“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11.
These words have been used by the Holy Ghost in a remarkable manner in Upper Egypt. The Coptic Church have, through all these centuries, held fast the true divinity of Christ; but, as is well known, they lost the true humanity of Christ since His resurrection. To them there were not now the two natures in Christ: only the divine.
So that about five years ago, when the Lord’s servants began to preach the coming of the Lord, it was said the Copts would never listen to such a thought. On the contrary, God was pleased to use this scripture, to produce an entire change, and great numbers now believe the true humanity, as well as the Godhead of the Lord Jesus. They are now preaching the gospel, and waiting for “this same Jesus” from heaven.
When we remember the meaning of the word Jesus, the assurance is very sweet. “This same Jesus [Savior] which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
When the angel of the Lord announced the birth of Jesus, he said of Mary, “She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: [that is, Savior] for he shall save his people from their sins.” “And they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matt, 1:21.) What a birth! What a name! The incarnate Son, the Savior-God with us. Trace His wondrous path from the manger to the cross. At every step, in every act, we see the Savior-God with us. By His almighty power, He calms the raging sea; restores the dead to life; gives sight to the blind; and healeth all diseases. But oh, the display of tender, infinite love! See this same Jesus when the sinner weeps at His feet. Hearken to those first but tender words, “Thy sins are forgiven.....Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Oh, the deep untold joy of His heart in seeking the lost! When another sinning daughter of Samaria came to the well to draw water, oh hear the words of Emmanuel! u Give me to drink.” And in answer to her great surprise He said, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” This is that same Jesus that loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Fully did he enter into their death sorrow. “Jesus wept.” This same Jesus is coming again. The same Savior that bare our sins in His own body on the cross. The same Jesus that was raised again from the dead for our justification; and showed Himself to His disciples alive from the dead. “Jesus [the Savior] himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”
Not only as God, truly God, Emmanuel, God with us, not a spirit, but the true humanity risen from the dead. He said, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed unto them his hands and his feet.” (Luke 24:36-43.) This is a matter of eternal moment. “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17.)
The resurrection of the same (Savior) Jesus is the crowning-point in the preaching at Pentecost and onwards. “This Jesus [Savior] hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2) “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by him all that believe are justified,” &c. (Acts 13:38.)
He will come as Judge; but He will first come as Savior. He comes as Savior to take His own to be with Himself. When He shall come as Judge they will come with Him. He will come and reign in righteousness. And righteousness shall cover the earth. All things put under Him. “But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory,” &c. (Heb. 2:9.) This same Jesus, as Savior, shall come again. This was the hope of the church in the beginning. The Thessalonian converts were “Turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess. 1:10.)
It is blessed to own Him both Lord and Christ. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Thess. 2:19.) “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20.) So also Paul writes to Titus, his own son in the faith, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ: who gave himself for us,” &c. (Titus 2:13.)
It is thus most important to keep before our souls the true humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He comes, the same Jesus, in all the tenderness of infinite love. The same Jesus who said, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.” Yes, “having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” To them He said, “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, 2.) Thus He speaks to us. And then this same Jesus speaks to the Father, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.” (John 17:24.)
Surely, then, He comes, as the same Jesus; in like manner as He ascended up into heaven.
Behold Him. “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” (Luke 24:50-53.)
If such was the joy at parting, with the testimony, that this same Jesus shall so come again in like manner, what will be His joy in meeting in the air, those whom the Father has given unto Him! And what our joy and worship, as we enter the glory; and in that glory the place prepared for us! Oh, think of this same Jesus coming Himself to take us to Himself—to welcome us home. Once He bore our sins, now He comes without sin unto salvation. Our hearts shall adore Him as the Lamb once slain. The same Jesus, forever Emmanuel, God with us. What a Savior! What a victory! How deep is God’s mercy to us! How great is His love! “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Yes, we are waiting for the display of all this Wondrous grace at the return of this same Jesus, who is gone up into heaven.
For centuries this wondrous scripture had been entirely overlooked, and Christians had been taught to look for Christ as Judge, and not first as the same Savior. He hath loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. He will not come to judge His own perfect work, or lay to our charge the sins He bore. Yes, soon we shall see this same Jesus; He who died for our sins according to the scriptures; He who was raised from the dead, our ever subsisting righteousness; He who has never failed to intercede for us above, or restore our souls whilst we are here below. If He has by the Holy Ghost made us to know our own vileness (that in us, that is in our flesh, there dwelleth no good thing), it is to make known to us that He is “made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30.) If we have been disappointed, in vainly seeking perfectness, or sinlessness in our poor, wretched selves, it is to have found it all in Him. Infinite love possessed in Him. Oh, boundless treasures of perfect love in Him, and shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost! We shall see Him as He is, and be like Him then, no more to desire, but forever to enjoy. Yea, even now, He is ours, and we are His. May we not, then, even now, no more merely desire, but repose in the fullness of infinite love! When He fills the vision of the soul, self, good or bad, must disappear. If we are occupied with ourselves (and, alas! how often this is the case), then the eye is not filled with this same Jesus, nor the heart waiting for Him from heaven. Oh, blessed link, nothing can part us from the love of Christ, this same Savior. He who shall come to judge the nations is the coming Savior to us. How different to the world. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev. 1:7.)
Ah, reader, will your eyes behold Him as your Savior, or will you wail with the world, when He comes to judge? Is He your Savior now? Or do you belong to the world which still rejects His love and mercy? He may come to take His own today, and then would you be left behind?
He says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:16, 17.)
Precious words of Jesus, Jehovah Savior! Bright and Morning Star. Surely the bride that knows Him must say, Come. Looking for this same Jesus cannot you say, Come? And it is the glory of the grace, to the last moment of this day of mercy. “And let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Blessed closing words of this same Jesus.
C. S.