THE INTRODUCTION OF LIFE
[p. 415] THE INTRODUCTION OF LIFE
Ques What would you say was the great subject of this gospel?
FER John tells us at the close of chapter 20. The great thought that prevails is the introduction of life into the world. The world is dominated by death but the thought of God is to bring life into it. This gospel does not bring out as others the faithfulness of God to His people but solves the question of life. In chapter 3 you get what was in the heart of God, He gave His only begotten Son, but the point is bringing life in. He takes away the sin of the world and baptises with the Holy Spirit. John claims the world for God, the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. The world is all held in bondage to sin, but Christ comes in to set aside everything, He takes away the sin of the world. On the one hand there is the complete subjugation of all that is not of God, but on the other He introduces the influence of God. Ultimately the world is made to become a scene of life instead of death. It is the world that comes into view continually in John, He gives His flesh for the life of the world; the world does not realise its own position and does not understand it. In result it is “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh”. We must look upon everything in the light of the coming day, everything in John’s gospel has that in view: the world to come, bringing God into the world — we have very limited ideas of the extent of God’s ways, we are often limited to our own ideas. The character of Christ is as the sent One, the thought of the sent One is continually used in John’s gospel. He is to give effect to the Father’s will, there is a purpose in connection with the revelation and not the revelation only, but the bringing in of God’s purpose: the light shines in [p. 416] darkness and it comprehended it not, there was an end of that. Chapter 3 brings in the great thought of God, that whosoever believeth might have everlasting life.
Ques What does chapter 1 present?
FER It brings in the light as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Ques What do you mean by the sin of the world?
FER It has become detached from the influence of God but Christ comes and brings the world under the influence of God — into gear! John takes things up very much in the light of divine purpose, the Father’s will. I think it is a very great point. The Son of God was manifested to undo the works of the devil. The end of chapter 1 brings in the accomplishment of Psalm 8 — the Son of man — the world to come is put under the Son of man and the angels.
The Son of God is the incarnate Son of God, but the Son of man is a much greater thought; things in heaven as well as things on earth are put under Him. He is set over all the works of God’s hands, angels are placed at the service of man. Son of God is an official title. King of Israel in Psalm 2 is in a kind of way limited as the way He claims the nations, but as Son of man all things are put under His feet. The second chapter brings in that everything is put on the ground of resurrection — man comes to an end in the wine that runs out, but he does worse, he corrupts the temple of God. God can do nothing for man but on the ground of resurrection, it is there that the power of Satan and all evil is set aside. Christ has got power and authority on the ground of resurrection to bring life into the world, it only awaits the appointed time until He comes into the world.
Christ came to meet all that had been brought in by the sin of man not only by cleansing but by expiation. In virtue of that He comes again and binds all the forces of evil and not only that but brings in all the influence of God. In the meantime the believer has eternal life; the way is in chapter 4. You would not speak of Israel in [p. 417] that way, it would not apply to Israel in the same way. Eternal life is explained in chapter 3: 17 in the knowledge of the Father and the Son. What is in the gospel is a larger thought than that in Psalm 2; the 8th chapter brings in all, the service of angels and other things. In having the Son you have everything that is in Him. In the end of chapter 2 you have the setting aside of man. I have thought that the Lord’s purpose in Nicodemus was to set the Jew aside. In the gospel of John you get three passovers: this is the first, then in chapter 6 and in chapter 12. The cleansing of the temple was introductory to His ministry, He takes account first of all that was here. The marriage feast is the one great occasion in a man’s life and the wine ran out — there is no power of continuance, there is death. The temple then was the next great thing but it was a house of merchandise. Everything is surpassed in chapter 2 on the ground of resurrection. He spoke of the temple of His body. When the marriage really takes place the wine will not run out. I think it is the nuptials of Christ and Israel and the wine will not run out. It really is because man has got to the bottom of himself and does not trust himself. To me, it is extremely interesting that the Lord takes everything He finds down here into account. He went down to the marriage feast and does He not take account of things in the present day? Yes! You see that in the first three chapters in Revelation: everything passes under His eye. Men will be maintained in the world to come in the sense of the goodness of God and so the wine will not run out.
Ques What is the difference between new birth and eternal life?
FER Well, new birth is an operation of the Spirit of God, but Christ is eternal life. God gives eternal life, but the way that He gives it is in giving Christ.
Ques Is this a new thing or was the kingdom there?
FER The defect was in man. He needed ability to see; the kingdom was there all the time. Born of [p. 418] God is that it is predicated of certain people that they are born of God. The position of things in this chapter was that the kingdom of God was presented in Christ but man did not see it. People might be struck by miracles but they take no account of it. The thought of being born of God is when you get the children of God, after the death of Christ. New birth is only stated in this chapter as a necessity, in chapter 1 it is privilege.
Verses 12 and 13 of chapter 1 are a summary. They epitomise the effect of the presentation of Christ in the world. Now this chapter and the next bring in the disposition of God to man, chapters 3 and 4 together — as is set out in chapter 3: 16. His disposition is in the giving of His Son, that is God’s mind in regard of the world. I have generally said that chapter 3 is essentially evangelistic. The Son of man lifted up is the object of faith and you cannot take that away. All that the third chapter gives is His mind. The fourth tells you how you get it, the well of water springing up.
Ques Why is it in the epistle of Titus the grace of God that brings salvation and here the love of God?
FER Well, I should say in Titus the point is salvation and here eternal life, one is deliverance and the grace of God and the other what God would bring man into. It must be experimental or christianity is a mere term. It all consists in the work of the Spirit down here in believers. Everything is in Christ; you are not told to believe anything about yourself, but the Spirit works in you according to Christ. You cannot go back to make out the state of things in the Lord’s lifetime. The Lord did a great many things that the Holy Spirit does now in expounding. It is all anticipative and all on the ground of the Son of man lifted up. In the next chapter it is on the ground of the giving of the Spirit, verse 16 is the spring of verse 14 and shows the love of God to the world, but He had to be lifted up. You must distinguish between the world as a system and the world as the people in it. The casting off of the Jew was the reconciliation [p. 419] of the people in it and not the system. Satan is the god and prince of the system, not of men. All the fashions it is said are set by the lowest set in Paris, they all spring from below. God will not have any peace with that. On the other hand God can look on the world in regard of the people in it. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself not imputing trespasses. It is to the people He is the Saviour of the world, not simply of the Jew like Joseph. It is all the world in John’s gospel — the revelation of God in His nature. What God was before promise. The world is claimed by Christ for God in spite of Satan. The Son of man is One who is exalted above all things because He suffers for all things, as in Hebrews by the grace of God He tasted death for every thing. A most important thing in the next chapter, He that “drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” and not only that but it springs up into everlasting life. You get the thirst met, a great point! You must get a man content in the first instance, there is something in it that precludes thirst; the beginning of a new state is “never thirst” and following that is the springing up. The love of God is shed abroad in his heart, he has something that satisfies him for ever. I think it is a wonderful thing that the Lord expatiates on the virtue of the water. I would rather have that gift than forty millions of money because that man might thirst: It is man set up in a wholly new state, as Son of man He takes up the judgment of our state that He may bring us into a wholly new state.
Ques. The springing up?
FER I think it is in individual knowledge as chapter 17, verse 3: “To know thee the only true God”.