WHAT THE LORD JESUS DOES HIMSELF

John 20:19; John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Luke 24:15

It is a blessed matter to think of the way in which the Lord Jesus served His own. He served the disciples when He was here, and that service continues, beloved brethren. It has impressed me that the Lord continues to serve His own in a very personal way. If you belong to the Lord, you are the subject of divine interest. The epistle to the Hebrews speaks of a High Priest who is always interceding for us (Heb.7:25). It is a continuing matter.

I have read these scriptures because they refer to what the Lord Jesus did Himself. It is a very blessed matter to take account of the Lord Jesus as having come out of death. You will remember that there were those who went to the tomb, and in one account they saw an angel of the Lord (Matt.28:2-7). You might have said, that would have been enough for those disciples to know that the Lord was out of death, that He had broken its power. In another account, there were two men (Luke 24:4); there was witness there in the two, and you might have said, that would be enough. But no; John tells us that Jesus came and stood in the midst. He made Himself known to His own. You might say, He wanted His own to have that personal touch from Himself. What that must have meant to those persons who were gathered, not only to see the Lord, but to hear these words, “Peace be to you”. They heard these words from the lips of a risen, living Man, One who had been into death, but One who was now out of death, having broken its power for ever. He came in amongst His own, Himself, and He continues to do that. I wonder if you have ever had the experience at the breaking of bread of the Lord coming Himself, not corporeally, but by the Spirit. We can know that the Lord has made Himself known; the Lord would see to that Himself, to give us the touch which we need. I often think that the Lord Jesus knows exactly what we need, and He is able to bring it in. That is wonderful. At this time, what did these disciples need? They needed to see the Lord, they needed their hearts filled with Himself personally. And we need that at the present time; the Lord’s own touch.

In John 14, He says, “I go to prepare you a place”. Again, the Lord Jesus does this Himself by going into the presence of the Father Himself to prepare a place for you and me. That is precious. Do you have that assurance that there is a place for you with Christ? It is a blessed matter that the Lord Jesus, the One who conquered death, has ascended and is glorified, and He has prepared a place for His own. He does not say here that it is in heaven, although surely the Lord fills that place; He says, “I am coming again and shall receive you to myself”. That is the prepared place; it is with Christ. How precious! I trust that you have that assurance, that when the Lord comes, that place for you in glory is assured. He has done it Himself by going in to the presence of the Father.

Then, this touch in Thessalonians as to those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Another dear brother has been taken in this locality. The Lord has had to do with that. The Lord Himself has put our brother to sleep, all in the divine timing; the Lord did it Himself. It is a precious matter, beloved, to see that the personal service of Jesus continues, not only to meet your need, not only to save you from your sins, but, the Lord’s personal service is towards you through your whole life, right to the time when you leave this scene when you are taken by Him – if you are taken, because some here may be among “the living, who remain to the coming of the Lord”. But the Lord Jesus Himself has to do with the death of one of His saints; “Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints”, Ps.116:15. Then Paul goes on to assure us that the Lord is coming again. He is not going to leave it to another, He is not going to leave it to an angel, He is coming Himself. What a precious matter it is that “the Lord himself, with an assembling shout, with archangel’s voice and with trump of God, shall descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air”. It will be the Lord’s personal service to His own. Why? Because they are precious to Him. He is coming for all those who belong to Him.

In Luke’s gospel, there is this beautiful touch again. I love this scripture; “Jesus himself drawing nigh, went with them”. There are sorrowing brethren in this locality who need to prove that, along with us all, and we will. The Lord Jesus Himself, no matter what comes into your life, is ready to draw near to you Himself. It is very precious; He does it Himself. May we be encouraged, beloved brethren, to see that the Lord loves His own. How precious too it is, to see His blessed service to His own and to know that He does it Himself. May we be comforted, for His name’s sake.

Word in a meeting for ministry, Grangemouth

25 December 2018

T.R. Campbell