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276.
Girlfriend.
We are weak.
276.
I love you, I'm a great children.
Devil's grammar.
And that's what I thought we did.
Are calling everything. Hold on a second.
OK.
We also see #191.
191.
Hill in a land I was drowned and burned a lot more.
I can't hear it right.
Lay the Lord Railroad.
To yourself and there's a bomb and then I'm going to have whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, come out. Oh, man.
00:05:02
I think a lot.
Of things.
No longer. That's the stronger.
That's no more.
Here we read a couple of verses in Second Peter chapter 3.
Second Peter, chapter 3.
Verse 7.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now.
By the same word are kept in store, reserved under fire against the day of judgment and perdition of modern men. But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord is 1000 years, and 1000 years is one day. The Lord is not flat concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us. We're not willing that any should perish.
But that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the element shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are there in shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness?
Let me get tight. Our loving God and our Father, we thank thee that even though we're still in the wilderness scene, we can by faith acknowledge that's our Lord of all and that's our soon going to assert thy rights in this scene and that we shall be with thee, blessed Savior.
At thy side, as thou dost ruled in righteousness in this scene.
And so we know that this scene is soon to fall under judgment and uh, as those that are heavenly citizens, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, set free at liberty to live for thy glory in this steam. We just pray that those minister to our needs, we ask you to direct by thy spirit as to the portion of Scripture that we might have before us in the Bible readings and that thou would speak glorified like people built up in their most holy faith.
And our God, our Father, we pray.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified, and that He would have a portion for His own heart among His people. He might rejoice in His own, the seed, his own seated and enjoying that which would reflect something of His own glory. And as He feeds His Saints, so we pray, our Father, thou glorify, we pray, Lord Jesus, thanking me for that work of redemption.
On cross of Calvary, thank you that Thou hast redeemed us with unknown precious blood. What a price was paid to make us thine old. We ask thee to bless thy people. We commend ourselves to thee for this reading meeting and ask you to direct Bye bye Spirit, our God our Father, and the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen.
00:10:11
I've been reflecting a little bit on second Timothy chapter 2 verse one. The verse is thou therefore my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus and just the grace that the Lord Jesus showed as he was here on this earth as he ministered and just thinking particularly of in resurrection. So it was.
Singing. Perhaps we could take up John chapter 20 and 21 as you see the Lord in resurrection, graciously working with his own, warming their hearts, winning their hearts, drawing their hearts back to themselves, back to himself, after there had been that bitter disappointment in their lives.
And just particularly with that thought of the grace which is in Christ Jesus, Second Timothy is a day of ruin and weakness, and we need that grace and we need that grace today.
That sense of the Lord's love and his care and His grace.
So maybe we could read chapter 20 for this meeting?
John, Chapter 20.
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulchre. And see if the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Then she runeth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciples whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
So they ran both together, and the other disciples did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he's stooping down and looking in saw the linen clothes lying. Yet when he gnawed in, then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and see at the linen clothes lie, and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Then went, then went in also that other disciples, which came first to the sepulchre.
And he saw and believed, and as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Then the disciples went away again unto their own homes. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping. And as she wept, she stooped. She stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. And see if 2 angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, A woman, Why weepest thou? She saith, saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had said thus, she turned herself back.
And saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou whom seeketh thou?
She is supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabona, which is to say, Master Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
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 saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, he showed unto them his hands and 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 hath 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. Whosoever sins ye remain. They are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. But Thomas one of the 12 called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.
00:15:03
But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them.
Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach, hit her thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach, hit her thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God, Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing he might have life through his name.
Well, we know that John's Gospel is a gospel of transitions, and our brother Bruce Anstey has a nice little booklet out, a little outline of John's Gospel, and in it he traces the transitions. Every chapter has a little bit of a transition taking place from Judaism to Christianity, and it's a well worth the read if you haven't read it.
And so he points out in chapter 20 that there's a transition from Christ, the Messiah of Israel to Christ, really the head of a new creation race. And so the key to understanding this chapter and really being able to appreciate it in connection with resurrection is really from verse 19 down to verse 23. And you'll notice that the Lord Jesus breathed upon them, it says in verse 22.
When he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained. And so there was a new authority in the earth, and the apostles were given authority to bind and loose. And we have examples of that in the book of the Acts and other places. Maybe we'll mention that as we go a little further, but that these disciples.
Now we're learning and becoming, uh, being introduced to the Lord Jesus as the head of a new creation race. And remember that Adam was breathed into, Let's look at it, uh, in Genesis chapter two, I think it is.
Genesis chapter 2 and uh verse seven. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of light.
And man became a living soul. So man is the only creature that has this connection with God. He has a living soul. He has spirit, soul and body. So he's created in the likeness and image of God. And but he fell into sin and the whole race of men has fallen into sin. But now there's a new creation race. And the head of that new race is Christ himself. He was raised the very same body that he had when before he was crucified, before he died.
He raised, he was raised and now that body is glorified and there is a man that has ascended into heaven glorified, seated on the right hand of the majesty on high. So we have this transition going on in this chapter where they're learning that they're a part of that new creation race. There's new relationships. And then really you have this transition in this chapter as well from really what took place in the temple and temple worship. But.
They're now found in the upper room, no longer really associated with Judaism. And so you have this fear in verse 19. The same day of 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 saved unto them. Peace be unto you. And so now they're found in a large upper room that the Lord Jesus had introduced them to. It's no longer.
The temple left knot would characterize their life as believers. We know the church was not yet formed. The day of Pentecost hadn't taken place, the Acts chapter 2, but God's beginning to measure everything from the first day of the week not to happen. Christians don't have a Sabbath. There's no rest for the believer. The Christian has the first day of the week, and that's the resurrection day. That's what characterizes Christianity.
00:20:11
There's a new beginning the first day of the week.
In John chapter one verse 14.
We're told the word was made flesh.
And dwells among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.
Full of grace.
And truth.
And we see that all the way through the Lord's ministry.
And as we we come to the Lord in resurrection, it's striking if you trace.
The the time that the Lord spent here on earth.
Before his ascension, it seems the majority of his time was spent encouraging his Saints, drawing his Saints back to himself. You think of him making that trip with the two on the road to Emmaus. You see him working in this chapter with Mary Magdalene, with the other women. You see him working with the 10 disciples. And then with Thomas you see him working. With Peter you see him working with, I believe it was the six disciples that went on the fishing expedition.
And just that grace.
In in spite of weakness, they had all forsaken him and fled. And just that beautiful character that he bore.
And that's it. It's as we, as we spend time in his presence, as we observe that character that he displayed in a time of weakness.
When there was failure, it's as we spend time in in company with him that we can we can exhibit that same character in the day that we live in. And so it's easy to be like Elijah. I only I am left and they seek my life. Also, it's easy to be like Moses.
E revels and stiff neck. Must we fetch you water out of the rock? It's easy to be discouraged. And yet as we as we spend that time in company with the Lord and and observe his gracious words, one full of grace and truth.
As we feed on that, we'll be able to reflect that same character, take my yoke and learn of me.
And so that's, we see that so beautifully in these chapters and that's, that's the spirit each one of us needs to cultivate. And so it's my desire maybe not perhaps a verse by verse consideration of these chapters, but to reflect on that thought.
Of of the Lord, that man of grace. He didn't beat Thomas with a stick, he drew him with the cords of love.
And just we, we need that same spirit. And as as a, as the Lord's grace has its effect on our heart, It won't bring about a spirit of looseness. It won't bring about a spirit of indifference. It'll, it'll humble, humble us and draw our affections toward him.
Thinking of that verse in Zechariah chapter 13.
With regard to your comments with Jonathan about the Lord taking up these different individuals after his crucifixion, but Zechariah chapter 13 and verse 7.
Prophetic, obviously, of our Lord Jesus. Awako sword against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
And I will turn my hands upon the little ones. We know that consequent upon the Lord's death, the sheep were scattered.
Then this last expression I will turn my hand upon. The little ones Jarred me for some time. It didn't seem consistent. The Lord would raise His hand and discipline and wrath upon His little ones. But I understand the thought might be in terms of reaching out in the shepherding care and recovering them. And so you find a consequence about the Lord's resurrection. How, as you say, you meant the two on the way to Emmaus, you find Mary the Magdalene here.
You find him reaching out and have that personal dialogue with Simon Peter. The Lord is risen indeed, and that appeared in Peter and Simon and there you have an individual conversation where nothing is said. But the Lord restored Peter's soul at that time after having denied him. And so here is he a beautiful example of this with the Lord and and Mary's heart was there we find a remarkable illustration of a heart that is affectionate to the Lord Jesus.
00:25:02
It's true she did have intelligence, but she had affection. The optimal is like Mary of Bethany, who is both devoted to her Lord and was intelligent and anointed the Lord's body before his, before his burial. But here we do find Mary Magdalene, who was devoted to the Lord Jesus, and although she didn't have intelligence, she was true to him. And the result was she had a personal manifestation of the Lord Jesus to her heart. What a singular.
Blessings she received, and she was the one to whom the Lord said, Go to my brethren and tell them, I have sinned my Father, and to your Father, to my God, and to your God.
I'd just like to add brother's as a woman, generally speaking, has a heart. And here we find Mary showing forth her heart's desire.
Men aren't aware of much of what's going on. That's it. But it was a woman.
And it means a woman today quite often assurance and loves more than maybe. And it shows for your men's life.
If you look at the Luke's Gospel chapter 18, we have a little key perhaps to how the Lord spoke so plainly to His disciples. It says in Luke 18 verse 31 Then he took unto him the 12 and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished.
For he shall be delivered up, and delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and fightfully entreated, or insulted, and spitted on, and they shall serve him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things.
And this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Well, you know, they had heard about the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus many times, but why is it that they didn't comprehend it? Why isn't why is it that they didn't enter into the reality of what he was telling them? We know that from Luke chapter 24 that they didn't understand the Scriptures and that perhaps set aside some of the Scriptures in their minds unwittingly. Perhaps the sufferings of Christ and the glory follow, say one of the glory of the Messiah.
But they didn't consider the sufferings of Christ, and so they weren't as well indwelt with the Spirit of God. The church was not formed and so they didn't have the Spirit indwelling. And so we know from John's gospel chapter 141516 that they would the Spirit of God would teach them and bring them into the knowledge of these things and the enjoyment of these things while they were in 12 of the Spirit of God. But isn't it nice, very negular, had affection for Christ.
And.
She wanted to be where He was. He didn't understand about resurrection. He didn't understand the doctrine of it. She didn't understand really very much. But she had a love for the Savior, and the Lord appreciated her faithfulness, her devotedness to Himself. And so he appeared to her, and she had the privilege of announcing to the disciples already mentioned that the Lord Jesus had arisen unto his Father.
And our Father, so he says in verse 16.
Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my father, and your father to my God, and your God. So the first time really that he could address another that way, and that they were a part of that new creation race, he addresses Mary Magdalene.
And I think it's a practical note that, uh, if we walk devotedly with Christ, we may not understand all of the doctrines of Christianity. We should read and study the truth and the word of God, but we may not understand at all. But the Lord will reveal himself to us. And it says in John's gospel, I will manifest myself unto him. And this is really what was taking place in connection with Martha or with Mary Magdalene now.
We know that.
There were others that were more intelligent than Mary Magdalene. He went to the tomb. Mary of Bethany, he didn't go to the tomb. She wasn't there. Why wasn't she there? I think we have this hint in Luke's Gospel, chapter 10.
00:30:05
At the end of the chapter Luke chapter 10 verse 38. Now it came to pass as they went and he entered into a certain village. Certain women named Martha received him into her house and she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word.
Mary was found sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and she had heard what he had said perhaps on more than one occasion, that he was going to go into death and that he would be raised to gain the third day glorified. And he had the intuition of faith, as it were. She believed what he said, and I think Mr. Garvey calls it the intuition of affection.
For Christ she didn't go to the tomb, and she waited, and she too perhaps received a blessing in a different way. But isn't it the grace of our Lord when we don't understand all of the details?
He reveals himself to us that there's a devotedness to himself, and he desires to have that relationship with every one of us.
OK.
And aluminum was lasted across until the 1St at the.
And it's a picture of wonderful affection. It was a man that denied the Lord Jesus with curses. And oh, that was a man that identified him as a mob of the traitor's fifth. But you don't find a woman that followed him in the Scripture that ever did such a thing like that. Adam, he was deceived. So Adam was in the transgression he willfully send.
And uh.
So again already been touched on beautiful pictures. I just want to go back to what our brothers had mentioned in connection with second prefer sympathy to it is a nice way to see that expectation of Paul to Timothy be strong in the great.
Or Lord Jesus Christ, to be confident, we often apply that a personal enjoyment of His grace. And so it should be.
But her old sister investor used to say about the Saints and perhaps feeling there wasn't what there should be, she said. You know, if there's life, it'll move.
And if there's life, there'll be a response and confidence in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in the day of decline and ruin. And Timothy was going to have to continue on and that service with the Lord without Paul.
You're going to have to be confident that the Lord was going to act in grace towards his own. Otherwise it would be so discouraging to be a minister of Christ in that kind of a day without any confidence that the Lord was going to work in some way. So it's not just a personal sense of grace. We need that too, but it's confidence that he's going to work.
I'm on his own, and that gives encouragement and energy to one who would seek to go out and be an encouragement to the Saints. If there's life, it'll move you. Just keep it with the Lord, confident in His grace to act even in the day like we're in.
It's interesting, the devotion that she showed to him, a quiet devotion, isn't it? And that we see even when she wept at his feet and.
It's interesting that Brother Robert read that same verse to me on Friday, sitting in his house in Zechariah chapter 13 and verse 7, and it tells us in Matthew 18 and 10. Be careful that we despise not one of those little ones.
And so he gives us an example of His grace here and how He speaks to Mary and in John chapter 12 when she anointed him with the spleener.
Verse 3 Mary took a pound of ointment of spaghetti and very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then say if one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, I was not disappointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor.
00:35:21
Be careful if you decide not one of these little ones.
Verse 7 Then said Jesus, let her alone against the day of my bearing hast she kept this for the poor. Always ye have with you, but me ye have not always. And so we see her quiet devotion in how she waited, and then she went to the tomb where her Savior lay in death. And I think that that must have been such a time of grief and mourning for her, and then to see that stone rolled away.
And the one whom she came to be with was no longer there.
And but it reminds me for some reason of those ones in Acts chapter one that were standing there gazing up the men of Galilee. Why standing, gazing up, the same one that has been taken up, received into the cloud, will come again in like manner receive you and himself. And so they were encouraged to keep pressing on and to look forward and work to encourage one another to do that today and embrace to treat each other in the same way with the example with which He has given us here in this chapter.
Theater.
Might have been.
One of the greatest.
Examples except for.
He dropped his eyes and and he lost that devotion just for a moment, and he sank down. He had to cry out again. Lord, save me. But Mary was always there with that quiet devotion.
Perhaps it's a little bit off the subject rather Jonathan, but you referenced the 12Th of John. I'd like to make a comment on one of the verses there that.
It helped me when I was younger and uh, maybe it'll be a help to some.
We know on the 12Th of John, it's one of the most beautiful pictures of the devotedness of the soul whose heart was won by the Lord. But we find that such an action is not always received well. And as you read, I'm going to do this, I'm a scariest son said, Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? Compelling argument, isn't it? Why don't you care for the poor? Why don't we take up with something for the service of man?
And the good and and practical needs of math. But notice the next verse.
Inscribed by the Spirit of God verse six this he said not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the bag and buried what was put there in.
Everything is not always as we hear it presented. What this man said sounded very compelling, very noble. This man is concerned about the poor, but the word of God says the Spirit of God says he cared not for the poor.
And so just because we hear something doesn't mean it's so in the spirit of God unravels the thief that Judas Iscariot was. They've been disciples didn't know of, but the God knew what the Lord knew it and he commends Mary of Bethany of this act of devotedness.
Another thought here too. You know when the disciples went to their own home, it wasn't the first time this had happened. Go back to the 6th chapter of the same gospel.
Around the 7th chapter.
And this is when the Nicodemus had, let's say it was coming into the light, and he defended the Lord the best he could.
In the Pharisees and their condescending arrogance said, certainty, there's no prophet that comes out of Galilee. Well, there was at least one Jonah for one that they probably didn't want to remember and perhaps made him profit as well. But at this time, verse 52, they answered and said unto him, Art thou also Galilee church and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet.
And every man went into his own house, but Jesus went into the Mount of Olives. This dark Harvey includes that word. But Jesus went in the Mount of Olives. And that's what we have here in this chapter as well. Then the disciples went away again under their own home. But Mary stood about at the self occurs weeping. And so we find the situation like this. Sometimes we look at things very objectively, factually, and say, well, there's no sense waiting around here.
But you know, you think of those disciples who company with the Lord and we wonder why, why did Jesus go to the Mount of Olives? Wasn't there one among them of the 11 That would have said, why don't you come to our home? And so here again, the disciples went away to their own home. They saw the Lord was not there and no sense hanging around here. But Mary, her love and affection kept her there. So sometimes we can be very accurate, technically accurate, and you look at things objectively and say, well, that's just the way that it is.
00:40:28
But one that's devoted to the Lord can see things that someone that just looks at things naturally will not.
Could, could we say, would be a fair thing to say that she was rewarded for her devotedness and how she returned to her first here?
OK, now it says Hebrews 11. I saw that recently, Brother Jonathan. Now we say, well, God is a giver and that He is, but he's also a rewarder. He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him like Mary Magdalene.
The true bread and I was thinking that mind if I stand up that umm.
We have here a uh, a new relationship with uh did not obtain before.
Uh, retained me not uh, for saying, uh, whereas with the woman of Galilee, he allowed that to, uh, to, uh.
He had his speaking to touch him. Why was it?
That Mary was told not to touch him yet. Why is that so?
Well, I was wondering the report. It's in anticipation of Christianity.
We are now to know the Lord in a different way. You don't know him as the Messiah. You don't know him after the flex. He's been reigned through the Gospels. But now we know Price in a different way. You know now has resurrected and seeking that God resigned a glorified man. This is the whole point of the gospel of God. And now we are to know Christ in a different way.
Not as the children of Israel did we have known now in Christianity. Exalted, exalted.
You'll notice that in that verse 16 that you referenced Brother John, it says that she turned herself and saith unto him, Rabona, which is to say, Master. And so in a sense, she addressed Him just as she did before the resurrection, before He went to the cross. Now after the cross, she can no longer address Him in the same way. It's a different relationship that she had with him. She didn't understand that.
But now she's a part of a new creation race. She's brought into relationship with the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, as the Lord and as her Savior, and she can address God as Father. So he says, touch me not, for I'm not yet ascended unto my Father, but go to my brethren. And so she could not.
Receive him, as it were. She could not.
Continue the same relationship that she had with him.
As she had before the cross. The cross changed everything. Resurrection changed everything. We don't realize it, but after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
Things were never the same again. Remember when they at the resurrection, at the death of the Lord Jesus, there was a greater earthquake and the rock rent? When it speaks of a greater earthquake in the scriptures, it speaks of some event.
Cataclysmic event and things will never be the same ever again because of that event. And so you can't run around and glue the rocks all back together again and make sure that everything's put back together again. It can't be done.
And So what took place at the Cross of Calvary?
Allowed God to go forth to man in grace and in truth, and to deal with you and I on the principle of grace, and to bring us into the knowledge of the truth. Bring us into the knowledge of what God has desired for us to understand and enjoy His thoughts as to the person of Christ and His glory, and that He will reign and have a place of glory in this earth.
00:45:04
And in the heavenly sea all will be brought into subjection to him. And so resurrection change everything. So he says, touch me not where I'm not yet ascended unto my Father. Go to my brethren, say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your father and my God and your God a different relationship. So it's necessary for us to thank the Lord and to remember that resurrection and what took place at the cross of the Calvary changed everything. And she could not have, she couldn't go back to Judaism.
I've often thought that.
Got the.
Because what made Mary Magdalene is still devoted.
With the fact that, as it tells us in the same account in Mark 16.
Uh, it says that he appeared first temporary migraine.
Shot 7 double.
She was. She had been.
Under Satan's control, and we can only imagine.
Electrolyte must have been light before.
Calcium pill 7 dose. I don't make any of those have any idea.
What kind of control Satan has on her and he the control that he has.
Even today.
All around us in this world.
Thankfully, you cannot have that control on us as believers.
You can certainly try to make us unhappy believers, and that leads very often successful in that. But I don't think we have any idea what Mary Magdalene has been saved from, and she obviously realized that so late. I've been totally changed by what the work I've done for her. No wonder she had the devotion.
To be the first one to supplicate her.
And, uh, stay there and to, to be. And then we've already been said was rewarded.
By the fact that the word spoke to her.
We don't know either that she had a home.
We read them, they had homes to go to. Mary and Martha had a home in Bethany, but we never read of Mary Magdalene having a home and uh.
In addition to being possessed by 7 demons, it would have been a pretty wretched condition that she was saved out of those those demons. And Satan loves to drag man through the very lowest depths in in.
Not just spiritual self, immoral self, but even physical filth and deplorable conditions.
She had no home but the Lord. When I was a boy, we lived in Addis Ababa for about a year and on the way to Sedan Interior Mission School for the missionary children, my dad would take us there and drop us off and we would go on the outskirts of the city every morning, every day on the way home.
And there were It was just a bare hill, no trees.
Didn't look like much on but there were people on that hill.
And, uh, some little lean crews barely big enough to maybe if you could crawl under them and curl up in a ball and be under. And uh, I remember asking my father what that was, He said, well, that's a graveyard and the people that are there are Ludo's.
For children who have no parents any longer because they die and they're living on their grace and there they would live. They had no place else to go.
So they would just set up home, so to speak, and the grave of their loved one having no place else to go. I think that was Mary. She had no place else in that way to go. Christ was everything to her. There's no question of her going back to a home. And then she makes this remarkable statement. If if that was carried him, wait, tell me, I'll, I'll take him where?
She has an old thought of where.
00:50:00
It's just anything to be as close to the Lord as she could possibly be. He was the home of her heart in that way.
Paul tells us in Romans that there's no difference for all of us. We were all. We were all in that same position before the word picked us up, and stages hate to believe we were all.
Maybe not so directly, but we were all undertaking control and that's the more we realize what we have been saying from.
The board, what we will have to the world.
Another little lesson. I have been a help to me on this again, I, I haven't received any, anything came up with on my own. I'm sure I got this from somebody else, but, uh, Mary didn't recognize the Lord through her tears. And you know, trials can come that are so severe and the tears come and we can fail to see the Lord because of our tears. She, she was looking right at the Lord.
And didn't see him. You know, the trials can get overwhelming enough to us. And so occupied we are with the trial and our loss that we fail to discern the Lord's hand in it and see that he's in it and he's there. And so she needed that little call to her heart. He called his own sheet by name, doesn't mean. And so he calls her by name. And it's upon that that she recognizes them to the Lord, it's the Lord.
And what a wonderful day that was for the disciples here and there is they're solely brought into the realization.
Their their greatest disappointment of all their lives has turned into the most ecstatic joy and rejoicing of all her lives as they realize he was risen from the dead. What a wonderful day it must have been.
And how?
That then forms them for all the rest of their pathway. All of the apostles except for John, as far as we know, all suffered a martyr's death rather than to give up what they learned that day. Jesus Christ raised from the dead and what would what fervor and devotedness and and.
Enthusiasm, so to speak. They went out and preached.
After the Spirit of God was sent down and that became the power to witness for Christ to go out and preach the resurrection. That says there in Acts with great power they gave witness to the resurrection.
That reminded me a little bit what you were saying about how she didn't see him. And it reminded me a little bit of the portion in, uh, Luke Chapter 7 when he was in the Pharisees house and she came in and.
Was there?
Verse 38.
She stood at his feet and behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and to wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and pointed them with the ointment. Now in the Pharisee which has been installed, he stayed within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what man or woman this is that touches him, for she is a Sinner. Jesus answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was certain creditor which had two debtors 1. Owed 500 pence to the other 50.
When they when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered, and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most? And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seeth thou this woman? I entered into thine house, Thou gavest me no water for my feet. But she had washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
That gave us me no kiss. But this woman, since the time I came in, have not ceased to kiss my feet. My head was oiled out. It's not annoying, but this woman hath anointed my feet anointed wherefore I landed in her sins, which are many are forgiven. She loved much, but whom little is forgiven, the same love is little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven in verse 50. And he said to the woman, Thy faith I saved thee gone peace and I, it was just.
00:55:08
Allowing me to consider for a moment what Mr. Robert Muir said over there, how young. We've all fallen short. We've all been to come short of the glory of God.
Why is it that we don't see him sometimes? Why is it that we miss it? This man had him in his house and yet he didn't invite his deep. He didn't wash his feet, he didn't kiss him. So why is it that Mary had that devotion?
And some of us being like married, maybe some of us being like the other.
And it just made me realize that, you know, we had such a blessed privilege as believers that belong to him.
To be just like Mary here, to be devoted and to get rewarded in a safe fashion, not just on Lord say as their brother John Kemp reminds us, all the time that were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 24/7 were His thought by His blood 24/7 we belong to Him. So why are we not each one of us devoted like this? Why are we missing? Why don't we see Him when He is right in front of our face?
What might the?
Might uh, just, uh, clear that John was one of those that was a witness. I think it's Acts chapter one that umm, verse 8 is really the key verse to understanding the book of the Acts. So Acts chapter one, verse eight, you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and uttermost part of Europe. Well, to be a witness, a credible witness.
A witness has to have seen something and has needs to have heard something.
And they were credible witnesses. There are several things that John saw here in John's Gospel chapter 19, verse 35. He that thought their record and his record is true. And he knoweth that he say is true, that he might believe. For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another Scripture says, they shall look on him who may have pierced. So one of the things that John saw.
Was the Lord Jesus.
Dying for him. He had an appreciation for Christ who he speaks up in chapter 10 is that Good Shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep. He saw the Lord Jesus a dying Savior, and then he sees two in our chapter in chapter 20 here he saw this open array that says in verse 6.
Uh, then come as Simon Peter following him and went into the curse, see at the linen clothes line the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to Sepulchre, and he saw and believed. So he saw an empty tomb. He saw the fact that there was Christ had risen. And I believe at that time they began to understand in some small measure. We know that say.
Even in the upper room at the end of the first day of the week that the Lord had to upgrade them for their unbelief. But there came a time when John, because of what he had seen, he saw that resurrection was real. And then the last thing that he saw.
Or the third thing, three things that he saw that were very significant, he saw in verse 19. He saw the Lord Jesus in the midst of His people. He saw Him in the midst.
Then came Jesus in verse 19, stood in the midst and said unto them, peace be unto you. So those three things really I believe help John and they will help us. If we see the Lord Jesus, we understand and appreciate what took place at the cross of Calvary. He didn't die for everyone. That's not the point. The point is he died for me, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And John saw that.
Faith and then he saw the empty tomb. He recognized that the Lord Jesus was risen, glorified. He speaks of them in that way. And then in verse 19, he saw him in the midst of his people. Isn't it wonderful to come into the assembly and see Christ in the midst? You come to be in the do you come to be with the brethren? Do you come to be with your friends? You just came for the wrong reason. If you do not see the Lord Jesus in the midst, if you don't believe that Christ has the power.
01:00:20
By His Spirit, to draw souls into His presence and to be gathered by His Spirit, neither the presence of the Lord Jesus, to remember Him in the circumstances of His death and to sit in His presence, to read the scriptures, to sit in His presence and remember Him in His death, to be in His presence and to offer praising Thanksgiving as a holy priest. Why, you've missed the point. You haven't got the enjoyment of these things. And that's what will keep us and preserve us as we see those three things.
Don't unnecessarily hold us back, but just to more comments and verses 16 and 17.
You look referencing back to what you said, Brother Steve, about Mary not seen through her tears, but you think of that moment of sheer joy when he says one word to her, Mary.
She heard that voice before and she knew. You say that he quoted the verse that he calls his own sheep by name. That's his side of it. The other sheep is my sheep. Hear my voice. She knew that voice. She heard that before and the joy that flooded her soul when she heard that. Interesting that the promise of the overcomer there and Laodicea, I guess it's not even the promise to be overcomer. It's the appeal to those ladies. See if any man here in my voice. Behold, I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice.
Not here than not but hear my voice. And so it brings us into connection to the Lord himself and it's something that was very personal to her. But then in that great 17th verse when the Lord Jesus unfolds to her really and said, isn't it John's gospel. We have the buddies of Christianity. God is no characteristically his father in Christianity, but here to this woman. He unfolds this truth. I sent it to my father.
Now that was eternally true, the eternal sanctions of Christ. He was ever his father, my father. When we come to the Book of Revelation, we'll see it's my father throughout as well. It's not our father. Revelation doesn't give us the body of Christian teaching. We're service in the Book of Revelation, but revelation is my father. Here is my father. That's his eternal sonship. But go to my brethren and Sinner thou, my Sinner to my father and your father. This is this is a blessing we enjoy consequent upon.
The indwelling spirit that God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, whereby we cry out the Father and to my God and your God. Well, we know that he said my God, that was truest. The psalmist to say Psalm 22, thou art my God from my mother's belly. There was a time when the eternal Son of God came forth, conceived of the Spirit in Mary's womb and at that time Jesus would say my God.
And your VOD. But the order is important, isn't it? That with our Lord Jesus Christ, the order is my Father and my God. He was eternally His Father and an incarnation. He could speak of them as my God. And we sometimes sing that expression now, our Father and our God. But the order for us properly is our God and Father. He was always our God. He was only our Father consequent upon redemption. And so in that there is a great difference. He was the eternal Son of God. We're sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus, in that place of Sanchez and with him.
He was equal with the Father that He came into that place of lowly manhood and incarnation, and as such He could speak of his Father as my God.
A new relationship for him and a new one for us.
Might be good to note that uh just for clarity, that God is the one that judges sin and so God forsook his son on the cross and so he could say my God, my God why has stopped forsaken me?
But it's the Father, his relationship, and so he is in that relationship as a man, and he addresses God as his Father. He will be a man for all eternity. And you and I can address God as our Father. We have that relationship. It will never be taken away from us. Now we may slide in our souls and we may get cold and our souls may not, may not enjoy that relationship, but it never will change. It cannot change.
01:05:16
Respondent of God or heirs of God joy heirs with Christ. It will never change. You can't do anything to change it. And so the Lord Jesus and the wonderful that one of the first things he wants to brethren to know is that they can now address God as their father and it's a privilege for us to address God as our father. I often think of Galatians. Oh no, it's Ephesians chapter 5.
Verse 20, maybe you already know it's the by heart, but it's uh.
Verse 20 Ephesians chapter 5 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so in Paul's ministry, oftentimes you have God and the Father.
In, uh, because we're heavenly citizens, we belong to heaven, we have the right, the authority, the privilege of addressing God as our Father and the wonderful. And then when we pray, we can pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't it wonderful to give him his full title? Give him his full title. He's worthy of his full title. And the Father, I believe, enjoys hearing the Lord Jesus given his full time.
Your tomb was opened here not in order to let the Lord help.
But in order that we could walk in and see and everything that's redemption. Your work has been finished and.
The Lord did not go back to the glory unless He, as soon as that word help him, He entered the glory in manhood. If He had not put away our sins, He was charged with them on the cross, but the Rose triumphant, and we have an empty tomb now.
1.
Might just comment on these, uh, two angels in verse 12. It's the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, he sees this woman weaving it too, and he didn't mean to send to me. There are things in life that God doesn't need to do. He doesn't it's, you might say, optional, but in the heart of God, his, his heart towards his people is revealed.
And when you have tears, when you have heartache, the Son of God himself notices, and he will ascend an encouragement to you in a special way. And an Angel you know is just a messenger from God. He's a servant. All the angels are just servants.
He could have sent 1 Angel, that would be fine, but he sends 2 angels to talk to Mary and to talk to those perhaps that were there. We have those two angels on different occasions that are spoken of in different ways, but it's, uh, adequate witness to angels to speak to this woman that has such devotion for Christ. And so isn't it the way with the Lord? You have the suffering, you have tears.
There's messengers from God sent with a verse of scriptures, perhaps with a heart and just a little message from the Lord himself to give you comfort through that experience. Reminds us of the, uh, the two angels looking down on the mercy seat, one at one end and one at the other. One here at the head, one at the feet where the Lord lay looking at that place, he who had given himself satisfaction to God.
For, uh, our internal medicine.
All sign of resurrection. There was really going to be no blessing for man.
There was gonna be no association of ourselves with the Lord outside of right direction. And so really in the Lord's name to to Mary, don't I think that.
Have a more literal rendering be. Don't persist in clinging to me that way.
After really the hopes of our own heart representing Israel and their hopes in the Messiah, we thought this was he who should deliver Israel and so on.
01:10:02
But they hadn't entered into what the Lord had said, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and died, and bite us alone. But if it died, bringeth forth much fruit. And so in resurrection now we are associated with Him, we have His risen life. And like that cornered wheat that fell into the ground and died, it springs up a new stock. And on the that stock are all these little kernels, just like the one that went into the ground.
And they all have their life because they're on that stock that sprung up identical to the one that went into the ground, and they have the same life. And so outside of resurrection, there could be none, uh, associated with him in that way. He had gone back to the glory alone and remained a man alone forever. One of the saddest things you could think of to think of a man alone for all eternity. It's not good for a man to be alone, the Lord said.
And so.
If she could have them after her hoax, it would have left her outside of Christ.
And left hand alone for eternity, but you're brushing that away. And now he's going to introduce this whole new thing. And it starts with that new relationship to know God.
As their Father, as he knew him as Father, he could speak of him as their heavenly Father in in in the Gospels. But that was the sense of distance. And in the Old Testament God could speak of himself as acting towards Israel like a father.
You know Father character, but to know him as Father and the Lord Jesus known as Father was something that he never spoke of previous to his resurrection.
There wasn't very much time from when she went to the tomb.
We went in the garden reverse.
14 and 15 and 16 to that period, there wasn't very much time I believe in that day.
And I believe it's a picture of how closely.
We've been saying devoted, but how closely she wanted to spend her time with the Lord, and it's an example to us. We can all be devoted on different levels. If I can use that word again, we can all be.
Close in certain ways, with him in different ways, but as Brother Bill pointed out, my sheep hear my voice and know them, and I give them to them. Eternal life and so on. It reminds me of him that my wife just helped me with. I sing it all the time, but I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice, but I always change it and say I am thine, O Lord, I've heard Thy word because He speaks to us through His words. And so we need to read His words to learn more of these things like we are here today.
But I believe with my whole heart that the closer that we are with Him while we are here, the more quickly as He did with Mary here, opens her eyes and allows her to see. The more quickly He opens our eyes and allows us to see. The closer we are with Him, the faster we can see.
I told this story the other day and I hope it's OK, but I was driving along just the other day and by no means am I saying I'm closer to the Lord than anybody else here in this room, but I was driving along.
I was having difficulty in my life, something that had gone on in my house, and I was upset and I was getting angrier as I drove and I was getting upset. And I realized, well, I didn't realize right away, but all of a sudden my phone, which is in a holder on my dash, lit up. The screen lit up, and there was a verse, only a verse, only a verse texted to me. I don't think he'd mind me saying Brother Walt Porter.
It was name one and four I believe, and I can't quote it all to you, but it says Jehovah slow to anger.
And that's how he dealt with Mary here, and that's how he can deal with you and I in our lives through grace, as Sean can point out from the beginning. And that's how he works in our lives. But we have to be close, walking closely with him, hearing his voice. We have to open his word. We can't just come to meeting through the week and think we're going to get enough. He goes on in the next couple of verses here, the verses I love in this chapter so much in 19 and 20. We speak to that first day and.
01:15:02
Then he came in, the first day of the evening being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled.
Well, where is disciples today? We assemble on Lord's Day morning, the first day of the week, and we come together just like this. And it says.
Jesus came and stood and missed where to appear, gathered together in my name and their mind in the midst of them. And we appreciate that on that word today morning, all week, all week, we have the opportunity and the privilege to be reminded.
By him in the same way Mary was as we can cry for a positive relationship that we've been told about here just shortly ago. But on words day, we can be reminded then of the relationship that we have with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, because he's in the midst and he shows himself to us just like he does here in this verse.
And came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he so said, he showed unto them his hands in the side. Then where the disciples bladder, when they saw the Lord.
What a blessed privilege we have all week in that relationship that we've been Speaking of, but what a portion we can have on Wednesday morning to be reminded and to be brought back into that gladness that they had here when they saw their Lord.
They were gathered in that upper room.
But the consequent upon the testimony of Mary.
She brings that message of arisen Christ, brings that message of new relationship. And on that testimony we find them gathered in the upper room. And so from this point on, we really see the nucleus of the assembly given to us here. We also get a little later a picture of the place of the remnant, those who didn't receive that testimony at first, and Thomas, but we get the nucleus of the assembly.
They're gathered as a brother Jonathan brought out with the Lord Jesus in the midst are gathered on the testimony of him are risen victorious over the grave, ascending back to his God and fathers risen and ascended Christ. That's the testimony that uh has gathered them together with the Lord Jesus in the midst. He says receive ye Holy Ghost. This is a Pentecost, but it certainly.
Prefigures that day that was coming in the picture that's given to us when the Spirit of God would come and unite all those believers in one. There's a different aspect of things that's emphasized here, but in the picture, the Holy Spirit being received as the power of testimony and witness. They were going to become a best role in the churches of vessel testimony for Christ in this world by the power of the Spirit of God and what is the message?
Whosoever sends you rheumatoid or remitted unto them, whosoever sends you pain, they are retained. And so they go out with a message of forgiveness of sin. But there also is invested with them a measure of authority, the Lord being in the midst in connection with a, a governmental dealing, uh, administrative dealing with sins here in this world. So the assembly has authority because the Lord is in the midst in connection with.
Maintaining the assembly and holiness and purity.
So we see in these things just a little quick outline the nucleus of the assembly. Thomas then doesn't believe until he misses out on the blessing. Then when the when the OR he wasn't there, he misses out on this first little portion. He refuses to believe when he hears the testimony, but he finally does come into the place of faith and believing when he physically sees the Lord.
And see, uh, those, uh, prints of the mail and, and, uh, his fear Pierce side, just like Israel. What are these wounds in my hand? Right. There's going to be a blessing they come into when they see and believe by sight.
But they missed out on the greater blessing of those who believe by faith. So they will come into their own blessing in place. But the greater portion is what was.
I missed out on by Thomas. So there Thomas is a picture of the remnant will come into blessing, but they're not going to be part of the church because of the refusal to believe at first.
Not hardly, not told that we should the horse day morning count with our basket full.
01:20:02
How can you fill that out?
We got it from Monday to Saturday night that we can prepare for.
Sometimes it makes me critically of these brethren that the doors were shut for fear of the juice.
But I believe it was a good thing to see what happened throughout the epistles. The danger was that, uh, the, uh, infiltration of Judaism, that was, it was a sad day when the Church of God ceased to be afraid of those influences. And just to briefly add to what you said, Brother Stephen, along slightly different light, we have pre expressions here. Peace be on TV three times as reference. And I believe we have a nice order here The first time in verse 19, peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then with the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.
Send me a little picture of peace with God that we find here is His hands in his side. Now look at his hands and his feet. It's the pathway of that blessed man to show that he was not a spirit, that he was a true man. And behold, my hands and my feet, it is I myself, the Spirit not, hath not flesh and bones that you see me have, but here in John is his hands in his side. Why? Because in John is where the only gospel that brings out is the blood being shed from his pure sight. And so it's on that basis on which we can have peace with God.
Jesus our Lord who is delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification, therefore having peace, uh, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So the first peace beyond you, I take it here is peace and relationship to his atoning sufferings. It's peace with God. But then he says in verse 21, then said Jesus unto them again, peace be unto you is my father hath sent me Even so send I you and he breathes on them and so on. But here.
Now they have, he might say, typically, a peace with God. Now they're sent forth to bear witness for him what is needed.
That piece of God, that peace in which God dwells, that peace which he gives, He's not ruffled by circumstances like we so often are. And so in that pathway of service, they will have this peace. And then we find a subsequently to Thomas restoration. And we find in verse 26, when Thomas is restored, he comes back, the door is being shut and stood in the midst and said, peace be unto you.
I just saw this in a product to go away. Sometimes there are little differences that come up among us and, umm, they can bring a little tension, a little, uh, lack of dis, maybe a little discomfort in the assembly. And it could have been this way. Thomas wasn't there the first Lord's day and after the, uh, the resurrection, but then he comes again. But if the Lord comes in, he says peace be unto you. And I think of what it says there in First Thessalonians 5 and be at peace among yourselves.
You'll notice that this uh, little expression piece be unto you, that the B is in italics. So it's really a little three sentence, a three word statement that the Lord makes peace unto you.
It was not said before the cross, it couldn't be said before the cross, it couldn't be said before resurrection. But now they have the peace of God, peace unto you. And so it's individual. They could individually enjoy their peace with God and all from John's gospel, the Lord Jesus expresses himself in these three word, little sentences, little expressions, all of them trace them through the.
John's Gospel. It's very identifying.
They said Master, where dwelleth saw. He said come and see in chapter 21, we'll read a little later and he says come and dine just a little three word expressions that the Lord uses. I just mentioned just before we close in verse 23, a piece of an authority there. It speaks of the Apostolic authority. The apostles had authority to buying and Duluth individually. But then in Matthew's Gospel chapter 18.
It's really the authority of those that are in the assembly. And so there's God has vested that authority in the assembly. In verse 18, Matthew 18, verse 18, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loose in heaven. So it's authority in the assembly. So it's important to notice that and that distinction that there is a Apostolic authority that apostles have authority.
01:25:01
Paul could say, what will you do? Shall I come with a rod? He had authority.
From God to maintain order in the assemblies at the beginning, but it's now the responsibility of those that are gathered by the Spirit of God into under the precious name of the Lord Jesus that we maintain authority in or maintain order in his presence. And so that's why there is authority given that there might be a clean place, a holy place that we're for the Lord to be in a lot of time is up.
Even the pen.
Until we see his face and all the things above and sing forever of his love to attend.
OK, praises my praises. Now you're being sorry.
So I have my students charges and so I'll still throw blood and grain screens on the dark hair.
1000, two months away.
Right.
I'm going to show great land and.
That shall be swinging them today.
Live.
Time to change forever of his predator.
And they're out in town.
OK, God my loving Father, thank you so much for these things that we have been able to have before us and before opening the scriptures to us and opening our understanding that we may understand these things and we just thank Thee for.
All righteva and all his beauty, all his glory, just, uh, pray that as we, umm, continue to think on him, that these things that we take in would be able to stay with us, that, umm, as we continue on through this, uh, life, through this pathway, as we're last year, we just pray that we'd be able to retain them and that they would, uh, work themselves in our lives. And then.
It would be for the honor and glory our Father. So we just try these things and thank you, bless your master fine and thank you for answering our prayers. Umm, so far the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.