The life of Jesus, as recorded in the gospels, sets forth not merely the pattern life for all men, but also the means by which the same life may be reproduced in whoever desires to live it. The Saviour, it is true, lived and worked and spake as never man had done before, but this was not because of any special advantages enjoyed by Him. His life was lived on earth to show what could be done with the opportunities provided by God for all men.
He was poor, having nowhere to lay His head, He was despised and rejected of men, neither did His brethren believe on Him. He was tempted in all points like as we are, and counted unworthy to live by those who thought themselves righteous. Whatever of disability and hindrance is felt by any man, was Christ’s portion. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of man.” Isaiah 52:14.
There was one thing, however, that enabled Jesus to rise above His surroundings, and live a life that showed to men “the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. He represented the Father perfectly, so that He could say, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father”, and that which enabled Him to do this was the fact that the Father dwelt in Him. Jesus emptied Himself, and interposed no obstacle to the Father’s working in Him, and since God giveth not the Spirit by measure, it followed naturally that in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
God desires to do for us what He did for Christ. Jesus said to His disciples, ”As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you”. John 20:21. By pursuing the same course that Jesus took, the same results will follow in our case. So far as God is concerned, no difference is made between us and Christ. Just as He equipped and sent forth Jesus, He sends us also. Jesus recognized what the Father was to Him in all His life, and so we do not find Him thinking, planning, speaking, acting, or claiming anything for Himself, but leaving all things to His Father. “I am not come of Myself”, He said, “I am come in My Father’s name.” Although Christ has sent us forth, just as He Himself was sent, we, instead of committing everything to God, take matters into our own hands. We are afraid that if we did not, sometimes at least, take the initiative, nothing would be done. Others expect us to take action, and although we cannot see what is the best thing to do we feel that something must be done. Saul, after waiting the appointed time for Samuel, thought it was incumbent on him to offer the sacrifice himself but he was told that he had done foolishly. 1 Samuel 13. The Lord bids us to trust in Him with all the heart, and not even to lean to our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5. “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5.
Christ was dependent on His Father through every step of His life. If God had not given Him the word to speak, it would never have been spoken, for He had none of Himself. If God had not revealed to Him the course to take, nothing would have been done, for He came not to do His own will. Christ “emptied Himself” and if the Father had not filled Him, He would have remained empty. If we confess our own helplessness and emptiness, and wait on the Lord at all times, is there any danger that our life record will be a barren one? It was not so with Christ. If we find ourselves in some situation where it might seem that we should speak, and the Lord gives us no word to speak, we are not to conclude that the Lord has overlooked us and decide to take the matter into our own hands, but know that the Lord has nothing for us to say, and that, at that time, silence is golden. Jesus was brought into circumstances that to human eyes, it would seem that every consideration demanded instant and energetic speech, but the Father gave Him nothing to say, and so He answered never a word. So He says to those whom He sends forth, “It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:19,20.
Jesus had such confidence in His Father that He could wait for Him to give the right word or act, and the Father was never found wanting. He never disappointed His Son, and He never will disappoint those who commit their way to Him, leaving Him to will and to do of His own good pleasure, and who are prepared never to speak another word or perform another act that does not originate with Him. “They shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” Isaiah 49:23.
Men were surprised at the learning of Jesus. He had not attended the schools of the rabbis, yet He spoke with authority, and all recognized the unanswerable wisdom of His utterances. The explanation was, “My teaching was not Mine, but His that sent Me.” He had not learned of an earthly teacher. The Father Himself was teaching through Christ.
The works of Christ did not proceed from Himself. “The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” Yet none could deny that His life was filled with good works. The Jews said, “When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this Man hath done?”. So with the words of Christ. He said, “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself,” yet Gentile soldiers were forced to confess, “Never man spake like this Man.”
Christ’s qualification for the work of revealing the Father, consisted in the fact that there was nothing in Him that was not of the Father. Since He lived by the Father, and there was nothing in His life that came from any other source, every thought and word and action was a revelation of God’s way. It is to be the same with all Christ’s followers. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things, are become new. And all things are of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17,18. It is not possible for Christians to regard this matter with indifference. No one may excuse himself by saying that the standard is too high for anyone to live up to, and no one may think that he will reserve to himself the privilege of thinking his own thoughts and speaking his own words occasionally. Christ draws a sharp line of distinction between those who deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him, and those who love the praise of men and esteem anything above their Lord. He says, “He that speaketh from Himself seeketh his own glory.” John 7:18. Whoever seeks his own glory cannot receive Christ, for He is meek and lowly in heart. It was for this reason that the Jews could not believe on Christ, and the same difficulty in us, will prove just as fatal. “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another?” John 5:44.
In hating Christ, and seeking His life, the Jews showed what was their real feeling towards the Father. They professed themselves very jealous for the honour of Jehovah, because they thought He was altogether such an one as themselves, but when they became acquainted with His true character, as revealed in His Son, many of them hated Him without a cause. They were filled with the murderous spirit of Satan, and at the first opportunity they put the Son of God to death. Satan’s spirit has not changed, and it animates all who do not allow God to think and speak in them. In seeking their own glory, they are repeating that which caused Satan’s fall from heaven, and changed him from an anointed cherub to the prince of devils. While the professed church of Christ seeks it’s own glory, Satan can do much to further his own plans through its unconscious instrumentality, but when its members become like their Lord, and let God speak and work in them, Satan’s wrath will be speedily aroused against them and he will stir up his followers to destroy the members of Christ’s body. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12. All in whose hearts Christ dwells by faith may know that He by whom they live is the object of Satan’s deadliest hatred, and that they themselves will share his rage, but they may know also that Christ’s perfect victory over all the power of the enemy is theirs as well.
“Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgement”. One of the most remarkable things about Jesus was the way in which He distinguished between right and wrong. Puzzling questions were often brought to Him, but were always solved with such wisdom that those were dumbfounded. We need the same wisdom, for the traditions of men, false theories, and considerations of expediency have so confused the distinction between right and wrong in men’s minds, that many honestly believe wrong to be right and right to be wrong. What will clear the issues for us? The same state of things existed in Christ’s day, but the prevailing mental confusion did not dim His judgement, for God Himself was His judgement. He did not judge according to appearances, for while this is all that humanity has to go by, appearances are often misleading. Jesus said, “I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgement is righteous; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me”. John 5:30. Selfish interests always cloud the judgement, and bias the decision, but Christ was swayed by none of these. Because He sought only the will of God, and listened only to His voice, the Father was to Him for, “a spirit of judgment to Him that sitteth in judgment”. Isaiah 25:6. It was foretold of Christ; “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and He shall be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither decide after the hearing of His ears: but with righteousness shall He judge the poor; and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.” Isaiah 11:2-4. This same Spirit is given to all freely, and will be, to all who receive it what it was in Jesus of Nazareth.
It was never intended that the experience of Jesus, in these matters, should be an exceptional one. So far from that, God has covenanted, and the covenant is sealed with the blood of Christ, that He will put His law in our inward parts, and write it in our hearts. Jeremiah 31:33. The Father’s will was in the heart of the Son; and He delighted to do it. Psalm 40:8. God does everything in perfect righteousness because that is the law of His being, and that same law He puts into our hearts. It is perfectly natural for Him to do right, and it will be the same for those who let Him write His law in their hearts. They will judge righteous judgment, will speak words in season, and always do the right thing in the right way, because God’s way is in their hearts. God Himself is their Life. They, like Christ, do not need that any man teach them 1 John 2:27. This condition is not achieved by men’s own worthiness. It is a covenant that is established upon promises, made to sinners, and the Holy Ghost applies it to all whose sins are forgiven. Hebrews 10:15-17. When we recognize that we are not our own, to do with as we please, but that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and every member is to be yielded as an instrument of righteousness unto God, He will take complete possession, and we shall be, “Filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Colossians 1:9.
Whatever appears desirable in the life of Christ, men are called to partake of. His invitation given in the temple court is still the same today. “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.” He reserves nothing for Himself, but makes all who receive Him joint heirs with Himself. Let none delay to drink now. Jesus said, “Yet a little while am I with you, and I go unto Him that sent Me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find Me: and where I am ye cannot come.” “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked for sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6,7. It is our thoughts that keep us from God. His thoughts are as much above ours as the heavens above the earth. Isaiah 55:8. God’s thoughts received will lift men to heaven, even to the throne of Christ. Revelation 3:21. Those who continue to think their own thoughts will seek Christ in vain, for where He is they cannot come. For those who receive His word, “Father, I will that they also, whom though hast given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold Thy glory, which Thou hast given Me.” John 17:24. Knowing the Lord now, by actual experience, learning His way by letting Him reveal it in us , prepares the way to a more perfect knowledge, when we shall see Him as He is. “For now we see through the glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
