“IT IS THE LORD”

N. J. Henry

John 20: 24, 25 (to “the Lord”)

This is certainly better than saying to someone that they had not been out at the previous meeting. We might have to say it, but it is infinitely better if you have proved the Lord’s presence and can say sincerely, “We have seen the Lord”. Personal testimony is how persons are gathered in John’s gospel. You remember in chapter 1 they had found the Messias (John 1: 41), and then, “We have found him of whom Moses wrote and the prophets, Jesus, the son of Joseph ... who is from Nazareth” (John 1: 45).. You know, that it is enough to draw persons to the company “We have seen the Lord”. Thomas was one that had not really taken heavenly ground; that was the situation. Thomas, says, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails ...” (John 20: 25). When the Lord comes in He says to Thomas, “Bring thy finger here, and see my hands; and bring thy hand and put it into my side;

and be not unbelieving, but believing” (John 20: 27). Thomas represents, in a certain side, the Jew that is, “Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed—blessed they who have not seen and have believed” (John 20: 29)

He (Thomas) does not take heavenly ground, and I suggest it is because he not only missed the first manifestation of Christ, but it appears he missed Mary’s message; I think he missed them both. It says, “Mary of Magdala comes bringing word to the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her. When therefore it was evening on that day

...” (John 20: 18, 19), as if it had an effect on the testimony, the light had effect on the disciples. “When it was evening on that day, which was the first day of the week”, as if the light that had been vouchsafed to Mary, and had been given to them by her, was working in the company as together. Because Thomas missed both the light that came through Mary and the manifestation of Christ, he was slow to take heavenly ground.

I confess I find it hard—you may have the light but you do not come into the conscious realization of it. I suppose that is the substance of Mr. Stoney’s ministry; it was to bring the brethren consciously on to heavenly ground. You know, we have a lot of light. When you come to the Supper, or to some other meeting, is your mind ready for what is heavenly and spiritual? I think the Lord tests us, and I just thought it might be wholesome to stir up our minds. If we get light we have got to be brought into the substantiality of it; that is what Christianity means. I think they were in that day, the first day of the week, and the Lord confirmed it when He came in. I think He confirmed what the disciples had been working out that day. The doors were shut through fear of the Jews. You say, How was that? Well, it was instinct; they

realized that to allow any earthly religious influence in would spoil the light. It means that they were vigilant; everyone was vigilant that nothing of earthly religion would spoil what had come to them. Is that not a test? Is that not a test as we go about amongst men? Even in the religious order around us people may say the right things. Are we allowing the influence of that to spoil the light of what is heavenly? because Christ says, “I ascend”. He said that, in fact, even though He remained the forty days. I think at one point Mr. Taylor suggested that it looks as if He comes down into the company in verse 19; the thought of ascension comes in and He comes down in that verse. It suggests that the heavenly side was to be brought into the company, to make them able for it.

There is a difference between the two appearings. The first appearing was on a substantially higher level than the second appearing of Christ. Christ had not personally altered, but Thomas was not up to it. I might detract from the appearing of Christ, if you know what I mean when I say that, because of my lack of spirituality. I think the word would be for us to be concerned that the light in us might be substantial. Work at it; quietly work at it, and it will be confirmed by the appearing of Christ. That is what He will do; He will confirm it. He breathed into them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. Morally it required His death before He could breathe into them. It required the disciples, you might say, coming on to new ground. He brought the disciples, onto new ground, in chapter 20 of John, and later the Spirit personally came down from the ascended Christ. This is different from Moses, for instance, where the spirit of Moses was taken and put on the seventy (Numbers 11: 24, 25). That was for the continuation here, but now it is to bring what is heavenly into persons; it is a heavenly Man who is serving us now, and He wants to bring us consciously on to heavenly ground, spiritual ground.

Is that not worth going in for? No wonder they could say, consciously, “We have seen the Lord”. What reality! If you had questioned them they could have told you what He had said when He came in, and what He had done in His actions. I think Thomas could have sensed the reality of their tone by the way they said the thing. He must have known that he had missed the Lord. Is it not worth it, beloved brethren, to get a sense of that in every meeting?

Tonight, maybe, someone will get up and give us something, and we will say, It is the Lord. That is the only thing to cheer the hearts of the saints; you know that; the only thing that will brighten the saints, quicken the affections of the saints, is Jesus personally presented—“the spirit of prophesy is the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 19: 10)—things presented livingly in the company. May we, be encouraged to go on to that higher ground and prove the manifestation of Christ, for His name’s sake.

Word in meeting for ministry, Glasgow
31 October 1989