When ye have lifted up the Son of Man.
--As instruments they would lift Him to the cross; as a result He would ascend to His throne. (W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
Christ forecasting His death and destiny
Christ’s language here
I. REVEALS HIS SUBLIME HEROISM IN THE PROSPECT OF A TERRIBLE DEATH. “When ye have lifted up,” an expression more than once used to signify His crucifixion. This was
1. The culmination of human wickedness. This could reach no higher point than the putting to death of the Son of God.
2. The culmination of human suffering. Crucifixion involved ignominy, insult, torture. Yet how calmly Christ speaks about it--“He endured the
Cross and despised the shame.” There was no faltering note, no complaint, no perturbation, dismay.
II. EXPRESSES HIS UNSHAKEN FAITH IN THE TRIUMPH OF HIS CAUSE. “Then shall ye know,” etc.
1. He was not discouraged by apparent failure. To the world His life ending in crucifixion would appear a stupendous failure: to Him it was a success. His death was as a seed falling into the earth.
2. He did not despair of man’s improvability. He believed that there would come a reaction in men’s minds concerning Him. When He was gone they would begin to think, recognize, and give Him credit for excellency, which they did not when He was amongst them.
3. He was not doubtful of ultimate success. He saw the day of Pentecost, the result of apostolic labours, the triumph of His truth through all successive ages, and at last His character moulding the race to His own ideal.
III. IMPLIES A PRINCIPLE OF CONDUCT COMMON IN ALL HISTORY: viz., that good men undervalued in life are appreciated when gone. We see this principle
1. In the family. Members may live together for years, and through infirmity of temper, clashing of tastes, collision of opinion, etc., excellencies may be entirely overlooked. One dies--father, mother, brother, sister--and then attributes of goodness come up in the memory that never appeared before.
2. In the State. Public men, devoted to the common good, and loyal to conscience, clash with popular opinions and prejudices and are bitterly denounced. They die, and their virtues emerge, and fill the social atmosphere with fragrance. Burke, Hume, and Cobden are examples of this.
3. In the Church. A minister labours for years among a people--too thoughtful to be appreciated by the thoughtless, too honest to bow to current prejudices--so that his work passes unacknowledged and unrequited. He dies, and has a moral epiphany. It was so with Arnold and Robertson.
IV. INDICATES A CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS PECULIAR RELATION TO THE ETERNAL FATHER. “As my Father hath taught me,” etc. (John 8:29).
1. He was the Pupil of the Father.
2. He was the Companion of the Father.
3. He was the servant of the Father. “I do always those things that please Him,” though I displease you.
Conclusion:
1. This subject reveals the sublime uniqueness of Christ. Who, amongst all the millions of men that have appeared, could use such language as this? Who could forecast such a terrible future with such accuracy and composure? Who could proclaim such a Divine relationship? As our system has but one sun, our universe has but one Christ.
2. This subject suggests the Christ verifying force of human history. What Christ here predicts history has established. Through His crucifixion ever increasing multitudes have been convinced that He is the true Messiah. (D. Thomas, D. D.)
He that hath sent Me is with Me
1. Unity of essence.
2. Communion of spirit.
3. Consciousness of favour.
4. Present help.
5. One in eternal plans.
Jehovah was ever at His right hand in might, majesty, and love. To be with God is to have light without darkness, truth without falsehood, power without weakness, love without limit. The sunbeams spread their golden wings over us, and yet abide with the sun, from whence they flow. He who sent His Son into the world was so with Him, that He shared, so to speak, all the opprobrium and enmity with which His mission was met. In the same manner is Christ with His people. (Matthew 25:40). (W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
The exemplary life
I. LIFE COMMISSIONED BY GOD. “Sent me.” Christ was appointed by God to His Work (1 John 4:14). Every life is a plan of God. Cunning workmen in building the Temple were inspired by Him. He sends to all kinds of lawful work. Lowly workers realize this, it will exalt and encourage you.
II. LIFE APPROVED OF GOD. Our Lord’s life and work were ever well pleasing to God. So may our life and work be if, by His help, we are diligent, faithful, unselfish, and do all as unto Him.
III. LIFE ACCOMPANIED BY GOD. Please God in your life and you will realize His gracious presence. His presence is an assurance of support in trial, victory in conflict, guidance, progress, etc. (W. Jones.)
The Father hath not left Me alone. Let us not think holiness in the hearts of men here in the world is a forlorn, forsaken, and outcast thing from God, that He hath no regard of. Holiness, wherever it is, though never so small, if it be but hearty and sincere, it can no more be cut off and discontinued from God, than a sunbeam here upon earth can be broken off from its intercourse with the sun, and be left alone amidst the mire and dust of this world. The sun may as well discard its own rays, and banish them from itself, into some region of darkness, far remote from it, where they shall have no dependence at all upon it, as God can forsake and abandon holiness in the world, and leave it a poor orphan thing, that shall have no influence at all from Him to preserve and keep it. Holiness is something of God, wherever it is; it is an efflux from Him, that always hangs upon Him, and lives in Him, as the sunbeams, though they gild this lower world, and spread their golden wings over us, yet they are not so much here, where they shine, as in the sun, from whence they flow. God cannot draw a curtain betwixt Himself and holiness, which is nothing but the splendour and shining of Himself. He cannot hide His face from it; He cannot desert it, in the world (Matthew 28:20; Acts 9:4-5; 2 Timothy 4:17). (R. Cudworth.)
I do always those things which please Him.--Eternally, past, present, and future at all times, everywhere, in all ways, He requires from all, and teaches all those things which please God. Of whom but the eternal Son and Spirit can this be said? (W. H. Van Doren, D. D.)
The Christian’s motto
Observe Christ as
I. THE MEDIATOR. Our text is true of our Lord every way.
1. Of His incarnation we read, “Lo, I come … I delight to do Thy will.” He did the thing which pleased the Father during His obscure life as the carpenter’s Son. He was “The holy child Jesus.” At the end of His retirement the Father set His seal upon His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased at His baptism, when He fulfilled all righteousness, a type of the perfect obedience He intended to render. His temptation and victory were well pleasing to God, the token whereof was the ministration of angels. Throughout His life He fulfilled Isaiah 42:21. He magnified the ceremonial law by coming under it and observing it until the time when it passed away; and the moral law by such obedience as enabled Him to say, “Which of you convinceth him of sin.” Hence the same attestation at the Transfiguration as at the Baptism, and the answer to His prayer, “Father, glorify Thy name.” The miracles were tokens of the Father’s pleasure Acts 2:22). In His death “it pleased the Father to bruise Him.” It pleased God that He should ascend, for “He received gifts for men.” God is pleased with His intercession, for it is all prevalent. It will please that He should come again; for all judgment is committed to His hands.
2. The saving works of Jesus are lovely in the Father’s eyes. “The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper,” etc. “I have no pleasure in the death,” etc.
3. The benefits which Christ confers on the saints please the Father; “for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell,” and it pleases Him when of His fulness we receive grace for grace.
II. THE MODEL. In taking Christ as our example
1. It implied that we ourselves are rendered pleasing to God. As long as a man is obnoxious to God, all he does is obnoxious. “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
2. Included in this is the avoiding all things that displease Him.
(1) Pride, whether of talent, self-righteousness, wealth, dress, rank. “The Lord resisted the proud.”
(2) Sloth--which God couples with wickedness.
(3) Unwatchfulness, carelessness, indifference, neglect.
(4) Anger, oppression, craftiness, covetousness, worldliness.
(5) Unbelief--doubts of His power and faithfulness.
(6) Murmuring.
3. It should be our intent and earnest design to please God. We shall not do this by accident; we must give our whole souls to it.
4. The text is positive and practical. “Do.”
(1) Christ was prayerful, and it cannot please the Father for His child not to speak to Him.
(2) Christ loved God and man.
(3) Christ pleased not Himself, and to please God we must deny ourselves.
(4) Christ was separate from sinners, and we must not be conformed to the world.
(5) To please God note Psalms 69:30, and Hebrews 13:16, and learn to cultivate a thankful spirit; note-- 1 John 3:22, and Hebrews 11:5-6. and believe; note Colossians 1:10, and learn that resignation is pleasing to God.
5. These things must be actually done. “I do.” It will not suffice to talk or pray about them or to be charmed with them.
6. “Always.” At home as husband or wife, etc.; at business as master or servant. There must not be at any moment anything that we should not like God to see, nor be where we should not like Christ to find us.
7. By doing the things that please God.
(1) We shall enjoy and retain the presence of the Father, not otherwise.
(2) We shall be girded with strength; otherwise we shall be impotent.
(3) The Lord will be with us in our work.
Conclusion:
1. Is this too high a model? Would you prefer an example that would let you be contented with a measure of sin? Do you think it an impossible ideal? But what about the promised help of the Spirit?
2. Have you failed? Then grieve over it, and try again. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
We must please God always
It will not suffice to say I do the things which please God when I go out to worship. The Christian must aim to say “I do always.” I have known some persons take a holiday from Christ’s service sometimes. They say “Once a year surely one may indulge.” If holiness is slavery then surely you are the slave of sin. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Conduct insisted by love
A child had a beautiful canary, which sang to him from early morning. The mother of the child was ill--so ill that the song of the little bird, which to the boy was delicious music, disturbed and distressed her so that she could scarcely bear to hear it. He put it in a room far away, but the bird’s notes reached the sick bed, and caused pain to her in her long, feverish days. One morning, as the child stood holding his mother’s hand, he saw that when his pet sang, an expression of pain passed over her dear face. She had never yet told him that she could not bear the noise, but she did so now. “It is no music to me,” she said, as he asked her if the notes were not pretty. He looked at her in wonder. “And do you really dislike the sound?” “Indeed I do,” she said. The child, full of love to his mother, left the room. The golden feathers of the pretty canary were glistening in the sunshine, and he was trilling forth his loveliest notes; but they had ceased to please the boy. They were no longer pretty or soothing to him, and taking the cage in his hand he left the house. When he returned he told his mother that the bird would disturb her rest no more, for he had given it to his little cousin. “But you loved it so,” she said; “how could you part with the canary?” “I loved the canary, mother,” he replied; “but I love you more. I could not really love anything that gave you pain. It would not be true love if I did.” (Quiver.)
As He spake these words many believed on Him
The force of truth
A woman in Scotland, who was determined, as far as possible, not to have anything to do with religion, threw her Bible and all the tracts she could find in her house into the fire. One of the tracts fell down out of the flames, so she picked it up and thrust it in again. A second time it slipped down, and once more she put it back. Again her evil intention was frustrated, but the next time she was more successful, though, even then only half of it was consumed. Taking up the portion that fell out of the fire, she exclaimed, “Surely the devil is in that tract, for it won’t burn.” Her curiosity was excited; she began to read it, and it was the means of her conversion. It was one of my sermons. Verily that sermon, and the woman too, “were saved, yet so as by fire.” What wondrous ways the Lord has of bringing home the truth! (C. H. Spurgeon.)
A word in season
Lady Huntingdon once spoke to a workman who was repairing a garden wall, and pressed him to thoughtfulness on the state of his soul. Some years afterwards, she was speaking to another man on the same subject, and said, “Thomas, I fear you never pray, nor look to Jesus Christ for salvation.” “Your ladyship is mistaken,” answered the man; “I heard what passed between you and James at such a time, and the word you designed for him took effect on me.” “How did you hear it?” “I heard it on the other side of the garden, through a hole in the wall, and shall never forget the impression I received.”