Joh 1:50-51 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord reminds Nathanael that his faith is based on his Jewish expectations. These expectations find their ground in Psalm 2, where is spoken of God’s King for His people ( ). This is already a great blessing, but the blessing will become even greater. The Lord promises him that he will see greater things than the things that are connected with Israel. With a double “truly” and an emphatic “I say to you” Christ tells what the greater things are, that Nathanael will see. He will see things that are in connection with a heaven that is open above Him as “the Son of Man”. Those things we find in Psalm 8, where we see that God has set the Son of Man over all the works of His hands ( ). The title “Son of Man” is the title of the Lord Jesus indicating, on the one hand, His rejection – see Matthew 8 ( ), where this title appears for the first time in the New Testament – and, on the other hand, His future glory. That glory is not only connected with Israel, but with His dominion over all creation ( ). Here the Lord presents Himself to Nathanael as the Son of Man on earth. We see that the angels of God first ascend, that is to say, He sends them from earth to heaven, and then they descend again from heaven. Heaven is open, for wherever Christ is, heaven is open and He is the object of an opened heaven ( ; ; ; ; ). Now that He is in heaven, heaven is opened for the believer. The Lord tells Nathanael that he will see this. We may know that what will be visible reality for everyone in the future is already true for faith now because it is connected with His Person. In Him everything will be fulfilled. He, the eternal Son, as the Son of Man on earth will be the center of the universe in the realm of peace ( ). Faith already sees this. The earth shall be united with heaven; the Son of Man shall reign over heaven and earth; and His servants, the angels, shall maintain the connection between earth and heaven (cf. ).

‏ John 1:50-51

Greater Things

The Lord reminds Nathanael that his faith is based on his Jewish expectations. These expectations find their ground in Psalm 2, where is spoken of God’s King for His people (Psa 2:6-7). This is already a great blessing, but the blessing will become even greater. The Lord promises him that he will see greater things than the things that are connected with Israel. With a double “truly” and an emphatic “I say to you” Christ tells what the greater things are, that Nathanael will see. He will see things that are in connection with a heaven that is open above Him as “the Son of Man”. Those things we find in Psalm 8, where we see that God has set the Son of Man over all the works of His hands (Psa 8:4-9).

The title “Son of Man” is the title of the Lord Jesus indicating, on the one hand, His rejection – see Matthew 8 (Mt 8:20), where this title appears for the first time in the New Testament – and, on the other hand, His future glory. That glory is not only connected with Israel, but with His dominion over all creation (Heb 2:5-8).

Here the Lord presents Himself to Nathanael as the Son of Man on earth. We see that the angels of God first ascend, that is to say, He sends them from earth to heaven, and then they descend again from heaven. Heaven is open, for wherever Christ is, heaven is open and He is the object of an opened heaven (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:21; Acts 7:56; Rev 19:11). Now that He is in heaven, heaven is opened for the believer.

The Lord tells Nathanael that he will see this. We may know that what will be visible reality for everyone in the future is already true for faith now because it is connected with His Person. In Him everything will be fulfilled. He, the eternal Son, as the Son of Man on earth will be the center of the universe in the realm of peace (Eph 1:10). Faith already sees this. The earth shall be united with heaven; the Son of Man shall reign over heaven and earth; and His servants, the angels, shall maintain the connection between earth and heaven (cf. Gen 28:12).