There are three parts in John 1. In the first, extending down to verse 28, we get the personal glory of the Son of God, as Creator of heaven and earth, the One in whom the eternal life is; and secondly as the only begotten Son and the revealer of the Father. From verse 29 we get certain official glories of Christ; certain positions He has taken up, because He has to do certain works; and from verse 35 to the end how He gives the benefit of the things He has accomplished. The two latter portions I want to speak on just now; and first on verse 29.
The title, “Lamb of God,” clearly a title of humiliation, first brought to mind when Abraham was asked of Isaac, what was the meaning of taking up all the things necessary for the sacrifice, but no sacrifice. Abraham’s answer is “The Lord will provide himself, a lamb, for a burnt offering.” Isaac was the one, and Abraham knew it. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,” &c. The title is one of humbleness on the part of Christ; it always is, but remark, in verse 10, John’s mind goes back, to all the eternal glory that this Christ displayed before He became “the Lamb.” The expression here is not atonement for our sins— “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” It is not sins, for, if so, the world would be saved. It is not, on the other hand, the Lamb that maketh atonement; but the Lamb that taketh away, the sin of the world; it is a very remarkable expression, and it puts the ground on which the people are, that hear about Christ, very vividly before the mind.
You and I are in a world, which, to the mind of God, has got sin, that marks it on every part. Look at 2 Peter 3:10-13, “The day of the Lord will come,” &c. A man down here on earth; the range of his mind will not go beyond the heavens and the earth. Very often, he is very satisfied with himself, because, instead of being occupied with the earth, he is studying the heavenly bodies; but it is the whole system that is to pass away. If all were set on fire to-night, where would you be? Is that Christ of God any way connected with you? He will spare no sin. He must have a new heavens and earth, no serpent trail—no mark of self will be in the place He is going to set up. What have you got, if that be what Christ is after? He has come to abolish all that He has no part with. He has got perfect power to do it; the elements are all under His hand.. Clearly, if this system is going on to this end; is thus coming under the judicial hand of Christ; the only Person that can be positively counted on is that Christ.
The 2nd official glory is marked by the Holy Ghost coming down on Him, verse 32. On what other man did the Holy Ghost as a dove come down? It marked Him as a particular Person. What is connected with this? The same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. When did He baptize with the Holy Ghost? Have we been baptized with the Holy Ghost? Have we to go far to find sin, to find individuals unlike Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father? If Christ came into the world, the will-less One, what will God do to me, having got a strong will of my own—who am continually seeking something for self? He came to seek something for God. Yes! if the whole creation be a ruined thing—and I have part of that ruined thing myself—I have the answer in this, One come down who gives virtue from Himself, and who has given me that virtue. That virtue, which he has given me, has marked something of fellowship between me and Himself.
Verse 35. These men had rightly followed. John, and John must not point out the Lord to them till the right time, as the person who had the right to gather to Himself. Has Christ gathered you to Himself? Christ, in dealing with men down here on earth, knew just how to take up each soul according to the state it was in, making the soul He picks up know that He knows everything about it, and that He draws it in His wake. He takes them up as the Person seeking them, and, somehow or other, gets holds of their hearts, loathing themselves it is true, but still following Him to the end.
This is what is sometimes called the attractive power of Christ—but if so, has He attracted? I might hold up a magnet, and tell of its power; but it would be a different thing to hold it up where there is steel.
The people who are the Lord’s, they know this and cannot deny there is One person who has to do with them—who has discovered nothing good, who never flatters them, but is the One who has got the confidence of their hearts.
My mind has been brought to know a living person; and this living person has discovered tome all myself, things I never knew before, and He has drawn me in His blessed wake, and I follow after Him. If there be nothing but sin in the world, the person following Christ, is the exception to the general rule. People do not see that in the end of this chapter are instances of the attractive power of Christ. But this is so.
Verse 37. Something acts on the mind of the two disciples: we are very accustomed to note the workings of a new principle on our minds. They thought it well to follow the Lord. It was the expression really that He had got hold of their minds, though they knew it not. He says to them, after a little, “What seek ye?” It was giving them graciously the opportunity of getting into converse with Him. There is something very wonderful when we go back to where the word of God first reached our souls. I am sure, if in talking to them afterward, one had asked, “How came you to be disciples of this Jesus?” Well, one day we got our hearts turned to that Person; when John let out a word about Him, our hearts went out after Him, and then He stopped and said to us, “What seek ye?” That was the first word we heard Him speak.
Verse 38. Their answer was a very simple one, “Master,” &c. Had He ever taught them anything? His blessed grace was drawing their hearts, but He had taught them nothing— “Master, where dwellest thou?”—a very strange question, they put to Him! Where did He dwell? “The foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests; but He had not where to lay his head.” Paul had his own hired house, but where did the Lord dwell? It was not really the point on their minds, what they wanted was to know something about Himself. He knew it and saith unto them, “Come and see.” They go with Him and they spend the time with Him. What passed between Him and them we have not the word for; but from that day the word had got hold of their hearts, and they follow the Lord, and they are among those that are mentioned when the Lord appeared in resurrection after the sheep were scattered.
God and Christ knew how to accredit Themselves to the heart; it is not to the mind only. Saul, of Tarsus, did not know of righteousness or atonement; but when the Lord spoke a word, it was all up with Saul of Tarsus. He must follow out the thoughts of that Person, that had spoken to him, and nothing else would satisfy him. Something always passes from the Lord, who knows how to put the word so that it reaches and attracts the heart of the poor sinner. When the Lord burns up all the globe with fire, will he forget the people that he has drawn after Him?
Well, another instance opens—not only does Christ know how to pick up a poor sheep, but He knows every separate individual, and deals with every separate individual just in the state he is in; each one becomes subject to Him.
Verses 40,41. It is not here, the power in Christ to reproduce life in a poor sinner, but it is the tendency of that life put into the poor sinner, to diffuse the blessing. If you had questioned that man about Christ, he could not have given as intelligent an answer as a mere child in our Sunday Schools; but his heart was won to Christ, and it could not but want to spread abroad the blessing to others.