Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Nsnoise.
MMM.
Mm-hmm.
Our living God and our Father, we thank Thee for the reminder of thy love to us. Thank Thee that we can lift up our voices and sing that his lips believers well, we thank you too, that we can open up your precious word once again and be encouraged by by it and by the demonstration of Thy love. Lord Jesus to.
00:05:12
Die, people, when I will now walk upon this earth, we thank you for it. We thank Thee that we can know that thou lovest thus. The same we thank Thee and I alone, worthy and precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.
The book of John, Chapter 11. We'll start with verse 35.
Jesus wept, then said the Jews, behold how he loved him.
And some of them said, Could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take the away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh, we have been dead 4 days. Jesus saith unto her, said, I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe, thou should see the glory of God.
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me, and I know that Thou hearest me always. But because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice. Lazarus come forth, And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
And many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees at council, and said, What do we for this man do with many miracles? If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them named Kiifis, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
And this fake He not of himself, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation only, but that He should gather together in one the children of God that are scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went since unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples and the Jews. Passover was not at hand, and many went out of the country.
Up to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves, then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves as they stood in the temple. What think ye that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take him.
Romans, chapter 8.
And uh, couple verses there in the.
First of all, you have the creation itself growing the lower creation, which would include the animals and so on.
And then you have the believers groaning, who are the first fruits of the spirit groaning within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to it, the redemption of our bodies. That's verse 23. And then you have in verse 26, the Spirit of God also making groanings that, uh, for us in our intercession that cannot be uttered. And so while the whole lore creation is groaning because of what sin has done in the creation.
The animals suffer as we suffer. They cannot articulate it or do they're not exactly intelligent as to it, but they grown. But as believers having the first fruits of the Spirit, we can intelligently articulate these things before God in prayer and bring it to him. But there are some circumstances that are so difficult to understand, even believer can't put a a mark on it. As young people say, can't get your head around it. We have to just leave it to God.
00:10:07
And the Spirit of God can articulate these things, making groanings that cannot be uttered, because the Spirit of God searches everything and knows. But one thing we do know. He goes on to say in 28th verse, is that all things work together for the good to them, that love God, and are called according to His purpose, so we can commit it to Him and leave it with Him.
Free Groanings.
In fact, I believe as those who know the Lord Jesus, we often sorrow deeper than the unbeliever, because our affections have already been awakened in a way that the unbelievers have not been awakened.
But while we GR we sorrow in a deeper way, we don't sorrow with despair. We weep, we sorrow. But it says, it doesn't say in First Thessalonians we sorrow not, it says we sorrow not as others that hath no hope. And so it's good sometimes to let the tears flow, stand at the grave of a loved one, let the tears flow. And the Lord Jesus here, he wept at the grave, O of Lazarus, in sympathy with the with the sisters.
But isn't it wonderful that we don't sorrow? We don't we with despair? There's a day coming when the creation is not going to have the effect of tears the way it does. It does now. But until then there are those sorrows and they're very real. And as we said this morning, the Lord Jesus himself never became callous or indifferent to the effects of sin and the sorrows that came in amongst those he loved and so on. And we never want to become callous or indifferent to those things either.
And so whether it's a personal loss, whether it's the loss of, uh, family member of someone we know in Christ, a brother or sister and they've lost their loved one, it's not wrong to weep with them. But we don't we with despair, we have a wonderful hope. So Jesus wept, even though he knew that in a moment or two he was going to say, Lazarus come forth.
You might ponder a moment is seeing that Jesus walks up to this grave.
It's a cave. There's a man in it. He's been dead for four days and he stinks.
And there's a great stone rolled in front of the opening.
That, uh, perhaps with typical, uh, be typical of the law locks him in place, it condemns him from having any kind of freedom at all. And that's the scene that, uh, that the Lord Jesus is looking at. It's the scene of the condition of man in this world. They've been 4000 years. God proved them and they had proved to, uh, have no way.
To be able to please God in the flesh. And the number 4 might be characteristic of the universal number. It characterizes that nobody escapes. Everybody's included those in the north and in the South and in the east and the West. So it depicts every man. Nobody is excluded from this scene. And it's it speaks to the, the condition of, of man.
In left to himself.
And now the heart of God, the love of Christ, is going to shine out to give light to this dead man.
00:15:05
I'm, I'm sorry, I asked the question. I, I didn't understand. Well, why does it say resurrection and the light? I am the resurrection and the life? Uh, is there, is there a difference? If you're resurrected? Don't you have life?
Have new life and new creation, did he? But again, the picture here, as we've spoken often, is that it's man come to the end. There's no hope for man apart from resurrection and new creation. And it's the Lord Jesus that gives that, not only resurrection.
That was really the life he had before, right?
But the picture again is that it's new creation. That's Christianity. Is that what it means?
Thank you. Yeah, that's good exclamation.
Absolutely.
From then on, we enjoy that life. We have that life right now, but then we have a life that death cannot touch.
That's definitely touch our bodies because they're connected still with the first creation effect, the life we have, and it's wonderful to enjoy that. I've been thinking the.
Apostles, when they went out to preach the gospel and the power by the Spirit of God that they manifested was something that just baffled the earthly authorities. And you can threaten, I suppose the most serious threat you can give to a person is I'll kill you. But here were men who had a life that was beyond that. So those threats have absolutely no effect because they were living in the power of resurrection life.
Beautiful. That was not the case yet here in case of, uh, Lazarus wasn't he was raised back to the natural, normal life that we have in this world.
It really baffled Paul's enemies later on, didn't it? They wanted to kill him. Paul says That's all right. For me to die is game only. Only a person in with that life could could say that. And it really, it really baffled them. Mm-hmm.
I wonder if this is the same life that we have in John chapter 20. I know it's been an enigma to many, but remember when the Lord grows from the dead.
Umm, I'll just read it there. John 20 and verse 19 Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said.
He showed unto them his hands on his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you.
As my father has sent me, Even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Is that that new life? Yes, it had to be a different life from what they had before, didn't it? Before his death and resurrection. So it was a new life. And it's in contrast with, uh, what we have in Genesis chapter 2, where God breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul.
For there the Lord Jesus in resurrection.
Communicates resurrection life to his disciples. You look at that first Corinthians 15. I think you see it there in verse 45. It says and so does written. The 1St man Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam was made a quickening spirit or a life giving spirit. So he breathed on them. He communicated resurrection life to to disciples.
Ray Lazarus from the dead.
And so we find he comes to the grave and he asked them to take away the stone. My question is why he was going to do such an incredible miracle as raised Liza from the dead? Why didn't he just include rolling the stone away with that great work? Would have been just as easy for him to do that, but he didn't.
00:20:14
Why?
OK.
Or exhausting the scriptures here he uses.
Uh, his, the answer is he loves to associate his people with the work that he is about to do and he gives them something to do in that work and we have something to do too. What was it to expose the rottenness of the man that was in that tomb? And surely the gospel starting at Romans chapter one, two and three, we got the exposing of the rottenness of man in the flesh, But then it makes way for the Son of God to speak.
And when he speaks, life is commanded, and life is given, And here we have a soul passes from death unto life.
It's a picture of that, isn't it? And you'll find again later in the chapter when he is now risen from the grave, he turns to the disciples and says to them, loose him and let him go. Why? Why couldn't he have, with the power of his voice just allowed that to happen. With it he could have.
But he didn't because he wanted to socialate his people with the work that he was doing, and he gave them something to do with this newly, uh, resurrected man. And it brings before a shepherding work with the taking away the stone brings before his gospel work, the taking away of the clothes that were that would impede his walk is shepherding work. And these are things that he gives us to do as we work with souls that here he passes from death unto life.
Society which individually and the whole job that starts now in verse 4 where it's laid out the Lazarus, what's gonna take place with him is gonna be for God's Lord when God does something with each one of us in our own individual walk. You all have a purpose and his purpose is not just a linear one, but he's a spherical 1.
A linear one I would imagine, to explain it in the sense that you have a leg and you throw a Pebble in it.
And then you see the ripple effect goes in One Direction, but the spherical one would be one that would be able to have a multiplication all around in a spherical way. And that's the way God works with individuals. And that's what we're studying here today, is this aspect of how God works with individuals for His honor and glory. That's why He created us and was mentioned in the Garden of Eden.
That's where the separation authorities at the cross. That's where we are reunited here with Lazarus.
God not only tells his besides the Lord Jesus tells his disciples that's what's going to take place in Lazarus is to be able to magnify God's Lord.
That's in verse 40, Verse 15. He goes on to explain that.
The app that's going to take place with Lazarus.
Yes, to carve the disciples.
So now here to the Lord to believe, to see His work. That's not the worst word when He allows somebody to take place in the individual's life. Then we have in verse 19 Mary and Martha.
They are probably the ones that we have the most focus here as the one that the board is working with. But Mary and Martha, what we see is the family that is who gets affected the most.
When the Lord would take somebody like Lazarus from their midst. Now Lazarus was asked earlier why we don't hear anything about him. Well, I would just like to offer the fact that if Lazarus was able to see the glory that awaits those, that those being the company of the Lord, what exactly was he going to ask when he was concerned?
00:25:26
What? What can you say?
And then we have in verse 31 The Jews.
Family outage for 47, the priest and Pharisees. This is a religious system. It's affected by one individual by ladders and the work that's being done with them. And then we have in verse 48, the Romans, the political system is affected by one individual is that the Lord is working. So each one of us as I look at this and those as the five that perhaps have lost a loved one.
It worked our hearts as we think about it.
Because when the Lord works and takes home a loved one, he doesn't deal with the one that's been fixing home, but it deals with the ones that are left behind.
That's what the Lord is speaking to, speaking to Mary and Mark. That's the exercise of the family. But yet the result, it encourages the brethren, the disciples, it brings those from among the Jews to salvation. They believe. And it's a testimony for the religious system. It's a testimony for the political system. So everything that happens to an individual when the Lord decides to take one of his own home.
As a greater ramification than justice, those immediate families.
It has one that encompasses the whole nature of creation.
Wasn't blessed to take away the stone with it and I think.
It is something that is necessary in our gospel preaching.
The breach about sin, and it's awful of that. God takes sin extremely seriously and in the world we live in, it just is relative. That's your idea. But we need to preach it and to take away that stone and to show the awful corruption within that tomb. It's not an easy task.
But it's necessary.
Only when we realized the awful ruin that we have the basis for appreciation of God's wonderful grace and his salvation. And I think that is extremely important. It was necessary to take away the stone and then the Lord could speak his life giving earth. It's been wonderful to stand there and see him pray and as he prayed.
He said I do. You heard me always, Father, but.
How do you walk out of that too? Because the Son of God has said come forward. And when the Son of God keep the dead here, wonderful, wonderful.
I don't know rather than I'm sure he's had the experience perhaps in our relationships with those who are not delivers, but to give their word and to deceive that word penetrating. Remember a man, honey, is the gospel too. And he simply sat there and looked at me. He didn't say a word.
But in my own estimation, it seems that this, the word was penetrated to his soul and afterwards he made a clear confession to say he was. That's what God uses is his word. And if you go back to John five, it's beautiful. It's speaking about spiritual death. But what we apply and figure here in our story.
00:30:23
1525.
Very, very nice to hear the hour is coming now is.
The death shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that fear shall live.
How does God communicate through life to death? Souls prove his word. It's the Son of God speaking just like someone here preach the word.
To see it happen, well, here we have the physical resurrection of lashes. That must have been wonderful to stand there and to see and say Lazarus come forward. And they said this morning, I think it's true, if you hadn't put that qualifying name latter, you would have emptied the whole cemetery.
So we have in Peter it says we're born again, not a corruptible thing, but incorruptible by the word of God that liveth abide us forever. And that's why, as Bob said, and I just want to echo it again because I think it's vital when we present the gospel to the lost, whether it's in one-on-one or whether it's in a setting like we're going to have this evening. We need to quote and read the word of God. My telling a story about someone who almost drowned isn't going to save a soul. It might help to make a point.
Tell a story, the stories are helpful, illustrations are helpful, but what is it that God is going to use to impart divine life to soul? It's the Word of God, because it's the Word of God that lives and abideth forever. I don't want to take away from the need for preaching. And you find in the Acts there was preaching and they so spake that a great multitude believed and so on. And there's room for explanation of the word of God and so on.
But in the final analysis, it's the Word in all its living power. And brethren, I find great comfort in that because when we present the gospel, if blessing depended on our ability to explain things, that's a burden we couldn't carry around. The gospel preacher, when he stands, sits down from the podium tonight. If he, if he had any thought that the blessing of souls depended on what he had just said, the way he had just presented things, I think he would be so burdened and discouraged he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
But the comfort is it doesn't depend on our explanation, but it does depend on the Word of God in all its power. And so quote the Word of God. I encourage young gospel preachers. You're just starting out.
Memorize Scripture, turn to the word of God, read it quote it yes give some explanation as the Spirit of God leads yes seek to be as simple. I'd rather speak 5 words. Paul said that by my understanding I might teach others also and so and so on but remember the comfort is it's the living word of God and brethren, this is the only book in the on planet earth that's living. That's why you'll never exhaust it. That's why it's exceeding broad that's why God can use the most unusual scriptures and.
I'm sure we've all heard stories and perhaps there's individuals here and you were saved by some unusual or what we would think of as an obscure scripture. But it was the Word of God applied in the power of the Spirit that God used to impart divine life to everyone of us here who know the Lord Jesus.
I'd like to go back to this stone for a moment for just a little different thought on it because in John's gospel we have 2 stones that are rolled away from two different graves and for two different reasons. Now the stone was rolled away here because Lazarus came out with the same physical body that he went into the grave and there was something standing between him and coming out. And so the Lord instructed them to roll away the stone and as a result, then Lazarus, at the voice and command of the Lord, was able to come forth.
00:35:20
And resurrection life. Later on, there's a stone rolled away at another tomb.
That's the tomb of the Lord Jesus. But that stone was rolled away not so that the Lord Jesus could come out in resurrection, but so that there could be the, the, the difficulty that the they anticipated was gonna be there even as they came along. But who's gonna roll away the stone so the difficulty could be removed, and so there would be ample and complete testimony as to the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
But we know with the Lord Jesus that He had a body and resurrection that wasn't subject to physical hindrances. He could have come out of the tomb without the stone being rolled away. Later on, when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews, the Lord Jesus came and stood in the midst of the disciples. Those closed doors and those four walls were not a hindrance to Him. But I say the stone was rolled away so that the the disciples and those who were early at the sepulchre could see that He had bodily risen from the dead.
It's interesting too, that at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, it says very specifically the graves were opened and the bodies of those Saints which slept arose and came into the holy city and so on. Why were those graves open again? They needed to be open so that the Saints could come out in those physical bodies that are we we have that are subject to physical hindrances. But it is interesting, brother, that at the Rapture it never speaks of the graves being open. Why?
Because they won't need to be. The dead in Christ are going to be raised with glorified bodies, with changed bodies. And not only that, but when they come out of the tomb and whether it's those fathoms of water or a city built long, built over that graveyard or 6 feet of earth or whatever, not gonna be a hinder. So they're gonna rise with those glorified bodies. Then it says we which are alive and remain are gonna have a change in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.
And it's interesting that the moment the twinkling of an eye is actually in connection directly with the change of the body. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed. Now we talk about the rapture, and I have no doubt the whole thing will be quick, but it's actually the change of the body. Why? Because here we sit in this building this afternoon. If the Lord Jesus were to give the shout this afternoon before we leave this building, there is something between US and the cloud.
To hinder our bodies in the condition they are now from rising to meet the Lord in the air.
But there's going to be an instantaneous change of the body so that just like those who are raised from the tomb, that roof, that ceiling and that roof is not going to be a hindrance to us in rising to meet the Lord in the air. If we're going to have bodies of glory like unto his body of glory. And so we're going to rise in a moment and we're going to be going to go right up to meet him in the air. So whether it's the dead in Christ raised with the with the glorified body or we who get the instantaneous change.
Whether it's the tomb or whatever is between US and the cloud, no problem. And we're going to have change. Not new bodies. It never says new bodies, but change bodies. The Lord had the same body and resurrection that He had when He walked here as a man, when he was wrapped in swaddling clothes, when he sat on sight cars. Well, but I say it was a body and resurrection that wasn't subject to physical hindrances. And that's the body that the dead are going to receive, the dead in Christ, and that we are going to receive as well.
It's called a spiritual body, isn't it? Because.
In resurrection, he said a spirit has not flesh and bone as you see me have. So it wasn't blood the life of the body. It was spirit was the light. And I honestly think Jim, that he did rise before the stone was rolled away because.
It was just rolled away to let the people see that he wasn't there any longer. The grave clothes were there. Lane he just begging me for those wave clothes.
00:40:04
They were lying there, just as they had been around him, since there was all those heavy spices that had settled down. But there were. There were evidence to the power of his resurrection.
And there was order, as you say, and I believe too that there God always does things orderly. And just like with Lazarus, there was an order. They rolled away the stone, He came forth, they were told to take the grave clothes off him, just as the Lord, when he rose from the dead, everything was wrapped up properly and.
The napkin from around his head separate and so on. And I suggest, brethren, that when the rapture takes place, it's gonna be very orderly as well. It's gonna be a quiet, orderly exodus. We're not told what's gonna happen, but God is a God of order. You know, when the children of Israel left Egypt, it was such an orderly, quiet exodus. That night, it says not even a dog lifted its tongue. And if you've ever been in Egypt, that's more of a miracle than we in the Western world realize.
That must have been the silence. Must have been deafening the night every dog shut up. But it was a quiet, orderly exodus. Later on, they realized that they'd gone, and they started chasing after them. But God is a God of order.
Perhaps someone could umm.
Uh, kind of, uh, expand on, on the idea of the grave clothes that, that had wrapped, uh, his feet and his hands and, and umm, also the napkin over his mouth. What, what, what do we understand this to mean that the shepherds would be a help to him in losing them? What's, what's so significant about that other than the fact they're grave clothes? They're grave clothes of Judaism.
To keep the context the the as you said, the stone would be the law. The law kills every person that comes in contact with you know.
And produces nothing but death tells us that in Romans chapter 4.
But now here the Son of God, his life is given to him. And it's an illustration, as we've been saying from John 5, how a soul passes from death unto life. But there is such a thing as helping a soul get established in true liberty of Christianity and to be bound like this. This man was not at liberty. He was alive, but he wasn't at liberty. So there's a work to set him free. And that is really what you see in the what we call the Hebrew Christian epistles. Or is it OK? That would be Hebrews.
James and 1St and second Peter. Those epistles are predominantly written for the help of setting free Jewish converts from the old grapefruit clothes of Judaism, but we can apply it to other great clothes that a person may have if they're saved out of Gentile heathen them, and so on.
You wouldn't exclude romance with your brother because you find our position as dead, buried and risen again there, and the practical application of it is very important, isn't it?
Households to understand their.
OK.
And there is that too, which today is a copy of Judaism. We see it and Christendom today. And sometimes when souls have been brought up in those organizations and then they get truly saved, there's a lot of things they have to leave behind that they were taught that really smack of Judaism, the old order of things. And we need to be exercised to be able to point them to the Scriptures and as we've been said, the liberty that we have now.
In Christianity, true Christian position and what it is.
One point in verse 40 I'd like to just mention, it's interesting how the Lord instructs there and He says that if thou wouldst believe, thou should see the glory of God. So the glory of God was going to be on display, but you need faith to see it and if you believe, you'll see it. Now isn't this interesting, the order to believe and then you shall see. So it tells us that there were many people that were there who I guess saw the incident. The man was raised from the dead, but they didn't see the glory of God. It didn't do them any good in their souls. They're still unbelievers. They were not converted through it then they got no blessing out of it.
Which would be the Jews that were there, they plot to put them to death as we find later in the chapter. But you find in Mark's Gospel chapter 14 the exact reverse of that. I just point that out. Now turn to Mark chapter 14.
00:45:02
And you'll find the Lord Jesus on the cross to chapter 15. Rather he's on the cross. And the unbelieving chief priests and Pharisees and so on mocked the Lord Jesus. And they say to him in verse 31. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross that he that we may see and believe.
They turn it around the other way. They want to see something before they'll believe. And that's where the unbelieving man of this world is seeing is believing as they say. But the Lord Jesus said if you believe, you shall see. And many people though they witnessed something to that day or Lazarus rising from the grave, they did not see, they missed the glory of God because there was not mixed with faith. How important it is to get a blessing from God. It always has to be.
By faith.
Another comment of Mr. Darby's regarding that is that miracles never did produce solid conviction.
Conviction is a matter of the Spirit of God working in the heart to convict.
Can you help us to understand the versus 45 and 46 where where you see those who did see and did believe and those who did see and didn't believe?
46 But so some of them went their way to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done.
Nothing else the question because they they saw and believed where they did, they really believe.
I'm I'm asking you the question.
It does seem that the window 45 did yes that.
I, I just say that because there, there are those who you know, in, in, in their lives have seen changes in, in, in what Christ has done in the lives of different ones. And they have been moved by looking and seeing that they know this man. They know what he was before.
Why? That guy was corrupt, but today he's living for the glory of God. Christ has done a work, but it's moved them to be exercised.
They want that kind of life and so I'm I'm just asking if that's not kind of a picture of, of this where they where they see and, and they believe what Christ has done and they embrace it.
Not everybody does, but you know sometimes that.
John chapter 2 you have that.
Verse 23 says Now when He was in Jerusalem at the past, many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because He knew all men and needed not that He should testify of man, for He knew what was in man wasn't sufficient just to see there needed to be.
Of further work and so immediately you come to chapter 3 and talking about new verse communication of life by the word of God, by the water and the Spirit of God very important.
Chapter 3 and John actually starts with the word. But doesn't it? It's a contrast between those who weren't serious with God and one who was Nicodemus. We also have a similar thought, I think. Not to get too far off, but in Luke chapter thir, uh, 13.
The Lord says verse 24, Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many. I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. Well, those who strive are serious with God, aren't they? There's many who seek, but it's just a passing moment and then it's then it's over.
00:50:09
Well, the Jews completely missed this, didn't they? And so Isaiah said there's no beer when we shall see him. There is no beauty that we should desire him. And so they saw him as a good man. They saw the miracle, they were told by those that observed it what had taken place. But they completely missed who the Lord Jesus really was. They saw him just as another man. Some saw him as a prophet and so and so on. And I suppose the that there are a number of reasons why.
But the bottom line was spiritual blindness, wasn't it? There was also the fact that he didn't come from a distinguished family. There was no, I can speak reverently Halo around his head as the Aurora as he walked through this world. It was to faith that the beauty shone out. It was to the eye of faith, not to the natural eye or the natural man. And so we find now at the end of the chapter, they take this report and they.
Speak now of getting rid of the Lord Jesus. They speak against Him. It again confirms that there was spiritual blindness drawn over the eyes of the religious leaders at this time because of their rejection of Him.
Now is this prophecy of Caiaphas? Is that God-given?
That's like asking the question, did Balaam speak by himself or was it God who helped him? I I mean that in seriousness.
God can speak in any way he pleads.
So it was God-given, but we see the twisted application they make of it. That's a sad thing, isn't it?
Interesting, isn't it, that God, if you go through the Gospels, God used various individuals to say things that were so profound and true in themselves, but they didn't necessarily have faith. The person didn't necessarily have faith themselves. Just as an another example is completely out of context. This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. You know, that was said in absolute derision, but aren't we thankful for a statement like that? That statement's been used much in the gospel and he saved others himself he cannot save that was said.
Five one who didn't have faith said in in in duration in that one a wonderful statement. We sing it in our hymn himself he could not save he on the cross must die. And so here we have this prophecy, yes, from God himself through a very what we might think is a very unusual mouthpiece. But you know the Lord said, I know it's a little different. He said when the children gave glory to him when he entered Jerusalem. He said if they held their peace, the stones would cry out.
And when there were those who perhaps should have been giving testimony to the Lord Jesus when he was here, and they didn't, the Lord used perhaps very unusual, uh, mouthpieces. But he made sure that that, that which he desired to say. And whether it was in prophetic prophecy or giving glory to himself, it was said, even though it wasn't said, perhaps by those who had real faith. Yeah. It's important to understand, isn't it? The truth is received in the conscience.
By that we mean it's received in God's presence, not only in the intellect. Too often we exalt the intellect so much in this world, but truth may be received in the intellect without being received in the conscience, and it falls to the ground.
And that's why in the, uh, in the 8th chapter of, of John, the Lord says, why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word. In other words, they were not in God's presence. They weren't accepting it in the conscience. And so they couldn't understand the simple words that he was using. I understand the book of John. Remember when I was, uh, going to college at a Christian friend there at school who was studying the original languages?
And he says, you know, we're actually studying the book of John.
And I said, well, why are you studying the book of John? He said, well, they, they tell us it's got some of the simplest Greek and all the New Testament, and yet it has some of the most profound thoughts, doesn't it? So it's, uh, truth is received in the conscience. It must be received in God's presence. If it's only received in the intellect, it'll fall to the ground that it may be completely wrong.
00:55:18
So these men entirely pervert this, uh, God-given prophecy, sad as it is.
In our chapter here, yes, it's important to get a hold of the, uh, the, the background as to what was being said here in these latter verses of the chapter beginning at verse 47. They had gathered together and they were worried because they said, what should we do this man do as many miracles if we leave him alone to all the nation and people are going to go after him and there's going to be a great disturbance in the land because there's going to be a renovation of Judaism as we have it to something new. And the Romans are going to come and kill us and wipe this out because the Romans kept their subjects under control. And if there was ever uprising, they would go in and, and level the place. And so for their, uh, hi and his thinking.
His fleshly, selfish, worldly, wicked way of thinking was it would be better if we got rid of this man and then then to let him go free because he's gonna convert the nation and we're gonna lose our place in this nation. We won't be ourselves. So to protect ourselves and the nation, I suggest we kill him and get rid of him. And it was quickly passed by the elders of the nation.
And they go ahead from that point onward. Verse they're 53. Then from that day forth, they took counsel together to put him to death.
But how do we reconcile verse 51 with that?
Verses 51 and 52 were spoken by John himself, aren't they? Yes, this is the narrative. The the actual quote begins in the end of verse 4749 at the word ye, ye, no, not nothing at all. And it goes on nor consider it that this expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should perish. Not now that ends the quote. Now the narrative by John himself, led by the Spirit of God.
Comes in and explains some further details in verses 51 and 52.
I helped I to help myself to remember that I put a little mark in my Bible before ye the little quotes that you have. You know what 2 little Ditto Marks and then I put it at the end of the quote at the end of verse 50. Just marking it in my Bible for future reference.
So you need expiration I you guys kinda lost me there. Umm what is the end of verse 51? That Jesus, he prophesied Jesus died of that nature.
Well, because the intents are different. What is what Caiaphas is in intent is is that we need to get Jesus out of the way so that that Rome doesn't come in and and take over the nation. We lose our place.
But God's intention is, and he actually goes further because he goes he goes not only is he dying for this nation, but for the 10 tribes as well in chapter in in verse 52. So he's giving an interpretation of what God's thoughts are in Christ dying. And then we're looking at what Caiaphas purpose and reasoning behind why he wants to get Jesus out of the way, right? Is that correct? Yeah. Does that make sense?
OK.
But it is wonderful to see that it applies. And sometimes we say, like Eric had said, the buddies of Christianity. And you really?
Have it here.
01:00:00
The children of God should be scattered that, that, uh, to gather together and 1:00 the children of God that are scattered abroad. And so we can apply it in principle to what we have today.
He was worried that the nation would get scattered and just.
1St And so we find here what comes in in verse 52 That the God comes in and explains that he really.
Was doing going to do exactly the opposite. He was going to gather the children of God who were scattered abroad and bring them into a new thing all together, which we know as this Christianity. But he was a selfish thing altogether, because all he was trying to do was to save the nation from getting dispersed. Let the man get killed.
So take him out of the picture by by by death. And that's why they plot to put the Lord Jesus to death.
I've read that that 52 is the key to the book of Acts. Is that right?
Well, it's that it says not that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God. That's the book of Acts.
That were scattered abroad.
And so the book of Acts is accomplishing that, isn't it?
The Lord Jesus had said in the previous chapter, two other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and there shall be one shepherd and one flock. So there was going to be a gathering together rather than a scattering as a result of the death of the Lord Jesus. I suppose it will have its ultimate fulfillment in the coming day when he will all all will be gathered around in both in heaven and in earth. And that's not what's here, but that's going to be the.
Fulfillment in the coming day, isn't it, when he has his rightful place and all, But that's not, not what it's here, I realize, but there's a, he's a gatherer, not a scatterer. And you get the, it opens to the Jew in the second chapter of Acts. And in the 10th chapter, he brings in the Gentiles. So didn't he, uh, tell, uh, the apostle Paul that he took him out from among the Jews and the Gentiles?
To bring them all together in the Church of God.
In the he had, he had said, how often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her brood under her wing and you would not the work of, of the, of God through the spirit is to gather, not to scatter. The Saints of God today are scattered, but that's not a work of the Spirit of God. And so he's a gatherer, not a scatterer. And uh, as you say, we see that in the, in the book of the acts developed in both in, in not only in the second chapter and 10th chapter, but the 8th chapter two, he brings in the Samaritan.
Uh, as well and very careful in the Acts to guard that. There's only one gathering center and one church formed, not a Jewish church and a Gentile church or a Jewish church in a Samaritan church and a Gentile church, not even a Jewish hyphen Gentile church. It's a what's established at the beginning. Then those are who are later brought in, are brought in and gathered to that which God had, which the Lord had already established on the day of Pentecost.
And the oneness that he's referring to here to gather together in one is not the one body. No, he's talking about Christians, believers of the Lord Jesus, yes, but he's talking about the one flock. That's the subject from chapter 10 onward. Now it's showing, John, you have the oneness of the family of God, but Paul brings out the oneness of the body. It's, uh, Speaking of the same company of persons, but from two different aspects and two different angles and so on. And so he would have the Lord's people.
God's objective is to have the Lord's people one.
Mm-hmm.
Well, just as our time is winding down here, just the comments that's often been made about the book of John and verse 55 and the Jews Passover was nigh at hand. We mentioned earlier how that in the first chapter it tells us he came unto his own and his own received him, not the Lord Jesus in the book of John is seen as rejected from the very beginning. And so that's why we get the budding of Christianity as we've often heard. And a note here too, it's the Jews Passover. Notice when we turn to Leviticus 23.
01:05:11
We read about the feast of Jehovah, but it had become an empty form. And that again, is, is, is, uh, is what we've been speaking about all all along. It's no longer that which, uh, God is doing, uh, in man. Man is not just sick, but he's terminal. He's dead. And so this form that God had given man under their responsibility, it's over now. This is the final Test of man.
As a race, and so the Jews, Passover had become an empty shell, not the Passover of Jehovah, not the Feast of Jehovah. It was just the last vestiges of an empty shell. And again, that's the whole theme of what we've had not only in this chapter, but in the whole book, that it's over with man now he's not merely sick and in need of a doctor, but he's dead, in need of a Savior.
Yes, and we wanna be very clear that Christianity is not a remake or makeover of Judaism. And so the Lord said, do men sow new cloth on old garments? Do they put new wine in old bottles? The Lord Jesus was introducing something brand new. You know that it's helpful to see in the ways of God that God never at the end of a dispensation gave new life.
Or, and I know there's sometimes overlap, but what when man failed under the test that God gave him, he always at the end brought in judgment and introduced something brand new, not try to remake or when go back to what what was was previous man failed under that test. Something new was brought in and that's true with the test under the law was the last great test for man to show what man was in himself that he did stink. He'd been dead 4 days. The Old Testament 4000 years of man's history, he was dead.
And there was no hope. It was a hopeless situation. And so now something brand new is introduced. And that's why I believe it's a very serious thing to go back and try to mix Judaism, what was given under the law right and proper as it was in its place. But to mix it with Christianity is very dangerous and very wrong, and it's not understanding the ways and purposes of God.
We should not expect the miracles that were performed at the beginning of that distance.
To authenticate the word of God and expect those things at the end of the dispensation. But everything is confusing and that's what's been happening today. Charismatic are going back and say we should be able to perform all these miracles where in the end of the district station and God is not authenticating all of the disorder and the separation, the different denominations. And anybody that comes along and tells you they have fresh light at the end of the Christian age, it's a red light. It's a warning because what is God going to do?
He's going to bring in judgment. We're going to be raptured out of here and then he's going to bring in judgment. He does not give fresh light at the end of an age. There's recovered light during an age, and that's another subject, but not fresh light. But rather than just our time is gone. And I just want to for a moment cap the that which we've had in this chapter because again, as we said at the beginning of these meetings, there are many trials and difficulties, many sorrows amongst the people of God.
As we are well aware, 1 by 1 The Lord is calling different ones home to himself. No doubt everyone of us here can think of some family member, someone close to us who has gone through the article of death and we felt it and we've we've shed tears that more than one grave. No, no doubt. But brethren, isn't it wonderful as we've had in this chapter, to find that the Lord Jesus not only knew the sorrow.
Of these two sisters who had lost their brother, these two sisters that he loved so very much and Lazarus. But he fully emphasized with them, He came in his own time and way. He was fully able for the situation.
And how good it is for us to keep this in view as we go through the trials of life. We're not home yet. We don't have our glorified bodies yet, but we have one who's living for us, as we've mentioned during these meetings. Sympathizing, yes. But more than that, he's empathizing with us because he could weep and and groan here in this world. And as we've been saying, he was in all points tempted like as we are, and then to see that he was well able for the situation. Now, brethren.
01:10:31
He doesn't always intervene in the same way in our situations, and there are many things we're not going to see the fruition of until we get home to glory. Many things we're not going to understand, many tears that perhaps aren't going to be fully dried this side of heaven. But can't we count on Him? We see His ways and purposes with this little family that He loved there in Bethany and are His ways and purposes of love in your life and mine.
Any different and I I was thinking of a verse that perhaps caps what we've said in connection with the practical aspect of things in this chapter.
In the 37th Psalm, David records there. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass rather than It may not always be to pass in the way that we had hoped or thought. It may not always be to pass as quickly as we thought. But if you and I are willing to commit our way to the Lord. As Mary was sitting still in the house, and so on.
He will bring it to pass in a way that will bring glory to himself and to God the Father and to pass in the very in the way and time that will be the very best for us. Brethren, do we really real. Do we really believe that he's working the best in our lives? Do we really believe that his timetable is the best for us? If we really believe that if we can really get a hold of that in our souls, then I believe, brethren, it will give us.
Confidence to go on in our Christian life quietly like Mary, to go quietly on to waste his time. And rather than there is a day, it may not be this side of glory, but there is a day when in resurrection every tear is going to be dried. And what are we going to do when we see it all in retrospect? Are we going to question His ways and dealings with us there? Not for one moment. We're gonna fall at His feet and realize the perfection of all His ways with us.
And we're going to praise him for those ways, for those ways for all eternity. And He's going to forever dry every tear from every eye.
Google the MasterCard. We shall behold him. We shall be with him. He shall be like him.
Is now to set Jesus be our choice.
218.
A righteousness.
May rise.
We shall be with him.
01:15:06
Who we long to see.
When I'll be.
Our joy.
How will?
Grow it.
254 and #254.
Our 1St result of the.
Resurrection.
Is written from the Dome.
Now we.
Stand in the creation.
He's a Sinner.
Without him.
Bury him his grave way land.
One way.
Resurrection.
Where?
10 Heavens Bright Day.
Our Father would thank Thee that Thou hast made us fit to be partakers of the Saints and light, and is transferred from the Kingdom of.
Exactly. And my name is Jesus. Amen.