FINDING AND FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS
J. R. Walkinshaw
Matthew 28: 1–7; Luke 2: 41–47; John 12: 20–28; Numbers 10: 33–36
I have a simple impression, dear brethren, as to finding the Lord Jesus, and following Him.
We have been speaking much of His glory. His greatness and His attractiveness, and I am sure these features would strike a chord in every heart. It is a great matter in the days in which we are to be able to find the Lord Jesus Christ. I was struck with this scripture in Matthew because 1 think it would show us, through these two women, that the first step in finding the Lord Jesus is having affection for Him. I would speak to the very youngest here, as to love for the Lord Jesus. Does everyone here love the Lord Jesus Christ? That is the first step to finding Him in these days in which we are; days of wickedness and violence and corruption amongst men. One might say, How in the midst of all that can you find the Lord Jesus Christ? The first step, as I have said, is to love Him. How wonderful it is to hear a young soul confessing their love for the Lord Jesus.
Our hymn has reminded us that we are not our own, we belong to Him, the purchase of His blood. The Lord Jesus Christ, dear young one, dear older one, is the One who has bought you, and the purchase price is His precious blood which was shed on Calvary’s tree. How wonderful it is to get the sense in your soul that the Lord Jesus loves you. Then, as that love comes to bear on your heart, it would, I believe, cause you to love Him
because of what He has done for you; washed you from your sins in His blood; those sins that stood out before the eye of a holy and righteous God. Those sins that would prohibit you for ever from the presence of God, Jesus has washed them away in His precious blood. Do you not love Him? I believe it comes out in this section here that these two women were marked by love for the Lord Jesus. Perhaps, at this point, not having much intelligence, but they were marked by love, and they were looking for the Lord Jesus. Are you looking for the Lord Jesus? Are you trying to find Him in these days in which we are? I believe the meetings we have had would encourage us to go in for these things, as our brother exhorted us, to find the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of this scene.
So they were looking in the tomb. That was, I suppose, the last time that they had seen Him, when His body was laid in the tomb. So they come here to this point, they see the stone rolled away, they see the tomb is empty, and they hear the testimony of this angel, “He is not here, for he is risen”. The word in Luke says, “Why seek ye the living one among the dead?” Luke 24: 5. How futile it is to look for the Lord Jesus Christ in the dead things that mark this world, but there is a place where He is to be found. It says, “And go quickly and say to his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold, he goes before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him”. There is a sphere where the Lord Jesus can be found; not now in the grave.
It is a wonderful fact that He has gone into death; the scripture we read in Joshua 3 would remind us typically of the power He had as He went into death and broke its power. He lay there for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, but He could not be holden by its power. He is risen, He has ascended up above all the heavens and He is seated now at the right hand of the Father on high. Then there is a sense in which He can be found here, that would be the Galilee position. It would be a position of reproach, not an exalted place here; not a place taken much
account of in the world. Nevertheless it is a place where Jesus is, where we can have to do with Him, where we can know His love, where we can profess our love to Him. How wonderful that is! It is available to you and to me, as marked by real true affection for the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The narrative goes on and we find that they make a move in that direction and Jesus met them. In His grace He would meet you; He would meet you wherever you are if your desire is to find Him. He has met everything that stood in the way! We have been impressed by the Jordan in all its power, but whatever may be in the way He has removed by the way that He has gone. I believe He would meet you just where you are, however young or however old, if there is true affection to find the Lord Jesus Christ I believe He would meet you as you move in this direction. It will involve reproach; it will not involve a high station in this scene. How men in systems which they build up would seek to find a place for themselves. They would seek to build up religious systems, even using the name of Christ in order to exalt their own position. But how sobering that what marks these systems is death, as the word was to Sardis, “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead”, Revelation 3: 1, if you look for the Lord Jesus in the systems of men you will find them marked by death. The place where He is to be found is outside of all these.
In Luke, we get another presentation of where it is possible to find the Lord Jesus Christ. His parents are spoken of here. They went three days’ journey without Him. Have we known what it is in our own experience to go three days’ journey without Him? Maybe we have even sat in three day meetings (I would have to humbly own it has entered into my own experience), and missed the Lord Jesus Himself; maybe He has been presented to us and yet we have missed it. How sobering that is. How affecting that it says, “after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers
and hearing them and asking them questions”. I believe, in these days in which we are, the Lord Jesus Himself would be found in the temple. Not the temple as the Jews would regard it, the building that was set up in all its greatness after the architecture of man in its outward glory, but found in temple conditions where there is enquiry into the truth in dependence on the Spirit and subjection to the Lord.
It says, “but, supposing him to be in the company that journeyed together”. I believe we know, sorrowfully, though we would not point the finger at any, of some perhaps who are journeying supposing Him to be in their company, but they find that the Lord Jesus is not there. It says further they “sought him among their relations and acquaintances”. We may feel that this is where to find the Lord Jesus. Although I would not rule out the help that relations and acquaintances may provide, that is not where characteristically we will find the Lord Jesus. It says, “they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers and hearing them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers”. As the Lord Jesus comes into the gatherings of the saints, we find that the result is what answers to temple conditions; we find that it is His voice that is heard. We find that He brings in the answers to questions that may be troubling us. If you have a question that is troubling you, bring it to the Lord Jesus, bring it to the temple; bring it to where the Lord Jesus is and you will find that you will be astonished at the answer He gives you. How wonderful and gracious is the Lord Jesus Christ as we have to do with Him.
Then as we find Him it is intended that we should follow Him. That is what comes out, I believe, in John’s gospel; there are persons there who say they desire to see Jesus. We may have a desire to see Him, but I believe the answer the Lord Jesus gives would show what is necessary if we are really to see Him in all His glory, and if we are to be amongst those who are following Him. As the glory and the attractiveness of this blessed One lays hold of our souls 1 believe we will be the more desirous to follow Him. It may be that we have known what it is to be washed from our sins in His blood; but then these further thoughts (finding Him and following Him) are to be gone in for. It is to be on the basis of what the Lord Jesus says, “he that hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal”. He touches affectingly on the way that He is to go Himself. He says, “The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified”. You might say, How is the Son of man to be glorified? He says, “Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone; but if it die, it bears much fruit”. If the Lord Jesus is to be glorified it must involve carrying out the work that was given to Him to do. He says, “Except the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, it abides alone”. What a terrible thought it would be for it to abide alone? But as Jesus has gone into death, as He has carried out the work that was given Him to do in all the perfection of His manhood, what comes out is fruit. He has gone into death but He is risen, raised by the glory of the Father, and as raised He would have those desirous of being with Him and being near to Him, those who would desire to follow Him.
So He speaks of the way that this is to be arrived at He says, “He that loves his life shall lose it, and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal”. You are to associate yourself with the way that Jesus has gone; not that you can actually go that way; that work which He accomplished was His and His alone. He says to Simon Peter, “Where I go thou canst not follow me now”, John 13: 36. Think of the way that He went to Calvary; think of the work that He accomplished there, He was taken by wicked hands and pierced and nailed to a cross of shame; God’s wrath was poured out upon Him in those three hours of darkness on Calvary’s tree. Where I go, He says, thou canst not follow Me now; that was the way the Saviour took alone, as He hung there, He the just for we the unjust. The spotless, sinless One became the victim for sin and for sins. He became the Sin-bearer; the One who was the blessed offering, the One who, “by the eternal Spirit offered himself spotless to God”, Hebrews 9: 14. That work which He accomplished vicariously on Calvary’s tree was His, and His alone. Then, His work on the cross completed, He went into death to remove the man that sinned so that he should be put away from before God’s face for ever. Are we prepared to associate ourselves with the way that He has gone? He says, “If any one serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall be my servant”. Is it the desire of your heart to follow this blessed One? Not, as I have said, in the way that He went vicariously, but to follow Him in the measure in which we are able at the present time, and to be among those who are set aside from this world; so that we are not going in for the things that mark this world. He says, “He that loves his life shall lose it”. This means that if you go in for the things that mark this world you will lose the enjoyment of these blessed eternal relationships. You will lose the joy of being with the Lord Jesus Christ where He is at the present time.
Then He says, “he that hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal “. This means that, as another has said, we learn what it is to put first things first. We are to discern what relates to the Lord Jesus Christ, to discover what would be pleasing to Him; to realise what militates against His rights, to see what is in keeping with the way that He has gone. I believe as we are prepared to leave aside the things of the world and stand here for His rights, we will know what it is to be where He is. As He says, “where I am, there also shall be my servant”.
That should be the exercise of every heart that loves the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not now talking about eternal salvation; how wonderful to know that that is secure, if your faith and trust is in Jesus, you are covered by that precious blood which was shed on Calvary’s tree, and your eternal salvation is secure.
But how wonderful to enjoy these relationships with Him at the present time, as He says, “where I am, there also shall be my servant”, and to experience His present living love! How wonderful to experience the joy of being among those who put Him and His interests—first, and to experience the things that relate to this blessed One, heavenly eternal things that the Spirit would bring before us for our enjoyment. He says of the Spirit, “He shall glorify me”. I believe we have had some experience of that as we have been together. How the Lord Jesus in all His glory has come before us. Then He says, “for he shall receive of mine and shall announce it to you”, John 16: 14. The Spirit is able to unfold these things to us as we read the Scriptures. A brother was saying at home that every time we read the Scriptures some fresh impression comes before us as to the Lord Jesus Christ; that is the Spirit working. Dear younger person, go in for this, know what it is to make room for the Spirit in your own heart.
He will speak to you of the greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit will occupy you with the things that relate to Him. He will show you the direction in which to go in order to be with the Lord Jesus in the scene of testimony here. Would that this might be the desire of every heart that loves the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then He says, “if any one serve me, him shall the Father honour”. There will be honour from God Himself, not honour from men. If we go back to the scripture in Matthew, we see in relation to Galilee that men will only bring in reproach and shame. The Lord Jesus speaks of honour from God the Father. We will know too what it is to be in the sphere where the Lord Jesus Himself is glorified. It says, “Father, glorify thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven, I both have glorified and will glorify it again”. How wonderful to be in a sphere where the Lord Jesus Himself is, and where the Father’s name is glorified. I believe this is experienced as we are prepared to find, and then to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in true and real affection for Him.
I refer now to the scripture in Numbers. I believe we can learn much from the experiences of the children of Israel. How affecting is the way that God took them through the wilderness; they spent forty years in the wilderness in order that they might become entirely dependent on God. We could say the days in which we are are wilderness days, but God does not leave us without a sense of direction. It says here, the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them in the three days’ journey”, if you are looking for direction through this wilderness scene, you will find it as you see the Lord Jesus Christ, typified here in the “ark of the covenant of Jehovah”, speaking of all God’s promises as carried through inviolate; promises that were given to Abraham and were carried down through the generations. God never gave up His promises to Israel, He brought them into the promised land. What exercises they had to go through in order to reach God’s end. God will pass us through exercises as we go through this wilderness scene, but He will never leave us without a sense of direction. It says, “the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them in the three days’ journey”. This was, I think, one of the first movements of the tabernacle in the history of the children of Israel.
What we find as we look at their history is that it is very much like our history. The first thing we could speak of is coming under the shelter of the blood. They were there in Egypt, feeling the bondage of it, and then God said, in that night I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt; but for the households of the children of Israel the blood was on the door-posts and the lintel, and Jehovah said, “when I see the blood I will pass over you”, Exodus 12: 13. Do you know what it is in the midst of this scene to be under the shelter of the blood? We would appeal to every one here from the youngest to the oldest, find your shelter from judgment under the precious blood of Jesus.
The next thing was that they came up against the Red Sea where they had the experience of God’s power to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians. They sang on the other side of the Red Sea, “The horse and his rider bath he thrown into the sea”, Exodus 15: 1. They were able to sing of the power of God in deliverance. Do you know what it is to be delivered from the awful power of this world? God has the power available, it is in His hand to deliver you from everything that would hold you in bondage here. Then as we go on we find He provides food; He provides the manna, speaking of the food we can find as appropriating the Lord Jesus Christ in the blessedness of His manhood here. The manna came down from God daily as provision for the wilderness.
We find all this before the tabernacle is set up. The tabernacle is not set up until the beginning of the second year of their sojourn. God shows them how He is able to provide for them, how He is able to bring them through—there is the manna and there is the water from the smitten rock—speaking typically of the power of the blessed Holy Spirit; how God would give of His Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain us here against all the activities of the enemy in the wilderness scene. Then God had in mind to bring in the tabernacle system; God desired to dwell among His people. It was not exactly for the pleasure of the people but for His own pleasure. God’s desire in our day is that there should be a dwelling-place for Him where He can find His pleasure and where He can find His rest. God has that eternally, of course, in the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He has secured, but at the present time I believe He would find it too in the hearts and souls of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and are prepared to follow Him here.
So here we have the great tabernacle system moving on under God’s direction and following the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. They were entirely dependent on its leading, “the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting-place for them “. I was interested in the reference to a “three days’ journey”. I wondered if we could apply that to what we enjoy in meetings of this character, following the ark on the three days’ journey. You find that when they are journeying there is power available to turn everything aside that would stand in the way, “And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; And let them that hate thee flee before thy face “. If we are occupied with divine things; if our desire is to follow the ark, then even though we are passing through a wilderness scene, even though the violence and corruption and degradation of this scene would bear in upon us, we find what answers to,
“Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; And let them that hate thee flee before thy face”. I believe we have some experience of that as we are together, dear brethren, as we are working out the truth together; I believe we have some sense of God’s power coming in.
But then it says, “And when it rested”. When it rested there was praise and thanksgiving to God. Moses says, “Return. Jehovah, unto the myriads of the thousands of Israel”. God would have us, in a wilderness scene to be in movement, because we are moving on to the land; we are moving on to all that God has in His heart and mind for us, we are moving on to the blessedness of God’s thoughts in Christ for us. I believe too that in the midst of that scene, though we may be in movement, there is a time when God would have us to be rested. It was after three days’ journey that the ark rested. I think as we are gathered together, perhaps on the first day of the week in the service of God, we get an uplift in our souls, as we have a sense in that way of the ark resting, and the Lord Jesus securing livingly what is for God’s praise and what is for the heart of God.
May our hearts be encouraged, dear brethren, may the young ones get some impression in their souls from these meetings of the attractiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps they are not able to understand too much of what is said, others of us would have to admit that too, but nevertheless, we can get some impression in our souls of the attractiveness of the Person of the Lord Jesus. We are His, we have been bought with a price, the price being His precious blood which was shed.
Then as knowing what it is to have affection in our hearts, we can find Him in the midst of the darkness that prevails in this scene. I believe there is an area in which we can find the Lord Jesus, and we can find those who love Him, those who desire after Him; those who are working out the truth together. We can find Him in a scene of reproach; yes, it will mean reproach and being despised amongst men. We can find the Lord Jesus in the temple where He has the answers, where He is able to explain things to us. If you are perplexed or concerned about anything, get to the Lord Jesus. He can explain it to you. How ready He is to do that! Then, to know what it is to follow Him, to count what is here as nought, as we sung in our hymn—
‘To count all else, whate’er it be,
Unworthy of our care’. (Hymn 278)
We can know what it is to hate our lives in this world and to follow Him, to be with Him where He is. The result will be, as we see in Numbers as to the children of Israel, that there will be power as we work these things out in the wilderness, and we shall come to a time of rest at the service of God. May we be encouraged to find the Lord Jesus Christ, and to follow Him. May the result be an increase in what is for God’s praise in these days in which we are.
May it be so for His name’s sake.
Address at Ormond Beach
28 December 1996