WATER OF PURIFICATION (2)
WATER OF PURIFICATION (2)
JT We read chapters 2 and 3 of John yesterday, in connection with the water of purification. In chapter 2 we noticed that the six water vessels that had been placed there to hold the water of purification were empty, but were at the Lord’s disposal, and He ordered them to be filled. When believers are filled with that which is the witness of the death of Christ, they become useful, and cause joy to the brethren; when the water in the vessels was drawn out, it became wine. In chapter 3 we spoke about the application of water in new birth; one born of water and of Spirit can enter the kingdom of God. Water and the Spirit exclude what is corrupt and the almighty power of God produces that which cannot be touched by corruption, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. It is the work of God which is first produced in a believer, enabling him to receive the gospel; without it no one can see the kingdom of God, nor enter it. What is begotten, or produced, is called spirit, implying that the believer is completely changed, and is in harmony with God; the believer himself is not called spirit, but there is something in him which is called spirit, which will eventually make him a spiritual man.
Ques Would you say that one must first be born of water and of Spirit before receiving the gospel?
JT Without it we should be obliged to admit that the flesh is of some use; whereas “flesh profits nothing”. We are all born after the flesh and have nothing that is of pleasure to God apart from new birth; this is a fundamental truth to which we should pay great attention.
Ques Is it the sovereign work of God who operates in new birth to make possible our entry into the kingdom of God?
[p. 11] JT Yes.
Ques What is the difference between seeing and entering the kingdom of God?
JT The first statement is general, taking in the whole truth, “Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God” John 3:3; it excludes natural man as incapable of seeing the kingdom of God; then the second reply of the Lord to Nicodemus goes into detail.
Ques Is it not usually the Spirit who enables us to see and enter the kingdom of God?
JT It is not a question here of having the Spirit, but simply of the work of God making man capable of seeing what He is presenting to him.
Ques Has every believer entered the kingdom of God?
JT The Lord is presenting the truth abstractly here.
Ques Could it be said of the man born blind that first he saw, then that he entered when he obeyed the Lord Jesus?
JT I should like all to be clear about this, before speaking of chapter 9. In chapter 3 the Lord is speaking of an initial work effected sovereignly by God; the negative side is stressed showing what man cannot do unless born anew. This teaching shuts out man in the flesh, however great his ability; then, when man as such is put aside, something is introduced which allows such a one entry into the kingdom of God.
Rem There are two distinct thoughts; firstly born of water, and then born of Spirit.
JT Water excludes what is corrupt; it is negative, in view of what is positive, what is termed “spirit”, being free from the element of corruption. It is the basis of John’s ministry; in his epistle he says, “Every one begotten of God does not sin, but he that has been begotten of God keeps himself” (1 John 5:18), and “his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God”, 1 John 3:9. The believer is seen here apart from what he is in the flesh; our [p. 12] enjoyment of our relation with God and our spiritual progress, depend upon the way we abstract ourselves from what we are according to flesh. In this epistle a believer is viewed, normally, as having the Holy Spirit.
Ques Do we learn this in Romans 7:17, “It is no longer I that do it, but the sin that dwells in me”?
JT That helps us to understand the teaching of John’s gospel. In Romans 7 the believer is analysing himself morally, and is separating himself in his mind from what he is in the flesh, “So then I myself with the mind serve God’s law; but with the flesh sin’s law”. That shows what the flesh is worth; it only serves the law of sin. John 2 alludes to the millennium, and to millennial joys, but we also see typically a believer as a vessel for the water of purification.
Ques Has a believer seen thus passed through the experience of chapter 3?
JT Chapter 2 outlines the general thought, whilst chapter 3 is fundamental, and shows how one may become a vessel capable of containing water of purification: if the six stone vessels represent believers, the stone would suggest that new birth had taken place. We were remarking yesterday that Peter was called stone; that is not connected with what he was in the flesh, but with his state as having been born anew; christians also are called “living stones”.
We may now look at chapter 9. We should first notice that this man’s blindness was not governmental; it was not the result of his sins or of those of his parents; the Lord says, “Neither has this man sinned nor his parents”. So in looking at the change wrought in this man, we must exclude from our minds the thought of any special sin for which he was responsible. We should see in this chapter the sovereignty of God, who allowed it in order that the works of God might be manifested in him.
Ques Would you say that this is not the governmental [p. 13] judgment of God, but rather His mercy operating so that His works might be manifested?
JT Just so.
Ques Is the thought expressed in Romans 5, “For we being still without strength”?
JT The epistle to the Romans does not exactly treat of this subject; this chapter can be compared with Adam’s deep sleep and the forming of Eve; that is to say a state exists for the accomplishment of God’s thoughts. The blindness of this man is only mentioned here in order to show how the works of God were manifested in him. Here the washing is not to remove defilement, but to enable the man to emerge from a state which does not answer to the purpose of God. The blind man had to wash from his eyes in the pool of Siloam that which the Lord had put on them, and this mud, made of earth and of the spittle of the Lord Jesus, was not unclean. It is not a question of defilement, but of the state of things existing when the Lord Jesus was here in flesh, a state of things which was necessary in order that God might manifest His works, but which was not to continue. Some christians believe that the Lord Jesus came down here in order to better things in this world. In the gospel of John some wanted to make Him King, and when He entered Jerusalem sitting on the ass’s colt, He was acclaimed by the people, and then the Greeks came up too. Why then did the Lord not take power immediately and reform the world? Instead of doing so He said to Andrew and Philip, “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified” John 12:23. The Jews saw Him as the One who had performed the miracle referred to in chapter 6; and the Greeks had come up desiring to see Him, so then, why not reform the world? The Lord answered at once, “Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone”, John 12:24. His presence here in flesh made men still more blind, and a divine operation was necessary if man’s eyes were to be opened on another world — a world [p. 14] under the rule of Christ, no longer according to flesh, but risen. The pool of Siloam, meaning sent, would make the one who had washed fit to have part in this new world.
Rem You said that new birth was necessary for the millennium, but this would lead us further, to something better.
JT It is as you say, something better. This man is cast out, then the Lord came to find him, and said to him, “Thou, dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him? And Jesus said to him, Thou hast both seen him, and he that speaks with thee is he”. This man had before him the Son of God, although at first he did not know who He was; then the Lord tells him, “He that speaks with thee is he”.
Ques Can this be applied to each believer individually?
JT Yes: no believer is in the full light of the purpose of God if he does not understand the teaching of this chapter.
Ques What is meant by the “mud”, and the fact that Siloam means sent?
JT Well, suppose you were living in Jerusalem at that time, and had heard of the miracles, performed by the Lord, that the eyes of the blind had been opened; you would doubtless say, ‘We are privileged to have such a man amongst us’; you would like to have a world governed by Christ in the flesh — like the Jews you would wish to make Him King. In chapter 6 John relates how He fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes, and it might be thought that a world in which such things happened would be a marvellous place. But this chapter teaches us that such thoughts are vain, and do not at all answer to God’s thoughts. A world in which Christ in flesh was king would not answer to the thoughts of God; even if every nation on earth had come into subjection to Him [p. 15] it would not have satisfied God. That is what we learn from chapter 9; even the mud made with the spittle of Jesus had to be removed; flesh and blood must disappear. Christ is now not only raised from amongst the dead, but glorified in heaven; that is God’s thought.
Ques Do I understand by this that the mud represents the humanity of Christ, and the water that which removes all, so that Christ may be seen as the Son of God?
JT That is the thought exactly. Siloam means sent, so this man in going to Siloam, is moving in accord with the thoughts of God; as following this path he arrives in soul history at the death of Christ. Then the mud is removed and his eyes opened, signifying that this world no longer exists for him.
Rem The pool of Siloam is the death of Christ; the Son of God is Christ in resurrection.
JT He is “marked out Son of God in power ... by resurrection of the dead” (Romans 1:4), although He had always been Son of God in incarnation. The result of it is the introduction of another world answering to God’s thought; I do not allude to the millennium, but to that which is fully in accord with God’s thought, and will remain eternally. The “one flock” referred to in the following chapter, has eternal life.
Rem This water which signifies that He has been sent is the remedy needed for our eyes, so that we should no longer think of Christ as in flesh, but as in resurrection.
JT The full thought of God was not answered to by Christ’s flesh and blood condition. He assumed flesh and blood in order to accomplish redemption, but He did not remain in that condition. We shall understand this better if we remember that Isaac had to die; it is said that Abraham received him in figure from among the dead; showing that Christ after the flesh was not the divine thought.
Rem The apostle says, “We henceforth know no one [p. 16] according to flesh; but if even we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer”, 2 Corinthians 5:16.
JT “So if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation”, 2 Corinthians 5:17. Even things which might be good in themselves must go. Christ partook of flesh and blood in order to remove them and to introduce new creation. When this man had been cast out of the synagogue, the Lord found him and made Himself known to him as the Son of God. The Son abides for ever in the house, “If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free” (John 8:36), we are right outside of this world; He gives us life eternal.
Rem How terrible to say, “We see”, without this work of God having taken place in our soul.
JT Yet that is what some of the Pharisees said according to verses 39 - 41.
Rem A work of God is necessary in order to understand that we are blind.
Ques Why is the mud called an ointment: He “anointed mine eyes”?
JT It is doubtless an allusion to its quality. The word ‘ointment’ relates to the application of the humanity of Christ to man; but that condition ended at His death by which He accomplished redemption.
Ques What does the Lord mean when He says, “If ye were blind ye would not have sin”?
JT It had been possible for these people to see the works of Jesus, and they claimed that they saw, so the Lord says, “Now ye say, We see, your sin remains”. In John 15:24 we read, “If I had not done among them the works which no other one has done, they had not had sin”. They not only had the opportunity of seeing that the works must be of God, but they declared that they saw. In fact they had seen Lazarus raised from among the dead.
Ques What do you think of Nicodemus’ question, “Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from [p. 17] God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him”?
JT Nicodemus had been born anew; he was different from most of the Jews, for he says, “None can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him”.
Ques Do you think he already knew that the Lord was the sent One?
JT Yes. We should notice the difference between this man whose eyes had been opened in such a unique way, and the Jews who claimed that they saw. The Jews could see the signs and miracles, and they would consider themselves favoured to have among them One who could do such things; but the man whose eyes had been opened could see another world; he says, “I believe, Lord: and he did him homage”. Jesus, as well as this man, found Himself outside. Jesus, as the Son of God, was inaugurating a new world, and the man whose eyes had been opened was material for this new world which is taking shape now in the assembly; that thought being developed in chapter 10 in connection with the flock. It may be of profit perhaps to look into a few of the details related here. The neighbours are spoken of in verse 8. Immediately anyone becomes a subject of the work of God, his neighbours will notice it. He would not become a town councillor, nor a man of any importance, so he no longer would be material for this world, but for another world. Those of his neighbours who had known him before said, “Is not this he that was sitting and begging? Some said, It is he; others said, No, but he is like him: he said, It is I”. He now confesses who he is. This is an important matter that young believers should specially take account of; a change has taken place in you and you confess that you are this very person. A man like that who was previously blind would be considered a useful element in the town, but only in the same manner that Christ would have been a useful element in the world.
[p. 18] Rem It is remarkable that the neighbours should be mentioned before the parents: this shows the importance of first confessing the Lord to our neighbours who know us.
JT His parents would not accept any responsibility concerning him. “He is of age: ask him”, they say; so this man found himself alone; he was left entirely by himself.
Rem You said that it would be an advantage for men to have Christ among them; but sooner or later would they not find that He does not fit into their system? It is said, “The stone which they that builded rejected, this has become the corner-stone”. Men would soon find that Christ did not fit in their midst and would reject Him. So in this incident this man is cast out.
JT Men left to themselves are glad of the advantages that the presence of Christ here secures to them. We have seen in chapter 6 how they wished to make him King, but when the truth is presented to them they reject Him, because the truth condemns them. In Luke 4 the Lord says to the inhabitants of Nazareth, “Ye will surely say to me ... whatsoever we have heard has taken place in Capernaum do here also in thine own country”. Having heard of the great things He had done they thought it would be an advantage to their town if He did the same miracles there; He had been brought up there; He was one of them. But instead of granting their desire He began to set out the truth. Then they led Him up to the brow of the mountain upon which their city was built, so that they might throw Him down the precipice. To illustrate this point, let us suppose that a young man, in whom no one in his village has any confidence, is converted to God. He is completely altered, and his neighbours now value him because of the change that has been wrought in him. If he becomes a preacher, they will perhaps be proud that he can speak in public, and when [p. 19] he begins to announce to them the truth as he knows it, they are affected and convicted of sin. Then the religious leaders of the place notice him; they do not like this kind of procedure so they persecute him, as they did here (verse 13), “They bring him who was before blind to the Pharisees”, who asked him how he received his sight, and he replied, “He put mud upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see”. Replying to the neighbours’ question he said, “I saw”. What follows shows that they were exposed, because they did not see; they say, “This man is not of God, for he does not keep the sabbath”, so opposition begins. The religious leaders are against him, and the trend of their conversation shows in an unmistakable way that the man sees while the Pharisees do not see. They cast him out; the effect produced by presenting the truth is that they cast him out.
Rem It is an encouragement to see that the man did not long remain alone; Jesus found him.
JT That illustrates in a marvellous way how the work of God has another world in view, as the psalmist says, “For had my father and my mother forsaken me, then had Jehovah taken me up”, Psalm 27:10. Here the Lord heard of this man, and in principle put him in contact with another world. In the following chapter we shall see how he finds companionship in the flock.