The Message

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It was of these glorious truths that Mary was the commissioned messenger. “Go to My brethren,” the Lord said to her, “and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” Before Mary could carry such a message (for she must in her measure be in the truth of it) she had to learn that henceforward she could never again know Christ after the flesh, that, though she had thus known Him, she was henceforward to know Him so no more, for the old things had passed away and new things had come. Never more would she follow her Lord on earth, but she could, and it would be her blessed privilege to follow Him to the place where He was about to dwell. She was nevermore to know Him in His condition of flesh and blood, but as the heavenly Man, glorified at God’s right hand. Not that she had yet entered into all this, for the Holy Spirit had not yet come, still we may be assured that her heart had been opened to receive much in such an interview. Whether she apprehended much or little, having received her commission she hastened to execute it. “Go to my brethren,” the Lord said. “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.” It was a privilege indeed to be the bearer of such tidings, and she showed her appreciation of it by her exact and speedy obedience to the command she had received. Her qualification for this service was, first of all, her affection for Christ; she loved Him supremely, and her love, constraining her, sped her upon her errand. Then also, she possessed the needful qualifications of a true witness, she had seen and heard (compare John 3:1111Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. (John 3:11); 1 John 1:33That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)), and she could thus testify to the disciples.
Never until this moment had the Lord termed the disciples His brethren. Servants and friends He had called them, but now in virtue of His death and resurrection He could put them upon the same platform—that of resurrection—as that on which He stood. The following words explain His meaning, “I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.” “I ascend unto My Father”—this was intended to teach that the scene of the new relationship into which He was putting them was heaven. They had known, loved and followed Him on earth, but all this time they were in the condition (whatever the counsels of God about them) of the earthly people. Now they were to pass over into the place and relationship of heavenly saints through association with the Risen One. And it should be most carefully marked, as explaining the meaning of the message, that the place and relationship upon which Christ Himself entered as risen out of death, and ascended into heaven, determine that of His people. In other words, it is only in Christ risen and glorified that we can read what are the counsels of God concerning His redeemed: “As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:48-4948As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:48‑49)). It is in accordance with these blessed truths that the apostle Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” and he proceeds to unfold that all the blessings into which we have been introduced flow to us from those two titles—the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—and that, as the effect of those counsels, we are brought to stand in the same place and relationship as Christ Himself. What unutterable grace! And how closely it links us both with the heart of God, and with the heart of our blessed Lord.