Day 12 of the “What Child is This?” Advent Devotional
Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafteryou shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (John 1:51)
This picture of Jesus shows us the availability and accessibility of the supernatural resources of heaven flowing to the Earth. Heaven has long sought a resting place. In Genesis 28, there is a prophetic picture of this reality in the account of Jacob’s ladder. The Old Testament patriarch sees a ladder that reaches from heaven into the Earth, with angels ascending and descending upon it (see Gen. 28:12).
In John 1:51, notice that the ladder goes from heaven onto a Man. Jesus specifies that His disciples would see this supernatural angelic activity take place upon the Son of Man. Two things to consider here. For one, in Genesis 28, there is no clear resting place for this ladder. It simply goes from Earth to Heaven.
Now, we see that there is a resting place on Earth for this ladder, and it is the Man, Christ Jesus. This brings us to the second observation. Consider that He uses the title Son of Man.
Even though this supernatural experience sounds like something reserved for the Son of God, look at the context. Jesus makes this statement after His baptism in the Holy Spirit (see Jn. 1:29-34). It makes me wonder if this living under an open heaven reality is available to those who are also filled with the same Spirit?
The Book of John is full of wonderfully scary statements that many of us pass by. They are too out there for our minds to wrap around. Wild. Supernatural. For example, I am convinced we have not even scratched the surface of what is available in John 14:12, where Jesus introduces us to the potential of “greater works.” Likewise, John 1:51 is one of those passages that, when considered in its rightful context, can absolutely bring our minds to spin.
As the Son of Man, Jesus set an example of what the normal Christian life should look like for you and I. Is it possible, then, that you and I also walk under an open heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending upon us? Yes. This is available because the Son of God lives inside of us in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture tells us that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. If this is so, and we are in the One who lived under an open heaven, I would suggest that we also have been given the glorious opportunity to live out this same reality.
An open heaven means that there is a consistent flow of supernatural resource, readily available to be released from Heaven into this world through you and I. Picture heaven with an Open for business sign.
Jesus Christ made it possible for the sons of man to live continuously connected to His world. After all, we need raw material from heaven if we are going to build His Kingdom on Earth. If Matthew 6:10 is truly our mandate, on Earth as it is in heaven, then it must have been vital for God to make a way for you and I to access the available resources in His world and release them into ours.
Advent Prayer
Thank You, Father that I walk under an open heaven. This is my inheritance as Your ambassador, called to bring Your world and Your Kingdom to the Earth