Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 357
“Andl turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girt about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame offre; His feet like unto fine brass, as if refined in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last.” Revelation 1:12-17.
THE Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Having neither beginning of days, nor end of years, He is a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek. But the views which His people have of Him are extremely varied. According to our progress in Grace, will be the standpoint from which we view the Savior; and according to the position from which we look at Him, will be what we see of Him. Christ is the same, but Believers do not all see Him in the same clear light, nor do they all approach to the same nearness of fellowship. Some only know His offices; others only admire His Character; far fewer commune with His Person; but there are some who have advanced still further—who have come to feel the unity of all the Church with the Person of Christ Jesus their Lord. Under the Old Testament, the lesson to be taught was the same, but the capacity of the learners differed, and hence the mode of teaching the lesson differed also. A poor man, under the Jewish dispensation, was the type of an uninstructed Christian; the rich man was the picture of the well-taught Believer. Now, the poor Jew brought a turtle dove or two young pigeons (Lev 1:4-11). The necks of these were wrung, and they were offered. The poor man in that was only taught this lesson—that it was only by death and blood that his sin could be put away. The richer Israelite who had it within his power, brought a bullock (Lev 1:3-9). This bullock was not only slain, but it had to be cut in pieces; the legs, the fat, the innards were washed in water, and all these were laid in special order upon the altar. This was to teach him even as Christ now teaches the intelligent and instructed Believer, that there is within the mere act of shedding blood an order and a fullness of wisdom which only advanced Believers can perceive. The scapegoat taught one truth, the paschal lamb another; the showbread set forth one lesson, the lighting of the lamps another. All the types were intended to teach the one great mystery of Christ manifest in the flesh and seen of angels. But they taught it in different ways, because men in those times, as now, had different capacities, and could only learn a little at a time. As it was under the Old Testament, it is under the New. All Christians know Christ, but they do not all know Him to the same degree and in the same way. There are some Believers who view Christ as Simeon did. Simeon saw Him as a Baby. He took Him up in his arms, and was so overjoyed, that he said, “Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace according to Your word.”
You know how, in the Church of England, that Song of Simeon is chanted every Sabbath, as if it were true that many of the worshippers had never gotten further than that—to know Christ as a baby—a Savior whom they could take up in their arms, whom they could apprehend by faith and call their own. There is an advance, however, upon that experience when not only can we take Christ up, but we can see Christ taking us up; when we can see not only how we apprehend Him by faith, but how He apprehended us of old in the Everlasting Covenant, and took up the seed of Abraham, and was made in their likeness, that He might redeem their souls. It is a great joy to know Christ, though it is but only the infant consolation of Israel. It is a happy privilege to be permitted with the Easterns to bring our gold, frankincense and myrrh, and worship Christ, the newborn King. This, however, is but a lesson for beginners;it is one of the first syllables of the schoolbook of Divine Grace. To take Christ up in our arms is the sure pledge of salvation, but at the same time it is but the dawn of heavenly light in experience.
But, my dear Brothers and Sisters, the disciples of Jesus knew Christ in a higher degree than Simeon—for they regarded Him not simply as the Incarnate One—but as their Prophet and Teacher. They sat at His feet; they heard His words; they knew that never man spoke like that Man. Under His teaching they were led on to high degrees of knowledge. He gave to them the Divine texts from which, when the Spirit had descended, they drew sacred lessons which they taught the multitude. They knew more, I say, of Christ than Simeon—Simeon knew Him as One whom he could take hold of by faith, and who would make glad his eyes; but the disciples knew Him as One who taught them—not merely saved them—but instructed them. There are hundreds of Believers who have got as far as this. Christ is to them the great Teacher of Doctrine, He is the great Expositor of God’s will and Law, and they look up to Him with reverence as the Rabbi of their faith. Yes, but there was one of the disciples at least who knew Jesus Christ even better than this! There was one chosen out of the twelve, as the 12 had been chosen out of the rest, who knew Christ as a dear Companion, and as a sweet Friend. There was one who knew His bosom as affording a pillow for his weary head, one who had felt His heart beat close to his cheek—one who had been with Him on the Mountain of Transfiguration and had enjoyed fellowship with the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ. Now I fear that those who advance as far as John did are not very many. They are doctrinal Christians, and thus they have made an advance upon those who are only trusting Christians, and not more. But John had taken a wonderful stride before his fellow men, when he could claim Christ as being dear to him, the Companion of his life, the Friend of his days. May the Lord teach each of us more and more how to walk with Jesus and to know His love!