Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
—From Genesis 28:10–17 (NKJV)
And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
—From John 1:51 (NKJV)

“We cannot reach God, but God can and did reach a ladder down to us, sung by choirs of angels, more than two thousand years ago.”

— The Joy of Advent

Reflection

How far away is heaven? The ancients thought it was immeasurable, but with all our technology we know how long it would take to reach the nearest star. Yet what is heaven? For Adam and Eve heaven was the garden, not because of its beauty, but because it was the dwelling place of God. What if heaven is dwelling with, communing with our Heavenly Father? He’s so far distant we can never reach him on our own, but this doesn’t keep us from trying. Like the ancients, who tried to reach God with a tower, we try to earn his favor with goodness, social justice, having a perfect face on social media. Reflect today on how you are trying to reach God. Consider how simple, yet how dear, God’s Way to him is—all you need do is trust and obey.

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Wonder with Jacob about the distance of heaven, explore the Jesse Tree symbol for today of a ladder, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about our future inheritance.

Today’s Jesse Tree Symbol:
A **ladder** reminds us of the point of connection between heaven and earth.

Inspiration

Jacob’s Dream

Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1665. A vision and a passing of the blessing from Abraham and Isaac to Jacob.

Ascend, my brothers, ascend eagerly. Let your hearts’ resolve be to climb. Listen to the voice of the one who says: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of our God” (Isa. 2:3), Who makes our feet to be like the feet of the deer, “Who sets us on the high places that we may be triumphant on his road” (Hab. 3:19). Run, I beg you, run with him who said, “Let us hurry until we arrive at the unity of faith and of the knowledge of God, at mature manhood, at the measure of the stature of Christ’s fullness” (Eph. 4:13).

From “The Ladder of Divine Ascent” by St. John Climacus

Music

Share in the joy of the angels with Angels We Have Heard on High. [Play Video]

So many Christmas songs tell the rest of Christ’s story. His birth is only the beginning! Think on the true reason for the season as you enjoy Sing Lullaby, The Infant King. [Play Video]

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Prayer

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit both now and forever. Amen.

O Holy Father, hearing the voice of the Gospel of the Lord, you have forsaken the world, counting its riches and its glory as nothing; and so you have cried out to all: “Love God, and you shall find eternal graces. Set nothing higher than his love, that when he comes in glory you may find rest with all the saints.” At our prayers, O Christ, guard and save our souls.

(From the Vespers of St. John of the Ladder)

Resources

Did you know that there is historical evidence to support the existence of the Tower of Babel?
Enjoy a printable coloring page of Jacob's Ladder.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

Recent Resources from Joy of Advent