The Scripture reading for today is John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph. Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said to him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 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.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The Confessions reading is the 4^th Commandment

Honor your Father and your Mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

Meditation: Jesus said to Nathanael, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” What does this mean? Well, where do we see the heavens opened, and heaven and earth connected? Where do we see this event taking place in time and space? This imagery hearkens back to Jacobs ladder dream in which he saw angels coming down from heaven and going back up from earth. Where do we see heaven and earth connected and joined together? On the cross. The cross is that place in history where we see the heavens opened and heaven and earth joined together in the death of Jesus the Christ.

What does it mean that heaven is opened? Well, it is a literal thing, like we see in the Baptism of Jesus. However, it also tells us what the work of Jesus does for us. Because of our sin, heaven is closed up to us. Because we are not righteous, and fail completely at walking in the commands of God, heaven is shut up to we who transgress the Law of God.  Because of the fall, because of our actual sins we commit on a daily basis, heaven is closed to us and we cannot enter. Based on our merit and righteousness, heaven will remain close forever.

However, Christ our Second Adam came, to bear our sin, and woe, and shame. To be our life, our light, our way, our only hope, our only stay. Christ came and walked perfectly in the commands of His Father for us. Jesus came and kept perfectly the 4^th commandment for us by absolutely honoring and obeying His mother Mary, guardian Joseph, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilot. Jesus walked perfectly according to the Law, and on the cross, presented Himself as the absolute sacrifice for our transgressions. There, on the cursed tree of the cross, Jesus hung for our failure to honor both earthly and eternal authorities. Jesus hung there on the cross as the sinless and pure Son of God, but also as the chief sinner of the world. For Jesus is the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world in order that heaven may be opened to sinners who break the commandments on a daily basis. In laying down His life on the cross, Jesus unlocked heaven for us, so that we may enter in forever according to His mercy and forgiveness. We enter heaven now and heaven is opened to us forever, not because we are righteous in and of ourselves, but rather because we are covered in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. In Christ, heaven is open for us eternally and we will dwell forever there as children of our merciful and all loving Father.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, “I forgive you. I love you. I claim you as My own forever,” Amen

Jesus Sheepdog