THE COMING IN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
[p. 169] THE COMING IN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Luke 17: 20, 21; Luke 2:8 - 19; Luke 2:22; Luke 2:24 - 35
The thoughts in these verses in chapter 17 are peculiarly fitting in Luke. The Pharisees demanded of the Lord as to when the kingdom of God should come. That they should know it was actually there in their midst was hardly to be expected, so they demanded of Him as to when it should come. He had just cleansed ten lepers, but that would be of no interest to them, certainly the Samaritan who returned as cleansed and gave glory to God would not interest them; but nevertheless anyone with eyes to see could see that there was something very extraordinary there, but the Pharisees demanded in regard to the coming in of the kingdom having in mind that it would be something that would appeal to man’s senses, and the Lord answers immediately “the kingdom of God cometh not with observation”. It is different from all other kingdoms, he implies that virtually, it is not ushered in with the noise of war it “cometh not”, He says, “with observation”. “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!” that is to say, it should have no trumpeters from among men, it should have no advertisers from among men; the great writers of this world should not make it a subject for their books, the orators of this world should not make it their theme, if anyone did appear in their midst to speak about it, he was a chatterer — that was what they called Paul at Athens. “Neither shall they say”, the Lord says “here” that is to say, the wilderness, “Lo here! or, lo there!” Current literature says nothing about the kingdom as presented in Luke (I mean the literature current at that time) it was not a theme for this world. Much had been said of other kingdoms, which one might [p. 170] mention but it is not necessary, but there was no notice taken of the kingdom of God as it was introduced into this world. It was not intended, beloved friends, to appeal to man as he was. It was intended for man, to be sure, for this gospel connects our Lord with men right back to Adam, so that He stands related to every family of the race, every member of the race. It was, therefore, intended for men, but man as he was as the gospel came in, as the kingdom of God came in, in his varied relations, took no notice. How it could be that the wonderful works of Jesus should be performed in the world and no notice be taken of them by the leaders of this world, is a question of great interest: but the fact is, beloved friends, that the world took no notice of it. They did not say, “Lo here! or, lo there!” nor does the world today take any notice of the kingdom of God. Now I am saying all this in the negative sense so as to bring in the positive, to which attention is called from heaven, and if any of you is converted here tonight, the conversion, the light, will come in to you from heaven. You are not ever likely to be converted by the daily newspapers; it is true enough that you do get sermons published in them and church notices, but that is because christianity has become the recognised religion of the day, it has become a matter of worldly interest — but what kind of christianity? Is it the christianity expressed in Luke 2? a divine sign — do you hear anything of this? You see the cities of Judea and indeed the civilised world, were crowded with people in those days, and no doubt each city and town afforded certain entertainments. It was census time, but there are shepherds here abiding by their flocks by night, they represent persons interested, persons who are not in the swim of things in this world. As soon as God begins to work in your soul, you gradually veer away from that swim. These people were outside of [p. 171] it all, they were occupied unselfishly with sheep. There were no advertisements in the towns as to what happened at Bethlehem. No doubt current topics were discussed in the inns, at the street corners, but the kingdom of God, beloved friends, had just come in! The kingdom of Caesar was there in all its power, by a stroke of the pen he could set the whole world moving, every family moved to its city to be enrolled. A mighty empire indeed! Volumes untold have been written about it and are being written about it — the wonderful empire of the West: it was at that time at the zenith of its power. It came by observation. Sages and orators and literary men of all kinds and castes noted it. A marvellous event in the history of mankind was the rising up of this mighty empire, and you can understand that the people who crowded the towns and cities of Judea and the empire generally were talking about Caesar and his doings, the doings of his generals, the doings of his armies and their conquests. These were the themes, beloved friends, that occupied men — with others, of course. And yet in the midst of all that, the kingdom of God had silently come. Marvellous thing! It came in without notice publicly; no one said, “Lo here! or, lo there!” It did not come with observation, but it had come, and it had come to stay, beloved friends; that which should develop and should break in pieces every other kingdom had come. It is not doing that yet, for the sign was not of destruction: a little babe does not forebode destruction; but there are unknown shepherds keeping their flocks by night, and heaven is all astir. Whatever themes occupied men, women and children in the towns, heaven was left out, what was going on in heaven was unobserved, it was unknown. True enough later on, as Matthew tells us, there were some wise people in the east who saw what was going on in heaven, they got an inkling there of what was going [p. 172] on, but just a few of them, and they moved to Jerusalem according to the light of heaven. And so here these shepherds, you see, were outside the swim of this world. Where are you young people here? Where are your hearts? Where are your faces directed? Towards this world — the world of pleasure? This is what this world has become — a world of pleasure. All the inventions of men are employed to further the pleasures of this world: men have become characteristically “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”. 2 Timothy 3:4 But here are shepherds who are not that, they are unselfish, God is working with them, they are different. Are you conscious of any little change like that, young people? any little touch in your heart that leads you to see that there is nothing in this world after all, that in this world you will thirst again, however much you may drink at it? And so, the angel of the Lord was there by them. What a visitant, what a companion in their solitariness! Is it not worth while to be solitary to have such a companion as an angel of the Lord? What is he there for? To announce to them what heaven is occupied with, as he would to you tonight — to call attention to the incoming of the kingdom of God. A wonderful thing, he says, has happened, and it has happened to you today, not is going to happen. It is not a gospel concerning the future, the gospel is concerning the present; true enough, it includes the future, but it is the present, “Unto you is born”, he says, “this day”. The shepherds feared, but there was no occasion for it; the kingdom that had just come in was not to strike terror into the hearts of men, but to effect their salvation. The King was the Saviour: if He were King it was because he was Saviour, and His kingly power is to be subservient to the Saviour; and so “unto you”. Now, young people, look at that, it is to you, you see — “unto you”. You say, ‘Was it not to God?’ No, that is [p. 173] not the point here, it is that a Saviour has come in on behalf of man; on the part of God, to be sure, but it is “unto you”; and the thing has happened today “a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. It is not yet a question of what He is to be called, for names given refer to what is shown to be, to what is expressed. Here it is not that, what He is to be called, but what He is, for He is “the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” personally — “which is Christ the Lord”, that is what the angel says. Have you ever had a communication from heaven? some silent word pointing to Jesus? ‘Yes’, you say, ‘but I have never been able to believe it, somehow I have never been able to take it home to myself’. Well, God says, ‘I will help you; I will surround you with a company of angels’. You know, the best time to believe in Christ is when you are among the people of God. I was going to say it is easier to believe then than at other times. If you are at all exercised, having any little touch from heaven about your salvation, get amongst the people of God — a good atmosphere. And so presently there was a multitude of the heavenly host, with the angel, mark you, as if to flank him, as if to confirm him by their presence, for they say nothing to the shepherds. It is the wonderful atmosphere, you see, brought in, surrounding them; they are surrounded by the multitude of the heavenly host. Did you ever think of angels being for that purpose? You say, ‘I have never seen an angel’. Well, let me tell you that a christian is greater than an angel. It is not said that an angel has the Spirit of God, but it is said a christian has. Christians are greater than angels. You see you have not got far to go to see what I mean. God surrounded them; it says they were surrounded with a multitude of the heavenly host — the heavenly host. May I venture to say that the saints of God are a heavenly people? They are — and their hearts normally beat with the [p. 174] heart of God for your salvation. So that the multitude here are to bring in an atmosphere in which the shepherds, as breathing it, should believe the testimony, and they did believe it. See what they say, “Let us now go”. Now let me appeal to you to come to a resolve, you will never get anywhere spiritually without resolve, this definite resolve of soul to move; and you are in the very best circumstances, everything is in your favour. Not only the message, but the messenger following the message and flanked, as I said, by a multitude of the heavenly host. What are they saying? They are praising God. What is the occasion to praise? The Babe just born. What should issue from that Babe? “Glory to God in the highest”. What should happen on earth? “Peace”. What more? “Good pleasure in men”. That is what they were saying. And now they all went up, for the Holy Spirit tells us they not only departed from the shepherds, but they went back to heaven. It was heaven’s action. Heaven is intensely interested in this meeting; now I am not speaking theoretically, I know what I am saying, that heaven is occupied with us here tonight. Now what are you going to do? While you are here believe, make a resolve; they will not stay with you, they are going back to heaven. A sign was given to them — what was the sign? “Ye shall find a babe” not ‘the babe’ notice, it is not for the world, you see: it is a babe just as far as the world is concerned. Had an ordinary man of Bethlehem looked into that manger he would not have seen anything different from what he might have seen in other mangers and houses — a babe. I am not denying that there might have been something different about Mary and the circumstances, but as far as outward observation went, there was simply a babe, there was nothing striking to the natural eye. But these people had light from heaven, they were in the know of things; and you here tonight may be in the full [p. 175] knowledge of the mind of God. Now what are you going to do about it? What about that resolve? have you made it? As I said before, you will never make any spiritual headway till you make a resolve, make a resolution. What was the resolve the shepherds made? “Let us now go”. Make the resolution now, and go. And they went, and going, they found Mary and Joseph, the parents, with the Babe.
Well now, that is one stage. These shepherds do not represent very great progress. So far they have light, but, as far as Christ is concerned, they have just seen Him as a babe; but then it is wonderful to see Him even in that way as a babe. He is not acting yet, He is not doing anything, the movement is all with them. It was a question of apprehension. Have you arrived at that infantile apprehension? It is the beginning for the believer, for we begin as babes, and that just refers to our apprehension of Christ; you have got just a babe’s apprehension of Christ. But then there was one person there who represents soul history. Soul history is one of the finest subjects that you can get, and Mary represents soul history. You have begun soul history now; you have seen the Babe, you are convinced; you have been in excellent company, you have got an excellent start. Mary now represents the thread of the instruction. She pondered these things. You see, the resolution is one thing and the movement is another, and the seeing of the Babe another, and the speaking of it another, but the pondering of the thing is still another. Now you have begun soul history; that is a history, as I said, concerning which the leaders of this world shall not say, “Lo here!” or “Lo there!” — it is not within their range, they are not concerned with soul history, but the kingdom of God lies in soul history, and Mary represents that, she pondered the thing. You are sure to make headway now.
Now the next thing is the Babe is growing. He has [p. 176] come to eight days, and further, a good many more days — the time of purification; the Babe has grown, and now you are carrying it. Mary and Joseph carry the Babe to Jerusalem. Think of the experience! Think of the soul history of Mary, with the light she had, as she carried that Child with her husband from Bethlehem to Jerusalem! Was it nothing? It was something, beloved friends — and those pigeons, those doves! Now come, how about it? How about this carrying of the Lord? He is but a Babe, to be sure, and Mary, representing soul history, is intensely interested in Him. There was no one on earth so interested in Jesus at that time as Mary, and I suppose as you become exercised and get converted and the light of Jesus comes into your heart, that is just the case with you. There is no one like you, you have got more interest in Him, you think, than anybody; and so you have — from your own point of view — it is well you think so. Now she brought Him to Jerusalem.
Well now, I want to show you how the light increases in your soul. (One could say much more on these points.) They brought Him to the temple, and there was a man there who represented God — Simeon. It is not now an angel, but a man who has been conversant with God, who has had communion with God. He has had communications from God, and he is in the temple of God, and the Babe passes from the hands of the parents into his hands. You see, as in your hands there is great limitation, you are just thinking of Him in relation to yourself. True enough, you should think of Him in that way — every one of us has been in that stage — you think of what Jesus has been to you, He has become endeared to you. But now I look at Him in the hands of Simeon, he represents God, the Holy Spirit is upon this man, he is a representative of God. Not only is the Holy Spirit in him, not only has the Holy Spirit spoken to [p. 177] him, but He is upon him, that means he is a representative of God, he is anointed. Now look at the Babe in his arms, how different He is. Let us hear what he has to say about the Babe. You young believers, you would like to know more about Jesus. He is your personal Saviour, you love Him, you have come under the influence of His love, but you want to know more about Him, do you not? Now listen to what Simeon has to say about Him. He blesses God, he says, “mine eyes have seen thy salvation”. Ah, you see now it is not your salvation only, but God’s, He is God’s salvation, and that means that He is everybody’s Saviour, He is the Saviour of the world. Do you not love to think of your Jesus in that light? I do. I love to think of Him according to what He is to me, as Paul said, “who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20); but then, Paul says too, He is the “one mediator between God and men ... who gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5,6) — I love to think of Him in that light. He is the Saviour of the world, He is God’s salvation, but what more? Well, my natural predilections are thwarted by what I hear. Mary and Joseph were Jews, they were brought up as Jews, they were of the lineage of David, the family of David, and what does Simeon say about Jesus? Well, he says, He is “a light for revelation of the Gentiles”. How important that I should be checked in my natural feelings if I am to make headway spiritually. I may be clinging to my family or my nation — Simeon says, ‘That must go’ — that is what he means. He does not connect the Babe even with Mary and Joseph; He is God’s salvation, and He is a light for the gentiles. You see how I am put on one side, how wholesome that is in my spiritual history to be put on one side. Mary might put in a claim. Ah, no, “A light for revelation of the Gentiles”. I can understand them muttering, ‘the gentiles?’ Yes, the gentiles; all my natural feelings are turned [p. 178] away, they are ridiculed, they must be let go, they must be surrendered. I have got to begin over again, I must learn everything now from heaven; I am dealing with the kingdom of God that has come in in this way, and it is making nothing of nations, however distinguished, religiously or politically; it has no reference to them. It has reference to men, you see, the kingdom of God — God and men. And so my national feelings have to be thrown behind my back. “A light for revelation of the Gentiles”. Have you come to see the Lord Jesus in that light? If you have, you are getting on. You see Him now in Simeon’s arms. I love to think of Simeon as representing God, the thoughts of God, but He is the mediator between God and men. The first thing is to bring to light those despised gentiles — that is what He will do. I am being prepared now for the house of God. I am becoming universal in my thoughts, for I am coming into accord with the thoughts of God. Well then, what about Israel? Well, Israel will be taken care of, too, but they have to take a second place, a wholesome lesson indeed, for God is faithful and every promise He has made He will fulfil. But He is sovereign as well as faithful, and if He puts the first last, I have to bow, and, as bowing, I come into the first; for the present time is bringing in the first, the assembly is formed of those who are first. You want to come into that.
Well now, Simeon says another word, “This child is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel”. Israel needed that, and He would serve Israel, but the first thing is to bring them down. If there are any here who are religious and resting in any religious distinction or preference, this Child is set for your fall, but it is a fall that will lead to a rise, you see, that is the kind of fall, it is a wholesome fall. Like Saul of Tarsus, he fell, he represents Israel, and the child was set for his fall. I need not go over the story, how [p. 179] Saul came to the ground, he fell to the ground but he rose up again — Jesus raised him up, and that is what He will do for you. If you are religious, assuming to have preference religiously, the first service this Child will render to you is to bring you down; that is the best service, for you can never get help otherwise; and then He will raise you up again; He will raise you up as you fall and set you among princes. That is what He will do.
Then the final word — “his father and mother wondered”, that is how it should read, I believe. Joseph’s public relationship is owned, for grace always shows itself in Luke. They are marvelling. These are wonderful things, beloved friends; they are far greater than any subject men treat of, and Mary marvelled rightly at such wonderful thoughts from God. And now, Simeon blessed them — he represents God. Do you not want to come into the blessing of God? It is the time of blessing, you see, not the time of cursing. But he says to Mary, as it were, ‘You will have more soul history’. God is very kind to us in telling us all about what we may have to go through. Mary represents soul history. Simeon says of the Lord that He was “set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against; (and even a sword shall go through thine own soul;) so that the thoughts may be revealed from many hearts”. For every heart is brought to light in this Child; nothing remains hidden, He brings everything into evidence, the inmost thoughts of hearts. But he says to Mary, “a sword shall go through thine own soul”. You say, that is hard. Yes, but soul history is worth the while. Mary is found at the cross. You do not want to be behind her; I do not, thank God. She represents soul history. And we do not want to miss anything that God in His love has ordained for us. You may depend upon it that God ordained nothing for that woman — blessed among [p. 180] women as she was — that was not for her good. Were you to have asked her, as an old sister later on, she would have told you that all this soul history was from the hand of love, that sword that pierced her soul was from God: it made her more spiritual. And so she is found at the cross, and then finally she disappears from Scripture; in the first chapter of the Acts, she is in the upper room with the brethren. May I suggest that that is the end for you, young people? You do not want to be outside of the upper room; you do not want to be away from the brethren; you want to be with the brethren. I believe she was one of the most spiritual of the sisters at the beginning. She had a history which no other one had, nothing equalling it; she represents, in the gospel of Luke, soul history.
I suggest all this, beloved friends, to christians and all. What we need to go in for is soul history with God, accepting the sword as it comes, for God only sends it in love; it is not the sword of vengeance, it is discipline. No doubt in it, or rather through it, you will be found in the company of the brethren in the upper room and you know how the Lord came in there and showed Himself. What wonderful times they had, and these times are all available to you. The gospel involves all this — what the believer is brought into.