The Stairway We Could Never Build

Genesis 28:10–22

Jacob spent his life trying to secure his future his own way. He manipulated, deceived, and grabbed for what he wanted. Now he is running from the consequences, separated from his family and sleeping on the ground with a stone beside his head.

Then heaven opens.

Jacob sees a stairway between heaven and earth, with God’s messengers moving upon it. But Jacob did not build the stairway. He was not searching for God, and he did nothing to deserve what God promised him. Grace found him while he was still on the run.

This dream reveals something much larger than God helping us through difficult circumstances. Humanity cannot manufacture access to God or build its way into the life it longs for. In Jesus, God has provided the meeting place between heaven and earth. Jesus does not merely show us how to reach God. He brings God to us and brings us to the Father.