THE DYING OF JESUS
[p. 167] THE DYING OF JESUS
The “dying” or “putting to death” of Jesus is an expression not found in any other scripture. It seems to intimate that such features as were seen in Jesus could only meet with death here; they were not such as to be approved in this world; the answer which men gave to them was that they put Him to death. This was ever before Him from the outset of His service here, and particularly as the hatred of men became more and more manifest towards the close of His ministry.
Paul was “always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus”; it was not merely in his heart, or in his mind, but “in the body”. It refers, I think, to his readiness to accept bodily suffering in carrying on the service of the glad tidings. His gospel was “of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God”, and God had shone in his heart “for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. This treasure was in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power might be of God, and not from the vessel. There was to be the full setting forth of God, but this, in a world of darkness and evil, meant suffering for the vessel. It had been so when the Vessel was a divine Person here in holy manhood as Jesus. His blessed and perfect service was answered by His “putting to death”. Now this was always borne about in Paul’s body, for that body had become in a very special way the vessel of divine treasure; the outshining of the glory of Christ and of the glory of God was in his ministry. But then this involved correspondence with Jesus, in whom the service of divine love to men was perfect. It had meant “putting to death” for Him, and it meant for Paul a daily dying (1 Corinthians 15: 31), a working of death in him, and a consuming of the outward man in the service of love. His body carried the evidence of his devotion to that service, even as he bore in it “the brands of the Lord Jesus”, Galatians 6: 17.
The bearing about in Paul’s body of the dying of Jesus, and the manifestation in his body of the life of Jesus, went together. The life of Jesus was a life spent in the service of love, with no issue here but “putting to death”. Paul desired that that life might be manifested in his body; he accepted that it involved death here; but he knew what the issue would be in resurrection. “Knowing that he who has raised the Lord Jesus shall raise us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you”. The service of love would have its recompense in resurrection and in the company there of those reached and blessed through the service.
In the life of Jesus divine love was in activity, and, in speaking of the life of Jesus being manifested in his body, I think Paul was referring to the service of love. Some moral qualities may be, so to speak, self-contained, but love cannot be self-contained; it must be active towards others. Paul held himself — held his body — for the activities of the service of love, and he was prepared to move on that line at personal cost. The service of love is always costly. It is affecting to see at what a cost God has reached the end which His love desired. The Lord Jesus in the activity of His love has effected the pleasure of God, but at the cost of death. Paul was in correspondence with the blessed God and with Jesus, and he was prepared for the cost; he bore about in his body the dying of Jesus.
God is righteous and holy, but His motive nature is love; He has given expression to it at great cost; and it can only come out in His servants at the cost of suffering. It is a wonderful thing to appreciate “the life of Jesus”, and for our bodies to become vessels for the manifestation of a life devoted to the service of love. It is humbling to discover that one has so little ability to take it up practically. If we moved on that line we should find that there are opportunities to surrender and to suffer. How often are we thinking of what is due to us! Everything was due to Jesus, but He did not consider that; His whole life was marked by dedication to the service of love.
It is through our bodies that the life of Jesus can be manifested. These bodies with all their weaknesses and limitations — mortal bodies — can be vessels for that manifestation. Paul was in harmony with what God had before Him, and God was helping him by discipline. He was always bearing about in his body the dying of Jesus, and on God’s part he was always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, and he was happy that it should be so. His intense desire was that the life of Jesus should be manifested in his body. This is a wonderful result of divine working.
It is possible to be occupied with the attainment of certain spiritual conditions in ourselves, but our great desire should [p. 169] be to be liberated for the service of love. As practically free for the service of love among the brethren, the life of Jesus would come into manifestation. It is a blessed moment in the history of the believer when he definitely presents his body to God, and the result of this comes out practically in the service of love amongst the saints. This is seen in Romans 12. Then in Corinthians we see how it works out in the local assembly, setting aside self-importance and self-consideration of every kind. Our place in the assembly is determined by the measure in which we serve in love, and we are measured by this golden reed in the place where we are best known. The Lord said, “But I am in the midst of you as the one that serves”, and Paul said to the Corinthians, “Now I shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved”.