In The Midst

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Category: General | May 1987

In the Temple (Luke 2:46)

Our theme opens with a remarkable Boy, 12 years of age, sitting in the midst of the temple's learned doctors of the law (Luke 2:40-52). What a privilege it was for these teachers to get their first introduction to the divine Prophet whom Moses foretold (Deut. 18:15), the mighty Expounder of things concerning Himself from Moses and the prophets (Luke 24:27). Respectfully and intently the Child Jesus listened to them; He asked discerning and possibly profound questions; and His answers and understanding astonished them.

He was in their midst, not only in the topographical sense, but as the centre of divine gravity which drew them to Him as the Teacher and Source of all knowledge. The outlines which follow further emphasize His preeminence as the One in the midst, the irreplaceable divine centre.

On The Cross (John 19:18)

What a humiliating scene! The holy, spotless Son of God who did no wrong, crucified between two sinners who did no good! He was numbered with the transgressors; counted as one of them; His name on the charge sheet with them; crucified between them. Yet deservedly He was the centre of attention; the focal point; the point of concentration; the centre of gravity in the divine sense - "And I, if I be lifted up ... will draw all men unto Myself (John I 2:32). That changes the humiliation to triumph; it magnifies the drawing power of His great love and compassion; that is what brought us to the cross; not attracted

as sightseers, inquisitive ones, mockers. We were drawn by love; and our sins were forgiven; our judgement and penalty taken from us and met by Him. We were set free from the bondage of sin and placed on the eternal path to heaven by the Man of the middle cross. "... Jesus in the midst". He is the divine centre of gravity the drawing power.

And when I think that God His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin,

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,

How great Thou art.

In Resurrection (John 20:19)

To begin the Lord's day knowing the presence of the resurrected Man of Calvary is an immeasurable plus. It was a wonderful way for the disciples to

begin the week! It got rid of their depression, their fears and doubts. Imagine disciples hiding behind locked, barred doors when they have a Saviour who has broken the shackles of sin, and torn away the bars of death! There is no structure He cannot penetrate; quietly He appeared in their midst and calmed their fears with the loving greeting "SHALOM - peace". "... Jesus came and stood in the midst..." If they were shocked by His appearance, uncertain of His voice because phobias can have strange effects on people, they knew who He was when He revealed to them the marks of the cross. "... He shewed unto them His hands and His side" (v.20). The undeniable identification. Not fingerprints, but wound prints in His glorified body. They were confirmation of His eternal Sonship "the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20). And of His Messiahship, for Saul of Tarsus needed to be and was convinced, on the Damascus road, that the dying Jesus of the Cross was the Messiah, living, speaking to him.

Praise my soul, the King of heaven,

To his feet thy tribute bring;

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

who like thee his praise should sing?

Praise him! Praise him!

Praise the everlasting King.

Of the Heavenly Throng (Hebrews 2:12)

Our minds seem closed sometimes to the thought of the Lord singing until we find in the Word that He did. He must have had a beautiful voice, note perfect. Of the dark night of His betrayal it is written "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the Mount of Olives" (Mat. 26:30). Twelve voices blended in a chant of praise; the Leader of the little band who headed for the place of execution, had been the Leader of song. The valley of weeping was made a place of springs! Whether He sang with the saints during His 40 day post-resurrection sojourn, we are not told. But the One who enabled the morning stars to sing together (Job 38:7) also sang after His glorious ascension. "In the midst of the congregation will I sing Thy praise", records the writer to the Hebrews (2:12). Have we here a picture of Him as the centre of the heavenly scene, the church of the firstborn (Heb - 12:23) during times of praise and worship when spiritual offerings are made "within the holiest of all" unto His God and Father (Rom. 15:6)? If so, we share that wondrous privilege today each time we remember Him in the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42). It is on such memorable occasions that we make melody in our hearts in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and He is the centre of praise.

On His heart our names are graven,

On His shoulders we are borne.

For His sake the Father loves us;

Praise becomes us in return.

Of the Heavenly Throne (Rev. 5:6)

After portraying a mottled picture of the condition of the seven churches of God in Asia (Rev. 2,3), John saw a door opened in heaven. There he viewed eternal things by contrast - thrones, stones precious and coloured, a rainbow, white garments, crowns of gold, lamps of fire; and the throne of God. (Rev. 4:1-11; 5:1-14). "And l saw in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as though it had been slain" (5:6). In his Gospel, John describes the Lord walking and being proclaimed as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29,36). That Lamb was slain on Mount Calvary. John may have been one of the very last viewers of the Lamb upon a wooden "altar", slain; now He sees Him living, triumphant, glorified, as typified in the words "standing, as though it had been slain" suggestive of an ever present, efficacious work. The horns, John saw, can allude to His all-authority, strength, ability, and power

- "Wherefore also He is able (inherent divine power: not ability borrowed from another) to save to the uttermost

(Heb. 7:24). He must ever be the focal point in heaven and on earth. It is He who draws us into the holies to worship, knowing that He lives in the power of an endless life.

Lord of earth and heaven He is, Hallelujah!

Everlasting life is this, Hallelujah!

Him to know, His power to prove, Hallelujah!

Him to laud, and Him to love, Hallelujah!

Of the Churches (Rev. 1:13)

John writes of the things he heard and saw; significantly, seven golden lampstands and "in the midst of the lampstands one like unto the Son of man ... the seven lampstands are seven churches" (1:12,13,20 RVM). Does the Lord walk in the midst of the churches of God today? Without doubt He does. What does He see? Am I conscious of a real possibility of the great Searcher of hearts stopping at my door knocking (3:20)? taking my spiritual temperature - cold or hot (3:15)? taking my hand with an endearing whisper of encouragement to come back to Him - my first love (2:4)? preparing me to be faithful during tribulation (2:10)? pleading with me not to deny Him, even to losing my life - becoming a martyr, as many Christians have become today (2:13)? persuading me to be an overcomer and so receive the hidden manna, a white stone, a new name (1:17)? counselling me to buy of Him refined gold to be spiritually wealthy, to clothe myself with white garments, and to cure my blindness with divine eyesalve (3:17,18)? He wants me, you, to be good listeners just as He was in the temple in the midst of the doctors, hearing and perceiving what was being said.

It is imperative for us to see and recognize Him as the One in the midst; He is the centre, the focal point.

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | May 1987
General