The Resurrection And The Life

by McFarlane, J. | Category: General | Sept 1955

A happy family scene is drawn for us in Bethany, as it is written in John 11: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus," for in entertaining their Lord their house became a resting place for Him who is God manifest in flesh.

But death comes in, and mars the happiness, disturbs the peace, and the hearts are filled with anxiety, so that one views with sympathy this distress of the sisters, rendered more grievous by the prolonged absence of the Lord. Such a scene has been enacted on innumerable occasions during the well-nigh 2,000 years since the Lord left this earth for heaven, and yet the cry of beloved saints goes up to His ear in each distressing occasion and we are the more cast on the promises of His return in words such as Philippians 3.20

"Our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory, according to the working whereby He is able to subject all things unto Himself"

His control in life and death was demonstrated during His life on earth in four recorded cases. He spake and brought back to life:

(1)the son of the nobleman of Cana, "at the point of death" (John 4.46);

(2)the daughter of Jairus, in the process of dying, " she lay a-dying" (Luke 8.42);

(3)the son of the widow of Nain, "that was dead" (Luke 7.12);

(4)Lazarus of Bethany," he hath been dead four days "(John 11.39).

When the Lord met Martha, He challenged her faith in Him, and revealed to her, and to us all, how His control over death would be fully operative :"He that believeth on Me, though he die, yet shall he live:"

but also

"Whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die" (John 11.25, 26).

This dual truth covers this dispensation. Beginning at Pentecost, and ending with the rapture, the Lord is building the Church, the Body of Christ, into which all believers are baptized in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12.13), as He declared to Peter in the words

"Upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16. 18).

During the nearly 2,000 years since Pentecost many believers have lived and died, died believing that they yet shall live, and what a comfort His word has been to beloved saints of God as they finished their course! With equal assurance we know that when He comes the saints then living will not pass through death.

The scene of resurrection of John 11. merges into the scene of feasting in His presence, seen in John 12., a clear type of the time when we shall be found together in fulness of joy in the presence of the Lord Jesus (1 Thessalonians 2.19). Martha, Mary and Lazarus together reclining with their Lord, the house filled with the odour of the ointment, the Lord tasting to the full the joy of victory over death, of the love of His own, of the sweet odour of their sacrifice. Our minds dwell with delight on the scene, soon now to find its fulfilment. To the Lord, about to be forsaken, it gave refreshment. Then the promise of John 14.3 :"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

The manner of His departure is important to us, and cannot be too well known in every detail. He had been recognized, after His resurrection, at the evening meal in Emmaus, by His taking the loaf, giving thanks and breaking and giving to the two disciples :"He was known of them in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24.35).

On the later manifestation of Himself He appeared in their midst and took pains to impress on the disciples that it was He Himself in the body that they had learned to know, that they had seen crucified, and was now raised from the dead. He laid the main stress on the hands and feet: "Behold My hands and My feet." (Behold, in the sense of to see, to know, to perceive, to consider.)

For those wounds, not scars, are the open wounds of Calvary. Those rough Roman soldiers were so controlled by Jehovah that, without injury to the slender bones of hands and feet they drove the nails through, nailing them to the cross, conforming in every minute particular, with heaven's words

"A bone of Him shall not be broken" (John 19.36).

"He keepeth all His bones; not one of them is broken" (Psalm 34.36).

Having asked them (imperatively) to handle Him, He showed them His hands and His feet, this time in the sense of Luke 17.14. To make doubly sure to them that He was not spirit but flesh and bones, He ate before them "broiled fish and honeycomb." We linger on these scenes of His appearances for they are our heritage, in which we should revel, for so we shall recognize Him when He comes.

"Not at the crown He giveth, But on His pierced hand."

He was last seen going into heaven on the mountain over against Bethany, and there

"He lifted up His hands and blessed them."

"While He blessed them, He parted from them" (Luke 24.51).

"He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1.9).

The careful attention to detail merits the careful consideration of the different points of view, and there is also a triple emphasis by the heavenly messengers in the words

"Jesus...shall so come, in like manner,

as ye beheld Him going" (Acts 1.11).

One day the clouds of heaven will part, and we shall see the King in His beauty, with pierced hands raised in blessing, as they now are raised on the throne of glory. Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, deliberately gave those minute details not only to establish disciples in the truth of His glorified body, but also to teach us instant expectancy of the Lord's return. One is reminded of an early meeting, of which it is recorded :"Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. And she said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master. And she took her veil and covered herself" (Genesis 24.64).

Paul took up this thread of truth, and witnessed of God

"Now hath Christ been raised from the dead... For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order (Tank): Christ the First-fruits; then they that are Christ's, at His coming.... As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Corinthians 15.22, 23, 49).

This body is subject to severe limitations of time and space, but then He will transform it into conformity to His body of glory. John is very complacent about the event, shown by his words

"It is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if He shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is,'

(1 John 3.2).

A close reading of 1 Thessalonians 4.14 will, we suggest, show that we are regarded as part of the resurrection of Christ.

The R.V. reads, "them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." The R.V.M. for "in" says Gr. "through," or "will God through Jesus," the clear meaning being that God will bring with Jesus from the dead those that are fallen asleep, He (Jesus) being instrumental.

The Thessalonians turned to God from idols, to serve the Living and True God. and to wait for His Son from heaven and to them was given the more exact information that the coming was to consist of first raising the dead and then changing the living so that together we shall meet the Lord in the air. To describe that meeting a technical word is used which is reserved for "the welcome of a newly arrived official" (as Acts 28.15). It is cheering to realize that He is preparing a place to which He Himself will welcome us.

When we are united together in the presence of the Lord Jesus His request to His Father will find its fulfilment as the Love-gift of the Father to the Son. The request is recorded for our joyful contemplation

"Father, that which Thou hast given Me, I will that, where I am, they also may be with Me; that they may behold My glory, which Thou host given Me: For Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world" (John 17.24).

Paul tasted of this joy when he wrote :"My brethren beloved and longed-for (with a home-sick affection),

my joy and crown, ... my beloved" (Philippians 4.1).

"What is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our Lord Jesus (the Shepherd character), at His coming" (or presence) (Philippians 2.10).

John gives a final word to us, a word from the Throne

"Little children, abide in Him; that, if He shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (in His presence) (1 John 2.28.)

McFarlane, J. | Sept 1955
General