THE UNIQUE GLORY OF THE SON
C.Hammond
John 17: 24; Ephesians 1: 5, 6
The hymn and the prayer seemed to indicate the line that the Spirit would stress at the present time. Reference has been made to the need of conformity to Christ. Paul touches on that in Romans, so that it is evidently in mind in the gospel, "to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8: 29), and the scripture referred to in 2 Corinthians 3 involves, we might say, a radical change; not just an objective view but a subjective result which involves a metamorphosis, a change of form, which should proceed in a meeting like this and other gatherings, for the Spirit of God is active in a formative way.
But I wish to refer to the external results of all this divine working. We have been taught that the assembly and those of it will be the nearest family of all in the universe of bliss. Of the many families that will be named of the Father the assembly will have the nearest place, and the Lord seems to indicate that in His prayer to His Father in this verse 24. He had referred, in verse 22, to a glory that was shared, but here He refers to a glory that is not said to be shared; it is unique to Himself. It is a great thing to get beyond what the outgoings of God, and the declaration and revelation of God, mean to us. They mean a great deal, of course, but worship, as I understand, flows from occupation with the Giver and not merely the gifts; and that no doubt enters into the service of God and what follows the Supper.
So here the Lord speaks to His Father. It is most affecting that this should be recorded, we may say, by an appreciative lover, one who knew what Jesus' bosom was like. The Lord says "Father, as to those whom thou hast given me"; they were the direct gift of the Father to Him, the nearest, as we have said, that could be possible for the creature ever to be. "Father, as to those whom thou hast given me, I desire that where I am they also may be with me, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me". Obviously it is a glory given to Him as Man, and yet unique to Him. It will be a wonderful thing, dear brethren, to be there; to be constituted suitable to be there by divine workmanship, and to be so near as at least to apprehend something of what this glorious Man, the Son, is to His Father - "My glory which thou hast given me". But immediately he goes on to say "For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world", as though there is an immediate link with what was before the foundation of the world, love being the link. You might say, Well He was loved because of what He was going to undertake, and that probably enters into it; but I do recall Mr Taylor sen commenting that it was not necessarily His being loved anticipatively in view of something that was to happen; it was one Person loving Another. It seems to refer to who it was that became Man. We cannot enter into that but we can behold the unique glory that that Person has as the Son. Think of the creature getting some apprehension of what the Son is to the Father, the unique glory that He has! Think of what it was for the One we know as Father to have One down here in flesh and blood, as we have heard, walking here absolutely pleasurable to His Father! Think of what it was for the Father to have Him in His presence in glorious manhood! Who can penetrate into the links that exist between the Father and the Son in that particular relative position and relationship; never forgetting who the Son is? Hence, the Lord goes on to speak of what was before the foundation of the world. It seems that we are in the presence, dear brethren, of divine love, a love which, as to us, is made known in a form that is intelligible at least, and apprehended, if not comprehended, for Paul says "The love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3: 19), and yet to be near enough to see the unique glory that Jesus has, the glorified Man in the presence of God, His Father. What a privilege it will be to be there without a thought about ourselves as to our blessing, though that will enter into it, but to have occupation uninterruptedly with Him who is everything to His Father and His God.
So Paul touches on this. He says that we are accepted or "taken ... into favour in the Beloved". He had spoken about adoption but he seems to single out the Lord with this remarkable designation, "The Beloved". Who in the universe, dear brethren, could be that but this glorious Person? Who could have a right to that title? David in some representative sense, is called that, but uniquely Christ is it, I believe, and we are "taken ... into favour in the Beloved". What fulness there is in that title which Paul gives Him in Ephesians! It seems to run very near to "My new name" (Rev 3: 12) that the Lord speaks of to Philadelphia. The Lord has a new name and we are to know it and understand it, that He has a new name in those conditions of glory - eternal conditions. But what impressed me was the final results of the divine workmanship. We are understandably occupied with transformation and conformation now, and that has to proceed and should be proceeding, particularly as conditions amongst those we are walking with are more amenable to the disclosures of divine thoughts, and the flow of the Spirit is more evident, and the spirit of the occasions, as well as the content of them, is being enjoyed. But what it will be in those eternal conditions, and to look upon the unique glory of the Son, to understand in some measure what He is to His Father. What do we know about the relations between Them and the positions They have assumed in the disclosures of love? But to be there, dear brethren, and capacitated to be there by the divine workmanship within us that is going on now (see Eph 2: 10) and to see His glory which the Father has given Him, and then to understand that He, the Person, was there, not as Son but as loved before the foundation of the world.
Well, dear brethren; what higher favour could there be than to be accepted, or taken into favour, in the Beloved? That is the divine purpose. It is what the Spirit of God is at, that the family in which we are included in this dispensation is going to be the nearest to the blessed God in the fullest possible way. We should highly prize the present moment, for the preparation and the work is to proceed according to the place divine love has devised for us. May God help us in this direction!
LONDON
30 October 1973
THE NEED FOR DIRECTION
F.von Rein
John 21: 1-12 (to "and dine")
Beloved brethren, this is nothing new. This scripture is well known to us, but I came to it in our reading that the Lord has something to say to us this day. Here we have a picture of what can happen if we try to act without a directive from above. Wanting to feed the brethren is a good thought and as Peter looks around and sees they are hungry, he decided, 'We will have to provide some food for them' and says "I go to fish". It is a very good desire to want to feed the brethren but how can we think of bringing anything to the brethren that will feed them if it is not directed from above, having no instruction from Christ? It is remarkable to observe that the whole company went with him: "We also come with thee". One wrong direction, one wrong thought, and the whole company, all these brethren went with him. One would have thought that they would have asked 'But Peter, who told you to do this?’ Where did you get the instruction from? Did you get the direct instruction from Christ?' No question is asked. "We also come with thee". This is the danger of any movement when seeking to do anything without having direction from above, without the Lord’s and the Spirit's direction. Let us beware of that. Beloved brethren, we have gone so wrong in recent years. We said something about it today, we said we have made a mess. Did they not make a mess here, a real mess? They worked the whole night and caught nothing; yes, caught nothing. Just think of it! Ah! beloved, only if we do anything under the leading and direction of Christ and the Spirit will we be able to provide food for the brethren and get food for ourselves. But if we do it out of other motives, just because we think we can do it in our own strength, we will be defeated.
How gracious the Lord is! He comes there and says ”Children"; if you see the note, it means 'little children'. Look how he speaks to them! You know, they were those who walked with the Lord Jesus all those years, you would have thought they had gained experience and had learned. Now He has to turn and go after them, and He said to them little children, "have ye anything to eat?”. They have to be honest; they could not help but be honest; the answer is, No. Beloved - be dependent upon the Spirit and the leading of Christ, and the direction from Christ, then we can be of help to our brethren and get helped ourselves. So the Lord Jesus shows His grace, He teaches them a lesson. He says "Cast the net at the right side of the ship". Now, you know, it is quite interesting to me to read this instruction because these men were fishermen, they would have known their job; but, you see, without direction from above, their effort became a dismal failure. But then when the Lord says "Cast the net at the right side" they obeyed and cast the net as directed, resulting in a net full of great fishes. I think that teaches us all something of great import, namely always to bear in mind that we want to have directions from above at any time when we desire to be of help to the brethren and also to get food for ourselves. Are we then throwing the net out under directions from above? Sure, there will be a multitude of great fishes. How wonderful to think that there was one who recognised the authority of Christ; he said "It is the Lord". Yes "It is the Lord". What impressions they must have gained! They had tried to do something in their own strength and they failed miserably, made such a mess of it, but when Christ comes and gives instructions the whole expedition becomes a great success. Oh! Let us be subject to the Lord and the Spirit’s leading in all that we undertake. How often we have erred – I speak for myself – but then, you see, when you have instructions from above you will do the right thing, and then you find that the Lord can make use of it. It says here "When therefore they went out on the land, they see a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus says to them, Bring of the fishes which ye have now taken". Observe that a meal was there already. Christ has all the provisions, Christ had feeling for His people and discerned that they were hungry and needed feeding, but they needed teaching too. So now He says "Bring of the fishes which ye have now taken. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to the land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty three". How useful he became, after having misled the brethren! Now, under instructions from Christ, he becomes a most useful servant. He pulls the net in by himself, a big net full of fishes. How wonderfully the Lord teaches us!
Let us ponder how the Lord in His grace and patience in these last few years has sought to teach us so that we might see what is right and continue under divine directions in the testimony. He says "Come and dine"; yes, "Come and dine". What a wonderful thing! You can go through scripture and find that, wherever there is a new movement of the people of God, God saw to it that they were well fed. When they moved out of Egypt they did not go hungry. When they moved across the wilderness they were fed; when they went through Jordan - of course there they had to secure food in hunting, but the food was there - and then in the land the old corn of the land and the unleavened bread and roasted corn. Oh how wonderful God is! God provides for each one who depends upon Him, and Is under His directions, that which is needed for sustaining power; and so He will reach the end with each one of us that He has in view. We are not supposed to be left hungry, spiritually hungry. There is always something to sustain us, to support us. When we sometimes become discouraged - and I can assure you when you are in a locality where there are only two, that is the truth; the devil comes and tempts you to rid yourself of this loneliness - then we are revived by turning to Christ; He says, I am sufficient, I am the bread, I am the life; and He feeds us anew and encourages us again, strengthens us to continue not in our own power and strength but under His direction, by the Spirit, in His power. So let us be dependent upon the leading of the Lord and the Spirit and on the feeding by Christ. Do not seek to do anything in your own strength, you will not succeed, the net will be empty; but put it out on the right side under the direction of Christ and it will be filled with a multitude of great fishes. How wonderfully God has provided what is food for our spirits, food for our souls! Beloved brethren, how wonderfully God has provided for all of us and He will see us through. He will surely see us through to the end; He will not forsake us. God is faithful. Amen.
TORONTO
1 June 1973