BY THE LATE REV. CHRISTOPHER MUNRO, STRATHY.
PREACHED AT KILMUIR, SKYE, ON 30TH OCTOBER, 1868.
IT is supposed, and not without reason, that in the opening of his epistle the apostle John had in view a heresy with which the Church began to be troubled in his day, which heresy consisted in the denial of the Saviour’s human nature, and which affected the foundations of Christianity. For Scripture clearly declares that there was an indispensable necessity for the Son of God becoming man; for without this nature He could not become a real surety for His people, He could not obey the law and satisfy justice in their room; and without this it was impossible that they could be saved.
John in the first verse declares that in Christ there were two natures, the one he designates by “that which was from the beginning,” the other by “that which” he and the other apostles “had seen and handled.” He could not say of His human nature that it had been from the beginning. Therefore he must mean by that expression that Christ existed before coming in the flesh, even from all eternity; for he does not say that He had a beginning, but that He was from the beginning—that He had an independent and absolute existence at the period when the first act of creation was accomplished. And to make this statement more explicit he says in another passage that the Son was the maker of all things. He that made all things must have of necessity existed previous to the creation, and as He made all things ever created, He Himself must have been uncreated. His human nature he declares to have been real, by saying that they had heard Him speak with their ears, that they had seen Him with their eyes, that they had looked upon Him and handled Him. Here he gives proofs of Christ’s possessing a true body and soul. The first is that they heard Him speak. To speak belongs to man; no other creature is capable of speaking. To speak is not natural to angels, and those recorded in Scripture as speaking and singing did it in a miraculous manner. But to man it is natural, and speaking not only intimates the possession of body but also of soul. It is a soul that can think the thoughts spoken through the bodily organs; and when one is heard speaking rationally and with understanding, this proves that he has a soul as well as a body. The next is that they had seen Him with their eyes. A spirit cannot be seen in its normal state. Here, then, the apostle argues that Jesus must have had a body of flesh, blood, and bones like other men, whom we see from time to time. They had not only seen Him for a moment or for a short time, but they had looked upon Him. They had for the space of three years and a half been in His society; they not only heard Him during this period, but saw Him, and had time to examine by sight every feature of His countenance, and were witness to the changes which a change of feeling causes in the countenance. They sometimes saw Him sad, at other times rejoicing in spirit; sometimes they saw Him weeping, other times sorrowful even unto death; sometimes they heard Him administering stern rebukes, and at other times speaking with the greatest tenderness and love; in all which circumstances His features would assume an aspect corresponding to the various states of His mind. They saw Him sometimes thirsty, again hungry, and at times weary and worn-out with the fatigue of travelling, and with the labour of preaching to the immense multitudes that attended on His ministry. They also handled Him, touched Him, and had the evidences of the sense of touch that He had flesh and bones like any other man. They saw Him wounded on the Cross, and after His resurrection they again saw the print of the nails and the mark of the spear that pierced His side. John by these was fully convinced of the reality of Christ’s human nature, and besides having the evidence of His senses, was enlightened by the Spirit to believe and understand the reasons why it behoved Him to become man, reasons which are stated at large in the Old and New Testaments. And this last, added to the evidence of sense, must have amounted in his case to a demonstration of the truth of what he here states.
In directing your attention to the passage, I shall endeavour to state a little more minutely these things which he says they had heard and seen; and in the second place, call your attention to the end why he declared those things unto them, namely, that they might have fellowship with them whose fellowship was with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ; and in the third place make some application of the whole doctrine contained in the passage selected for a text.
I.—First, we are to consider what the apostle had declared unto them.
They were the things which he and the other apostles had seen and heard. They had seen Jesus of Nazareth, and for the first time, when He had been walking along the shores of the sea of Galilee, a total stranger unto them.
We must make some exception. For two of them heard John the Baptist pointing Him out as “the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world,” and as He passed by they followed Him, and when He spoke to them, and said, “What seek ye?” they replied, “Rabbi, where dwellest thou?” wherefore He said, “Come and see.” They went and saw, and abode with Him that night, and returned next day. One of the two was Andrew, and as the other is not named, it is not improbable but he was John himself. There is nothing recorded of what the Saviour said unto them on this occasion. But as He never said anything but at the appointed time, it is not likely He gave them any intimation of His purposes regarding them. They must, however, have felt that He was the most remarkable person they had ever met. They could not but have been struck with His wisdom and understanding, with His elevation of mind above all that is frivolous, base, and savouring of a worldly and selfish spirit. They addressed Him at first as a teacher, and as it was under that name they wished to get acquainted with Him, we may conclude that He did not suffer the time to pass without making some profitable remarks, and perhaps answering some questions which John’s declaration regarding Him might have suggested, some questions about sin and about the manner in which it could be taken away. We are not informed, however, as to what passed between them, but we know they left Him with the belief that He was the Messiah. We are told that Andrew next day found his brother Simon, and communicated unto him the good news of himself and his companion finding the Messiah, and without delay he brought him to Jesus, that is, led him to the dwelling where they had passed the night with Him. As soon as He saw Simon who had been a perfect stranger to Him, He said unto him, “Thou art Simon the son of Jonas, but thou shalt be known yet by a different name even Cephas or Peter.” The next day Jesus went out “and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.” Andrew, Peter, and John (if he was the other disciple who followed Him with Andrew) returned to their homes and their ordinary occupations ere He called them to follow Him in a special way. For from the other gospels we learn that as Jesus was walking along the shores of the sea of Galilee, He saw Peter, and Andrew his brother, in their ship, and then after teaching from their ship, He ordered them to launch forth and cast their nets into the sea for a draught, which direction they obeyed, after Peter had stated that they had toiled all night and had caught nothing. The result was that so many fishes got into their net that they were not able to haul it into land, and were obliged to call for help from their neighbours, who in all likelihood were John and James, with their father, Zebedee, who were in their ship at no great distance, mending their nets. They came out and helped them, and after bringing the net unto land, they likely left them to dispose of the fish, and returned unto their own ship and resumed their work. Jesus, having remained where He was till Peter and Andrew laid up the fish, either in their boat or in some other safe place, then called them and bade them follow Him, which they did immediately. Passing on till He arrived at the place where John and James were with their father, Jesus called them also, and they followed Him immediately.
They thus saw Him and looked upon Him when He was pointed out as the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world, and also when He taught in Peter’s vessel, and when He directed them to cast their nets, as well as when He called them to follow Him. They saw Him at the marriage feast in Nazareth, and in the miracle performed they beheld His glory as the only begotten of the Father; they saw Him also whenever He taught and wrought miracles; they saw Him healing all manner of diseases, and casting out devils, and raising the dead; they saw Him transfigured in the mount; they saw Him in agony in the garden, and apprehended by a band of men, sent for that purpose by the high priest and the council of the Jews; they saw Him led out and crucified; they saw Him dying and His side pierced with a spear so that water and blood came forth; they saw Him laid in the grave; they saw Him several times after His resurrection; they saw Him finally ascending unto heaven from Mount Olivet and gazed on Him till a cloud hid Him from their view, and then returned to Jerusalem. During all this time they had every opportunity, as has been said above, of satisfying themselves that He was a real man, and yet more than a man. They heard not only Himself speak, but they heard John bearing witness unto Him, declaring that he was not worthy to unloose His shoelatchet, that He was to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and that He was the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.
They heard Himself preach the gospel of the kingdom, declaring that He was the Son of Man, the Son of David, the Messiah; that He came forth from the Father, that He was equal to the Father and one with Him, that He knew the Father as the Father knew Him; that He was without sin; that He came to seek and save the lost, to lay down His life a ransom for many; that it behoved Him, according to the Scriptures, to die and rise again; that whosoever believeth in the Son, hath life, and shall never perish; that He, according to the Father’s command, gives eternal life unto His sheep, of which He is the one Shepherd, and that He will not lose any of them. They heard Him teach the necessity of regeneration, of repentance, and faith, without which none can be saved. They heard Him condemning all self-righteousness, formality, and hypocrisy. They heard Him calling and inviting the weary and heavy laden to come unto Him that He might give them rest, and the thirsty that He might give them living waters. They heard Him declare that all power on earth and heaven was given Him, that all judgment was committed unto Him, and that the day is coming when all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and come to judgment; that He is to come in the glory of His Father, with His holy angels, and that then all shall be judged and rewarded by Him according to their doings. They heard a voice from heaven on the holy mount saying, “This is my beloved Son; hear ye him.” They heard Him pray again and again, and understood that His prayers had been answered. They heard Him saying on the Cross, “It is finished.” They heard Him say after His resurrection, “Handle me and see that it is I myself.” And when He was about to part with them, they heard Him say, “Go ye forth and preach the gospel to all nations, and lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.” And after He had disappeared, they saw an angel who said unto them, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
Thus they heard Him preach the gospel, the sum of which is as follows:—”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The gospel contained in this passage is that which John preached, the things which he declared unto men, that they might have fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. There is no other way to attain to this blessedness but by believing these things. Some may say that they are wearied of hearing them, and may have a craze for something new, but those who are unbelievers, however much they dislike the constant preaching of these truths, can benefit from nothing else. Learn then your need of faith to receive them in the love of the truth.
II.—We are, in the next place, to consider the end why John declared what He saw and heard.
The declaration in question, or the preaching of the gospel, was his business, his chief employment, to which he was called by Christ, and in which he was able to continue by the powerful operation of the Spirit, constrained by the love of Christ and love to perishing men. No one engages in a work without some end in view. The end why men engage in ordinary avocations is to earn their bread: this is one end of every worldly calling. This, however, was not the end of John’s employment; he was a fellow-worker with Christ in saving men. This is, properly speaking, Christ’s work and end, but John, being of the same mind with Christ, had his heart fixed on this end too, and used all diligence and put forth all efforts to attain it. And it were well that all engaged in our day in the work of preaching the gospel had the same end in view, and were animated with the same zeal for its attainment as John was.
But to pass from this train of thought, I must come to my principal subject here, which is to explain the nature of the fellowship which results from a saving belief in the gospel of Christ.
Fellowship implies two or more individuals bound together by some bond of union, and drawn together by similar views, ends, purposes, and dispositions. There must be thus agreement and harmony of views and feelings between them; and a delight in each other’s society that draws them together and induces them to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and desires to each other. The communion meant here is that which one has first with the Church and then with God and His Son Jesus Christ: “that your fellowship may be with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.” John knew that he and his fellow-apostles were of the true Church; that they had the truth of God, the Spirit of God, and the ordinances of salvation, and therefore that they had fellowship with God. What, therefore, he means by fellowship with them is to have the same Gospel, the same Spirit, the same Church ordinances, the same form of worship; and to love one another like brethren, to help one another in their difficulties, to sympathise with one another when in distress, to comfort one another with the comfort with which they themselves had been comforted, to instruct, warn, and exhort each other with all patience, meekness, and love, to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. This is something of the communion which exists in the Church, or that is commanded by the Head to be entertained and cherished in her; for the maintaining of which there is abundance of grace in Him, and infinite power with the Spirit to beget and sustain in her. This communion has its foundation and spring in the Church’s Head, and without faith in Him it is impossible that it can take place, while without profession in Him no one was admitted into her society or into the Church. If a person does not bring this doctrine with him, receive him not into your houses; and if one called a brother did not walk according to the law of Christ, they were commanded not so much as to eat bread with him. Does not the purity of Christ’s truth and the holiness and glory of His person demand all this? Surely it does.
The fellowship with the Father and the Son is also founded on Christ, and flows from union to Him, and from the indwelling of the Spirit in them. There is, first, in this fellowship a reconciliation with God, peace with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. Two cannot walk together except they agree. As a sinner, man is at variance, strife, and enmity to God, and God is angry with the sinner all the day. This state of mutual variance must be changed into peace and reconciliation ere there can be fellowship between man and his Creator. In Christ Jesus there is no condemnation, no wrath; whoever believes in Him has peace with God; he has access unto Him; the way is opened up; he that believes has full liberty to enter in and approach God. He obtains the Spirit of adoption, who teaches him to cry, Abba, Father, and gives him the disposition or the heart of a child or son. In consequence of this they are enlightened to know the Son, and through Him to know the Father; and this knowledge gains love that enables them to delight in God, in the greatness and glory of His being, and the perfection of His attributes, knowledge, wisdom, righteousness, holiness, goodness, and truth, and in the manifestations given of these in the works of creation, providence, and redemption. In these works, as revealed in Scripture, they see all these attributes shining forth, and in them all they see God, almighty, just, good, and holy. It is in Scripture God speaks unto them, reveals His mind unto them, opens up before them the riches of His wisdom, of His power, grace, and love; and it is by applying this word effectually unto them that they realise God holding converse with them. When He speaks there is power in the word, power to heal, to humble, and sanctify, as well as to enlighten their minds, and enlarge their hearts, and impart peace and confidence to their souls. They hear it as the voice of His lovingkindness, in which He assures them of peace, of love, and of His favour. He thus speaks, and fellowship with Him consists at such times in giving ear to what He says. “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.”
There is also a place of meeting, and this place is the throne of grace or Christ Jesus, the Mediator. At this place much fellowship or all their fellowship is carried on. Of Christ the Father says, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee”; and “Behold, I have anointed my king on my holy hill”; “Kiss ye the Son”; and to this they reply by believing what the Father declares. Again the Father says, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth.” And they look unto Him and are enlightened and changed into the same image. And all who look unto Him whom the Father thus recommends, cordially consent to the testimony given Him. “Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips.” “He is my beloved. Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? He is altogether lovely.” When the Father says of Him, “This is my only begotten Son and well-beloved,” they say “We know that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” When they have fellowship of this nature they are filled with reverential fear, and see themselves unholy and unfit for such fellowship, and are compelled to cry out, “I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell among them that are unclean. What am I that thou hast brought me hitherto?” And yet the language that is ready to come from their hearts is, “It is good to be here; it is good for me to draw near to God; O taste and see that God is good.” It also raises their soul and heart from the love and contemplation of earthly things; it purifies their minds, imparting to them a disrelish for what is sinful, impure, and degrading, and gives a keen relish for what is true, pure, lovely, and of good report. It soothes their jaded spirits and hearts; it gives courage in view of external dangers and trials, and engenders hope of good to come, and begets a hunger and thirst after righteousness.
This fellowship consists here—for I speak of it as enjoyed on earth—in approaching God as a father, that is, with the confidence of children, with the love of children, and encouragement to pour out their hearts and make known all their wants unto Him. They are poor and needy here, subject to many wants; they need pardon and peace, and must go to Him and wait on Him to bestow these upon them. They need knowledge, and can obtain it from no other. “To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” They need guidance, and so they are heard going unto Him pleading, “Lead us by thy good Spirit unto the land of uprightness.” They need protection from evil, and then they flee unto Him to cover them, saying, “Hide us under the shadow of thy wings; keep us as the apple of the eye; set me as a seal on thy heart and on thy arm.” O what confidence and faith and love are manifested here when we think who were they that thus speak, and what are the blessings for which they plead so earnestly and confidently! And what is the grace and goodness that bestows on them more than they are able to ask or think? The gospel, however, is not only preached in order to bring men into fellowship with God and His Son here on earth, but also to bring them unto fellowship with Him in heaven, where they shall have perfect fellowship with Him for ever; where there shall be nothing in the shape of sin or in the shape of an enemy to mar it for ever; where they shall ever look on the Father’s Beloved and in Him see the Father, and for ever bask in the light of His gracious countenance, beaming on them as the Sun of Righteousness, which shall never more go down, and which shall completely put an end to their night of sorrow here and chase away all the darkness that ever surrounded them in the Vale of Baca.
We see here what companions they have who believe the gospel. Are they your companions? Are God’s people your companions? Are they those to whom you frequently speak, as Scripture testifies; “they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.” And more than this, are the Father and the Son your companions? Are you in the habit of daily meditating on God’s Word, endeavouring to understand, believe and obey it? Do you endeavour to endure “as seeing him who is invisible?” Does it give you joy, does it afford you delight to think of Him as your God, as Him who is everywhere present, as Him who is holy, just, and good, and does your delight and confidence arise from believing in Christ as the way, as the mediator? Is it your meat and drink to do His will? Or is it a daily cause of sorrow unto you that you are ignorant of Him, that you are far off, that you have no love unto Him, that you are earthly and carnally disposed, and from under the burden of these, do you cry in bitterness of heart, yet with some confidence, “Quicken me, draw me, be not silent, shine in me, give me Christ or I shall die.” If so, you are not destitute of that principle, necessary to enjoy communion with Him. O think more earnestly and prayerfully than ever into whose fellowship you are called by the gospel. Consider this high privilege and blessed condition, that you may be more intent on attaining to it and more careful to retain it, when in some measure enjoyed. O what manner of men ought we to be who profess to have received the gospel! What a loss is it, to have only a name, a form of godliness!
There are some here who make no such profession and who are the companions of fools, with whom they walk in their folly, and in whose sins they partake. This is the fellowship for which you have any relish and in which you find all the enjoyment felt by you here, but the end of this folly is sad; “the companions of fools shall be destroyed.” Consider then whether or not you will forsake this company. There are but two alternatives; either continuing with them and then everlasting destruction, or forsaking them and obeying the gospel and being admitted into fellowship with saints and angels, yea more, with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I have then again to call you to choose the latter. No more blessed call can be given you, no greater wisdom is there than to choose this fellowship; no greater folly than to reject it.
Let all remember that it is by believing the things declared in the gospel that this fellowship is attained; without this, then, is no reconciliation, no peace, no nearness to God, no union to Jesus, no indwelling of the Spirit as the Spirit of adoption. Let unbelievers remember that no holiness is necessary to come to the Saviour for salvation, but that they, if ever, must come as they are. But let professors remember that without this principle of holiness there is no fellowship with God here, and that without perfection in holiness, none shall enjoy it in heaven. Follow holiness then, and it is by fellowship that this is attained.