John 20:10-2110Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. 11But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. 19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:10‑21).
THE last public act of Christ was on the Cross. The world has never seen Him since He rose from the dead. But though the world may say, “The Lord seeth us not,” “Who is lord over us?” Jesus has not finished with the world. He will come again. This will be His next public act “Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” (Rev. 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7).) The last universal cry of the world, in reference to Christ, was, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” The next general exclamation will be, “Rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” (Rev. 6:1616And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (Revelation 6:16).) When Jesus is revealed from heaven in flaming fire, all enemies must be put under His feet; all those who have not obeyed the gospel, will be punished with everlasting destruction. When Jesus died upon the cross, the meek and lowly Lamb put away sin; but when the world again beholds Him, it will be said, “The great day of the wrath of the Lamb is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
It is between these two public acts of Jesus, that the gospel of peace is now preached. Accordingly, we find the Lord, after His resurrection from the dead, ministering the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of peace to His own disciples, and commanding them to go forth and preach it to others. So full of grace is this blessed gospel, that it was to be published first at Jerusalem; the very murderers of Christ were first to hear that Christ had so made peace, that God was now able and willing to forgive the vilest sinner through the atoning efficacy of the death of Jesus. This is grace. How marvelously condescending is the grace God! it comes down to us when sinners, and without strength. How abundant in mercy! it proclaims pardon and peace to the most unworthy. How full! it brings salvation. How free! whosoever believeth in Jesus shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It brings all that the heavy-laden sinner needs, and far more than he can ask or think. It is peace by Jesus Christ.
As I have said, we see this grace in the ministry of Christ to His disciples, after He rose from the dead. They had forsaken Him when He was in the deepest distress, they were full of fear, ignorance, and unbelief, and were shut in for fear of the Jews. But the gracious Lord appears in their midst with the wonderful salutation of “PEACE.” This is what they needed though they had not merited it, and the Lord of peace can give freely to the poor and needy. Their necessity is met by His compassion. The fountain overflows, and the thirsty drink. He said, “Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side.” (John 20:19, 2019Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19‑20).)
We may here notice, that peace with God is based, first, upon the word of God: “He saith unto them;” and, secondly, on the work of Christ: “He showed unto them His hands and His side.” No soul has deliverance from the guilt of sin, but by the word of God. The burdened heart always wants God’s authority. The convicted conscience knows its account of sin is with God, and will be satisfied with nothing less than His discharge. All the opinions of men, even the best of men, cannot come in between God and the soul to relieve the burden of sin. “Let God be true, and every man a liar,” is the language of the heart that feels the searching light and holiness of God. The word that Christ spoke to His poor, timid, wayward disciples, was “Peace be unto you.” So now, God, by His word and Spirit, declares that every believer in Jesus has forgiveness of sins; that, by Christ, he is justified from all things; so that the feeble-minded believer need not have another fear or trouble about his sins, for the word of God assures him that they are all forgiven.
But when there is an ear thus to hear the word of God, and to receive the law from His mouth, the soul will be led onward with wisdom and spiritual understanding in the knowledge of Christ; and thus have Divine intelligence as to how and why he has been brought into this blessed standing of peace with God. As Christ showed unto His disciples His hands and His side, so God reveals to us by His Spirit, that the same Jesus, which was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, is alive again for evermore, having borne and put away all our sins, and overcome death and Satan; and that Christ risen from the dead, the Conqueror of all our enemies, is the Object of faith as well as the sole Source of peace. The blessed Lord did not direct them to look at their ways, or frames, or attainments, for peace; but He directed them to Himself; He expounded to them the Scriptures concerning Himself; He showed them His hands and His side; He drew their minds away from themselves and their cares, and presented His own wounded aide; He commended to them the fact that His own heart’s blood had been shed, that He had poured out His soul unto death to save sinners, that by His stripes they are healed, that He Himself being the fountain open for sin and uncleanness, He could take away all their fears, even as He had put away all their sins.
This is very blessed. It is most truly the way of faith, which always gives glory to God. There is an Object for the heart’s affections, connected with such unchanging and eternal blessing, as may well engage its utmost capacities. And the Lord would have it be so, for He ministers this vast blessing with the most fervent and repeated personal assurance. He twice says, “Peace be unto you.” This is very important, for many true believers in Jesus, not seeing the freeness of the grace of God, are greatly troubled on this point; they say that they see clearly that others are forgiven, but the question with them is, Am I forgiven? Am I accepted? Is all this eternal glory for me? But when the blessed Comforter enables them to grasp the free grace that God so repeatedly proclaims for the strong consolation of His people, in the exceeding great and precious promises of His word, they exchange their doubts and fears for quietness and assurance. “By Christ, all that believe are justified from all things.” “Whosoever believeth in Him shall have remission of sins.” Christ proclaims peace to every soul that comes to Him. He saves to the uttermost, “them that come unto God by Him.” It is terrible unbelief for a soul that has taken refuge in the sacrifice of Christ—that comes to God by Him—to hesitate to say, I am forgiven, I am justified; and it should be confessed to God as sin. It arises either from the soul being clouded through careless walk, or from not looking simply to Christ, and reading the deep lessons of Divine love in the Lord’s death; for
‘In Him we meet a Saviour-God,
And fear and terror cease.’
Looking unto Jesus, remembering His death for us when we were sinners, is the only way to be happy. The Comforter ministers Christ, for Christ is the Fullness of comfort. It is vain to look for it elsewhere; but His springs of consolation never dry. The disciples were full of fear before they saw the Peacemaker, and heard the word of peace from His mouth “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.” The Apostle speaks of Moses seeing Him who is invisible, and says, “We see Jesus.” This is, of course, by faith. All who are taught of God know something of it. Some struggle hard to be happy in self, in circumstances, service, &c. It is the natural element of fallen man, but saints prove bitterly that it is like building upon the sand. It is impossible we can be happy without seeing Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, and knowing that all His fullness is ours. Jesus wished His disciples to be happy, and He knew that this could only be, by looking to Himself, so He showed them His hands and His side, and it was this that made them glad. Like the prophet, each one of them was ready to sing, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Is. 61:10.) O how happy and joyful should we be, could we only, with the eye of faith, look more steadily at the fullness of Divine love and peace, in the death and triumph or Christ!
But further. Believers are servants, because they are sons; being friends, through the reconciling power of the death of Jesus, they may know the deep things of God; being cleansed by His blood, the Holy Spirit comes down and dwells in their hearts; being happy in God’s presence, they may now, in the liberty of children, serve. This is the Divine order. Men think that they must serve, in order to have peace, but the thought is from the father of lies, and cannot be too strongly repudiated. “Then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you; as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” The order of service here is, that it follows peace; the character of service is obedience. Many plead for no higher standard of action than usefulness, but that was not the principle that guided the heart of Jesus. It is impossible to be really faithful to God, without being useful to others, but the reverse does not, hold good. There is often much self-will, and pride, in carrying out useful objects. “To obey is better than sacrifice,” is God’s principle, and Jesus is the perfect example of it. He came not to do His own will, but the will of Him that sent Him; and, in like manner, Jesus sends us to do His will in an evil world, in the blessed consciousness, that, however rugged our path may be, we have peace in Him, and should cheerfully suffer for His sake, who so willingly laid down His life for us.