SONS OF THE RESURRECTION
[p. 348] SONS OF THE RESURRECTION
Luke 20: 34 - 36; John 11: 41 - 44: Isaiah 38: 19, 20; Jonah 2: 6 - 9
I wish to speak about the sons of the resurrection, with a view to our souls acquiring increased power, for the resurrection of Christ represents the exceeding greatness of God’s power. It is said that we are raised with Christ “through faith of the working of God who raised him from among the dead”, Colossians 2: 12. That faith is the “working of God” involves His power, never so energetic as when He raised Christ from the dead. So my proposal is to show somewhat of the import of a son of the resurrection.
The Lord in Luke 20 alludes to the full thought of resurrection and shows that participation in it implies worthiness. It is not viewed as simply an act of sovereign power apart from the state of those who are acted upon, for the state of those who are acted upon in the resurrection from among the dead implies certain worthiness. The Lord visits the graves of those who have part in the first resurrection. All that are in their graves shall hear His voice, we are told. They are not yet raised. Something has taken place in them enabling them to hear His voice and they come forth; energy is there, divine power energetic is there and they come forth. Earlier in the same chapter, John 5, the Lord said that the hour was coming and even was then, that the dead should hear His voice and they that had heard should live. They are not dead literally, but morally. Still they can hear His voice. Something has happened in them in the way of change from what they had been. That is what is going on, the voice of the Son of God; it has come down the ages, penetrating dead persons, causing them to hear the voice of the Son of God, and in hearing, to live.
[p. 349] The next allusion is to the persons who have actually died. Think of the millions who have died. But there are those who will have part in the first resurrection. All the dead will not have part in this. All will have part in the resurrection in some sense, but I have no thought whatever of speaking of the resurrection in which the wicked dead have part; it is an awful thought. They remain in their graves one thousand years after the dead in Christ are raised. They will stand before the great white throne after they are raised. They will come forth to stand before God. The dead, small and great, shall stand before the Lord Jesus as He appears on His throne in judgment. But the dead in Christ that hear and know His voice, come forth as worthy, those who have done good.
No one must assume that I am weakening the gospel, but salvation is accompanied by these things. Salvation is not worth the name if it is not accompanied by good works; “those that have practised good” have part in the resurrection of life. The Lord has all this in mind when He says, “They who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage”. He says that they are equal to angels. We have to read Scripture always contextually or we do not get the sense of it. But on this particular point, as He is speaking to the Sadducees, wicked opposers of Christ, He just brings out what is enough to confute their folly, because they did not believe in angels or Spirits. The Lord says to them that those who are accounted worthy of that world are equal to angels. That is enough to prove His point, and then He adds they are sons of God, sons of the resurrection.
Now that brings in what I am speaking of, I wish to show how the matter works out today in us as believers, as experiencing the power of resurrection.
[p. 350] That is the power that wrought in Christ when God raised Him from among the dead. We become sons of the resurrection, and as sons of the resurrection we are able to face the difficulties of the moment, the terrible opposition that is developing, the evil that is current, and we are furnished with what is available so as to be victorious. All the way through Scripture the prime thought of God is that His people should be victorious. “Who is he that gets the victory over the world but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Power in the soul goes with that. So it is a question of being sons, not simply children, but sons fully developed in the truth in this particular matter. We learn in part. It is folly to attempt to learn everything at once. We learn in part and the best place for learning is in school, and God has established the greatest school that ever was, and we christians are supposed to be in that school. If we are not in it we are missing it, nor shall we ever become sons of anything that is of God. We have the word ‘sons’ applied to persons who belong to a country, persons initiated in the plans, constitution and policies of the country. They are sons of the country. In the Scriptures we have sons of light, meaning persons developed in all their senses and capabilities in the light. For such people, when problems come up for consideration, would say, Before I talk on that subject I will get my armour of light and clothe myself in it so that in speaking to anybody about that subject I know what I am saying; I know how to name things. They are sons of light. As the Lord Jesus says, “While ye have the light believe in the light, that ye may become sons of light”. If I have on the armour of light I will know how to name things. The person I am speaking to may be in darkness. It is a most important thing to know how to name things, so that we become sons of light. There are very few, but it is within the [p. 351] range of all, so that in speaking to persons in business or school, and problems are always coming up, I know what to say, I know how to name things. So also we have sons of Zion, persons versed in the great thought of Zion, the sense of divine counsel that nothing can be moved in the system that God has established. It is thus in many other instances.
Now I am speaking about sons of resurrection, because my point is power. The Lord says that sons of the resurrection are not governed by the common custom of men that marry and are given in marriage. Marriage is a divine institution, but the Lord says they were doing that until the day that Noah entered into the ark; it was just human custom. But sons of the resurrection are not governed by that thought. The sons of the resurrection are equal to angels. But the Lord in speaking to the Sadducees, just brings forth things that are necessary. He does not tell them the mystery. Now they are sons of the resurrection, the Lord says, on that account, they are sons of God. Is that all a son of God is; he is just as great as an angel? No, but it is just enough to prove His point. We keep to the point whatever it be.
And having this in mind I just wish to bring out the well-known chapter in John’s gospel speaking of the resurrection of Lazarus and bordering on what I am saying. And having arrived at this chapter I want to point out that the great servant Paul had among his exercises the thought that he should attain to the resurrection from among the dead. That does not mean that God should raise him from the dead, but he should attain to that now. Paul would be a son of the resurrection if he attained, as he wished, to the resurrection from among the dead. He is the only one that we hear of having this exercise. He went beyond that, and yet he had not already attained but he went beyond that, for he says, “I press toward the mark”, not only to the resurrection, but to the [p. 352] calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. That takes us to heaven. He does not say heaven but, “the calling on high”, wonderful verses, “of God in Christ Jesus”; he was pressing towards it. Of course, the Lord is to come to take you to that point. He is speaking of his own exercises, of the power that works in us enabling us to arrive at it.
But I speak only of the resurrection now. He had a desire to attain to the resurrection from among the dead. What a mighty force he would be in this world, so that death lost its power. He says he did not deprecate dying; that was the power he had in his soul. Indeed he said, I die daily. That was his own act of power that he had in his soul and that would constitute him, as I said, a son of the resurrection, for it is the power that works in us, the same power that raised Christ from the dead. The believer pursues. His guide is the armour of light enabling him to see what the thing is and the power to go forward against it. Having done everything, “Having done all, to stand”. That does not mean having done all I can, that is not what this passage means: you do all that is required. It is only a question of setting our minds to it, the power that works in us. “I have strength for all things in him that gives me power”; do all things. It is not what we are able to do, but what is to be done. God says, I furnish you with what is necessary.
To go to the chapter in John 11, I want to point out what is in mind, that faith should be in the disciples, and He never speaks otherwise except with a view to some believing. It is most instructive to hear what Christ says to the Father, “And Jesus lifted up his eyes on high and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me; but I knew that thou always hearest me; but on account of the crowd who stand around I have said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me”. I expect He had spoken [p. 353] to the Father about this great matter before. “I thank thee that thou hast heard me”. The Lord had always this thought for His utterance that faith should be found somewhere in those who heard. So here, for those who heard, the Lord says these things. “Because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me”. You will find throughout the chapter He had this in mind that there should be believers, and what He has in mind, if He is saying anything through me, is that there should be believers. I have been speaking about schools, the school of God; it is just as great as any other school and we must begin from the bottom and learn one thing after another so as to be educated spiritually. “They shall be all taught of God”. You do not want to miss the school. In the divine school I learn, and so through this chapter, perhaps one of the best known in a way, but it is intended to make sons of the resurrection. The Lord says, for instance, I know that Lazarus is sick and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there. It is just so that ye might believe. What are these meetings for or these fixed convocations? They are to the end that the brethren should come together and that the Holy Spirit should work that there might be believers, sons of the kingdom, sons of light and sons of the resurrection. These are wide thoughts. Think of being a son of the resurrection. What can overcome you if you are a son of the resurrection? You are beyond the greatest power. The devil turns away. Lazarus is a son of the resurrection so that this chapter, as I said, is full of this and one of the sons of the resurrection, so to speak, is Martha. She had a conversation with the Lord after Lazarus had died. He waited until Lazarus was buried and Martha met Him and they spoke about the resurrection. She says to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day”. The Lord says, “I am the resurrection and the life”, too. She is brought to a halt in her soul. This means that, not only has the Lord full power to raise the dead but He is the resurrection, and He explained to her as regards those who are living that he that lives and believeth in Me though he have died yet shall he live. If the Lord were to take us to heaven He would quicken us; though he were dead, says the Lord, the word is, “Every one who lives and believes on me shall never die”. That is what He told Martha. It is that life which you have now which never dies. He had just fallen asleep. He is making a son of the resurrection out of Martha, a very unlikely case but the Lord accepted it. He pointed out this great fact to her that anyone who believes, if he be fallen asleep in Him, shall live. Then He says further of persons like us, “Whosoever ... believeth in me shall never die”. Well, it seemed folly to say that, but it is not; it is true because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, therefore the death of the saints is just sleep, asleep through Jesus, a very beautiful thought! It is right for those of us who are older to think of the probability of actual dissolution. When He says that you will never die, He means to say that death is sleep to us, and we will live. The matter is simply if we do not die and we believe in Him, when He comes we will never die. So He says the sons of the resurrection shall never die. It applies in this way that I am speaking of now, but He says to Martha, “Believest thou this?”. He is making a son of the resurrection out of her. She says, “Yea, Lord; I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God”. Let us open our hearts to the truth to become sons of the resurrection. I know she was a poor failing woman and when He told them to roll away the stone from the mouth of the grave, she said, “Lord, by this time he stinketh”. It is a question of faith, one who really believes as Martha did, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God”. Then she goes to tell Mary. So the Lord says it that they might believe.
The resurrection of Lazarus made a great stir and they came to see the Lord Jesus and Lazarus also. He says, “Lazarus, come forth”, and Lazarus is typical of the sons of the resurrection because he came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes. Power was working in him. No power in the universe could hinder him from coming forth. Power was working in him and the Lord says, “Loose him and let him go”. He does not put any guard over him; the Lord has confidence in him. As a son of the resurrection he will be used of God to call attention to Christ, and that is what happened.
I want to speak of the passages in the Old Testament to point out how Hezekiah and Jonah are, typically, sons of the resurrection. The history of Hezekiah is known to many of us; how he tasted death and came out of it and lived fifteen years more which was plenty to bring out the point. He could have been allowed to live longer if God had wanted to, but he does not. Fifteen is quite enough to prove the point. What could God not do? He caused the sun to go back and it was through the power of God. It is a very simple thing to God. As the Lord says, “Ye err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God”, and so He causes the sun to go back. Well, that is enough to prove the point and so Hezekiah lives fifteen years more. Eternal life is a great extension of fifteen years. That is not connected with what I am saying but sons of the resurrection are not afraid of death. Think of the energy of God to raise him up. There is no power that can stop a believer on those lines. All the power in the earth could not stop Lazarus from coming forth. The power was working in him. The same thing is true now of believers. “I have strength for all things in him that gives me power”. Hezekiah was sick, we are told, unto death [p. 356] and he went through it, too. I cannot read it, but it is well worth reading. I only want to show that sons of the resurrection contribute to the service of God, they add to it. It is quite right to go on with what there is, but a son of the resurrection will have much, he will add to what there is. So that what we get here is, “The living, the living he shall praise thee, as I this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth”. It is for our children so that our children grow up in it. It is not simply that I come into what there is of ready-made service, but I add to it. That is what Hezekiah does. He says, “The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord”. Hezekiah contributed to what there was. He is a son of the resurrection. We will sing — he has provided a song for them to sing — my songs in the house of the Lord, the very highest notes in which God is to be praised on stringed instruments.
Now just a word about Jonah. The Lord Jesus cites Jonah as a sign and He says they will get no other. So that people who deny the book of Jonah will get no other sign. It refers to the death of Jesus, three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. He says, “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy”. How many there are who ridicule the book of Jonah. He is plain in regard of them now, saying of them that observe lying vanities that they forsake their own mercy, forsake the mercy of God in Christ. Then he goes on to say, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord”. The fish vomited [p. 357] him out. This is a very searching word. A christian is not worth a name that has not vowed. The point is not that you have not vowed but have you paid your vows? some may not have identified themselves with the Lord and His people, but have put it off. The Lord is calling upon you now to pay your vows. Jonah says, I will do it. “I will pay that that I have vowed”. There is no other way out but through God. Salvation is of Jehovah, not that He may not use these things as He doubtless does, but faith says, “Salvation is of Jehovah”. Have I paid my vows? Has not God a controversy with me in what is happening? Have I paid my vows in what is happening? I will pay, Jonah says, and then he adds, “Salvation is of Jehovah”. Is He not a God to be paid? Why should He be left out of all my payments? God keeps books. Jonah says, I am going to see to it that I will pay my vows, I am going to think of Him. Why should we leave Him out of all our reckonings, why not look into the ledger and see what is due? Much will happen but it is waiting the state of the saints. What God is looking for is state, an answering recompense so that it is time to wake up and see if God is not speaking to me; has He not a voice to me? I may perhaps see His hand delivering as soon as I pay my vows so that I will say, “Salvation is of Jehovah”.