Reading at 3, Lonsdale Square; John 11:28-57

 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 5
 
IN verse 25, " Resurrection and the life " is the power of life come into the world, in the Person of Christ.
It was a new thing. The Jews could all understand healing the sick, so Martha says (and Mary too), "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."
Ques. In what sense does Martha own Him to be the Son of God?
As born into the world. And, as Son of God, they were bound to own Him to be the Messiah.
This Gospel does not give us a genealogy to Abraham or to Adam. John presents Jesus as "Son of God," and as "The Word" which “was God."
We now get God's final testimony to Christ's three characters. Here, it is Son of God; in chapter 12:12-15, it is Son of David; and in chapter 12:20-23, it is Son of man; and as such He was rejected as come into the world. The Psalms open so. Psa. 1 gives you a remnant separated; it is not the nation publicly, but a remnant; that is the first principle of the book. In Psa. 2 you get Messiah's place in God's counsels, and then in man's heart (not redemption at all) but in spite of man, He is set King in Zion. Next, out from that you get troubles, the result of Christ's rejection by man Then in Psa. 8 you get the Son of man crowned with glory and honor—God's full intention accomplished in Christ. These three Psalms form a basis.
So in John. He was Son of God and King of Israel, but He says He must die for that.
The remnant will be looking for deliverance from Jehovah, but will not know Him as Redeemer until they see Him.
Christ entered into all the sorrow round Him at the grave; He groaned and was troubled; He saw the power of death over all these poor things; He enters thoroughly into it, and it presses upon Him. But He comes into the scene of death in the power of life.
Although He was One who could raise the dead, yet He does it only in service, because He had taken the place of a servant, and so He asks for it, " Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me."
Ques. Would you pray for everything you wanted?
The prayer of want is all right. " In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
But the prayer of faith is always answered.
Christ did die for the nation, that all the promises of God might be fulfilled in a double way. He had promised under law, " if ye shall," i.e., upon condition; but to Abraham He had promised without condition; and, as to that, God was bound to perform.
At Sinai they took up the promises on condition of their own obedience, and they lost them all. They are to have all ultimately in another way, and so the apostle says, " 0 the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! " etc.
Losing the promises under the law did not go the whole way, but it threw them upon absolute mercy, just like the Gentile; yet God fulfills His promises.
Ques. What is the connection between the promises and the new covenant in Heb. 8?
In that passage it is that they must be born again, and then the law is written upon their hearts.
The new covenant is the shape in which it is to be done.
Ques. In Rom. 15 Christ confirms the promises made unto the fathers, and yet the Gentiles glorify God for His mercy?
Yes. It was for the truth of God that Christ confirms the promises. But the Jews were sinners as well as the Gentiles, and they would not have the promises. So the promises were fulfilled righteously to this rebellious people through the cross, for Christ died for the nation, it having rejected Him as a living Messiah, and thus lost title to them. God will fulfill them, only the Jews have to come in on the ground of mercy, not on that of promise.
So the Lord told Nicodemus, you can't have these promises until you are born again, not even the earthly thing. But God will carry out all His purposes.
Ques. All? It says, That the world through him might be saved "?
That is not a purpose of God at all.
Ques. What is the everlasting covenant "?
That is the whole thing, between the Father and the Son, I suppose you may say, " A body hast thou prepared me," and, " Lo, I come to do thy will." We are not under the new covenant, though we do get the good of it, and a great deal more.
Ques. Is the difference between the old and new covenants this, that the old is conditional, and the new is unconditional?
Precisely so. In the old you have " two," and it came to nothing, but " a mediator is not of one," and in the new, " God is one," and so God is bound and He says, " I will write."
Ques. What is a " covenant "?
Terms on which God prescribes for His people.
Ques. If we are not under the new covenant, how is Paul an able minister of it?
There would not be a ministry if we were under it. Ques. Has a Christian a new heart?
Yes. But that is not a cleansing of the old one, just as if this table, say, was very dirty, and then the mahogany was well cleaned. That is the Wesleyan or Arminian idea of a new heart.
Ques. Then instead of mahogany, you would have rosewood?
Only the mahogany is there still. While, of course, new creation does effect cleansing.
Ques. If that is the everlasting covenant, what is the " counsel of peace "?
That was between Melchisedec and Jehovah, and is for blessing upon the earth.
" Gather together in one," is not church unity, but fallible unity.
John never touches the question of the church, it is all individual with him.
Ques. What was it that had scattered them?
It does not say that they had been scattered as by a single act, but only that they were then in that state.