Concentration and Diffusion
(No. 3174)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1909.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and
anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the
house was filled with the odor of the ointment." John 12:3.
YOU will notice, if you read the narrative attentively, that the two
sisters and the brother who made up the favored household at Bethany,
though all most truly loving Jesus, had each one a different way of
showing that love. Even so, true children of God do not always feel
moved to serve the Lord Jesus in the same fashion, or to express their
love to Him in precisely the same manner.
Martha served. She was the housekeeper and with much diligence made Him
a supper. It would have been a sad omission had there been no table
spread for so blessed a Guest–and who could prepare it as well as
Martha? Sometimes we have heard people speak disparagingly of Martha,
but truly they mistake the Lord, who never chided her for serving but
for being on one occasion so cumbered by it as to think harshly of her
sister. Martha, in this instance did not fall into the fault which her
Lord once so gently chided–she did her part quietly and well and,
thereby, set forth her attachment to Jesus in the most commendable
manner. We have Sisters in the Church whose way of serving Christ is in
the household, or by caring for the sick and the poor. Like Dorcas,
they make garments for them, or like holy women of old, they minister
to the Lord of their substance. Their work is with temporal'things, but
they are none the less approved of their loving Master. Brothers, too,
as deacons, may better honor the Lord by serving tables than they could
by attempting to edify saints when the gifts suitable for that work are
denied them. Each man and woman must labor according to his or her
ability and calling.
As for Lazarus, he was "one of them that sat at the table." We might
hastily imagine that by sitting there he did nothing, but, my Brothers
and Sisters, the people had come together very much to see Lazarus who
had been raised from the dead– and for him to sit there and to show
himself–and especially to eat and to drink, was to do the best thing
to convince onlookers that he was, indeed, alive! Our blessed Lord,
Himself, when He rose from the dead, found it necessary to convince His
disciples that He was really alive and in a real body and, therefore,
He took a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb and ate before
them all. When they saw Him eat, then they were sure that He lived! So,
when Lazarus ate at the table, skeptics could not say, "It is merely
his corpse, set upright to look like life, or a mere phantom to
deceive." Lazarus eating and drinking was a testimony for Jesus and I
would that we all knew how even to eat and drink to the Glory of God!
There are some Christians who cannot do much or say much, but their
godly lives, their patient suffering, their quiet holiness are good
witnesses to Jesus. I have looked at the lilies and the roses in the
garden and I have thought, "You toil not, neither do you spin. You
preach not, neither do you sing, and yet you praise my Lord simply by
being beautifuland by unconsciously shedding abroad the perfume which
He gives you." May not some saints be glorifying God most truly though
they can do no more than this? Besides, someone of the family was
needed to keep the Master company and preside as host at the table–and
who could do this but Lazarus, the master of the house? Anywhere else,
Lazarus might have been out of place, but to me it appears most seemly
that Lazarus should sit at the table–and if he modestly declined to
take the head of it and sat with others, he was still bound to be
there!
But what shall Mary do? She need not be at the table, Lazarus was
there. She is, perhaps, of small use in the kitchen–her abilities are
slender in that direction. What shall Mary do? Her heart was very warm
and she felt she must do something. She did not ask anybody, however,
for her own mind was inventive. She knew that it was a usual custom
with honored guests to anoint them with ointment. She perceived that
this had not yet been done, or if done, not in the royal
style which her love suggested. Perhaps she was very lovely and had
been somewhat fond of adorning her person. Her long hair may have been
much cherished and she may have been profuse in the use of perfume upon
it. The thought strikes her–she will consecrate that hair to Jesus and
that pound of fragrant salve which she had stored up for the
beautifying of herself shall be spent upon Hm. It was very costly, but
it had not cost a penny too much, now that it could be used upon Him.
There was a pound of it, but there was none too much for Him. It was
very sweet, but none too sweet for Him. She brings the pound of
ointment and pours it upon His feet as He lies reclining at the
table–and then begins to wipe His feet with the hairs of her head,
consecrating her personal beauty as well as her valued treasure to Him
whom she both loved and adored! She had found something to do and that
something not the least of the three works of love!
The service of the three members of that elect family made up a
complete feast. Martha prepared the supper, Lazarus conversed with
their honored guest and Mary anointed the Master's feet. Judge not one
another, my Brothers and Sisters! Do, each one, what you feel you can
do, and what the Lord expects of you–and look not on another's work
with ungenerous eyes. Neither Martha, nor Lazarus, nor Mary complained
of each other, but together they made the service complete! All members
have not the same office, but each one must lovingly supplement the
office of the rest and emulation and jealousy must never enter among
us.
We will now forget the others and look alone at Mary. We are struck
with the service which she performed for Christ. It was somewhat
singular, it was very demonstrative and it proved her love to be of no
common kind. Other women besides Martha had made Him a supper. Other
hosts besides Lazarus had sat at the table with Him. But no other had
anointed His feet exactly in her fashion, though perhaps some may have
come near to it. Mary was inventive, demonstrative, patient, ardent,
enthusiastic. What she did was the deed of a soul all on fire–the deed
of a woman filled with deep devotion and reverent love. There is an old
proverb that "still waters run deep." Mary had these still waters
within her heart–she sat at Jesus' feet and heard His Words! She was a
woman of few words, but of many thoughts. She considered, she pondered
and she adored. Mary among women is the counterpart of John among men
and, perhaps, at this time she had even outrun the Beloved disciple in
quick discernment of the Lord's true Nature. It seems to me that she
had perceived His Godhead and understood more of what He was and what
He was about to do than any other of the disciples did. At least I can,
on that theory, better understand her deed of love. She devised a
homage for Him which she would not have dreamed of presenting to any
other than such an One as she perceived the Lord to be. Pondering many
things within her soul and remembering what He had done for her,
personally–and for her dear brother, Lazarus, whom she loved so
well–she determined that a special mark of reverential homage should
be paid Him. And she carried out the resolve. Deep thought led to
burning love and burning love led to immediate action!
Beloved Friends, the Church of Christ needs a band of men and women
full of enthusiasm who will go beyond others in devotion to the Lord
Jesus. We need missionaries who will dare to die to carry the Gospel to
regions beyond. We need ministers who will defy public opinion and,
with flaming zeal, burn a way into men's hearts. We need men and women
who will consecrate all that they have by daring deeds of heroic
self-sacrifice. Oh, that all Christians were like this, but we must at
least have some! We need a bodyguard of loving champions to rally
around the Savior, the bravest of the brave, Immortals and Invincibles,
who shall lead the van of the armies of the Lord! Where are we to get
them? How are they to be produced? The Holy Spirit's way to train men
and women who shall greatly serve Christ is to lead them to deep
thought and quiet contemplation. There they obtain the knowledge and
vital principle which are the fuel of true zeal. You cannot leap into
high devotion, neither can you be preached into it, nor dream yourself
into it, or be electrified into it by revivalism! It must, through the
Divine energy of the Holy Spirit, arise out of hard, stern dealing with
your soul and near and dear communion with your Savior! You must sit at
His feet, or you will never anoint them! He must pour His Divine
teaching into you, or you will never pour out a precious ointment upon
Him!
This is a rather long introduction, but we will now leave it all and
crave your attention for a little time to a short parable which appears
to me to grow out of this incident.
Mary took a pound of ointment and poured it all on Christ's feet–that
is concentration. When she had poured it all out on Christ's feet, the
whole house was filled with the odor of the ointment–that is
diffusion. And the surest way to effective diffusion is perfect
concentration.
I. Let us speak a little first upon this CONCENTRATION.
You desire, my Friend, to do something before you die which may prove a
blessing to your family connections. The desire is good, but do not
begin with diffusion–commence with concentration and let Mary be your
model. She brought out all her ointment, the whole pound without
reserve. Even so, consecrate to the Savior all that you have–every
faculty, power, possession and ability! Half the pound of spikenard
would not have sufficed. That half pound in reserve would have spoiled
the deed. Perhaps we should never have heard of it at all if it had
been less complete. Half a heart given to Christ? Tell it not in Gath,
whisper it not in the streets of Askelon! Half a life given to Christ?
Half your faculties, half your powers given to Christ? It is an
unworthy gift! He gave you all and He claims all of you. O dear Soul,
if you would fill the house with sweet odor, bring in your whole self
and pour out your heart at His feet!
Note that as she brought all, so she poured it all upon Jesus. She had
no fear of the black looks of Judas, for the act was not meant for
Judas–it was all for Jesus. I do not think she gave a thought to
Martha, or Lazarus, or to any of them. The whole pound was for Jesus!
The highest way of living is to live for Jesus and altogether for
Jesus, not caring what this man says or how the other judges, but
feeling that as He has bought us with His blood and we are His from the
crown of our head to the sole of our feet, we, therefore, acknowledge
no master but our Redeemer! Brothers and Sisters, do you live for Jesus
in that fashion? Do we not perform many actions under the impulse of
secondary motives? I like, for my part, sometimes to do an act of which
I feel, "I do not consider whether this will benefit my fellow men. I
am doing it only for Jesus. What comes of it–whether a soul shall be
saved or not is not my main care–I am speaking this good word in His
honor and if God accepts it, and it glorifies Jesus, my end is served."
Oh, it is a blessed thing to feel that you are living, not as a servant
of man, nor of the Church, nor of a sect, or party, but of Him whose
precious blood has bought you!
Concentrate all your faculties upon the Lord, Himself, and then consult
not with flesh and blood. Mary did not wait for any advice about the
matter. There is Jesus and there are His blessed feet inviting her to
anoint them! She will not stop to enquire what Martha thinks, much less
what Judas murmurs, but her heart tells her to do it. All her powers of
love say to her, "Do it." And she brings out the costly perfume and
pours it all on Him. When the criticism is given about the wasteful
deed, she cares not to make an apology–and she needs not to do so. If
for the moment the grumbling grated harshly upon her ears, her Master's
look of love and that kind word, "Let her alone; against the day of My
burying has she kept this," are quite enough for her. She did not aim
at pleasing Judas and so, if Judas is not pleased, she is not
disappointed! She did it for Jesus and Jesus, being pleased, she has
gained all that she sought! Ah, Brothers and Sisters, this is what we
must try to do–we must not always remain in leading-strings, asking
other people what they think about our actions–if we know that a
certain course is right, let us follow it and let others think and say
what they choose!
This concentration of everything upon Jesus is the only way of worthily
serving Him. When we give Him all, we do not give Him a thousandth part
of what He deserves! But to give Him half–to give Him a tithe, to give
Him what we can easily spare–is a poor way of expressing our love to
Him. Who else deserves a part of your service? If you have been
redeemed from death and Hell, who else can claim a portion of your
heart? Look at Him in His life of labor. Look at Him on the Cross and
look at Him still remembering you before the Throne of God. Does He not
engross your affections? Say, does He not throw another cord of love
around you and bind you as a sacrifice to the horns of the altar?
I will not linger longer on that point. Enough is as good as a feast.
Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate, concentrate all on Jesus!
II. Now, consider what will come of it–namely, DIFFUSION. "The house
was filled with the odor of the ointment."
Mark that the house was not filled with the odor of the ointment
through Mary's seeking. She did not run into every chamber and drop a
little on the floor, so that every room might smell of it. She did not
care whether the house was perfumed or not–she only wanted to anoint
her Lord and, therefore, she poured all the ointment on His feet! The
result was that the rooms were perfumed, but that was not her main
objective. She did not tell everybody that she had precious ointment in
store, but they knew it by her pouring it out. Whenever you hear a man
boast that he is holy, remember that good scent needs no proclaiming!
The only cart I ever meet with that rings a bell is the dust cart.
Ifjewels and diamonds, or the bullion of the Bank of England are
carried through the streets, no bell is rung. "Great cry and little
wool" is a proverb which has had a new exposition in this country of
late–a wonderful cry about holiness and wonderful little holiness to
cry about, but a great deal to be wept over and lamented before the
living God! To stand in every room and cry, "Spikenard! Spikenard!
Wonderful spikenard!" would have been idle. Pour it on Jesus' feet and
you will not have to say anything about it, for every room will be
sweet with the smell thereof! We need, nowadays, dear Friends, to have
a little less talk about what men are and much more actual living unto
Jesus. The Lord work it in us by His Spirit!
Why was it that Mary's spikenard perfumed all the house? And how is it
that if there is true Grace in a man's life, it is sure to be felt and
recognized without his saying much about it? We reply, because it is
real Real religion is always influential. Sham religion has but sham
power. You cannot get influence by saying, "I mean to influence
So-and-So"– as well hope to stop the sun and moon without Joshua's
miraculous power! The power of religion within yourself will be very
much the measure of the power which you exercise over others.
Artificial flowers may be made so exactly like the real plants that you
can scarcely detect them, but they lack the perfume of our garden
favorites–and so also the mere professor has not the fragrance of real
Grace and, consequently, no attractive and sweetening influence upon
others! But where religion is real, true, heartfelt, deep–where there
is strong, all-absorbing love to Christ–the sweet perfume of Divine
Grace will give the man influence over his fellow men! I cannot tell
you how it is that a man who lives near to God has this influence, but
I know he has it. The camphor tree is full of camphor in all parts of
it–branch, bark, root and flower are all full of camphor–and the man
who really lives for Jesus is full of gracious influence in all places
and times. May you and I be so!
How was it that the rooms became filled with the odor? There is a law
of Nature which chemists call the law of transfusion. If two gases of
an entirely different nature are brought into contact, they commence at
once to mix with one another and continue to unite till they are
thoroughly intermingled. Thus flavors and odors diffuse themselves in
the air. It is so with good and evil in the world. Insensibly, every
man is the worse for coming in contact with a vicious example and,
consciously or unconsciously, every man is swayed to some degree for
good by the presence of a virtuous life. The law of transfusion enters
into moral and spiritual matters as well as into the realm of
chemistry–and if you walk with God, endeavor to preserve a blameless
life and glorify Christ–influence will be yours without your seeking
it! How far it will extend, God alone knows. It may reach far beyond
what you suppose to be its sphere and may even teach some who are yet
unborn who shall hear from others how you lived and how you glorified
Christ!
Besides, dear Friends, true piety is a very powerful essence and
possesses great energy. There are perfumes in Nature like the attar of
roses, of which the smallest drop will make a chamber smell for many a
day. True holiness is such a mighty, pervading essence that if you
possess it, it cannot be hidden–it will make itself known as a sweet
savor even as far as Heaven! The life of God is in it and it must
operate. In everything that is good, God lies hidden. The Spirit of God
dwells in every gracious word, godly thought, holy deed and He is
sweetness itself! The name of Jesus is as ointment poured forth–what
must His Spirit be? Yet that Spirit is to be found in every true
Believer!
I want to close by asking you, dear Friends, how far, as yet, you have
concentrated your love upon Christ and thus have influenced those who
dwell in your house? I will only ask about your own house. Has your
house been filled with the odor of the ointment? You do pray, but have
your prayers been so mighty with God that they have brought down a
blessing upon your family? You seek to avoid sin, you try to make your
conversation pure, gracious, kind, cheerful, loving and Christlike–do
you think that some in your house have been blessed thereby? I do not
ask, "Have all been converted?" for though all the house was the better
for Mary's ointment, yet Judas remained a traitor! I should not wonder
if some in your house may have even disliked you the more for your
piety–but still, the Lord frequently blesses godliness and makes it
the means of conversion. O Woman, you may gain your husband by your
piety! If he will not hear sermons, he will hear that quiet, loving
life of yours! O Sister, you may win your brother by your love! He will
not read pious books, but those letters of yours, those sweet words of
tender rebuke and invitation–he does read them and he feels them, too,
though you fear he does not! Father, those boys of yours are not yet
what you could wish, but they must feel your godly example. Perhaps
when you lie beneath the sod, they will recollect what you used to be.
Fill the house with the odor of true religion! Fill the parlor and the
drawing room, the bedchamber and the kitchen with hallowed
conversation! I say again, not with mere talk and Pharisaic pretense,
but with real holy living and true godly communion! And depend upon it,
you are doing for your children and your servants the best thing in
your power to do! Give them teaching, give them warning and entreaty,
but still, the actual perfuming with godliness must arise from your own
holy living–it must be begotten of the ointment poured on Jesus' feet!
Ah, dear Friends, I wish that not only the house in which we may happen
to dwell, but the workshop where we labor, the shop where we trade, the
place of business where we associate with others might all be perfumed
with Divine Grace! Christians are not to glide out of the way of their
fellow creatures and shut themselves up in order to be pious any more
than a soldier may hope to win the battle by running away! No, mix with
your fellow men! If there are offices of trust to discharge, do not
leave them to the lowest of the low to discharge them, but be willing
to do public service for your country! But so do this that you shall
spread abroad in every office the savor of honesty and integrity and
make the rogue and the cheat ashamed of themselves. I would to God that
every Christian Church were a living protest against all the evil of
the times, a gracious disinfectant to stop the abounding corruption.
There is an evil smell of sin perpetually reeking towards Heaven–and
it needs that you Christians should live Christlike lives in public as
well as in private until you fill this country with a healthier
savor–and until England shall become a Christian country in fact, as
well as in name. Would to God that the example of Christians might yet
become so potent that all nations might feel its power, that wars might
cease, that cruelties of every kind might come to an end and that the
sweet savor of Jesus' name, manifested through His people, might
perfume the whole world as though God had showered upon it ambrosia,
essences and fragrances from the flowers of Heaven to sweeten it
against the time when Christ Himself shall come and make it a marriage
chamber for His chosen bride! God grant that the perfume of your
holiness may reach the stars! That your lives may be so sweet that
beyond these fogs and clouds, the sweet aroma of your Divine Grace may
rise acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, for we are always a sweet
savor unto Him if we live unto the Lord!
I fear, however, that I may be addressing some whose lives are not a
sweet perfume at all. Ah, take heed to yourselves! If you are living
without God and without Christ–if you are living in any secret
sin–take heed to yourselves! You may think that you will be able to
conceal the ill savor of your sin, but you will not. How wonderfully
does evil tell its own secret! The intolerable odor of many a secret
sin has forced its way to notice. Beware you who would cover your sin!
Beware, I pray you! For the task is hopeless. Dig, dig, dig, dig deep
and in the dead of night cover up the sin, but like the blood of Abel,
it cries from the ground! "Be sure your sin will find you out." If you
are living now in sin and yet pretend to be virtuous, remember that if
your hypocrisy is never found out in thislife, it will confront you at
the Last Great Day! How terrible will be the resurrection of buried
sins to men who know not Christ! They will wake up in the next world
and find their sins howling around them like grim wolves–insatiable,
fierce and terrible! Any one sin is able to destroy the soul, but what
must it is to be surrounded by thousands, howling with terrible voices
and eager to drag you down and tear you in pieces?
It will be so with you, Sirs! It must be so with many of you unless you
lay hold, now, upon the great salvation! Jesus Christ can drive away
those wolves, can stop the ill savor of your sins! If you will trust
Him, if you will yield your hearts to Him, He will deliver you! But if
you will not, on your own heads be your blood!
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: JOHN12:1-43.
Verse 1. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead.
The days Christ was to spend upon the earth were getting to be very few
so He paid another visit to that Bethany home where He was always so
welcome–and more so than ever since He had raised Lazarus from the
dead!
2, 3. There theymade Him a supper, andMartha served, but Lazarus was
one ofthem that sat at the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of
ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and
wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of
the ointment. All the members of the re-united family were present–
Martha busy as usual with the domestic duties which fell to her share.
Lazarus in close attendance upon the Master who had worked so great a
miracle upon him and Mary, in her own sweet and gracious way, pouring
out the wealth of her affection in honor of the Master.
4-6. Then said one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which
would betray Him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred
pence, andgiven to thepoor? This he said, not that he cared for
thepoor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and took what was
put therein. The question of Judas was a most unworthy one, but the
motive that prompted the question was still worse. Little did he care
for the poor, but if he could have had the proceed from the sale of
that very costly ointment of spikenard, he would have made that an
opportunity of enriching himself.
7, 8. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of My burying has
she kept this. For the poor you always have with you: but Me you have
not always. Christ was Himself always caring for the poor, so He would
not discourage any effort on their behalf, but just then one of His
most devoted disciples desired to render to Him special honor–and He
would not let her be rebuked–on the contrary, He pointed out the deep
symbolical meaning of her loving action.
9. Manypeople ofthe Jews knew that He was there: and they came not for
Jesus 'sake, only, but that theymight see Lazarus, also, whom He had
raised from the dead. Their curiosity was but natural, for few of them
could have seen anyone who had been raised from the dead! It is well
when a saved soul, who has been spiritually raised from the dead,
becomes a center of attraction together with the Lord who has worked
such a miracle of mercy upon him!
10, 11. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus,
also, to death; because that by reason of him many ofthe Jews went away
and believed on Jesus. They would have committed a double murder if it
had been possible, and would have put to death both Jesus and Lazarus,
who was a living witness to the wonder-working power of the Christ whom
they would not receive as the promised Messiah. When men hate Christ,
they also hate those whom He has blessed–and will go to any lengths in
seeking to silence their testimony.
12, 13. On the next day manypeople that were come to the feast, when
they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm
trees, and went forth to meet Him and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the
King of Israel that comes in the name ofthe Lord. It is significant
that John is the only one of the four Evangelists who mentions the palm
fronds that were carried by the people in this triumphal procession in
honor of Christ. And it was to John that the vision was given of the
"great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues," who "stood before the Throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands,
and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."
14-16. And Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat thereon; as it
is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, your King comes,
sitting on a donkey's colt. These things understood not His disciples
at the first but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that
these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things
unto Him. It is strange that Christ's own disciples did not at once
remember this plain Prophecy when it was so literally fulfilled, yet,
before we condemn them, let us remember how "slow of heart" we also
have been "to believe all that the Prophets have spoken."
17. Thepeople therefore that were with Him when He called Lazarus out
of his grave, andraised him from the dead, bare recort. They could not
help testifying in His favor after they had seen Him work such a
notable miracle as the raising of Lazarus from the dead!
18, 19. For this cause the people also met Him, for that they heard
that He had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore saidamong
themselves, Perceive you how you prevail nothing? Behold, the worldis
gone after Hint! When they saw our Lord riding in state through the
streets and the people waving palm branches and shouting in His honor,
they said, "The world is gone after Him." That was only very partially
true, and for a very short time–but the day will come when the whole
world shallgo after Him! Christ's Divine attractions shall be felt
throughout the earth and all the Pharisees then in the world will not
be able to prevent the people from going after Him! And–
"Come what may
To stand in the way
That day the world shall see." 20, 21. And there were certain Greeks
among them that came up to worship at the feast the same came therefore
to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying,
Sir, we would like to see Jesu. They were proselytes who had learned to
worship Jehovah. Something more than mere curiosity must have moved
them to want to see Jesus! Having heard of His raising the dead, they
had a desire and a very proper desire, to know more of Him, so they
asked to be introduced to Him by one who, though not a Greek, had a
Greek name, and who might have, therefore, served as a kind of bridge
for these Greeks to reach the Savior.
22, 23. Philip came and told Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip told
Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son
of Man should be glorifie . Christ's passion and death were getting
very near when these
Gentiles came to Him and He saw, in that company of Greeks, the
vanguard of that great army that shall yet come to Him out of every
nation under Heaven. In the prospect of that great ingathering, He
looked beyond the impending shame and suffering and spoke even of the
hour of His death as the time when He should be glorified!
24. Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a grain of wheat falls into
the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it
dies, it brings forth much fruit. [See Sermon #3024, Volume
53–CHRIST'S DEATH AND OURS] This was Christ's way to Glory, and it
must be our way to Glory, too. The grain of wheat must fall into the
ground and die, or else it cannot bring forth fruit. Just so must it be
with you and with me–and in proportion as we learn to die to self, we
shall live to the glory of God!
20. He that loves his life shall lose i. If you keep yourself to
yourself, you will lose yourself.
20. And he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, if we are really to glorify
Christ on the earth, we must be willing to lose our reputation, our
good name, our comfort and, indeed, everything that we have for
Christ's sake! This is the only way to truly live. If for your own sake
you begin to keep back anything from Christ, that is the way to die.
You would then be like the grain of wheat that is laid by and preserved
and which, therefore, can never grow or multiply. Surrender yourself!
Be willing to be nothing! Be willing to die if only the Truth of God
may live! Care nothing about honor and glory for yourself–care only
about the honor and glory of your Master! Learn the meaning of the
Master's paradox–as you bury yourself, you will multiply yourself. As
you are put out of sight, like a grain of wheat that is sown in the
ground, you have your only opportunity of growth and increase!
Heavily-laden ears of corn shall spring up from the grain which has
been buried in the earth.
26-28. If any man serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there
shall also My servant be. If any man serves Me, him will My father
honor. Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me
from this hour: but for
this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Your name. [See
Sermon #1391, Volume 24–A GOLDEN PRAYER.] In the 27 verse, our Savior
asked Himself the question, "What shall I say?" here He gives His own
answer, "Father, glorify Your name." When you know not what to pray
for, you can always safely pray, "Father, glorify Your name." As you
stand where the crossroads meet and you ask, "Which way shall I
choose?" pray, "Father, glorify Your name." This incident seems like a
rehearsal of Christ's passion. Here we see that natural fear of death
which came across the Savior's mind because He was so really and truly
Man. If His pains had not been real pains, but had been pleasant and
congenial to Him, there would have been no self-sacrifice in His
suffering. But the fact that they cast upon His spirit the dark shadow
of death only proves to us what sharp pains they were–but instead of
asking for a way of escape from them, He surrendered Himself to them,
gave Himself up as a willing Victim with this prayer upon His lips,
"Father, glorify Your name." And now see what happened.
28, 29. Then came there a voice from Heaven, saying, Ihave both
glorifiedit, and will glorify it again. Thepeople, therefore, that
stood by and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel
spoke to Him. This was one of the three occasions on which testimony
was openly borne to Christ by His Father–first at His Baptism, then at
His Transfiguration, and now here at the rehearsal of His great
Sacrifice. [In Sermon #909, Volume 16–voices from the excellent
glory.] Verily, He is the Son of
God, and He is always well-pleasing to God! And God has glorified His
name and will continue to glorify it through Jesus Christ His Son! We
learn from this narrative that the voice of God is not understood by
everybody. Some of those that stood by said that it thundered–and
others said that an angel spoke to Him. It is necessary that you should
be a child of God if you are to know your Father's voice! Though God is
speaking at this moment in the clearest tones, none will recognize His
voice, or understand His words, but those who are taught by His Holy
Spirit.
30, 31. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because ofMe, but
foryour sakes. Now is thejudgment ofthis
world [See Sermon #2338, Volume 39–THE CRISIS OF THIS WORLD.] Now
shall the ruler ofthis world be cast out See how the eyes of faith
reads things differently from the eyes of sense! You and I would have
said, "Now is Christ coming to His lowest point. Now is His name to be
cast out from among men and His cause to be crushed as the result of
His death." But Christ reads the signs of the times very differently.
"Now," He said, "in the hour of My shame, suffering and death, is the
judgment of this world. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out."
It was only by Christ being apparently conquered that Satan could be
really vanquished! And there is often no way of victory for a saint
except through defeat. When self is slain, then do we truly live!
32, 33. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples
unto Me. This He said signifying what death He
should di. [See Sermons #139, Volume 3–CHRIST LIFTED UP; #775, Volume
13–THE GREAT ATTRACTION and #1717, Volume 29–THE MARVELOUS MAGNET.]
The Pharisees said, "The world is gone after Him," but
Jesus says, "No, not while I am riding in state through the streets of
Jerusalem. But when I am lifted up and hung upon the Cross, then shall
it, indeed, be true, 'I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw
all peoples unto Me.'" The crucified Christ of Calvary is the mighty
magnet that is to attract multitudes of trembling, doubting, ruined
sinners who by Grace shall be drawn unto Him and find eternal life in
Him!
34, 35. The people answered Him, We have heard out of the Law that
Christ abides forever: and how say You, The Son of Man must be lifted
up? Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little
while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest
darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not where
he goes. What a sad condition to be in–to not know where you are
going! Are there not some of you whom I am now addressing who do not
know where you are going? Yet if you would but take the trouble to
look, you might easily know that as long as you continue in the paths
of sin, you are going down to the chambers of death! Oh, that God's
Holy Spirit would give you sufficient light to enable you to see where
you are going! You surely do not want to take "a leap in the dark." Oh,
that you may have the Grace to turn from the downward way and to seek
the heavenward road!
36-41. While you have light, believe in the light, thatyou may be the
children oflight. These things spoke Jesus and departed, and did hide
Himself from them. But though He had done so many miracles before them,
yet they believed not on Him: that the sayings of Isaiah the Prophet
might be fulfilled, which he spoke, Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm ofthe Lord been revealed? Therefore they could
not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes,
and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes,
nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal
them. These things said Isaiah, when he saw His Glory and spoke of
Him.[See
Sermons #2413, Volume 41–DESPISED LIGHT WITHDRAWN and #1844, Volume
31–ISRAEL AND BRITAIN–A NOTE OF WARNING.] You know that wonderful
Sixth Chapter of Isaiah's prophecy, and you know how wonderfully he has
spoken there of the Glory of Christ. But what a terrible thing it is
that even Christ should be driven to blind men's eyes, to take the
light away from them because they proved themselves unworthy of it! May
that never be the case with any of us, but while we may see, let us
see–and may God give us more light!
42, 43. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him;
but because ofthe Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should
be put out ofthe synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than
the praise of God. What a shameful thing that was! Yet you will still
find that there are many persons who, even though they believe the
Truth, dare not proclaim it, but must hide in obscurity until the times
grow easier. However, Christ's death fetched out many who had been His
disciples in secret. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus could not stay
in the background any longer and, doubtless, the thoughts of many other
hearts were then revealed.