You Will See Greater Things Than These

John 1:43-51
March 13, 2022
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Today’s passage is a story about two more disciples who began to believe in Jesus. At first there was Andrew, Peter, and John. But then there was Philip. And then there was Nathanael. It is so good that they believed in Jesus. And it will be really cool to meet them in person when Jesus returns and begins the new heavens and the new earth.

But Jesus wanted them to believe in him in a more correct way and in a better way. When it comes to a math test, you may win points for giving the right answers and the right results, but you could still lose points for not showing the right steps and the right work. In today’s passage, Nathanael believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the King of Israel. His answer and his result was right. But Jesus wanted Nathanael to believe in him in the correct way and in the best way.

Nathanael believed in Jesus because Jesus had supernatural knowledge about him. Jesus knew things about Nathanael that would normally be unknown to a human being. Nathanael saw that Jesus knew Nathanael in a supernatural way. And so Nathanael understood and believed that Jesus was God. Nathanael declared that Jesus was the Son of God and the King of Israel.

But Jesus wanted Nathanael to believe in him in a more correct way and in a better way. Jesus said to Nathanael, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” Jesus did not want Nathanael to believe in him just because of supernatural knowledge. Jesus wanted Nathanael to believe in him because of far greater things.

Things like him living a perfect life of righteousness and obedience to the law for Nathanael’s justification. Things like him suffering and dying on the cross for Nathanael’s sin. Things like him rising from the grave with resurrection power for Nathanael’s eternal life and victory. Things like him fulfilling all the ancient promises of salvation for Nathanael and for all of God’s people. Things like Jesus’ mercy and grace and love. Nathanael had not yet seen any of these greater things. But Jesus promised that Nathanael would.

And so that is why Jesus said these amazing words 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 is Jesus talking about here? Jesus is talking about Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28. Jacob was a broken sinner. His life was a life of deceit. But God showed grace and made a promise to him and to his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. One night, Jacob was sleeping in a dark and lonely place when he dreamed about a ladder that was set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven. And on the ladder there were angels ascending and descending on it.

The meaning of Jacob’s dream was profound. Many years before Jacob’s lifetime, the world made the Tower of Babel. That tower was man’s attempt to reach heaven and enter it on his own. And it was a vain human attempt to overcome the curse. The curse of suffering and death. The curse that we rightfully deserve because of our sin against God. The people of the Tower of Babel tried to fix what was broken. They tried to right what was wrong. They tried to declare their own gospel. They tried to reach a happy ending.

But it was wrong. It was all wrong.

Only God could fix what was broken. Only God could right what was wrong. Only God could declare a true gospel. Only God could provide a happy ending. Salvation belongs to God. The curse of suffering and death that we rightfully deserve because of our sin against God can only be lifted by God.

And so salvation would not come from a man-made Tower of Babel. Salvation would come from a God-given ladder of Jacob. And that ladder is Jesus.

Jesus would be the way for sinners to be saved and restored to a right relationship and joyful fellowship with God. And the most amazing thing about all of this is that Jesus is God. Jesus is the God the Son, the second person of the Triune God. And Jesus reconciles us to God the Father. He brings us to him. He is the way to the Father. Like a ladder. Like the ladder of Jacob. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ.

And Jesus wanted Nathanael to believe in him because of these greater things. And Nathanael did.

Dear Highland, why do you believe in Jesus? Do you only believe in Jesus because he is powerful? I hope not. Do you only believe in Jesus because you think that he gives you earthly blessings? I hope not. I hope that you believe in Jesus because of greater things.

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of such greater things about Jesus. May you not just have the right answers and the right results when it comes to believing in Jesus. May you have the right steps and the right work that gets you the right answers and the right results. Talk to me or Pastor Peter if you’re not sure about your belief in Jesus. Have greater love for studying the Bible - both the New Testament and the Old Testament - in order to believe in Jesus in the correct way and in the best way.

Soli Deo Gloria