event within a single sentence.

 

What does this mean? Ultimately, Jacob was a person who was skillful at deceiving, having tricked his brother and father before fleeing. He fled to his uncle’s house in the northern region of Haran and worked himself to the bone for 14 years. In that process, he was also deceived by his uncle. After working for 14 years, he finally gathered wealth and tried to return to his hometown of Canaan, but he was overwhelmed by the fear that he might be killed by his brother Esau, whom he had deceived in the past. So, before Jacob reached his brother and before crossing the river, he first sent herds as gifts. Next, he sent servants, then his wives, and then his children one by one. Leaving all his possessions across the river, he remained alone on this side without crossing.

 

While he remained alone, the scene where God comes to Jacob and challenges him is the Jabbok River incident. He had to return to Canaan now, but until then, Jacob’s life had been a series of years lived entirely through deception. Jacob is a truly interesting character. He knew clearly what God’s promises and blessings were, and he had the conviction that if he received them, he would prosper. Because he wanted those blessings so much, he tried to seize them by using his wits. The Bible calls this ‘deceit.’ He tried to obtain God’s blessings through his own strength.

 

But what was the result? He ended up being driven away. Although he received the blessing from Isaac, he became distanced from Canaan, the land of promise where that blessing was to be enjoyed. Thus, Jacob struggled in every way to return to this land, and the decisive moment of that return was the Jabbok River. At that river, God finally engages in a ‘life-and-death duel.’ He asks, “In the face of your entire life lived relying on yourself, how will you face Me now?” But Jacob does not give up easily. Even when God comes and says, “Surrender,” one would expect him to kneel and say, “What can I say before God?” but he never surrenders. That is likely the case for you and me as well. Humans are such that they do not kneel easily.

 

Jacob wrestled until the end and held on. Then God struck the socket of his hip, and Jacob, who had been clinging with a force that seemed it could overcome God, finally pleaded, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The meaning of these words is the same as this confession: “Until now, I have tried to obtain God’s blessings by my own strength, by any means necessary. I believed living that way was justified and took pride in the fact that I didn't cause great harm to others. But now, as I am about to enter Canaan, I have realized that I can never enter without God’s grace.”

 

At the very moment he admitted he could not enter that land by his own strength, God gave Jacob a new name. “What is your name?” “Jacob.” “From now on, you shall be called Israel.” The exact meaning of Israel is ‘one who struggled with God,’ but in Jacob’s context, this is a confession that “I am no longer a deceiver, but one who from now on will rely only on God’s grace in the land of Canaan.”

 

By the standards of that time, Jacob was a successful man who had achieved great wealth at Laban’s house and started a family. He had power. Yet, he now decided to leave all that behind and look only to God’s grace. We must remember two things through Jacob. One is that he longed to enter Canaan until the end. He could have lived comfortably with the wealth he gathered outside, but he did not forget God’s promise and hoped for its fulfillment. The other is the fact that he realized the only way into the land of promise is through God’s grace.

 

The Wrestling Under the Fig Tree and the Way of a Disciple

So, the meaning of God telling Nathanael, “A true Israelite, and one who is not a deceiver,” is that “You are just like Jacob.” To put it another way, it means, “You know who it is that wrestled with you.” It is an acknowledgment from the Lord: “You have wrestled at the Jabbok River.” Jesus’ words in the text, “I saw you while you were under the fig tree,” mean that just as Jacob wrestled with God at the Jabbok River, Nathanael also underwent a spiritual wrestling under the fig tree. In fact, the fig tree itself might not have much significance. However, if you remember scenes frequently appearing in the Old Testament, such as “he called on the name of the Lord under the oak tree, built an altar, and offered sacrifices,” you can generally infer that the place ‘under the tree’ was where devout people at that time meditated and deeply pondered God’s prophecies and words.

 

Ultimately, Jesus’ words, “I saw you under the fig tree,” mean that He recognizes that Nathanael has the marks of such agony and wrestling, just as Jacob struggled before the Jabbok River. Nathanael was a person who sought not his own strength but God’s grace, and who longed for the Kingdom of God, symbolized by Canaan. That is Nathanael’s characteristic. Everyone, how was Israel at that time? They wanted to enter Canaan without the wrestling. In other words, they wanted to go before God by their own strength, and we express this as “relying on the Law.”

 

If the people of that time were those who, like the Pharisees, believed they could enter before God by using their own righteousness as merit after living uprightly and righteously by themselves, what Nathanael says is different. It means one cannot enter without going through that process of wrestling. It is a scene talking about how one cannot enter the land of Canaan without the hip socket being struck, and one cannot enter without completely abandoning one’s own strength, pride, schemes, and deceptive power. Therefore, a true disciple of Jesus Christ is a person who encounters God at the Jabbok River. They are those who wrestle with God and whose hip sockets have been broken before the Jabbok. The Bible calls such people the disciples of Jesus Christ. As long as you are still relying on your own strength even by this much, you must first meet God at the Jabbok River before dreaming of Canaan.

 

So, it comes down to this. Jesus’ words to Nathanael, “You are a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit,” sound like praise, but on the other hand, they are the same as saying, “You are one whose hip socket was broken at the Jabbok.” It means, “You are nothing by your own strength.” To use our expression, it means, “You are a sinner.” Nathanael is astonished because of Jesus Christ, who knows him so piercingly. “How do you know me? How did You know that I am that very Jacob, that I am that very sinner, and the very person who must meet God and seek His grace?”

 

Nathanael was a person who had hoped for the Kingdom of God and looked forward to the Messiah, longing for the fact that not his own strength, but only God’s grace must come upon him. To such a person, the Lord is speaking. “O you who know that it cannot be done by your own strength.” Nathanael asks, “Lord, how do You know that?” The Lord says, “I saw your Jabbok River. I saw you when you were under the fig tree.” At that moment, Nathanael surrenders. “This person is truly the Messiah. You are the Son of God and the King of Israel.”

 

The Fulfillment of Jacob’s Prophecy and the Calling as True Israelites

But why was Bethlehem no longer an issue? Everyone, do you know the reason? Look at Jacob. In Genesis 49, whom does Jacob prophesy about? He prophesies about the tribe of Judah, David, and Bethlehem. “The scepter will not depart from Judah.” In other words, Jacob is the one who prophesied that a king would be born through the tribe of Judah and that the Messiah would come through that lineage. But now Nathanael is standing before the One who personally fulfilled and achieved that covenant of Jacob. Since the great root of Jacob has been unraveled, why would the remaining peripheral issues be a stumbling block?

 

It is like the logic of the Apostle Paul when he discusses grace and law, or contrasts Abraham and Moses, in Romans or Hebrews. It is the same as saying, “Abraham talked about grace much earlier, so how could the law that came later nullify that grace?” He realized the fact that no matter how great the prophecy about Bethlehem was, how could it surpass what Jacob prophesied about the tribe of Judah? To put it another way, Nathanael knew that Jesus Christ standing before him was the very One who gave the name ‘Israel’ to Jacob. He knew that He had now given the name “True Israelite” to him as well. So now there is no problem. The One who called the old Jacob ‘Israel’ is now proclaiming to Nathanael, “Your name is true Israel.”

 

You and I are also not far from Nathanael. What would Jesus Christ call you when He calls you? “You are truly Israelites, in whom there is no deceit.” This does not mean that you have never lied or that you are morally perfect. It means that you have become beings who now confess, “I come with my hands raised because I have no one to lean on but the Heavenly Father.” That is us. This emerges as a very important principle in discipleship. Thus, Nathanael confesses at once, “This is the One who fulfilled the covenant of David. This is the very One who was to come through David.”

 

Greater Things Than the Vision of Bethel: Open Heaven and the Son of Man

One would think the conversation would end here, but Jesus does not stop. He doesn't end Nathanael’s story here but upgrades it once more to a very surprising level. Let’s look at verses 50 and 51.

 

“Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on” the Son of Man.’”

 

He is asking: Do you believe because I saw you under the fig tree—that is, because I know you went through the Jabbok River incident—and are you surprised? But you will see greater things than this, and that great thing is recorded in verse 51. Nathanael probably thought, ‘Now it is done. Since I have finally met the Messiah, we Jews will now face liberation and escape from Rome.’

 

However, the Lord does not end the matter there but states that there are greater things. Then He expresses, “You will see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” As soon as we encounter this verse, we immediately think of Jacob. The full story is as follows: Jacob was fleeing from Esau and his father and arrived at a place called Luz. It was a point in Canaan on the way to Haran, and he later changed its name to Bethel. Having arrived there and being so tired, he took a stone as a pillow and fell asleep.

 

It is truly a pitiful situation. He is in a state of having no one to turn to, sleeping with a stone for a pillow. He left his parents, there is no one to care for him, and he is surrounded by enemies. While lying in fear that someone might come to take his life at any time, he has a dream. A stairway (ladder) reaches from heaven down to the earth, and it is a dream where the angels of God are ascending and descending on it. And in that dream, God promises Jacob, “I will remember the covenant I made with Abraham. I will give you this land where you are lying.” He makes such a surprising promise. So Jacob vows, “Lord, if You protect me and make me return here safely, I will build an altar at this place and diligently give a tenth of everything from now on.” This is the story of Jacob’s stone pillow and the heavenly ladder.

 

But the promise of God that appeared in this dream is very interestingly connected to today’s text. Just think about it. Is Jacob not lying in the most difficult circumstances? Then God could have come and said, “Your brother and father are trying to take your life and will chase you, so what are you going to do? From now on, I will protect you, so do not worry,” or He could have comforted his difficult situation. But He does not. Instead, He says one thing: “I will make a covenant with you.” He renews that promise made with Abraham. Jacob is currently being driven out of the land of promise. But to that person who is being driven out, He says, “I will fulfill this promise to you.” It’s not like He is teasing him, so why did He say such things at that time?

 

It means, “You are being driven out of here, but I will surely fulfill this promise.” It is the will that He will surely achieve this promise even though you will lose any conditions or strength to fulfill the promise. In other words, it is a scene showing that you cannot return to this land without God. As promised, Jacob returned. He crossed the Jabbok River and returned. Then, in order, isn't the Jabbok River incident the conclusion? Since he went to Bethel, suffered for 14 years, then came back and crossed the Jabbok to enter Canaan, the most important part of the beginning, development, turn, and conclusion should naturally be the Jabbok River incident. Because that is where Jacob finally gave everything up and entered Canaan, surrendering, “Lord, I was wrong. I have lived according to my own will until now, but now I truly return to God.”

 

The Mystery of Heaven and Union with Jesus Christ

But why does Jesus say, “Bethel is better”? He shows that the Bethel incident—the incident where the ladder was ascended and descended—is “a greater thing, and you will see greater things.” Why is that? The reason is very simple. If you look at Jacob’s life, Jacob went to Haran and then came back to Canaan, but he could not end his life there. He died in Egypt. Canaan is the land of promise and the land where all inheritance lies, so how could Jacob leave that land? Doesn’t it make no sense? Moreover, even though he was in a position of being driven away to find food because there was none, he stood before Pharaoh, the greatest power of the time, and blessed him.

 

This is a truly interesting part that marks the end of Jacob’s life. How did this happen? Here, we come to know that Bethel, which Jacob passed through, was not just a place he briefly passed by. In fact, the reason Jacob could leave Canaan was because of this Bethel. What did he see at Bethel? It was because he saw something better than Canaan. At Bethel, he discovered that there was something greater than Canaan. At that place, he tasted the mystery of heaven opening and a ladder from heaven being connected to the earth, where the angels of God came and went, showing the blessings of heaven. Although it was just a dream for one night.

 

That was so sweet to Jacob. There, he shouted in surprise, “This is the very place where I faced God and was with God!” Then he built an altar there, poured oil, and praised and rejoiced in God. That intense memory of one night made him leave Canaan. Isn't it surprising? Hebrews 11 also says that Abraham and Jacob did so. They were living in the land of promise, yet they regarded that place as if they were strangers and looked toward the eternal city. What did Jacob see in that dream, how great was it that he readily accepted the path to Egypt, leaving Canaan behind? And why did he rather bless Pharaoh? How radiant was that glory that it changed his life even though it was a dream for one night?

 

But here today is a new Bethel. In today’s text, there is a new feature different from Jacob’s story. In Jacob’s story, there was a ‘ladder’ from heaven to earth, but in the text we read today, there is no ladder. “You will see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” He shows the appearance of heaven and earth being connected through Jesus Christ. Even Jacob, who saw heaven opened by a ladder in a one-night dream, could leave Canaan behind, which he had cherished all his life. And knowing what true blessing was, he could bless the strongest king of the time. But in today’s text, heaven has opened completely. Jesus Christ became that ladder, and heaven opened. This is not a fleeting dream. Because Jesus is not someone who comes for one night and leaves in the morning.

 

Assurance and Joy of the Saints Living Under an Open Heaven

As the Lord says, the very person who said in Matthew 28, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” became our ladder and connected heaven and earth. Everyone, do you know what it means that “heaven opened” when you came to believe in Jesus? It doesn't mean something like seeing a rainbow appearing in the sky and seeing jewels like someone seeing a vision. The true meaning of heaven opening is that Jesus Christ has now connected us with the Kingdom of God and this earth. But as many people misunderstand, it doesn't mean that Jesus only played the role of a bridge helping to go back and forth between above and below. It doesn't mean that He is just someone who laid down a bridge so that you and I, who were on the ground, could go up to heaven, like the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel.

 

What Jesus Christ did here was not only making heaven and earth meet but also showing that He, who was originally in heaven, descended, and the One who descended is the One who is ascended. Everyone, please pay attention to my expression. He is not “the One who descended and will later go up,” but “the One who descended is the One who is ascended.” This means that when heaven opened and began to commune with us through Jesus Christ, all the treasures of heaven were poured out to us along with Jesus Christ, and at the same time, we also participate in the glory of heaven along with Jesus Christ. Thus, He raises us to heaven and makes us go boldly before the throne of God. That is why we can pray in the name of Jesus. The ‘Name of Jesus Christ.’ It is a name that no one could use. A name that no one could pray in. The very name that no one could use to go before God. The very name that says “there is no other name in the world.” The name with heaven open, the name of Jesus. In that name, we pray, and in that name, we boldly go before the throne of grace.

 

Since heaven is open and their eyes look toward heaven, those disciples and saints do not need to look elsewhere, do not need to be conscious of others, do not need to be discouraged, and do not need to worry about what others think. The characteristic of a person with an open heaven is that things you can see with your eyes in the world cannot make you anxious or drive you into terror. Nothing visible can harm you. Why is that? Because we confess and know that because heaven opened, you yourself live with God. These expressions are somewhat mystical, so I don’t know if there are parts difficult for you to understand. I want to look into it a bit more to help our understanding.

 

The Feast of Holiness and Love Enjoyed as Children of God

Everyone, the fact that heaven opened is, of course, a spiritual meaning. It means that the holiness of Jesus Christ, the love of Jesus Christ, and the abundance of Jesus Christ are now being poured out to us through the open heaven. His holiness becomes our holiness, and His righteousness becomes our righteousness. Everyone, a Christian is not a person who “achieves righteousness.” You are people who are “recovering” the already achieved righteousness, if such an expression is possible. The reason we need to recover it is that there are so many things stuck all over us. To wear clean clothes, wouldn't you have to take off these dirty clothes first? There is no way for you to become a child of God through some training. Because you are children of God, you just follow the things God said with a joyful heart.

 

What happens when you see the holiness of the Lord, which you could not see until now, because heaven is now open and you see the incredibly holy holiness of God? You cannot help but discard your filthiness. You cannot help but deny yourself. You see this sinful self again and again and again, and you become a life that cannot help but confess again, “Lord, how can someone like me go before God?” That is called “repentance.” It is not to condemn you as a sinner, but it is called repentance. Why? Because we see the most beautiful holiness from heaven, we cannot help but abandon ourselves. Believing in Jesus is therefore a creation. It is not something we make. It is a work of stripping away and a work of repenting. Everyone, do not think that believing in Jesus is a matter of setting a goal and running toward it. Believing in Jesus is not saying, “I will become holy,” and running toward holiness.

 

Rather, we are people who are embraced by God’s mercy, compassion, and love. We are people who confess again and again that we cannot go to the Kingdom of God unless He embraces us. We cannot take pride in our own names, nor do we boast, but we are people who have decided to pray only in the name of Jesus Christ and live only by His name. The joy that Jesus rejoiced in is poured out on us. What did Jesus rejoice in so much? He rejoiced so much in God’s will being fulfilled. He rejoiced so much in His children being saved. He rejoiced so much in His children loving each other. That joy and that love are poured out on us. But if you do not love, everyone, where in the world are you people? Heaven has opened. It does not open when you pray, but it opened because of Jesus Christ. Then, you are receiving that love coming from heaven, so what are you doing?

 

With every single step you walk, do you live by pouring out groans on this earth with pain, frustration, and also resentment? Or do you look toward heaven? If you look toward heaven and examine your sinful appearance once more, you cannot help but enjoy the holiness coming from heaven. We cannot help but receive that joy. We cannot help but receive that love. Because otherwise, we cannot live with our own things. So, heavenly joy is being poured out, so it is embarrassing to be annoyed because things don't go well in the world, isn't it? Is it not? Even if there were very serious and difficult things in your family matters, standing in that place, wouldn't you have no choice but to feel, “Oh, I thought wrong again,” that I was struggling so much because of that? Wouldn't you have no choice but to say, “I still haven't been able to abandon this”?

 

And everyone, after you have looked back, try to enjoy something that our country’s (Korean) saints are the worst at. Why... I was like that too; when I was a child, if I was bought an ice cream, I would be so stingy that I wouldn't eat it and just lick it a little, and it would all melt and be thrown away, wouldn't it? Why do you believe in Jesus like that? Do not worry. He gives a second ice cream. He gives a third one again. Eat and drink the love that the Lord gives to your heart’s content, eat the body of Jesus Christ, eat His blood, eat Him who is the bread, eat the love He gives, eat the holiness He is holy in, and while claiming that those are ours, rejoice because of the fact that “I seem to be a life with nothing but failure in this life, but I am a person who cannot help but succeed,” and rejoice because of the fact that “I seem to be a person abandoned by everything in this land, but I am one embraced by God,” and remember that “I seem to be someone who is being knocked down by everything in this world, being hard pressed, losing everything, and being hated by the world, but I am that very person whom God loves,” and I hope you become people who live in that joy.

 

Let us pray.

 

Lord of love, we want the appearance of the Lord’s disciples we meditated on today to also be our appearance. Just as Nathanael was, since we are also true Israelites and people of God in whom there is no deceit, let us now live in this world with the appearance of true Israelites. Lord, the people of the Lord in heaven are praising and rejoicing in God, so why can we not rejoice on this earth? Heaven is open, and people in heaven are rejoicing and giving glory to God, so why can we not rejoice and give glory? They confess that they live without being shaken by anything in the world because they are safe, so why can we not confess? Lord, have mercy on us.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.