It’s an old spiritual that I just bet you’ve sung many times!
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and you know, when I was a little girl in Sunday school, we used to sing lots of old spirituals, but the really popular one – and I know you’re gonna remember this – was the chorus that went, “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder [remember that?], we are climbing Jacob’s ladder, we are climbing Jacob’s ladder, soldiers of the cross.” As you well remember, that song harkened to a story – what, it was in the Bible – about Jacob. I think, in Genesis 28 starting with the 10th verse. Yes, here it is; it says, “Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. At sundown, he arrived at a good place to set up camp, and he stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.”
I love that portion of Scripture because it always brings to mind those old Bible illustrations – you know – of that ladder stretching from heaven to earth with angels ascending and descending on it. It was a ladder that bridged the yawning gulf between man and God. Now, when Jacob woke up, he realized that this was a divine visitation. This wasn’t just any old dream. And I think it’s interesting that Jacob’s ladder is never mentioned again in the Old Testament. In fact, it’s never mentioned at all until Jesus arrives on the scene.
Because listen to this: right after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, he took that opportunity to begin proclaiming his real identity and his divine mission. It’s when he announced in John 1:51 – now listen to this, he says, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Did you hear that? Did you get it? Jesus was pointing to himself as Jacob’s ladder! I mean, Jesus had come to close the distance, to bridge the gulf, that gaping chasm between God and man. So they were ascending and descending on the Son of Man, glorifying the One who stretched the gulf between heaven and earth!
You know, friend, we live in a very “spiritual” age where many people are into spiritual things; they’re searching for meaning. I mean, just go to Barnes and Noble, or click on Amazon.com, or read the New York Times best-seller’s list, and there are so many books. Books out there about spiritual mysticism and spiritual meaning. These writers are just groping in the dark, aren’t they? Because as believers in Jesus, you and I have the one and only book that tells the truth: we’ve got the Gospel; we know the Way; we know the Truth. Jesus Christ is man’s only “ladder” to heaven. He is our bridge to God; he is our stairway to the Father; he is our highway to heaven. So today, join me in looking for opportunities to help non-believers find the very first rung on that ladder. Guide their hands to that first rung, would you? Show them that Jesus has provided a way – the only way – to heaven.
And in closing, we’re not in Sunday School right now, but as my fellow journeyman in this walk of faith – this climb up heaven’s ladder, this desire to go higher and higher on each rung, getting to know Jesus better and better – would you sing with me? “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, soldiers of the cross.” So until next time on Joni and Friends, keep singing and keep going higher and higher, to the high calling of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.
I invite you to visit me today at our website at joniandfriendsradio.org. Until next time, this is Joni and Friends.
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