CHRIST FILLING ALL THINGS
CHRIST FILLING ALL THINGS
FER I suggested this chapter, because it presents in a striking way the place which Christ fills in connection with divine ways. The first part shows Christ sending out the seventy on their mission. The end of this is the falling down from heaven of Satan; and then we go on to the thought of everything being delivered of the Father to Christ, and eternal life is brought into view. Like every other part of Scripture, it commends itself — it is so entirely divine, but impossible to be understood except by the Spirit of God. The mission of the seventy is confined to this gospel. It is connected with Christ being received up (see chapter 9: 5 1.) What follows on this is Satan cast down from heaven. The mission of the seventy is wider than that of the twelve which we get previously. The point is that it is the beginning of the downfall of Satan, the beginning of the end of undoing the works of the devil. The end is when Satan is cast down from heaven. The Lord speaks of the gathering in of the harvest. All is final, things are brought to an issue. The ground in Luke is wider than in Matthew. Christ is set as a light to the gentiles. At the beginning of Acts we have more the mission of the twelve, carrying out the testimony that Christ had given. Luke is more connected with the testimony of the apostle Paul. Everything is brought to an issue. The present testimony of the gospel will bring everything to an issue. The ultimate effect of the preaching of the gospel is the overthrow of Satan. Paul says, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”. The light coming in has [p. 262] given an enormous impetus to human intelligence, but the real effect is in bringing to light the forces of evil. Lawlessness is brought to light in christendom and so too antichrist. While the preaching of the gospel gathers in the harvest, it brings fully to light the powers of evil. God has ordained that Christ should be the great test. “The Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”. Everything has to be disentangled. The harvest has to be gathered in and everything must become ripe for judgment. It really is more and more the question, “What think ye of Christ”? The spirit of lawlessness is seen in that light has been presented and deliberately refused. On the other hand, Christ has an eye on every thirsty one.
In the first fourteen chapters of Acts we find opposition to the preachers of the gospel; in chapter 15 it is adulteration — law brought into the gospel.
It says in verse 21, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit”. Then the lawyer raises the question of eternal life, and the Lord gives a solution of it in the thought of the neighbour. It is another order of things. The chapter brings into view an order of things in which the Father is revealed, and in which Christ gives the impulse. Christ fills all, and everybody is affected by the impulse which He gives. Mercy pervades all — the principle is “Go, and do thou likewise”. The priest and levite could do nothing in this way. Jude says, “Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”, and the impulse of mercy affects everybody. Christ has ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things. Light is supposed to be ether — and it gets its impulse from the sun. You get in this chapter the break-up of one system and the introduction of another. There is a new system set up by God, and of this Christ is the Centre. The names of disciples being written in heaven is connected [p. 263] with purpose. The companions of Christ were to have a place in heaven. We have this thought in Hebrews 12, names enrolled in heaven. Divine love has not its end till God’s people are in heaven. God would have them with Himself. We get the same thought in Exodus 15, in regard to Israel, “Thou shalt bring them in”. When God comes out in the revelation of Himself in His Son, He gets His satisfaction — His love has its answer in those surrounding Him. The joy set before Christ was to give effect to the divine will. The Lord was supremely the evangelist here, and every evangelist is the reflection of Christ. The disciples when sent out were wonderfully equipped. Power is not expressed in quite the same shape now, but the power is there. Men are delivered from the power of evil as truly as then. In the thought of their names being written in heaven the Lord corrected the disciples’ thought of power. Love is greater than power. Man is likely to be elated by the exercise of power down here. If I saw people manifestly set free by my agency from the power of Satan, I am not quite sure how I could stand it.
Ques Why does the Lord introduce what we have in verse 22?
FER Because He is bringing into view the new system. There is the dissolution of the old system in the fall of Satan. The system of the world which has been under Satan’s domination is reduced to its moral elements. A new system is built up, everything being put into the hands of Christ. Then the glory of His person comes out. There is in Him the revelation of God: “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”. There is a system which will subsist in the revelation of God, in which Christ will shine forth as the Sun of righteousness. What gives its brilliancy to the Sun of righteousness is that the glory of God shines in His face.
[p. 264] Ques Is growth in christians growth in the knowledge of divine Persons?
FER Yes. And for that you must be brought into contact with them. You will not know me except in coming into contact with me. The Spirit brings us into contact with divine Persons, so that we really know these divine Persons before we get to heaven. That is in truth the holiest. I think the holiest is really the heart of God. When you get to heaven nothing will be strange:
‘There no stranger — God shall meet thee’. (76:10)
The gospel of John gives us a clue to this. It is the gospel of the sent One, and the real way of entering into the knowledge of God is by the sent One.
When Christ arises as the Sun of righteousness He gives an impetus to everything. Every one will show mercy. Houses of Parliament and legislation will not then be required. Christ perfectly meets both death and dearth. He brings in the mercy of heaven. Man will be freed from death and will be abundantly satisfied. If you could get man satisfied and freed from death, you would have eternal life here. The One who brings in the mercy of God sets aside death. This is what John 5 brings out. He reveals Himself there as One who has complete authority over the domain of death. Everything hangs on Christ. Our blessing at the present time is in the way of knowledge; but there is no limit to what you may know because there is no limit to the Spirit of God. In the close of the chapter you get the moral effect of the apprehension of mercy in Christ. Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, and the consequences of this are seen in the next chapter.
No one can fathom the depths in the Son — the glories of His person. We know nothing, of course, of Christ, except through revelation. No one can know the Son save the Father. The Lord says,
“[p. 265] Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see”. He was speaking of this wonderful revelation. It was only Christ who could estimate the opportunity they had. It is a blessed thing that we have got the revelation of the Father in the Son, and Christ as the Centre of all — the Sun of righteousness, who is going to give impulse to everything.
Everything on the divine side was perfect in Christ when He came, but we could have no part in it till after His resurrection. Christ has made the Father known. Eternal life in our case depends on the communication of the Spirit — the living water. The verse in John 17, “Thou hast given him power over all flesh”, is true of Christ now that He is glorified. We come into eternal life by receiving the Spirit. Here the Lord brings out the powerlessness of the law with regard to eternal life. It is dependent on God’s mercy. We become conscious of eternal life in the knowledge of the Father and the Son, outside the region of death and dearth. There is growth in this knowledge. There is no limit in it. You increase by the true knowledge of God. All depends on the capability that is in the Spirit and in His work. If people were prepared for the surrender of their hearts, to be set on that, they would get much greater capability. We are but small in the inward man.
The consequence of what we have seen is that we pray for the coming kingdom (chapter 11: 2). The moment you come under the influence of Christ you prove the effect of it. That is really “looking for the mercy”. It is a wonderful transformation. The effect on a person who comes under this influence is the looking for the Father’s kingdom. The question is how to get people under the influence of Christ, especially the young. If the older ones were more under the influence of Christ they might draw them. You may have everything as proper and [p. 266] orthodox as possible, and yet all be as chilly as death. The “young men” in 1 John 2 are in danger from the world. That is the great snare of the present day. We ought to make it manifest that the world is hostile to Christ. You dare hardly mention the name of Christ in the world.