Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, March 13th 2011
A printable PDF file can be found here
Back in the mid 70's the rock group "Led Zeppelin" released an album with a song on it called "Stairway to Heaven". In it's own way it became something of a classic. It remains one of the most requested classic album tracks on radio shows that play requested classic album tracks. For years, every budding rock guitarist had to prove their credibility by mastering its first few bars.
I realize that some of you here have no wish to hear about Led Zeppelin, however you will have heard, from our Bible reading in Genesis, of a "Stairway to Heaven" that was viewed by Jacob as he rested at a location he later called "Bethel", the place of God.
At the start of the story is darkness. Jacob is a man on the run with a lot on his mind, uncertain which way to turn. The central part of the story is a dream, a great discovery of the purposes of God for Jacob's life. The conclusion of the story has Jacob coming to a point of decision. If all that had taken place was of God, then it is God Jacob will follow.
Firstly, there is awakening from darkness.
Our reading didn't mention what had taken place before Jacob found himself out in the wilderness, sleeping rough, with a stone for a pillow. Jacob is in deep trouble. He has betrayed his brother Esau, stolen his Fathers blessing and is on the run because Esau has vowed to kill him. That's why he is out in the wilderness. Our reading tells us, "He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set." Jacob was in the darkness.
When we examine our lives in the light of God's holiness we don't have to dig to deep to find some pockets of darkness. We make mistakes. We compromise. We are unfaithful to God and unloving towards each other. Darkness. But what do we do with it?
Today, we have come to this place of bricks and mortar, this Bethel, this place of God, set apart to be a gateway that opens people up to the glory of God. We come, as we are, not as how we'd like to be. We come to hear the Word of God. 1 John 1:9 tells us:-"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
In Jacob's story of the events of Bethel, the first thing we see is an awakening from the darkness. He doesn't excuse what he has done, he doesn't try to wriggle out of the implications, but he does put it all behind him. In the forgiveness that Jesus Christ has made possible for us through his death on the cross, every day can be a new beginning.
Following Jacob's awakening from darkness there comes an awe-inspiring discovery.
The discovery that God's love was directed towards him.
For Jacob that discovery came through a dream. Dreams can be fascinating things. Psychologists tell us we should listen to our dreams. That our subconscious minds are trying to tell us important things that we are suppressing about ourselves. Those who have faith tell us that God, "Out there" is trying to tell us things "In here" about our relationship to Him.Of course that doesn't apply to all dreams. Some are just stupid and are most likely due to having to much cheese for supper! However, for Jacob, this dream of a Stairway to Heaven was a life changing experience and an awe-inspiring discovery.
We don't expect to interact with God as we go about our daily business. It's not that we forget about God or are antagonistic towards God, simply that we don’t expect to be interacting with the Divine during our lunch hour.
Time and time again in the Scriptures it is as people are going about their everyday tasks that receive a revelation from God. Moses was at work, looking after sheep, when God spoke to him through a burning bush. Saul was riding down the road on a horse trying to get to Damascus. Jacob was just after a good nights sleep.
Our N/T reading spoke of Jesus calling Nathaniel and Philip. We're not told what their daily business was but part of it involved sitting under fig trees. Nathaniel is very skeptical about Gods ability to interrupt their daily routine, particularly through the person of a carpenters son called Jesus from Nazareth. "Huh", he asks Philip, "Like anything good can come from Nazareth?" About as likely as the Queen dropping in for a cup of tea!
Then along comes Jesus. He points out Nathaniel and says, "Now there's a true Israelite". Nathaniel starts to say, "You know me?" "I saw you under the fig tree" replies Jesus. For Nathaniel it was as though a big hand in the sky was pointing right at him. He recognized Christ and life was never the same again.
That's how it should be for all of us. We need to recognize that God knows us intimately. We need to know that God’s love for us is as personal as a big finger pointing from the sky. We need to know personally that Jesus is our Savior. The love of Jesus is an awe inspiring discovery, as awe inspiring as Jacob's ladder to heaven.
Jacob didn't deserve the love of God. He had behaved disgracefully. His life was a mess. But God came to Him with words of promise and blessing. God promised him a home.
God promised him a future. God promised that wherever Jacob went, God would be there for him, that He would never leave him or forsake him.
When we throw our lives upon the rock of Jesus Christ then He promises our hearts will reach the end of their homeless searching. He promises a glorious future, He promises that wherever the road of life will take us, He will be there every step of the way.
Nathaniel's story and Jacob's dream are intimately connected. In verse 51, Jesus says to Nathaniel and Philip, "I am telling you the truth; you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man".
When Jesus spoke about the "Son of Man" He was talking about Himself. When He refers to the angels coming up and down He is referring to angels like those on Jacob's ladder. You see what that picture tells us? Jesus is our stairway to heaven. Through Him our lives can connect with the life of God. Through the work of His Holy Spirit eternal life is a quality of life we can enjoy every single day we live. His death on the cross opens for us a doorway into the presence of God that is always open.
The third element in Jacob's story was this.
He made an active decision to follow God's way.
St. Augustine, speaking of his own Christian pilgrimage, said that God had turned his sunsets into dawns. Jacob's story starts out with a sunset and concludes with the dawn of a new phase in his life. For dreams to become reality we must say with Jacob, "You are my God".
Those active moments of decision are not isolated, once and for all events, but come to us all the time through the daily challenges we face. Discipleship involves rising above making decisions only on the grounds of personal gain or satisfaction and instead asking, "What is the Will of Christ in this situation?" For Jacob his active decision making took different forms.
There was the dedication of himself to Bethel, the setting apart of that place as being special to God. So we in our hearts should have a desire to see our churches as "Special-places". We know that God does not dwell in houses of bricks and mortar, but we also know that to meet together to worship Him is a glorious privilege.
Jacob's life shows an implicit trust in God, for even his life's necessities such as food and clothing. We too need a faith that God can supply our every need.
Jacob offered a tenth of what God had given him, by way of an offering towards God. We too should worship God through time, talents and treasures.
Jacob and the Stairway to Heaven;
a story of darkness, discovery and dedication.
- May God help us awaken from the darkness in our own lives and find the renewing power of Jesus Christ.
- May God help us make the awe inspiring discovery of His love in such a way that it inspires us to live our lives for Him.
- May God help us dedicate ourselves to applying the mind of Christ to our everyday lives.
May such things be a great help in our walk with Jesus Christ
and to His name be honor, praise and glory.
AMEN!
