THE SPIRITUAL SUPERSEDING THE NATURAL
[p. 167] THE SPIRITUAL SUPERSEDING THE NATURAL
John 2: 1 - 11; John 3: 27 - 29; Revelation 19: 7 - 9
What I desire to say has reference to the spiritual in contrast to the natural. You will find in each of the gospels that there are certain lines of thought introduced at the outset of the Lord’s ministry which afford a key to the understanding of them respectively. The line introduced in John at the outset of the Lord’s ministry emphasises what is spiritual. John would lead our souls from the natural to the spiritual. He tells us in chapter 4 that God is a Spirit, and that is a leading feature of his gospel.
In Matthew 5 you have introduced a new kind of legislation, a most important line of things for Christians. The chapter refers to what the Lord said on the mount. He emphasised what He was saying, “I say unto you”. They had heard what others had said, and He did not set that aside, but now it was what He said. He introduces a new legislation; we are to be governed by this. It carries with it the authority of the Lord. It is a very important point for believers, especially young believers, to admit in their souls the authority of Christ. It may be new to you. You may be accustomed to the old principles, to what has been accredited in the world; but we have new principles that have been introduced by the Lord Jesus. That is a leading line of thought in Matthew.
In Luke 5 you get introduced a new order of things. The chapter begins with the Lord in Peter’s boat. The new order of things is marked by people who have learnt that they are sinful. Peter had learnt that he was sinful; that as sinful he was a leper, as a leper he was cleansed; as cleansed he received power and was sent to his house; and having a house he makes an entertainment for the Lord, and [p. 168] finally there is the new wine put into new bottles. Manifestly a most important line of truth. Naturally we prefer the old wine, it is much easier. You can go on with less exercise; in fact, without any. A ready made religion demands no exercise; you cannot put the new wine into that. You cannot connect the Spirit of God with an organised religion on earth, governed by earthly principles.
In John it is the spiritual. We may accept the new order of things, and yet not be exactly spiritual. My point is to emphasise the importance of the spiritual. One has authority for saying that Christians are not always spiritual. The Corinthians were not spiritual. They were remarkable believers, too. They had a very great place in the ways of God. The assembly at Corinth was used in connection with the ways of God in a public way more than any other in a sense. God singled it out to unfold to it the laws, or principles, that should govern His house down here. But they were not spiritual, and as not so they came short of the heavenly joy that Christianity affords us. They came short of the assembly as the bride of Christ. You cannot afford not to be spiritual. Your life will be dim, so dim as to cease to be a guide. We have to shine in our own light. If you are in the light of the heavenly, you are going to heaven, and so you are a guide. The Corinthians were not, and the apostle says he could not address them as spiritual, but as carnal.
I would speak of the spiritual. It is a subject beyond one, in a sense, but I see it plainly marked in John’s gospel. The marriage is introduced because it concerns the natural, and it is not the natural on the bad side, as it is presented here. In one sense the natural is wholly affected by evil. Yet the marriage institution is of God, and it is presented here as the side of the natural that God can own. There are many things that God can own. To deny [p. 169] natural affection would be apostasy. Every legitimate affection we may have God respects. But the point is, are we living in these natural affections? This marriage in Cana of Galilee is viewed in such a light that Jesus can accept the invitation to it. “Both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage”. It was an occasion in which the world did not dominate. Simon the Pharisee invited the Lord to his house, but he did not invite the disciples. Had he done so, one would have assumed that he had respect for the Lord and His teaching, because he would have recognised those who followed Him, but he did not do so. But the disciples were invited to the marriage, so they were present with the Lord.
We are told that Jesus “manifested forth his glory”. What became of the glory of the bridegroom and bride when the glory of Jesus was manifested? Where were they morally when Jesus manifested forth His glory? We are not told that the bride and bridegroom became believers, but we are told that the disciples became believers. They were believers in One who manifested forth His glory. It is one thing to believe in One who helps you, and another thing to believe in One who manifests forth His glory. The disciples had found a Centre. Think of the manifestation of the glory of Jesus! In coming in contact with souls, one finds a restlessness of spirit, whereas the initial idea of the assembly is a foundation — “Upon this rock will I build my assembly”. That does not suggest a restless state of things. Restlessness marks many, but it is because they are not resting in Christ as seen in His glory. The disciples believed in One who manifested forth His glory. Are you a believer in that One?
In the next chapter you see how John the baptist found the Bridegroom. He had found the spiritual Bridegroom. In the beginning of chapter 3 the [p. 170] Lord insists on the necessity for the spiritual: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh”. You cannot make anything else out of it. It may be admired here, but it is flesh. We want to get hold of the spiritual. The Lord told Nicodemus that he had to be born spiritually. He had to be born of water and of the Spirit. The natural mind cannot take it in. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit”. There is something about you, as born again, which is beyond the natural. A scientist can tell you a good deal about scientific things, but nothing about this. But a great change has taken place. You now look at everything differently — there are desires after God, and a sense of sin as before Him. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The passage goes on to show the necessity for the Son of man to be lifted up. The person born again appreciates that “must”. It is a very important “must”. The allusion is to Numbers 21, the serpent of brass lifted up. From that point the spiritual history of the people begins. In the uplifted serpent of brass the flesh was judged typically. God never spares the flesh. He has dealt with it according to His own nature.
You come to discover in yourself that the flesh is incorrigible, and you appreciate the fact that God has lifted up Christ, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Then it proceeds with the heavenly. “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven”. So the heavenly and the spiritual are linked up together. Then you get the great statement as to God’s love, that “God so loved the world”.
[p. 171] All is leading up to what God is — love. The next chapter, which deals with the gift of the Spirit, answers to it. There is response in believers in a spiritual way to God, who is a Spirit.
In the verses read in chapter 3: 27 - 29, we see how John the baptist came on to the spiritual line. He was the greatest born of women, but he disappears. It is only the spiritual man that will disappear voluntarily. The natural man never will. John rejoiced to see the moral worth of others, and if they are greater than he, he bows. And who is the greater One? The Lord out of heaven. Is that the way you are going to end up? John disappears as a spiritual man; and of what does his spirituality consist? He recognised the voice of the Bridegroom. He had no ear for the natural bridegroom. What would the marriage in Cana of Galilee be to him? He has heard the voice of the Bridegroom; there is only One Bridegroom for him — “the Bridegroom”. John had a spiritual ear to hear the Bridegroom’s voice. He says, “this my joy therefore is fulfilled”. He is a most remarkable example of a spiritual man. He says that the Bridegroom has the bride; she belongs to Him. The bride is not seen here. She is seen in Revelation 19, Revelation 21, and Revelation 22. In fact, the Bible closes with a full view of her. She is there, the bride of the Lamb. Who is the Lamb? The Lamb is the suffering One. Our natural mind would delight in the heroes of this world. The Lamb is not that. He was the Sufferer. You will remember how the Lord first announced His connection with the assembly. It was from heaven, and He recognised it as suffering. He says to Paul, “Why persecutest thou me?” He is a Sufferer, and His bride is suitable; she is a sufferer. Are we sufferers? If we are spiritual we are. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”, 2 Timothy 3: 12. Christ is our Pattern even in suffering, and we are to be conformed to Him. “If we suffer ... we shall reign”.
In Revelation 19 the marriage of the Lamb is announced. I read the verses to show the full contrast to the marriage at Cana of Galilee. The bride made herself ready. We ought to make ourselves ready. The bride hears the Bridegroom, and she makes herself ready. In Revelation 22 she is quite ready. She says, “Come”. She is prepared for Christ. Remember, suffering is a mark of glory; it is the order of the day now. The Lord has been the Lamb and the Sufferer; His wife must be suitable. She is a sufferer and she shines in bright garments.
May the Lord greatly encourage us along the spiritual line.