“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…”
John 1:1, 14
“…And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 1:51
Jesus is the Logos and the Ladder.
What does this mean? Let’s start by looking at the structure of John’s first chapter.
John opens his gospel, declaring that the Word became flesh. The Greek word for “Word” is λόγος (logos), which has implications for both Greeks (and those sympathetic to Greek philosophy, i.e., Romans alive during the writing and circulation of John’s letter) and Jews. John is essentially overriding the Greek philosophical idea of the logos by declaring that Jesus is the greater Divine essence who stands above and beyond the created world, and, in verse 14, that Christ the Logos becomes part of the created world. This is shocking. A Divine being, to the Greek mind, would never lower himself to the status of the created. Never. The mind (reason) is entombed by the body; the body (and by extension, the creation) is vulgar, so their thinking goes. Furthermore, a Jew, reading this, would be taken immediately back to the opening of Genesis, where God created all things. Here, John is reordering any notion about Christ, declaring Him to be both the greater Logos and a Divine being.
Second, the chapter ends with a reference to Genesis 28, where Jacob, while asleep, sees angels ascending and descending a ladder connecting heaven and earth. Any Jew, with knowledge of their past, would have understood Jesus’ reference and concluded that Jesus is claiming to be the ladder between heaven and earth. This claim would grant Christ authority beyond any mere man. It’s no surprise that, after Christ’s first of seven signs recorded in John’s gospel, the Jews ask, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Like the Greek-influenced thinkers, the Jews would never allow a man to claim Divine status, affording sinful men access to God.
In effect, the first chapter of John’s gospel not only says that the Divine λόγος (Word) is God, becoming flesh and dwelling among humanity, but also bridges the immeasurable chasm between God and man (heaven and earth). We need more to drive these implications deeper…
Let’s explore Logos and Ladder…
Logos.
The origins of this word trace to Greek philosophy, with Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, promoting it early on. Heraclitus’s curiosity led him to conclude that everything is in motion, like a fire. Like Greek philosophers before and after him, he viewed reason as the primary and distinguishing characteristic of humans. Consequently, it was man’s reason that provided humans with access to this logos, which should guide how people should live, etc.
Things like justice and honor would be understood as good, and actions that cultivated these and other qualities would be considered noble. Later Greek philosophers, such as Socrates and Plato, would expand on the role of reason and elevate it to a faculty capable of connecting with the divine. Thus, by the time John writes his gospel, Alexander the Great has already spread Hellenistic (Greek) thought throughout the world. His letter, with such claims, circulated throughout the then-Roman world, would have caught the attention of many, to be sure.
Nevertheless, the Jewish audience would now be guided in their thinking about God’s power exhibited in the opening of Genesis. It was the true Logos who was there with God, bringing all things into existence. Remarkable. Transformative.
Ladder.
The origins of this concept can be traced back to Jacob in Genesis 28:12, which says, “He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” In Jacob’s dream, God shows him a vision so profound that Jacob names the place Bethel, which means “house of God.” The context surrounding this vision is one of fear, escape, and hope. Previously, Esau had pledged to kill his brother Jacob (Gen. 27:41) as vengeance for the loss of both his birthright and blessing.
In an act of desperation and to preserve Jacob’s life, Rebekah, the twins’ mother, sends Jacob to her family in Haran in Mesopotamia. It is under these trying times that God appears to Jacob, assuring Him of His promises to his family and ongoing work in His created world.
Thus, Jacob was given insight not only into the separation of heaven and earth but also into how they are bridged. In Jacob’s vision, he sees God’s present work in the world and takes heart.
Bringing It All Together.
Indeed, it is Paul who argues in 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 that the “…Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach, Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
The Greek-thinking mind had no category for an incarnation, and the Jewish leaders had no category for a sacrificial Messiah. Thus, Christ is foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews.
Conclusion.
John’s gospel penetrates both Greek (Gentile) and Jewish paradigms by declaring Christ is both the greater Logos and Ladder. Indeed, the gospel penetrates our paradigms still today. It is the gospel that gives us a new name (in Christ), secures our relationship with God (the Holy Spirit), guides our purpose (to make disciples), promises to make us more like Christ, and offers us hope for His return and for making all things new.
Without an incarnation, we would have no ladder to God, no hope for life beyond the grave, and no lasting purpose for what we do on earth today.
However, with the Divine Word becoming flesh, dwelling among us, offering His life as a ransom payment for our sins, we have access to God, a Ladder extending from heaven!
Will you ascend the ladder in faith today?
God help us, every day, to come to you in Christ, our true Logos, our true Ladder, our only Lord.
Amen.
— March 12, 2026