A WELCOME calm followed the bitter storm! Certain religious leaders questioned a poor man regarding his life-long blindness, and how he was saved from it. Born blind, he now stood before them with good eye-sight. How was this to be explained?
The blind bigotry of these men made them despisers of the Lord Himself. Hearing that it was JESUS who had given him sight, their unreasonable opposition arose immediately, and when the happy man spoke well of his Benefactor, the pitiless storm broke forth; and “they cast him out” (John 9:3434They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. (John 9:34)).
He lost some temporary advantages truly, but he now possessed sight! Another such case was unknown in the world’s history. He might reflect, “I know His power to save; but, oh, if only I knew Himself!” For this great gain the past advantages would be a welcome loss.
His omniscient Saviour found him, and kindly discovered to him who He was. He saw Him. He talked with Him, —the Son of God! And he said, “LORD. I believe. And he worshipped Him.” What a haven of rest and joy after the cruel tempest! This actually took place. He now, knew His Savior as THE SON OF GOD.
There are numbers today, thank God, who are saved by grace; but, do we sufficiently value the knowledge of the One who has saved us? By His own Word ten men were once saved from leprosy; yet only one of them returned to the Lord Himself, giving glory to God and thanksgiving to Jesus. “Where are the nine?” He inquired.
From His place of exaltation above, our Lord Jesus Christ gives gift for ministry today, “till we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” Peter wrote, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Paul said, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” John says, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? “When doubting Thomas found himself in the presence of our risen Lord, he said unto Him, “My Lord and my God.” “That I may know Him,” may well be the deep desire of each of His redeemed ones.
His disciples, who heard His words and observed His works, remarked what specially distinguished Him; and it is written, “We have contemplated His glory, a glory as of an only begotten with a father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). N.Tr). No wonder they clung to Him through all His trials, and bore witness, after His death and ascension, producing the greatest results ever seen in the world; though they themselves suffered privations, persecutions, imprisonments and martyrdom for His beloved Name.
Who else could make God known? None but the Son who is in the bosom of the Father could declare Him. Who else could reveal the Father? No one but the Son of the Father could do this. And He could also disclose the counsels of the Father’s heart, for He is the Son of the Father’s love. But He must redeem us by His blood first, and give us the Holy Spirit, before we could take in the disclosures which are made in Him. We had to be saved by Him, and be reconciled to God through Him, before we could rejoice in the Father seen in the Son. Down under our sins and our judgment His love for us took Him, and rising from death and the grave He presents us now to the Father, saying, “Here am I and the children Thou hast given Me,” and to us He says, “My Father and your Father, My God and your God.” Everlasting praise and glory to His holy name!
The gospel of John shows Him to us as the Word who “was GOD,” become flesh, tabernacling amongst us. Yet He was truly Man, and spake of Himself as “A MAN that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God” (John 8:4040But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. (John 8:40)). He is the Son of God and He is the Son of man. He is the Son, —both God and Man. Personally and officially He is the long foretold King of Israel, come on the promised line of King David; the Christ of God, the anointed Head over all; the Lamb of God, the taker away of the sin of the world; the Lord of all; the Lord of lords and King of kings. To the Son it is said, “Thy throne, O God, is to the age of the age” (Heb. 1:88But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8)). What a glorious Saviour is ours. We have good reason to look forward to His return; “awaiting the blessed hope, and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.”
Isaiah saw the Lord, and His train filled the temple (6:1), while the seraphim veiled themselves, saying, “Holy, holy, holy.” Then the prophet said, “Woe is me... for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” But we are told in John 12:41,41These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. (John 12:41) that this was the Lord Jesus; for “he saw His glory, and spake of Him.” Again in chapter 19:37, “Another scripture saith, They shall look on HIM whom they pierced;” and on turning to Zechariah 12:10,10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10) we find Jehovah says “ME, whom they pierced.” John the Baptist, His cousin after the flesh, nevertheless said twice in regard to His divine glory, “I knew Him not;” but when the Spirit as a dove came upon Him, he “bare record that THIS IS THE SON OF GOD.”
Those who are saved by Him, separated to Him, and know Him in this way, have the honor just before He returns of witnessing to His glory; while the so-called Christian world ignores it or disowns it so largely. He builds His assembly upon what His Father reveals, and we confess Himself as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Against this, hades’ counsels and campaigns cannot prevail. Maintaining this truth John’s gospel is written, “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” (20:31).
Wild winds of opposition may arise, the turbulent waters may run high, and the waves dash into our little boat, but greater is He that is for us, than all that can be against us I He allows the faith of His loved ones to be tested, so that their faith in Him and their knowledge of Himself may be increased. As of old, when His disciples crossed the troubled sea, He draws near, and He brings us to our desired haven.
When they saw Him at first they were troubled, but Jesus said unto them, “Be of good cheer; IT IS I; be not afraid!” His holy presence was welcome in the ship. The wind ceased. Peace and calm and joy filled their hearts. Jesus with them was enough; they “worshipped Him, saying, OF A TRUTH THOU ART THE SON OF GOD” (Matt. 14:3333Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. (Matthew 14:33)).
And we also worship Him, as we often sing gladly together in faith,
“Son of God, our souls adore Thee,
While upon Thy face we gaze,
There the Father’s love and glory
Shine in all their brightest rays.”
Linking up with himself those he called “the brethren;” and thus embracing all those who are born of God — “the children of God;” John writes, “We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen” (1 John 5:2020And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)).
H. J. Vine.