Anticipatory statements - divine language (John 20)

… I wonder if we could just pick up again in John 20, John 20. And we already had verse 17 read to us, I'll just begin at verse 18, 18, Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his sight. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Just that little precious thing, we've got some very precious things, but of course it's very heartwarming to be reminded of these anticipative statements and the force of them, how they bring it out, to how ourselves occupied with that fact that the Lord has done the work here for him, and that wonderful city that's coming, then of course we're rather softened and occupied with that blessed fact that we're going to be in the glory with and like our beloved Son. We had this mention of the Father in verse 17, very preciously brought before us, and it's significant that it's not until resurrection, it's on the other side of death and resurrection that the Lord brings out that we can call God Father. My Father and your Father, it's always pointed out, of course, isn't it, that he didn't say our Father, did he? No, our Father. No. My Father and your Father, my God and your God, very precious, the Lord Jesus. My Father and your Father, as we suggested, this is the height of our blessing, wonderful that we've had our sins forgiven, blessed indeed that we've been redeemed. We could spend all eternity giving God thanks for having our sins forgiven, we could give another eternity, if that is possible, for being redeemed, justified, reconciled, cleansed, be at peace with God, fit for the presence of God, sanctified as we have, haven't we? Sanctified. Children, sons, able to call God Father, the height of our blessing and probably the greatest blessing we have now is the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us, enabling us to enter in and enjoy these blessed things, making them a reality to us. My Father and then he says, my God, my God. Remember when he, of course, first said, my God, not recorded in John, but we do have it in Matthew, I think in Mark, and in Mark, I think they both actually give it and it's a Hebrew quotation, my God, my God, why must thou forsake me? We can never really read that verse, but we are cast down, aren't we? Then to trace through that psalm, the seven enemies that were against the Lord, culminating with our dear brother, Thomas, who helpfully brought out the oryx, being saved from the horns of the oryx, which of course is being saved from death itself. My God, my God. And then, of course, there is another connection in my God, which would take us on to one of the things our dear brother Arthur has been so helpfully bringing before us. In Revelation chapter 3, it says there, him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and it shall go no more out. And I write upon the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, my God, there we are, my God in that sequence there. Jerusalem, Jerusalem above, isn't it in Galatians, Jerusalem above. And the heaven of Jerusalem in Galatians 4, sorry, in Hebrews 12, here we have Jerusalem, new Jerusalem, and then of course into chapter 21, where Arthur was reading, we have Jerusalem itself, isn't it, the holy city. So my God, these precious considerations of something of the truth that's involved in the Lord's word of my God. Now, here's a very remarkable thing, that the Lord didn't choose to commit this message to one of his disciples or to some man. It's always been a great thing to me, and the force of it really once came to me when I was sitting in the barber's chair, and I think most of you know who the barber was, and there was a tendency, you see, often to denigrate sisters, put them in a very, very lowly place, you know. And dear King it was, he says, it was a sister that got that word. My God and your God, my father and your father. He says, don't I despise the sisters. He says, they have a role to play. A role to play. What a wonderful commission, isn't it? Dear saints of God. So, dear sisters, be encouraged and helped in these things, you know. Be encouraged and helped in these things, you know. What a wonderful commission. And, you know, finally speak personally, right from the time I was converted, certainly when I came to break bread, I can thank God for the dear, many dear sisters who may wash my feet and instruct me in the things of Scripture, blessed truths I learn in conversation with him. And it's a very blessed thing. So, don't let's despise the dear sisters, brothers. Mary Magdalene, and she came. Of course, we know elsewhere that out of her went seven devils. So, she really was in a very bad way, but the Lord saved her, restored her. And she says, she had seen the Lord. Seen the Lord. Oh, what a great thing it is to see the Lord. Dear saints of God, have you seen the Lord today? I challenge my own heart as well as yours. Hmm? Wonderful to see the Lord. To see the Lord, to get a glimpse. Some special aspect of him. Oh, we were well moved, weren't we? With all the wonderful glories that come before him. And think of where we've had, touched in Revelation 21, all these various jewels setting out, all the various glories of the Lord Jesus that come out. And, you know, I was just thinking, you know, as I spoke recently in New Zealand on that 21st chapter. It says every gait of one pearl. And the man is given a reed to measure, didn't he? And he measures the height and the breadth and the length of it. He was told to measure the gaits. But we never get the measure of the gaits. Have you noticed that? We don't get the measure of the gaits. Gaits for one pearl. Matthew 13. Marching men seeking goodly pearls, when they had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had. And he might have obtained that pearl. One of the most significant features of that heavenly city is these gaits of one pearl. The coming generation, the Old Testament says, the remnant, the Jewish nation restored the nations when they see in that city the pearl. And they'll be reminded of the price that the Lord did pay that they might obtain that pearl of great price. They'll be reminded. And there's no measure. No measure on it. No far long cubits, miles, kilometers or anything. It's immeasurable. And it's shown in that pearl. And that will be one of the significant features of that city in the coming day. All will be reminded of the price that the Lord did pay to obtain his bride. And so it says the same day at evening, the very same day, his resurrection day, the first day of the week. And dear saints of God, don't we like the first day, isn't it? Don't we love the first day? Oh yes. The old system has gone out and we're on the first day of the week and we delight on the first day of the week to come around the Savior. It says the doors shut for the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. And we like to be around the Lord Jesus, don't we? We've been reminded several times that terrible war outside, really bent on trying to do away with Christ, get him down, get him out of sight. And we're in there, we're together around our blessed Lord. And we don't gather ourselves, you know. It's significant that on these occasions when it says two or three are gathered, it's passive. It's not active there. Beloved Mr. Darby says, watch the tenses and the moods of the verbs. And you've got, it's significant that it's the Lord that gathers. Oh, we think we're gathering and we do, don't we? We'll have to go after him. Draw me, draw me. We will run after thee. We will run after him. Oh, yes. Yes. It's the Lord that gathers, isn't it? And then in Acts chapter 20, the disciples were gathered together. It says in the translation, the Lord gathered them. The Lord gathered them. Hebrews chapter 10, forget not thee. Assignment, the gathering of ourselves together as the man of the Son is. And they exalt one another. And then the final gathering. Oh, that blessed gathering, dear saints of God. Is that what you're waiting for? Are you on the tiptoe of expectation? I can hear his footsteps on the threshold of the door. Are we ready? Ready? And it says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 1, doesn't it? Our gathering together unto him. Oh, that will be the culmination of it. But in the moment, dear saints of God, this is our greatest and most blessed and precious privilege. The green spot of the wilderness. The drink of the brook in the way. To sit down under his shadow of great delight and find his fruit as ever sweet to our taste. Yes. Comforting me with flagons. Staying with me with raisin cakes. The raisin cakes, the raisins we know is produced, isn't it, by the heat of the sun. The scorching heat of the sun. And our blessed Lord Jesus Christ was in the holocaust of the wrath of God. Oh, we'll never take it in. And it comforts me with flagons as we think of his precious blood, doesn't it? Brings us out. I'm not being too fanciful, I don't think, because we have it in 1 Corinthians 11. The cup which you drink is it not the blood of Lord Jesus Christ which is poured out for you. Unreservedly he gave himself, shed his precious blood. Hallelujah, praise his name. What a wonderful saviour is Jesus. And then, so they're gathered together. Gathered together in that upper room. And Jesus, just Jesus alone, not the Lord Jesus. Not Jesus Christ. Jesus, that lovely blessed man. That lovely blessed man. Oh, wonderful Jesus. The lowly, humble man that walked here for the pleasure of God and went on to call this place Jesus. Jesus. How much that name unfolds to every open ear. The power of one sinner's memory holds no other half so dear the precious name of Jesus. That name alone which has power. They're not going to bow to Lord or Christ. They're going to bow at the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus will be sufficient to bring every knee to bow to him. The name of Jesus. But it's a precious name to us, isn't it? He stood, stood in the midst. Oh, saints of God, isn't it? We come together to remember him. And he stands in the midst, isn't it? Wonderful and blessed he's there in the midst. There in the midst. And peace be unto you. Oh, how precious. Dear saints of God. We're going on the days of the week. And we've got this anxiety and that anxiety. This worry. And there's difficulties here. And difficulty is there. And he's there in the midst. Peace be unto you. Oh, what calmness and quietness to our souls. Peace be unto you. Do you hear that? Do you get that? Is that one of the things you get when you come around him on the Lord's day morning? Dear saints of God. Do you hear his voice saying peace be unto you? Your safety and restfulness and equanimity. Peace be unto you. And then it says, When he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his sight. Oh, the marks of his passion. There they were. See from his head, his hands, his sight. Sorrow and love flowed, mingled down. And there such love and sorrow meet. For thoughts compose so rich a crown. Hands and his sight. And that's what man did to him. I think of the three hours of darkness. When men pass huddling by. When he who knew no sin has made sin for us. That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We'll never, never, Father dear saints of God. In all eternity. Eternity far too short to tell the glories of his love immense and searching. Think of that. His wonderful love unravelling, unfolding, going on and on. Yes, the depths of his wonderful precious love. And then there is the answer. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Dear saints of God, we are gathered by him. To remember him in the breaking of bread and the drinking of the wine. Do we see the Lord? Or is it just a matter of passing a cup round or taking a piece of bread? Do we see the Lord? Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Oh how precious. Precious to see the Lord. So dear saints of God that we might even have a foretaste now. On the first day of the week at the supper. To see the Lord. And our hearts glad. And indeed as we go on this way to be led into these deeper and fuller and blessed things. Let us value the supreme blessed matter that we have. Wonderful to serve the Lord in every way. How precious to be in his company. I am almost reminded of Ruth. She got an ephah, didn't she? When she was leaning in the field. Very necessary to serve the Lord. But when she was at the feet of Boaz. Three ephahs. Six measures equal to three ephahs. She got more at his feet than she did in the field. Dear saints of God. Keep close to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. We like him. We like Mary. In chapter 10. At the feet hearing his word. So dear saints of God. Just feebly a few words. But I just thought we might be encouraged. In these days as we look on. As we are heading our reading to that wonderful scene. That place of glory. Where we are going to be with and like his beloved son. For God's own heart and glory. The Father has decreed it. And there we are going to be with him. But in this time where we are left here. We have to occupy ourselves for him. But the supreme most blessed thing. Is to gather around him. On the first day of the week. At his supper. The Lord's supper. And sit down at his feet. And have him revealing himself to us. It is the Lord. In chapter 24 of Matthew. Isn't it? Their eyes were opened. And they saw the Lord. Oh dear saints of God. We might appreciate and enjoy these things more and more. While we wait to see his blessed face. And hear his voice calling us. Arise my love. My fair one. Come away. Time in the singing of the birds has come. And the voice of the turtles has heard them all. And we might rise up. To go with him. To be conducted. Into his house forever. May we know more and more of these things. Dear saints of God. While we wait to see his blessed face. Come to meet the saviour. His glorious face to see. 397. What manner of behaviour. Doth with this oath agree. Let God's illumination. Guide heart and walk aright. So our preparation. Be pleasing in his sight. 397. Amen. …