Meditations - (Nos. 7-12)

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." — Psalm 23:2a.
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7. In John 1:29, first, the sinful world is called upon to "Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world." But in v36-37, it is the faithful, who are called upon to "Behold the Lamb of God!" and thus follow Jesus. (Heb 12:1-3.)

8. Acts 1. We see the Man on an entirely new ground. This is the resurrection glory. Man raised from among the dead, and ascending to heaven after making full expiation for sins.

9. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Colossians 3:1. The Lord Jesus is (and ought to be) the supreme object of faith, hope and love for the believer. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (3:2.) The cross of Christ has closed our hearts to this world, once and for ever.

10. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13. The same duty is enjoined to believers even under the New Testament--on the ground of the full revelation of God in Christ: "And this is love, that we walk after His commandments" 2 John 1:6a. (Also, 1 John 5:3 &c.) All else--the world and its fleeting pleasures are a vanity--"is not of the Father." "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." I John 2:15-17).

11. Psalm 22 traces the blessed path of the Lord Jesus up to the cross--His profound sufferings, His death and His triumphant victory in resurrection “for Thou hast heard Me from the horns of the unicorns” v21b. Consequently, in resurrection, He declares His Father’s Name: "I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee." v22, (fulfilled in John 20; see Heb. 2.)

12. "I will declare Thy Name unto my brethren"--What this Name of God in this verse was revealed under the New Testament only. It is the Name of God as the Father. Under the Old Testament, God revealed Himself under different Names--Jehovah, Elohim, Shaddai etc. But the full and blessed revelation of God as--the Father, Son and Holy Spirit--came when the Son of God appeared on the scene declaring His Father's Name. "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." John 1:18. "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14.) Before resurrection, His own had heard the Father's Name, "I have made known to them Thy Name..." (John 17:26), and they were given power to becomes the sons of God (John 1:12); but yet they had not a full apprehension of the Father's Name (for instance, see John 14:9-10 about Philip's inquiry "Show us the Father, and it suffices us")--until redemption was finally accomplished, and Christ arose from the dead triumphantly, declaring His Father's Name: "Go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to my God and your God" (John 20:17.); thus in this glorious manner--in resurrection--the Lord Christ has made a fresh revelation of the Father's Name to His own. Furthermore, it will be remarked here, that this fresh revelation of the Father's Name is also in accordance with the Lord's prayer in John 17:26, "I have made known to them Thy Name, and will make it known; that the love with which Thou hast loved Me may be in then and I in them" (John 17:26). Mark the words, "and will make it known;" Here, He looked forward to declaring the Father's Name once again in resurrection; thus in this most intimate and glorious manner bringing us into His own place of relationship and communion with the Father. ( I John 1.)

LP [March 4, 2015]

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