JESUS FROM HEAVEN ABOVE

READ JOHN 1:35-51

35-51) Followers of John the Baptist now turn to Jesus
1) The first two to follow are Andrew and John, than came Peter and than Nathanael.
2) There are three things that determines the thinking of these disciples about Jesus at this time. v.38) Where are you staying? v.45) Son of Joseph, the carpenter?, and v.46) What good thing comes out of Nazareth?
3) They wanted to know His background. Ravi Zacharias, in his book Jesus Among Other Gods says, "...in the East, the home is the defining cultural indicator. Everything that determines who you are and what your future bodes is tied into your heritage and your social standing. Absolutely everything."
4) Ravi Zacharias goes on to say, "How in the name of reason could the answer to the hopes and dreams of Israel, in search of the Messiah, come from a city of such low esteem and from a family of such modest professional status? The best way for them to find out whether He could really be who John described Him to be was to follow Him to His house--to the earthly address of the One who claimed to be the Son of God."
5) Jesus shows them in v.51 that He is not from earth, but from heaven above. He gives them a picture of the heavens opening up and the Angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Again I will quote Ravi Zacharias, "Whether the disciples fully understood it or not, a thundering message was given when Jesus spoke those words to Nathanael. He staked a claim. Were they aware that the Lord who fashioned the heavens and the earth was standing beside them? Angelic hosts attended His abode...The word abode immediately brings to mind the concepts of residing and of boundaries, neither of which is a fitting term for One who is without beginning and is Omnipresent. Jacob found out that God's presence to bless could transform any location into the house of God. (Here Mr. Zacharias is speaking of Jacob and his vision of the Angels ascending and descending the stairway in Gen 28:13 and Jacob says in v. 16-17 "Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it...How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.") Now the disciples learned the same. They were inclined to judge Jesus by His earthly father, Joseph the carpenter. They were trying to measure His worth by His earthly home, Nazareth. He opened up to them the truth that any earthly setting at which He is present becomes the gateway to heaven. What comfort this must have brought them."
WHAT COMFORT IT IS FOR US TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS ABODE IN US IS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT! THERE IS CONSTANT COMMUNICATION GOING ON BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, BETWEEN THE SAVED SINNER AND THE RISEN SAVIOR!