THE ASSEMBLY AS SEEN IN THE CLOSE OF THE GOSPELS (4)
[p. 58] THE ASSEMBLY AS SEEN IN THE CLOSE OF THE GOSPELS (4)
JT There can be no doubt that this section is the culmination of the instruction which begins in the first chapter where we have the Babe, at least the Lord’s birth, contemplated, and which involves His conception and birth in chapter 2 which we already noted, the suddenness with which the angel appeared and called attention to the sign involved in the birth of the Lord, and the reference to His condition in the manger which is peculiar to Luke. The instruction thus begun is followed up with the Lord’s humanity, that is, His manhood, not simply babyhood, but manhood. The babyhood, boyhood, and manhood of Christ are contemplated in this account and there can be no doubt the Spirit of God intended that the link should be maintained with the whole account in the Scriptures, the whole testimony involving the manhood of Christ, His incarnation. What is said about Adam’s creation and Eve’s is to be noted, and then the reference later to humanity in the book of Leviticus, the birth of children, male and female, and how the incoming of children involved uncleanness, showing that the moral issue was raised; all that brings out the infinite holiness of the Lord’s conception and birth. Luke has this in mind in calling attention, particularly in this chapter, to humanity as it is in Him. Hence it is said, “And as they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst”. The Man is there in these extraordinary and peculiar circumstances, but still a Man; this points to what is to abide, that is, as to physical condition in the Lord.
AEH The line of instruction beginning with the introduction of that holy thing would show that we must take things up from [p. 59] that standpoint.
JT I think that is right. The infinite holiness of Christ’s conception and birth are conveyed in the words, “that holy thing”. In Paul’s word, “Since otherwise indeed your children are unclean, but now they are holy” (1 Corinthians 7:14), holiness is predicated of the children of believing parents, but only in a provisional way, not intrinsically so; whereas Christ was intrinsically holy, so the word refers to what was substantial. “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). That thought is intended to be fixed into our souls as to the humanity of Christ. We have much detail about the Lord; and in this the basis is laid for the humanity of believers, not simply as baptised or converted, but the whole physical condition of humanity in the believer, as it is to be eternally. It is clear that the subject of humanity in the Old Testament is initial, whereas the New Testament contemplates it as final; hence we are told of “his body of glory”, and that we are to be transformed into conformity to it. Our body of humiliation is to be changed into the likeness of His body of glory. The use of the word ‘glory’, it would seem, is to bring out finality in the thing; that it is finished, and we are conformed to it.
AEH In the spiritual history of our souls it would seem as though we start with apprehending Christ as the Babe, holding to this idea of the holy thing, and then progress until we come to understand the full-grown man, Jesus Himself.
JT Luke has that in mind and in our subject it links on with Paul. The idea of humanity as it is in Christ is developed in Paul’s ministry and enters into the truth of the assembly, where we have the idea of male and female continued. Luke contemplates infancy. Matthew goes a little further. In the beginning he deals with the boy Jesus, but Luke begins with the thought of infancy. Even in regard of ordinary children Luke calls them infants. The [p. 60] Lord took infants in His arms which is very touching, as if we should become accustomed to the idea of humanity in its weakness, and yet in its loveliness, in infants. The Lord Himself was an infant, but the full thought is developed and comes into evidence in Him. Luke has that in mind. Paul thinks of us as transformed into the image of Christ’s body of glory, so that we have the finish of the thing which I think is important at this time. We should have God’s thought of man before us, because humanity has come under terrible reproach in the universe, especially in modern times. Evil has arisen from the pit through the devil, and men desecrate each other, destroy each other, and take on the work of humiliation. The Lord would have us look into it and see in what dignity man is placed in God’s mind. We have in Psalm 139:14 a remarkable touch as to this; the psalmist says, “I am fearfully, wonderfully made”, as if God would, in view of the assembly, lift the thought of man into its proper dignity.
CAM Would you say a further word about connecting the physical with the eternal conditions? You used the word ‘physical’ in regard to the Lord’s body. The link with His body here on earth and the eternal conditions is a very interesting matter.
JT What is being said, I think, will help, as we consider it, as to how the divine thought took form in Luke. Angelic service is made subservient to it. It is a question of humanity as over against every other order of being. Humanity was the divine thought and choice. Gabriel is brought into this matter in Luke and it is he who announces to Mary what should happen to her, and she takes the ground of obedience. “Behold the bondmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). That was her humble resignation to the word of the angel, which was the word of God of course, “thy word”. She was the chosen vessel and honour is accorded to her as we get earlier, “the angel came in to her, and said. Hail, thou favoured one! the Lord is with thee: blessed are thou amongst women” (Luke 1:28).
HH Would you say a word as to the connection of this with what we have in Luke 24?
JT What I have been saying is preliminary, leading up to this passage where the Lord is seen standing in the midst. We shall see later that He presented Himself living. That is, He would be an object for our attention, and perhaps adoration, in a living sense, because life contemplates all the beautification that attaches to man. In Ezekiel, which is not to be overlooked in our inquiry, we have the dry bones, how bone came to bone; the prophetic ministry of the Spirit of God acting brought in a humanity usable in the millennium. It is an exceeding great army, the military side attaching to it, but still it is humanity, bone is brought to bone, and the flesh is there, as if the whole idea is in mind; but the full and complete idea of Man is in Christ, the fulfilment of what was in divine counsels, the order of being that God is taking pleasure in is in mind here in our chapter.
AB The Lord had already spoken of the prophets. Do you think Isaiah 9 might be especially in His mind? Manhood is in view there, “a child is born”, and “a son is given” Isaiah 9:6. What He was in manhood is wonderfully brought out there. Then in chapter 32, “a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; as brooks of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land” Isaiah 32:2.
JT That is very good. We really ought to be equal to the suggestions of Isaiah because of the peculiar pungency in all he says. He has manhood in mind from the outset and has in mind that in a moral sense it is to be depicted in the Lord Jesus. “Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath [p. 62] the arm of Jehovah been revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender sapling, and as a root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor lordliness, and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and left alone of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and like one from whom men hide their faces; despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:1 - 3). It seems as though we need that too, because it is this particular section that is brought into the gospel in Acts 8. It seems as if that is the moral side that necessarily enters into what we are saying. But what we began with should be followed up, that is, what was said about the humanity of the Lord as seen in this chapter, because it is the consummation of the instruction.
ANW Is there anything in the Lord’s humanity in resurrection that would justify or excuse them in supposing it was a spirit?
JT The Lord says, “A spirit has not flesh and bones”. The word is to direct our view to humanity in its physical characteristics, because the physical was there. In Genesis 2 Adam was made, we are told, of dust of the ground, as if humiliation is attached to it; God breathed into him and man became a living soul. The physical side is important so that we may see what we are to have eternally both in the Lord and in ourselves.
HGH Does the Lord’s word, “Handle me and see” impress us with humanity in resurrection?
JT That is the idea, I think. He was there to be examined, as it were, which is an important thing; that is no scientific matter because it is outside of science. Psalm 139, already alluded to, is outside of science but there is, nevertheless, the use of the words ‘wonderful’ and ‘fearful’ which the speaker knew right well. So the Lord is here, it seems to me, to be examined. We are to view Him with reverence,
[p. 63] surely, and with holiness, but at the same time the Lord was here to be examined.
HB Would beautification be seen in the house of Solomon in the cedar-wood being carved with cherubim and half-open flowers?
JT That affords the environment there. The ark was there. It is the same ark, but in glorious surroundings.
ANW Would it be right to say that the forty days of the Lord here in resurrection were that we might see that condition of manhood displayed practically and actually?
JT That is right, but we have to reserve that for our next reading. There is really no forty days here in Luke. It is right to bring it in, but it really belongs to a further reading, because it is an extension of what is before us; Luke does not give that. It would seem as if the Spirit of God in Luke has the thought of hastening on to the divine consummation, and that involves the administration that is to be inaugurated.
CAM In connection with the expression, “The second man, out of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47), does that refer to origin — He was not of earth? (see John 3:31). As coming here, He took a condition of humanity in order that He might die. There is what the Lord brought out of heaven, but He came into human condition, sinless, and this is the remarkable matter that we are talking about in Luke.
JT “The last Adam a quickening spirit”,(1 Corinthians 15:45), Paul says; that is an enlargement of what we are speaking of, because it brings in His deity. He is a quickening Spirit, not a quickening man; that involves His deity as in human condition, and of course, it brings in a race of men quickened by Him. We are all to be quickened by Him, and that brings out how intimately we are related to Him. It is [p. 64] well to look into it from its very beginning, its very essence, because it is a question of what the Lord was, not only as a Babe, but actually before; and how another unborn babe is moved on account of Him, showing what divine workings there are in relation to this matter of humanity in Christ, and also in believers.
CN Was there any difference between the humanity of Christ before the resurrection, and after His resurrection? He lived here as Man and died, and then after His resurrection He was seen again as a Man.
JT You are alluding to what He was here in the flesh. Well, there is a difference in the condition. He calls attention in resurrection to the fact that “a spirit [p. 71] has not flesh and bones as ye see me having”. Before death He was in a flesh and blood condition which involved His ability to accomplish redemption. He has laid that down for ever. Redemption had to be accomplished in that condition, but being accomplished, the thoughts of God can proceed; the eternal thought can be reached in a condition such as described here, and in which we shall have part, a bloodless condition, so to speak. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom”, (1 Corinthians 15:50). We, too, shall have part in the eternal condition of humanity.
DP Would you say the humanity of Christ in resurrection could be recognised by those who knew Him?
JT Quite so, it is the same Person but the condition is altered.
HH There was no change in the order of humanity either before Christ’s death or after; the condition is changed, but not the order.
JT Quite so, I suppose you mean the order as referring to [p. 65] the Person.
ABP That would be confirmed, would it not, on the mount of transfiguration, no change in the order of the Person.
JT Quite so.
AR Is the truth of the body a humanity idea, a formation? I was wondering if you had that in mind.
JT We already touched on that matter in Ezekiel 37; the formation is accomplished on prophetic lines, the Spirit of God acting through the prophesying by Ezekiel. It is not a permanent thought; it is rather what belongs to the millennium. Psalm 139:14 - 18 reads, “I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all my members were written; during many days were they fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. But how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee”. It seems to me that the Spirit of God gives us in this psalm a prophetic suggestion that is figurative of the assembly. We get an insight into it, how it is formed, and the Lord Jesus is the beginning. He is here, as it says, “And as they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst, and says to them. Peace be unto you”. “He himself stood in their midst”; it is not a public matter. These are the things to be noted, what God is carrying on now privately but in view of the formation of the assembly.
CAM Is that the suggestion of the deep sleep? Christ is not actively engaged in public matters.
JT Quite so, He is engaged with the assembly and the gospel. God is looking after the government in the world, but the Lord will take it on presently.
[p. 66] Outwardly He is not seen, but He is to be seen in us; He should be seen in all the saints. Hence He says to Paul, “Why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4).
APT What is to be learned from the difference in His remarks here in Luke 24:38 - 48 and that to Mary in John 20; “Touch me not”?
JT A perfect condition is contemplated in John 20; it is abstract, but here we have the actual state they were in. John does not note that state, but speaks of things as they ought to be. Mary’s message fitted in there, and the work of God would take form in view of the heavenly side of things. There is nothing to hinder it, whereas Luke takes account of the actual condition that was there. The essential thing was there; in effect recovery had already begun.
AP Is the thought of the Lord eating before them an extension of the teaching as to the new condition? Does it emphasise the reality of His condition as before them? It says, “He ... ate before them”.
JT Well, just so. The state they were in, you might say, interfered with the teaching; it darkened the scene. “But they, being confounded and being frightened, supposed they beheld a spirit”. They were somewhat like Mary Magdalene before the Lord made Himself known to her, and she called Him Rabboni. Conditions are not right here. That is what we ought to look into now, seeking to understand how we are to be in these things and in the condition of humanity according to the mind of God for us.
APf The Lord Himself stood in their midst. Would that do away with any thought that He was a spirit?
JT That is a historic fact. “He himself stood in their midst, and says to them. Peace be unto you. But they, being confounded and being frightened,
supposed they beheld a spirit”. We have to look into this matter and seek to apprehend the humanity we have part in. John would help us to take account of the matter abstractly, but Luke would take account of things as they are and then how we come to the right thing.
CN In the verses you read from Psalm 139 the personal pronoun is often referred to. Does the thought there develop into the assembly in which we have part?
JT Well, it is a psalm, an Old Testament scripture, and we never get the full thought. We have to come to the New Testament for the full thought of everything, and therefore you might say we have to bring the assembly into it in order to find it. It is a question of whether our minds can follow the spiritual thought and work out the psalm as dealing figuratively with the assembly, and I am sure they can. The Lord has enabled us to look at these terms and gain from them and they help us. We see how far back the Spirit of God put down the thought of the assembly, only just the thought of it, not exactly to work it out doctrinally but in thought; we can see how the writer’s mind was far removed from the sinful state in which humanity is degraded now.
FKC Do you think “Handle me and see” would suggest the reality of that which we are now able to examine in a holy way?
JT That is what it is. We are entitled to do it.
TS Does God’s approach to Ezekiel as ‘son of man’ emphasise the feeling side?
JT It does. Ezekiel has more references to the son of man than all other scriptures together, showing that man is in mind in Ezekiel and hence the remarkable description we have of the bones coming together; but remember, that before that, we have the idea of new birth, which is another secretive thing, not applying to the Lord Jesus, but to us. The [p. 68] work in new birth brings us into this humanity of which we are speaking.
AR In 1 Corinthians 12:18 it says, “God has set the members, each one of them in the body, according as it has pleased him”.
JT That is good, “as it has pleased him”. Your mind is directed back to Eve; what a pleasure it was to God to have Eve to take to Adam, as if God knew Adam had some ability to estimate what she was. Therefore “this time” refers back to all the other creatures he had previously named, “This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23). So that 1 Corinthians works it out from there, and then Ephesians completes it, “Until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown man” Ephesians 4:13, but then the body of the assembly is contemplated as essential to that.
AB Is that why Luke in his accuracy here alludes to the Lord’s own words, “Handle me and see”?
JT Quite so. I think we ought to fix our view now on Jesus standing here, although we may speak a little of what led up to this. Where was He from the time He left the house at Emmaus until He is seen here? He is not seen in the meanwhile, as far as Scripture records. We have noted that it does not say in Luke that He came. It is as if it is the mystical thought, that He is ever near to take part in what is going on in this great matter of humanity.
WT When David sits before the Lord, in 2 Samuel 7:19, does he get a view of this? He uses that expression, “Is this the manner of man”.
JT It is a wonderful section in which David is greatly enlarged. It is a prophetic matter, however, because Nathan is brought into it and adjusts David, but when he is inside sitting before the Lord he is composed and says wonderful things. He is worshipful [p. 69] so, I suppose, it was a question in his mind of the manner of Jehovah, not the manner of man in David, but the manner of Jehovah. That is what he meant.
AEH Would you say that we hold the idea of humanity abstractly? In Christ personally all is seen concretely, here in flesh and blood, then resurrection, and then in glory, and also as in our midst. As to ourselves we are viewed as men in Christ, but there is constant need for adjustment, because of our state, to bring us to full-grown manhood; but we hold to the thing abstractly and go on.
JT That is right. They had to be adjusted and the passage has that in mind, and we finish with them as adjusted; they are in accord with Himself. You might say He could hardly leave them if they were not. It must be a finished matter as far as it goes. The Lord is doing the thing and He has humanity before Him, not only in Himself, but in them. That is the point, that they should be brought into accord with Himself.
AEH Our considerations now are not exactly on prophetic lines, but on spiritual lines in which we handle, that is, in a contemplative sense, this idea of humanity in Christ, and we get adjustments to bring us on to the full thought in our spiritual minds.
JT That is right. Of course, the fact that we are priests helps us in that, and entitles us to go inside where all is understood. “Then understood I their end”, says the psalmist in Psalm 73:17, and so in a meeting like this priesthood underlies all and the Kohathites particularly are involved. They carry the ark, but the priesthood itself preceded it and the things are taken down and handled carefully and covered. We have to remember that we are dealing with the most precious things now, and it is only priests who have the right to do these things.
AEH [p. 70] They take down the veil of separation and spread it over the ark before movement forward takes place.
JT Well, the veil is the humanity of Christ.
AMacD Is that why Luke brings in the priest Simeon? He receives the Lord Jesus into his arms.
JT Very good. Simeon was an important witness here, a man in Jerusalem, not an ordinary man, and he was under the influence of the Spirit of God. He came into the temple by the Spirit, showing how thoroughly priestly and in keeping he was with what was there in “that holy thing”. Luke is the gospel that presents the priesthood of Christ really. Simeon takes the child in his arms as if he were a Kohathite. The angel had spoken about it, “And this is the sign to you: ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). Then we have what the shepherds said; how they went to Bethlehem to see, and then we have Simeon, the priest, taking Him into his arms, as if God was taking care of that precious Babe by a suitable person, a man who was there by the Spirit, and was entirely in the hands of the Spirit.
HGH It says of the disciples, “They yet did not believe for joy”. Does that suggest that often our natural feelings might hinder our spiritual apprehension of things?
JT Well, that is what we notice here. “But they, being confounded and being frightened, supposed they beheld a spirit”. In other words, they were confused and darkened, their own minds being allowed to act without light, but the Lord says to them, “Why are ye troubled?”. This is how He meets this deranged situation. There is something to be looked into in each of us, why this condition should be. So the Lord says, “Why are thoughts rising in your hearts? behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me having”. So that it is quite right to regard this as an opportunity for holy examination of the Lord Jesus in His humanity as over against what is thought of Him. It is the real Person Himself.
JB The apostle Paul in speaking to the Thessalonians, occupies them with the Lord Himself rather than with events that were current. He says in the first epistle, “The Lord himself . .. shall descend” 1 Thessalonians 4:16; and then in the second epistle, “Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father ... encourage your hearts” 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17, and finally, “The Lord of peace himself give you peace” 2 Thessalonians 3:16.
JT Showing that we are going to have to do with Himself. Under certain circumstances He is to be seen in the assembly, but I think the word “himself” here and elsewhere, means that we have to do with Himself personally, not only in the assembly.
JH-tt Would we be brought to the point that Samuel was brought to when David stood before him? We are told that David “was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance” (1 Samuel 16:12), and the word immediately is, “This is he”, as though there is no mistake about him.
JT Quite so. It was an urgent matter because David was under reproach, even overlooked by his father. How sorrowful that he should be left out, but when he comes in Jehovah says, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he” (1 Samuel 16:12). The great occasion had come. They had all been missing him, occupied with great people such as the eldest brother, but David was left out. What we have here is very beautiful, “This is he”. Now the Lord is ready to submit to an examination for our sakes that we might be sure of Himself, His humanity.
AR They would watch Him eat the broiled fish and honeycomb.
JT [p. 72] He asked for that, but He says, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me having. And having said this he shewed them his hands and his feet”. The Lord is graciously submitting to an examination, but is inscrutable nevertheless and we cannot penetrate; “No one knows the Son but the Father” (Matthew 11:27). He is, however, submitting to an examination for our sakes that we might become intelligent in what is within our range.
JHV What would be the difference in John saying, “He shewed to them his hands and his side” John 20:20? Here it is “his hands and his feet”.
JT That is another matter. John has in mind the formation of Eve. It is a question of Adam’s side, a rib from his side, not his feet; whereas Luke has the grace side in mind and that implies travail and toil, so we have the Lord’s feet, for instance, in chapter 7. He is anointed there by a sinner; those feet were valued by her because they carried Him to her. Now here it is His feet, always bearing in mind what we have already alluded to, that Luke contemplates a system of operations, but we must understand the persons who are involved in the operations and the Lord Jesus Himself is. That is what He is calling attention to now, and all that follows in this passage is to open this up so as to make them suitable to see Him going up. They go back to Jerusalem and go to the temple.
ANW This would be a higher character of handling than that of Thomas in John 20.
JT Quite so. It is to bring out this, that real humanity marked the Lord and that it was a humanity that would be operational. He would as Man have part in the operations of God, and so when He goes up to heaven He is urgent, I would say. The forty days alluded to elsewhere are not mentioned here. It would look as if the Lord’s thought was to [p. 73] get to the finish of things on hand at that time in view of this dispensation and the operations of grace. Even before the Spirit came down the disciples are in the temple doing something. They are able to do something and to speak well of things in the temple.
AB Would John’s first epistle be the outcome of this handling?
JT He enlarges on it further from his own point of view. “That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes; that which we contemplated, and our hands handled, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1). That is what John and others contemplated, but I think that all they had seen in His ministry would be in mind there. John would mean what the apostles had actually witnessed in the Lord’s ministry, not only after He arose.
ANW He uses the word ‘contemplated’, which would be a longer matter.
JT That is good. It is a longer matter.
JW Stephen, in Acts 7, when suffering from the violence of the Jews, saw the glory of God and Jesus.
JT He said that he saw the Son of man. It is almost the only passage where the Son of man is mentioned outside of the gospels.
JLP You made the remark about speaking well in the temple. Would Anna come before us as one on such lines? She departed not from the temple “and spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
JT Quite so, she was a real servant; she did not speak simply to one sister or brother in Jerusalem but to all who looked for redemption in Israel. That is what the Lord would make all of us — real servants. It is a system of grace and all are to be brought into it.
TEH Would it be right to say that she was of the priestly family because she praised the [p. 74] Lord?
JT Quite so. She was really of Asher, but she was a priest undoubtedly. The point is to bring out that the tribes were taken account of. She is of Asher, her foot dipped in oil. She was able to go around Jerusalem and see the saints which is an important matter from the standpoint of Luke.
FKC “And he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you”. Is what we are speaking of here linked with what goes before?
JT That is good. We are moving on now. “And he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all that is written concerning me in the law of Moses and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled”. He undoubtedly alludes to what He said to the two, “having begun from Moses” (Luke 24:27), but here He adds the Psalms, “all that is written concerning me in the law of Moses and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, and said to them. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise from among the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem”. So that He has now reached the full thought of our dispensation of grace. He has reached that, and the Scriptures have a great place in that.
AEH Is there some kind of change indicated? He says, “While I was yet with you”. It would look to the ordinary mind as though He was still with them, in the midst, but He speaks of it now as though it was a thing that was finished. It is another character of things now; they are to be with Him.
JT Yes, and they are to carry on too, because the operational system is in mind in Luke and these are the persons able to carry on. It involves a real humanity and that was absolute in Christ, but it [p. 75] also belongs to us and is in the mind of God for us all as over against what is in the world at the present time.
AR Is it not an operational system, “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem”?
JT Yes, it is a big matter at hand. The Lord is laying down a basic thing first; that is, the kind of man involved, seen in Christ, and they are coming into it.
AM Would you say a word as to the Lord eating? “And they gave him part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb; and he took it and ate before them”.
JT Well, He does it here to help them, to show how real His humanity is.
ANW The word is, He ate before them.
JT Just so, just for a witness.
RWS Have not the operations of grace been accelerated to meet the activities of Satan causing the degradation of men?
JT That is good. You wonder how much we can take part in it. It is really affecting to see how the dear brethren in England have been able to carry on with the testimony of God in spite of all they have been through.
Rem In John 4 the Lord asked for a drink.
JT Yes, you can imagine He would be real in asking for a drink but it worked out for the truth, too.
ABP Would a right apprehension of the hands and feet of Jesus prevent us from standing and gazing? In Acts two men rebuked those who were standing and gazing — “Why do ye stand looking into heaven?” Acts 1:11. There are things to be done.
JT Quite so, it is a time for doing things and they did the right things. Luke says they went to the temple, but in the Acts they went to the upper room. There the work [p. 76] really began.
ABP Would you say the impressions we get at a reading like this would stimulate us to move in the activities of this new life?
JT I think we will come to that in the Acts. Here He presents Himself living. He is going to show that beautification feature, the actual, basic thought of humanity. He says, “Have ye anything here to eat? And they gave him part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb”. I suppose it would be mutual; He would not eat all. “And he took it and ate before them. And he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you”. Then it says He opened their understanding. Now we are coming to another side of our instruction - the idea of understanding. “Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written”. That is, we have in operation now what is essential to the work of God, that things are to be done according to intelligence.
FKC This intelligence must be there basically in our souls before we can use the Scriptures, and then there is the promise of the Father — the Holy Spirit.
JT I think the Lord had in mind that the thing should be done quickly so that He could go up to heaven. It is essential to the inauguration of the new system of things. He must go up there, and He was urgent as to it. The forty days are not mentioned, but they are to bring out what was necessary on the part of the apostles, that they might contemplate things presented in Christ risen. Luke is to establish the system of grace; it is enlarged in detail in Acts. The Lord hastens to go up to heaven, so as to establish the system down here. They were here and ready to wait, for they must have the Spirit. The Lord’s mind is set upon setting up the system of grace which would be effective throughout the whole earth in view of [p. 77] the assembly.
JSt Would it involve that there should be here for the Holy Spirit to take over, as He came, that which would make the whole dispensation wonderful for Him?
JT Quite so. Acts 2 contemplates that they were ready for it. They were all there and were seated. They were not bustling about now but were ready to proceed when the Spirit came.
HH Your use of the word ‘hasten’ reminds me of Isaiah 60:22, “I, Jehovah, will hasten it”.
JT That is a good word, God is presented as hurrying to meet the prodigal, He ran.
HGH What is the suggestion of remaining in the city until they receive power?
JT I think it is to maintain the idea of grace. It is a grace time, and Luke makes much of His going to heaven so that the system should be established properly, so that there should be no confusion in it. Therefore, they are to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they are imbued with power from on high, which is a beautiful touch — that Jerusalem is still held to.
CDeB “And ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but do ye remain in the city till ye be clothed with power from on high”. Is that peculiar just to them?
JT I think it is. It is the inaugural position that is in mind, but we may learn details as to our position, and the levitical principle would say you are to recognise your locality and the brethren. There are things that we may learn from these facts, but these facts are viewed by themselves here. They are not repeated. It is the inauguration of the divine system in Luke.
RWS Would Jerusalem be a great test as to whether grace could operate in such a city as that where they crucified [p. 78] the Lord?
JT It is supreme grace that the work should begin there in a place where there was such wickedness. It seems to me that is the idea that we begin with — grace.
FSC Would leading out here as far as Bethany be like beautifying the temple?
JT I think it is rather to beautify the position of grace. Bethany was the love scene, not Jerusalem. The Lord used to go to Bethany, a beautiful thought as to the place of love entering into the divine order of things.
FKC Does this link on with 1 Timothy 3:16? “God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among the nations, has been believed on in the world, has been received up in glory”.
JT That is possibly a verse of a hymn. It is a beautiful tribute to the deity of Christ as He was operating in grace.
APT In Luke 13:34 the Lord said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her”. Now grace is expressed in telling them to remain in the city.
JT I think it is to finish up this position. The grace system was to be established and it would imply that God is still waiting on Israel in spite of its guilt. Grace operates in spite of things and wonderful things were done too. According to Acts 1 the most successful testimony was there.
AB The “ye” in verse 48 and “they” in verse 52 are emphatic. We see there a development of the system to which you have been referring.
JT Very good. “And they, having done him homage, returned to Jerusalem with great joy”. It is suitable that they should be joying at such a time, and continually in the temple, not for a day but for a long time, showing God [p. 79] is merciful.
ABP Is the initial thought seen in Anna? She departed not from the temple. Now the system is here.
JT Quite so.
AP Is there a suggestion that what God had in mind as proper to Jerusalem is secured now by virtue of the Lord’s work in the disciples?
JT Yes, the service of God, but the throne of grace is in mind. Matthew gives the thought of the great King, but the point in Luke is the grace system set up. So it is said, “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and having lifted up his hands, he blessed them. And it came to pass as he was blessing them, he was separated from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, having done him homage, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God”. It is really a priestly system and the service of God carried on in it.
RA Does Bethany suggest what we had in our first reading, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”?
JT Just so, but it is very fine to see they are there. Grace was there and began there and God is showing how grace is abounding. It is a grace system set up, grace reigning through righteousness unto eternal life.
JTJr Do you think the separation involves heaven’s movement in it: “he was separated from them”?
JT Of course, Paul’s ministry would come in here to fill out the whole matter. We have often noted that the tabernacle was set up and everything in it was functioning. That is the idea here. The Lord is gone up to heaven and He has left them here and they know what to do. They are joined and wholly expressive of what is inaugurated.