God Never Gives Up on YouSýnishorn

Jesus As Our Ladder

Jacob’s vision of a ladder can seem unrelatable to us today. After all, how many of us have seen something like that? A ladder descending from Heaven with Angels going up and down? The image is supernatural . . . something only the “holiest” saints have witnessed. But as we’ve seen, Jacob’s ladder was not only a Promise for Jacob. It’s a Promise for us as well.

The ladder in Jacob’s vision connected him to God. In the same way, Jesus connects us to God. As He said of Himself, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51 esv). Jesus also refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” eighty-two times in Scripture—a reference that likely relates to a prophecy in Daniel 7:13–14). The name is meant to point to Christ’s Divine Nature.

We are not divine like God. So Jesus bridges the human-divine divide for us. He reveals God’s Nature to us. If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus. If we want to know how God feels about us, we look at how Jesus felt about others. Jesus makes God relatable and allows us a direct line to God’s Throne Room. Our prayers don’t float up into nowhere. We have an Intercessor in Jesus, speaking with God on our behalf. And, the greatest news of all, this Intercessor vouches for us. He took on our sin so that we could spend Eternity with God—not separated from the Divine but fully present with Him for all Eternity.

The next time you feel misunderstood, or unheard, or like you messed up one too many times and God could never forgive you, just remember that Jesus is your Ladder. It’s not up to you to get to God. It’s Jesus’ Job, and He is always there reaching out His Hand to you.

Reflection

A high priest in Old Testament times was the ultimate spiritual leader for the Jewish people. One of his roles was to enter an area of the temple known as the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and make a sacrifice on behalf of the sins of the people. The Presence of God resided in the Holy of Holies, so only the high priest was allowed to enter, and only one time each year. As you consider this context, what does it mean when the author of Hebrews says that Jesus is our High Priest?

According to Paul, what does Jesus do for us that we cannot do for ourselves? How should this impact the way we view God and approach Him?

Has anyone in your life ever interceded for you, vouched for you, or defended you? If so, what was that experience like for you?

How have you experienced Jesus as your High Priest or your Intercessor? Or, is it difficult for you to view Jesus in this way? Explain your response.

Prayer

Come today before Jesus, your Great High Priest. What do you need? What are you grateful for? What are you worried about? What do you hope for? Bring all your prayers and thoughts to Him and trust that He is interceding to the Father on your behalf.