THE “LADDER” BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
JOHN 3:13-18
Introduction:
No one has ever gone into heaven and then come back to earth, able to give clear teaching about divine matters. The one exception is Jesus who is the Son of Man, Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”
I. THE “LADDER” IS JESUS CHRIST, v. 13.
A. No man has ever gone to heaven and returned.
1. Enoch was taken by God, Genesis 5:23, “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God tookhim.”
a. His testimony was that he walked with God, v. 24.
b. Enoch never died, but was translated directly to heaven, Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
c. Enoch never returned to tell us about heaven.
2. Elijah was carried to heaven by a whirlwind, 2 Kings 2:11, “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
a. Elijah was seen with Moses at the Lord’s transfiguration, Matthew 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3-And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”
b. However, Elijah has not returned to tell us about heaven.
B. Jesus came down from heaven and returned, v. 13, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”
1. He descended from heaven and revealed the Father to us, Matthew 11:27, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”
a. He came to do the will of the Father, Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
b. He came to die that we might live, Matthew 20:19, “And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
2. He came to reveal the way of salvation, Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
II. THE “LADDER” IS “LIFTED UP,” v. 14.
A. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” Numbers 21:4-9.
1. Sin brought God’s judgment, v. 5, “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”
2. God’s judgment brought repentance, vs. 6-7, “And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.”
3. Repentance brought a solution, vs. 8-9, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
B. “Even so must the Son of man be lifted up,” John 12:32-33, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.”
1. Then you will know who I am, John 8:28, “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.”
2. Jesus was “lifted up” on a cross just as Moses lifted up the brass serpent, John 19:17, “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.”
C. That He might taste death for every man, Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”
CONCLUSION:
In this we see God’s great love for man. He gave His Only Begotten Son to die in our place. Verse 16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”