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"Neither pray I for these alone; but for them also which believe on me through their word; that they may all be one, even as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us. And the glory which Thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; / in them, and Thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that Thou didst send me."—JOHN xvii. 20-23.Notice carefully how the Lord used the expression, "that they may be one," five times over. It is as if He felt the need of laying the emphasis strongly upon these words, if we are really to realize the chief thought of His High Priestly prayer. He longs that the words and the thought shall in very deed have the same place in our hearts that they have in His. As He was on the way to go to the Father through the cross, He would have us understand that He took the thought and the desire with Him to heaven, to make it the object of His unceasing intercession there. And He entrusted the words to us that we should take them into the world with us, and make them the object of our unceasing intercession too. That alone would enable us to fulfil the last, the new command, which He gave, that we should love the brethren as He loved us, that our joy might be full.
How little the church has understood this. How little its different branches are marked by a fervent affectionate love to all the saints of whatever name or denomination. Shall we not welcome heartily the invitation to make this prayer, "that they may be one" a chief part of our daily fellowship with God? How simple it would be when once we connected the two words, "Our Father," with all the children of God throughout the world. Each time we used these sacred words we would only have to expand this little word "Our" into all the largeness and riches of Gods Father Love, and our hearts would soon learn as naturally as we say "Father" with the thought of His infinite love and our love to Him, to say "Our" with the childlike affection to all the saints of God, whoever and wherever they may be. The prayer that "they may be one" would then become a joy and a strength, a deeper bond of fellowship with Christ Jesus and all His saints, and an offer of a sweet savour to the Father of love.
This refers first to the rain. The LORD will give this in its season. Rain is the emblem of all those celestial refreshings which the LORD is ready to bestow upon His people. Oh, for a copious shower to refresh the LORDs heritage!
Frequently we pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy, in which we can do without his constant upholding. Whether in light or in darkness, in communion or in temptation, we alike need the prayer, “Forsake me not, O Lord.” “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” A little child, while learning to walk, always needs the nurses aid. The ship left by the pilot drifts at once from her course. We cannot do without continued aid from above; let it then be your prayer to-day, “Forsake me not. Father, forsake not thy child, lest he fall by the hand of the enemy. Shepherd, forsake not thy lamb, lest he wander from the safety of the fold. Great Husbandman, forsake not thy plant, lest it wither and die. ‘Forsake me not, O Lord,’ now; and forsake me not at any moment of my life. Forsake me not in my joys, lest they absorb my heart. Forsake me not in my sorrows, lest I murmur against thee. Forsake me not in the day of my repentance, lest I lose the hope of pardon, and fall into despair; and forsake me not in the day of my strongest faith, lest faith degenerate into presumption. Forsake me not, for without thee I am weak, but with thee I am strong. Forsake me not, for my path is dangerous, and full of snares, and I cannot do without thy guidance. The hen forsakes not her brood, do thou then evermore cover me with thy feathers, and permit me under thy wings to find my refuge. ‘Be not far from me, O Lord, for trouble is near, for there is none to help.’ ‘Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!’”
When the two disciples had reached Emmaus, and were refreshing themselves at the evening meal, the mysterious stranger who had so enchanted them upon the road, took bread and brake it, made himself known to them, and then vanished out of their sight. They had constrained him to abide with them, because the day was far spent; but now, although it was much later, their love was a lamp to their feet, yea, wings also; they forgot the darkness, their weariness was all gone, and forthwith they journeyed back the threescore furlongs to tell the gladsome news of a risen Lord, who had appeared to them by the way. They reached the Christians in Jerusalem, and were received by a burst of joyful news before they could tell their own tale. These early Christians were all on fire to speak of Christs resurrection, and to proclaim what they knew of the Lord; they made common property of their experiences. This evening let their example impress us deeply. We too must bear our witness concerning Jesus. Johns account of the sepulchre needed to be supplemented by Peter; and Mary could speak of something further still; combined, we have a full testimony from which nothing can be spared. We have each of us peculiar gifts and special manifestations; but the one object God has in view is the perfecting of the whole body of Christ. We must, therefore, bring our spiritual possessions and lay them at the apostles feet, and make distribution unto all of what God has given to us. Keep back no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know, and testify what you have seen. Let not the toil or darkness, or possible unbelief of your friends, weigh one moment in the scale. Up, and be marching to the place of duty, and there tell what great things God has shown to your soul.
When the people of Israel were being afflicted by fiery serpents in the wilderness, Moses made a bronze serpent and placed it on a pole. We might assume that this object represented Satan who is also called the ‘serpent of old’. This is true, but more specifically, Moses had been asked to make a bronze seraph. This is the literal translation of the Hebrew word. We know the seraphim were the angelic messengers in the Old Testament. We are told in the book of Acts that the law was given by the direction of angels. When Jesus was lifted up at Calvary the law was also nailed to the cross with its entire angelic administration. After His resurrection, Jesus Christ ascended far above the heavens. And as He ascended, He disarmed principalities and powers in the angelic dimension and gave gifts to men. He removed the mandate of the messenger from the province of angels, and appointed some as apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors.
The curse of the law is the condemnation of death when the law is broken. Satan, whose name means adversary at law, is our foremost opponent and accuses us day and night according to the law. When Jesus was lifted up, bearing our sin in His body, He was accursed for us. Satan rose up to accuse Him, and yet ‘while being reviled, He did not revile in return’. As the Lamb slain, He did not open His mouth. The Father brought Him back from the dead as the great Shepherd of the sheep, bringing all believers back with Him. Jesus removed the curse of the law for those who look upon Him. The serpent, the ruler of this world, was likewise lifted up on the pole at Calvary to be disempowered and cast out.
When those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, the Lord listened. There are always three participants in our communications together – you, me, and the Lord. The Lord takes our communication very seriously. Malachi tells us that when they spoke to one another, the Lord listened and a book of remembrance was written before Him. This is the book of life. On account of all of this, He said, ‘They will be Mine on the day when I make up My jewels’. This is the same word as ‘peculiar’, ‘special’ and ‘a treasured possession’. Certainly, the Lord wants to possess us and make us His own.
Having committed our lives to Jesus Christ and having chosen Him, we did not necessarily choose one another. It is imperative, nonetheless, that we give ourselves to proper communication and relationships together. Because of the fear of the Lord, we speak to one another and the Lord listens and gives attention. Many of our relationships in the body of Christ are founded in the fear of the Lord, meaning that in the normal course of life we would not have crossed paths. We are so different from one another, with such diverse backgrounds. This is not normally the way of society. People meet together because of common interests or personal similarities. In that respect, we are quite peculiar. We are a ‘peculiar’ people.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him and who hope in His mercy. If we walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit we will be multiplied. The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him. He listens as we speak to one another.
When a worthy house receives a messenger it becomes a centre of proclamation for the word of that messenger. Hospitality, friendship and fellowship are evident in this worthy house. Each house must abide in the fellowship of the vine, thus proving to be disciples and bringing forth enduring fruit. Such a householder is devoted to serving and deaconing the saints. In turn, they are able to disciple others in the culture and fellowship of offering in the body of Christ. As Christ has laid it down to us, so it is that a worthy house is able to love in the same way. We are to lay down our life for our friends. He calls us friends when we keep His commands and obey the word of a messenger. If we do not abide in the vine, that is, in the fellowship of one communion, then we will be an unfruitful branch. This type of branch dries up and is eventually cast into the fire and burnt. If we abide in the vine, then His words will abide in us. Accordingly, Jesus said, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you’. This is the life of Christ in a worthy house. From the fellowship of prayer, we go forth to bear much fruit and prove to be His disciples. In this way, a worthy house can become a unique and distinct firstfruits house. It is the type of fruit that identifies the nature and characteristic of the house. A tree or, in this case, a house is known by its fruit. We are reminded that the Corinthians ‘knew’ the house of Stephanas. They were known as a shepherding house, devoted to the deaconing of the saints according to the fruit of their house.
The natural branches were broken off because of their unbelief and disobedience, and we were grafted in. Nevertheless, Paul said that we should not be arrogant against the branches that were broken off because God is able to graft them in again. And He is willing to break us off, if we do not continue in faith and obedience. We cannot be wise in our estimation. A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. This is the pinnacle! God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Paul could only say, ‘Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable are His ways!’ This is His proposition. The Lord can turn a vessel of wrath into a vessel of mercy by the obedience of the vessel. A marred vessel that submits itself under the mighty hands of the Potter can be made into another vessel. Does not the Potter have a right and prerogative over the clay to make a vessel as He chooses? The Father has the right to do with you, as a vessel, whatsoever He chooses. He can make another vessel that pleases Him, as long as we grant Him that prerogative. There is something about the obedience of a person that gives the Potter access to their vessel of wrath so that it can be remade. A vessel of wrath is most simply a vessel that will not submit and a vessel that will not obey. He is filled with envy, malice and wrath. It is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.
