We have dwelt a little on what the coming of Christ will be to us who believe; and what it will be to a rejecting world when He comes in judgment. We will now look a little at what it will be to Him. He has been bruised for us, yes "bruised for our iniquities." "The Lord hath laid on. him the iniquity of us all." Yes, His soul has been made an offering for sin. He bare the sins of many. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." " Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it: that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-2725Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25‑27).) And all this, not only the love of Christ, precious as that is, but " Having made known unto us the mystery of his will" (the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) cc according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself." We can thus hear the Son in the counsels of eternity saying, "Lo I come to do thy will." Thus Jesus saith to the Jews, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
Now from these most comforting scriptures, do we not see how deeply interested the Lord Jesus Christ must be in that blessed event, when the first part of the eternal purpose of God the Father shall be accomplished? the presentation of the church glorious, without spot or wrinkle.
In order, however, to enter into this joy of the Lord, the reader must be quite sure that he has come to Christ, as we see here, because given to Him of the Father. If so, He must, and will, take good care that you shall in no wise be cast out. Does He not say so? and is not that enough? Is it possible after the cross, for either His love to cease, or for Him to fail to do the Father's will? And that will is that you should not be lost, but that He should raise you up at the last day. Of that resurrection we will speak shortly. How gracious of the Lord to tell us all this, that the foundation of the blessed hope might be so sure! Do you think Christ has any uncertainty about a single soul given unto Him, whose sins He bare in His own body on the cross? Whether we think of those who have fallen asleep in Him, or those who are now alive on earth in the midst of this scene of temptation and conflict, is He afraid that He will fail to raise all in the glory given to Him? Are you a believer? Then, if you could be lost, of course He would foil to do the Father's will. Is not this impossible? Do you say, My sins come to my remembrance, and I almost sink in despair? Our sins; was He not nailed to the cross to bear them? Oh, see that holy, sinless One nailed there; and there doing the will of God in bearing our sins. Is not our Sin-bearer now crowned with glory? Yes, that same Jesus who was bruised for our iniquities, delivered for our offenses, is now at the right hand of the majesty on. high, having purged our sins; God having raised Him from the dead for our justification. He did not fail in that vast undertaking. He could say, " I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." There can be no question of this, for God has raised Him from the dead and received Him to glory. Then to believers there can be no uncertainty. Believing God, that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification, we are thus accounted righteous before God. Never can there be a question of this in the heart of Christ. Well does He know that we are accepted in Him, One with Himself.
"What joy this must be to the heart of Christ, knowing the righteousness of His God and Father in justifying us from all things, through His own divinely perfect work! And not only this, blessed as it is, but "He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied." Though we are justified from all things, accounted righteous, even as He is righteous, yet for the present we have to mourn over and deplore a sinful nature, yea, to abhor ourselves often too in bitter confession. Flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; conflict too with wicked spirits in the heavenlies. And with all, in a world of tribulation, ever proving His tender care and intercession, and never failing to restore our souls.
Now pause, and think of the intense interest He has in that wondrous event so near at hand, when He shall come to receive us to Himself, and when all the present sorrow and conflict shall forever cease. How this thought sustained His heart, even beneath the very shadow of the cross! Let us hear how He speaks of it to us, and how He speaks to the Father. All was divinely certain to Him. He would have us share the same certainty. He says, u Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-31Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1‑3).) Yes, fellow believer, there is no doubt about it, He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. Did He die for your sins on the cross? Then He will come and receive you unto Himself, and shall be satisfied. Oh, if one whose sins He bore on the cross could be lost, would He be satisfied? Never, never, never. He was just about to enter that scene of travail of soul for us. Shortly lie entered Gethsemane. Oh, see Him sweating, as it were, great drops of blood! But if the prospect was so terrible, what was the deep untold reality on the cross? He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. Though we are left in this world a little while, He would have us enjoy this blessed certainty with Himself. He could not be satisfied unless all the Father gave to Him were brought to glory.
Do you hear Him thus speaking to you? "I will come again and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also." You do not think He can break His promise? No, lie must see you there, fruit of the travail of His soul. "It is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all which lie hath given me I should lose nothing." Sweet resting-place of the heart that knows Him; Jesus' love fulfilling the Father's will in coming Himself, to receive us, fruit of the travail of His soul.
Now let us hear the breathing of His love to the Father. (John 17) Is it possible for words to express deeper longings of heart for those whom the Father hath given to Him? "I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine." "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one as we are one." "Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory." What must that coming moment then be, when these longings of the heart of Christ shall be fulfilled: when He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied? Waiting now in patience until the last soul given to Him of the Father passes from death unto life; yet oh, the joy to Him when He comes as it is written, to receive us to meet Him in the air.
Ah! this was the joy that was set before Him, as He crossed the brook Cedron, as He went into dark Gethsemane, and on to the cross. Be assured He will not fail to receive you at His coming. There is no uncertainty as to this, for "We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Did you ever notice what a change will take place in heaven when the desire of the Lord's heart is thus granted, and He sees the travail of His soul so far answered, when we are caught up to be forever with Him? When the redeemed take their seats, clothed in white raiment, and crowned with gold, as seen under the figure of the four and twenty elders; then behold the Lamb as it had been slain takes His place in the midst of the throne. (Rev. 4; 5) The angelic myriads give place to the redeemed to occupy the inner circle. Yes, the thousands of thousands stand round about the throne and the crowned elders. What a change this is in heaven! Oh, the surpassingness of this grace! Think of this redeemed multitude of thieves, harlots, drunkards, and sinners of deepest dye, washed in the blood of the Lamb, clothed and crowned. Is not this the first time we hear of singing in heaven? Oh, to join that mighty roll of swelling song, that new song of further redemption-glories still to come. And hark! the thousands of thousands of angels around, saying with a loud noise, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Rev. 5:1212Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12).) And will He see you there? And will He be satisfied then, but not till then, for the travail His soul endured for you? Now, what a scene this will be for that same Jesus, who bare our sins amid the darkness and the forsaking of God, in judgment on our iniquities on the cross! But oh, how much to follow; and this is the burthen of the new song. Yes, He is worthy of the sealed number of Israel; the number also that no man can number of the vast multitude that shall be saved through millennial days; vast numbers to be saved and washed in the blood of the Lamb after the church has been completed, and forever with the Lord, And all those, too, who shall be slain for the testimony of Jesus during the times of tribulation from the taking of the church to His coming in judgment to reign. (Rev. 6-19) Not one of these shall be lost; "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." Nothing can prevent this blessed event taking place. Even from those scenes of unparalleled wickedness, He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.
And now a word as to the great millennial exhibition, when the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ shall show His workmanship,, u Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife," " and he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, and her light was like unto a stone, most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." This reminds us of a visit to a large gold, and silver, and precious stone establishment on the Continent. The workshops were similar to those where common metals are worked: the melting in the furnace, the rolling, the stamping, and all the various branches. Though these precious metals and stones were of great value, yet they appeared to get rough handling in some parts of the operations. One thing was however striking, the great care, that, of all committed to the workmen, nothing should be lost. And you would not have thought that the value the proprietor set upon one little stone was three hundred pounds. Well, after a time came the exhibition, when every article in our friend's case was pronounced a perfect gem. You would not have thought if you had seen some of these, as they had been dipped in aquafortis, and other operations which we need not describe, what a pleasure it would be at last to the owner to see them in all their polish and perfection!
What will it be when our blessed Lord shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied! We might look at some of His precious stones now. Few think of the value He sets on that clear soul toiling there at her washing, that one in the cellar, another in the attic, that one passing through sore temptation. And oh, what care, that of all the Father had given to Him, nothing should be lost! Oh, blessed Lord, haste the day of thy great exhibition, when every redeemed saint shall be a perfect gem to thy eternal praise! Let also the new heaven and the new earth appear, then shalt Thou see of the travail of Thy soul, and shall be satisfied. Even so Lord Jesus.—Amen.