| The Christian Life | January 1943 |
In All Things
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”—Ephesians 4:15
THE healthy Christian life is one of development and growth. The Scriptures show that we should grow in the likeness of Christ Jesus, our Head and Elder Brother, and our text indicates that this growth should be in all things; that is, we should seek to emulate His example with respect to our every effort to know and do our Heavenly Father’s will. To grow up into Christ in all things means that we won’t attempt to specialize merely on one or two points of His character-example while ignoring the pattern He set for us along other lines. To follow Christ in all things means that we will be balanced Christians, not hobbyists choosing some one part of the Christian life that especially appeals to us to the exclusion of what the Master taught and did along other lines.
The Scriptures use various illustrations to convey to our minds the thought of Christian growth, one of which is that of development from babyhood to manhood. The Apostle Peter, for example, speaks of “newborn babes” who should desire the sincere milk of the Word that they might grow thereby. (I Pet. 2:2) This growth, the apostle indicates, is to be in “grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (II Pet. 3:18) This was foreordained as a part of the “must” program for all the body members of the Christ. In Romans 8:29 we are told that God predestinated that all those in Christ Jesus must be conformed to the image of His Son.
In Canticles (Song of Solomon) 5:16, the prophet describes Jesus as being one who is “altogether lovely”—that is, loveliness of character in keeping with the divine standard. Jesus’ character was “lovely” in God’s sight because it was perfect and complete. He met the divine requirements in all respects, proving faithful to every detail of the divine will for Him. He made no mistakes. He left nothing undone that should have been done; nor did He concern Himself with matters that were not involved in the divine will for Him. Being perfect by nature, and wholly devoted to God, He was able to measure up fully to the divine will. We, being imperfect by nature, can’t reach perfection in the flesh, but we can observe the perfect pattern and measure up to it as nearly as possible. We should not be content to take an occasional casual glance at the pattern, and in a dilatory manner endeavor to copy it merely in some respects. Rather, in order to grow up into Christ in “all” things, we should study His whole life, and copy His perfect example as nearly as possible in every detail.
Jesus’ Spirit of Devotion
Jesus was always wholly devoted to the doing of His Father’s will. This was true of Him even as the Logos, before He was made flesh. The prophet expresses the sentiments of the Logos toward His Heavenly Father saying, “Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” (Prov. 8:30) During the boyhood days of His human life, Jesus maintained this same attitude of devotion to God, and was on the alert to know and to do His will. At the early age of twelve we find Him in the temple asking questions of the doctors of the law, and when censured by His parents for leaving theirs, His reply was, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?”—Luke 2:49
The Scriptures do not reveal the nature of the questions Jesus asked at the temple. It may be that He was inquiring as to the age at which He would be qualified to enter into the service of the Lord. In Numbers 4:3, it is indicated that the legitimate age for priests to enter the service was thirty years. We read in Luke 3:23 that when Jesus “began to be about thirty years of age” He was on hand at Jordan to present Himself in consecration to the Father.
This indicates Jesus’ Desire not to delay His ministry that He was ready and anxious to carry out the divine will. It is in keeping with what the prophet had personified concerning Him, saying, “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.” (Psa. 119:59,60) There was no hesitancy on the part of the Master. He was now the proper age under the law, and in the spirit of another prophecy concerning Him, He was on hand, saying, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.”—Psa. 40:7
Here then is one of the important characteristics of Jesus which we, as His followers, do well to note and to emulate. We should ever be on the alert and anxious to know and do the Father’s will. Our attitude should be, “Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God.” (Psa. 143:10) Again we read, “Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me.” (Psa. 25:5) To copy the Master fully in this respect, however, it is necessary to be more than merely taught the Lord’s will.
The Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the Scriptures expressed a desire to Philip that he might be taught its meaning. After receiving instruction, the eunuch manifested the proper response of consecration by saying to Philip, “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36) This same desire to immediately be about the Father’s business, once that business is learned, is manifested in a statement made by Ananias to Paul at the time of the latter’s conversion. After revealing to Paul that he was called to be a witness for Christ unto all men, Ananias said, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized.”—Acts 22:16
The Heavenly Father’s invitation to prospective members of the Bride of Christ indicates that His particular interest is in those who incline their ear to His Word, who do not need to be coerced into the doing of His will, but gladly forsake all, in order that they may be pleasing to Him. “Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.”—Psa. 45:10,11
Jesus’ Prayer Life
Being wholly at one with the Heavenly Father, and unreservedly devoted to the doing of His will, it was but natural that Jesus should delight in the privilege of communion with God through prayer. While He doubtless enjoyed, many blessed seasons of prayer that are unrecorded in the Gospel accounts of His life, those of which we do have a record indicate that on each occasion when Jesus approached the Throne of Heavenly Grace there was a real need for it, and rich blessings resulted.
In Luke 3:21 we learn that Jesus was praying at the time of His consecration, when the heavens were opened to Him. Probably at least a part of the Master’s prayer on this occasion are those words prophetically spoken of Him by which He expresses His desire to do the whole will of God, as it had been recorded of Him in the volume of the book. (Psa. 40:7,8) The opening of the heavens—the revealment of the truth—coming to Him in response to prayer by which He expressed His full devotion, brings home to us a point of vital importance, namely, that the clearness of our vision of the truth is dependent upon the depth of our consecration to do God’s will. God is pleased to have us also express our love for Him, and to tell Him of our determination to do His will, and when His will is revealed to us through the truth, our walking in the light is dependent upon the fulfillment of our vows of consecration to Him.
Luke 5:16 tells us of another occasion when Jesus prayed. Here we learn that due to the miracles which the Master had performed, a tide of popularity was rising toward Him, and it may be that realizing that this could prove a temptation to deviate from the path of sacrifice, the Master thought it well to have a season of communion with His Father, that He might be kept obediently in the narrow way which was leading to death. There is too often a tendency on our part to forego the privilege of prayer when things are going well, and to approach the throne of Heavenly Grace only when we are in trouble, but the Master’s example is different. His season of popularity was considered a time for prayer. So may we realize that sometimes we need the Father’s grace the most when we feel the strongest.
Luke 22:41-44, tells of how earnestly the Master prayed in Gethsemane. Here His example indicates the need of prayer when trials bear down heavily upon us. Now Jesus was no longer popular with the public—even one of His own disciples was in the act of betraying Him, and the others were unable to give Him comfort. But He had a Comforter to whom He could, and did, go, and through prayer He obtained strength for the trying last hours of His earthly life. May we too look to God for help in time of trial.
Luke 6:12 reveals that Jesus sought the Lord’s guidance in prayer before He selected His apostles. From this we get the lesson that everything we undertake to do in the Lord’s service should be an occasion for prayer. The selecting of His apostles was a matter of great responsibility for Jesus, and He sought “wisdom that is from above” before undertaking it. (James 3:17) How many times we fail to receive the rich blessings of God’s grace that might be ours in our little service for Him because we fail to take Him into our confidence in prayer.
The King James translation of Luke 6:12 (cited above) gives the thought that Jesus prayed continuously all night. Some have supposed from this that they, too, should endeavor to spend whole nights on their knees in prayer. However, the Diaglott translation gives quite a different thought, and a footnote by Prof. Wilson indicates that what Jesus did was to retire to an outdoor place of prayer, used by the Jews where no synagogues were available, and that He spent the night in this place. The same Greek word is used in Acts 16:13, where we are told of Paul going to a place of prayer for the purpose of meeting devout Jews who would be gathered there. There is no doubt but what Jesus spent much time that night in communion with His Heavenly Father, but when the text is properly translated there is nothing to indicate that He necessarily prayed continuously all night.
Matthew 11:25 indicates that Jesus expressed His thanks to the Heavenly Father for the revelation of the truth to the humble instead of the wise and prudent. Here is an example of prayer, the very nature of which should help to keep us humble before the Lord. To the extent that we keep ever before our, minds the fact that God giveth grace only to the humble we will be safeguarded against the disposition to become proud and self-sufficient.
In John 11:41,42, we have a record of the Master’s earnest prayer, to His Father on the occasion of the awakening of Lazarus from the sleep of death. In this we have an example of His recognition that only by God’s help could He perform this mighty miracle which He expected would be wrought on, this occasion. Not only did He humbly recognize this on His own account, but the passage tells us that He prayed loudly enough, for people gathered there to hear, in order that they, too, might know that it was not Jesus who raised the dead, but His Father. In this example of prayer, therefore, is revealed the Master’s desire that His Heavenly Father should be glorified, rather than Himself. How important it is that we, likewise, in seeking the divine blessing upon our service of God, should do so with the desire that God’s name be glorified, and that the hearts and minds of the people be turned to Him, rather than to ourselves.
That remarkable prayer of the Master recorded in John 17, seems to blend a number of the Christian’s proper motives of prayer. In it we find Him giving full glory to God, reiterating His oneness with the Father, renouncing any claim for a great reward for His faithfulness, and manifesting a complete interest in those He had chosen to carry on with the Heavenly Father’s work. The greater part of this prayer is on behalf of His disciples, indicating that our prayers also should he on behalf of the brethren, and not exclusively in our own interest.
The Master’s model prayer, commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” first expresses the proper spirit of reverence for the Heavenly Father, then an interest in ethers by asking for the coming of the Kingdom, and last of all those things which pertain to our own relationship with God and our dependence upon Him.
Loyalty to God’s Word
Jesus was loyal to the written Word of God. When He prayed for divine guidance and blessing, it was with the expectation that it would be through the Word. Jesus declared that “not one jot or tittle” of the law should pass away until all be fulfilled, and He was earnestly on the alert to make sure that His part in the divine revelation would be fulfilled exactly as the Heavenly Father had directed. (Matt. 5:18) The Master fully acquiesced in the sentiments expressed in the Old Testament, indicating that “‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”—Matthew 4:4; Deut. 8:3
Jesus’ loyalty to the Word—the truth—is evidenced in every detail of His life. Even the time features of the divine plan were given due weight in their expression of God’s will for Him. To the Master, there was a “due time” for everything. In John 7:6, He is quoted as saying, “My time is not yet come.” John 8:20 declares, “His hour was not yet come.” In John 17:1, we find Him opening His prayer with the statement, “Father, the hour is come,” and in Matthew 26:18, we read; “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover … with My disciples.”
The Jewish age did not close until after Jesus’ death, hence He knew that it was not then the due time for the Gospel message to go to the Gentiles; so He restricted His efforts and those of His disciples to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel.” (Matt. 10:6; 15:24) Following His resurrection He observed further the dispensational truths of the Word; and then instructed His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
Even in His prayers Jesus observed the times and seasons of the divine plan. A promise of the Heavenly Father recorded in Psalm 2:8, indicates that when Jesus should request it, the nations would be given to Him for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession but in John 17:9, we find Him saying, “I pray not for the world.” He knew that the due time for Him to make the request suggested in Psalm 2:8 had not arrived, hence that such a prayer then would be out of order.
Jesus loved His own people, the Jewish nation, and said that He would willingly have gathered them together as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings. But this they refused, and because the Heavenly Father had decreed that on account of their sin, a double period of desolation was to be pronounced upon them, Jesus did not hesitate to say, even to those whom He dearly loved, “Your house is left unto you desolate.”—Zech. 9:12; Matt. 23:37,38
As followers of the Master, we too should be absolutely loyal to the Heavenly Father’s Word. To us a “thus saith the Lord” should be the end of all controversy. Our attitude should always be that no matter what thoughts or plans or schemes may be presented to us, “if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.”—Isa. 8:20
Like Jesus, we should recognize the value of dispensational truth, and similarly be guided in our service to God by His “due time” arrangements for us. This should be true both with respect to the time features of God’s plan as a whole, and also in connection with His time for the individual experiences of our lives. We should leave our times fully in His hands, and be willing and glad to wait upon Him under all circumstances.—Psa. 31:15
It is interesting to note that Jesus did not show any inclination to speculate with respect to the time features of the divine plan. When the disciples inquired, “When shall these things be?” He humbly replied that only the Father knew, that neither the angels in heaven, nor even the Son, could answer such a question at that time. Jesus might well have attempted to give the impression of knowing something about it. He could have said that as near as He was able to deduct frown knowledge available, His second coming would possibly take place at such and such a time.
Even after His resurrection; when His disciples inquired, “Wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom pf. Israel?” Jesus’ reply was, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” (Acts 1:7) He did explain that when the Holy Spirit came upon the waiting apostles it would give them power and show them things to come; and this was fulfilled in keeping with the church’s need. Today we are blessed with a limited knowledge of the time features of the plan. We know that we are living in the days of the presence of the Son of Man; but it is well, it seems to us, that we follow the noble example of Jesus’ humility with respect to things which the Father still holds in His own power.
There is no doubt, of course, but that God is pleased for us to be interested in the time features as well as the other phases of His plan. The prophets who foretold the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow, sought diligently to know “what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify.” (I Pet. 1:10-12) It is our desire and alertness along this line that helps us to be faithful watchmen in Zion; but in following the example of Jesus, we will be careful to report only that which is unmistakably revealed by the Lord.
How Jesus Met Temptation
Jesus’ loyalty to the Word of God was put to the test. God permitted Satan to tempt Him, and these temptations were all in the nature of suggestions of disloyalty to the instructions that had been given Him through the Word. By observing how Jesus met these temptations and following His example we too, like Him, can resist the devil, and see him flee from us. (James 4:7) Of Jesus it is said that He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”—Heb. 4:15
The best example of the Master’s loyalty under test is given us in connection with the three temptations that were presented to Him toward the beginning of His ministry. The first of these was the suggestion that He use the power of God which now was at His disposal to turn stones into bread to satisfy His own hunger. This temptation came at a crucial time, as the Master had been fasting for forty days. His prompt reply to Satan was, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”—Matt. 4:4
The principle involved in this temptation was that of using spiritual advantages to secure material blessings. We are not tempted to turn literal stones into bread, nevertheless, Satan often approaches the followers of the Master with suggestions which, if followed, would lead to the misuse of our spiritual blessings and advantages. For example; he is always suggesting the commercialization of the truth. One of the greatest spiritual blessings we enjoy today is the wonderful privilege of fellowship with those of like precious faith. In the world, people consider themselves fortunate if in a lifetime they have secured even one or two trusted friends. In the fraternity of the saints who have been drawn together by the “blest tie that binds our hearts in Christian love,” we secure the, benefits of friendship which the world, can neither enjoy nor fully understand. Let us be careful that we do not exploit this advantage for earthly gain.
The second temptation Satan presented to the Master, even as the first, was calculated to put a doubt in His mind with respect to His relationship to the Father. The adversary raised the question, “If Thou be the Son, of God.” Forty days before Satan raised this question Jesus had been given the assurance of His sonship, and that the Father was well pleased with Him. It was not at all necessary that He put the Father to a test by asking Him now to use His power along any line that would be for the Master’s own advantage according to the flesh. The second temptation was that Jesus cast Himself off from the pinnacle of the temple with the expectation that God would protect Him. Jesus’ reply to this suggestion was the quoting of another Scripture, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”—Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7
In principle, Satan’s suggestion in this second temptation was that of doing something spectacular in order to demonstrate that one is a child of God. In brief, it is the idea of performing great and wonderful works in the Lord’s name with the claim that because we are doing these things we are the favorites of heaven. To follow the Master’s example we will need ever to be on the alert against suggestions of this kind, and to be content to faithfully follow the instructions of God’s Word, even though it may mean comparative obscurity so far as our position in the divine arrangements for the present is concerned.
A third time Satan tempted Jesus by offering all the kingdoms of this world on condition that He fall down and worship him. The Master knew that in God’s due time the kingdoms of this world would be turned over to Him. God had made a promise to this effect, and Jesus knew that when the time came for Him to claim the promise, it would be fulfilled. (Psa. 2:8) The Master, however, was not willing to accept them on the devil’s terms: again He replied, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10; Deut. 6:13) In His consecration, Jesus had agreed to do all that was written of Him in the volume of the book—the Word of God. His loyalty to that covenant would not permit Him, even in the slightest degree, to render allegiance to the adversary of God, hence the temptation to do so even when accompanied by the offer of an immediate and great advantage, was promptly rejected by a “thus saith the Lord.”
All three of these major temptations offered the opportunity to side-step the pathway of sacrifice. Because of this, it was not difficult for Jesus to recognize who inspired the suggestion that was later made to Him by Peter. When Peter suggested that the Master should not go up to Jerusalem where suffering and death awaited Him, He replied, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God.”—Mark 8:33
Jesus followed up this remark by stating that those who seek to save their lives would lose them. When the Kingdom is established and restitution blessings, are available for the world, it will be perfectly legitimate for all mankind then to Seek to save their lives. But for Jesus it was different, and, as His disciples, we must follow His example. Jesus had entered into a covenant with the Lord by sacrifice. This sacrifice was to be even unto death. We are invited, and have agreed to follow Him into death, hence any suggestion that comes to us implying a course that is not one of sacrifice can be identified as not from the Lord, but from the adversary, who is seeking to turn us aside from the narrow way. All the Scriptures pointing out the wonderful privilege that is ours of dying with Christ will fortify us against such temptations. The Apostle Peter says that our adversary the devil goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and tells us that we can resist him by being steadfast in the faith. (I Pet. 5:8,9) Thus again we see that through loyalty to the truth, and what it implies in our lives, is our sure protection against the wiles of the adversary.
Jesus’ Humility
Jesus, even though perfect, always displayed the true spirit of humility. He was glad to claim His true relationship with the Heavenly Father as His beloved Son, but did not claim equality with the Father. He was emphatic in His declaration that, “My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28) He humbly acknowledged also, “I can of Mine own self do nothing.” (John 5:30) When Jesus made this statement He had been telling of the divine plan for the raising of the dead, and for the future work of judgment. What a wonderful display of humility it was that He should emphasize on such an occasion that this great work of God would be accomplished, not because of His power and ability, but because it was the Father’s plan and because divine power had guaranteed it.
In Philippians 2:5-8 (Diaglott) the apostle tells us that Jesus, unlike Satan, had not meditated a usurpation to be like God, but humbled Himself and was glad to become a servant of all. He humbled Himself also by becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” One way He demonstrated the fact that He was meek and lowly was in His willingness to render such menial service as that of washing His disciples feet.—John 13:14
To grow up into Christ in all things, therefore, means that we too will seek to be humble to copy His humility. Remembering that Jesus was willing to wash His disciples’ feet, we will be happy to use any opportunity to render even the simplest service on behalf of our brethren (John 13:15) We will remember also the Master’s instructions in Mark 10:44, where He says that “Whoever will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” Following Jesus’ example of humility we will try to obey the instructions of the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:10, “In honor preferring one another.” Remembering that it was because the Master humbled Himself and became obedient unto death that He was later highly exalted, we, too, should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt us in due time. (I Pet. 5:6) Yes, if we are truly following the example of Jesus’ humility we will subject ourselves one to another and endeavor to be clothed with humility, for “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”—James 4:6
The Master’s Submission
Jesus’ humility was not only displayed in His relationship with men, but influenced also His attitude toward His Heavenly Father. That is, He submitted Himself under the most exacting trials which the Father permitted to come to Him. Under trial Jesus did not rebel—“When He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” (I Pet. 2:21-23) In the Garden of Gethsemane, when the trial was particularly severe, Jesus prayed, “Fattier, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) Jesus did not wish to be released even from this, the severest trial that had come upon Him, unless it was the Father’s will. His submission was beautifully illustrated on one occasion by His words, “The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?”—John 18:11
What a beautiful example of submission to the divine will! How it should help us to remember and to be guided by the exhortations of God’s Word, showing that we, like Jesus, will be subjected to trial, and that the Father’s good pleasure in us will be dependent upon the manner in which we react to these trials. If we are growing up into Christ along the line of submission, we will not rebel when we do good and suffer for it; but, like Jesus, will endeavor to take it patiently, knowing that this is acceptable with God, “for even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.”—I Pet. 2:20,21
Yes, to grow up into Christ in submission means that we will “consider Him that endured such great contradiction of sinners against Himself,” and considering Him properly and following His example in trial, we will not be wearied and faint in our minds. (Heb. 12:3) To be wholly submissive means that when reviled we will bless, and when persecuted we will suffer it, when defamed, we will entreat blessings upon those who defame us and when we are made to appear as the filth and the off-scouring of all things, we will rejoice in the privilege we have of going to Him without the camp, bearing His reproach, knowing that in due time God’s cause, which is ours also, will be vindicated in the glory of His Kingdom.
Compassion for the Needy
Jesus, the Redeemer and Savior of the world, was truly compassionate toward those in need. When He saw the multitude without a shepherd, and needing help, He was moved with compassion because, as the account says: “They fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36) Jesus’ compassion, moreover, was such a prominent quality of His character that it impelled Him to use time and strength to help those who were in need. It was more than merely expressing a sympathetic feeling toward them.
In Hebrews 5:2, comparing the ministry of the high priest with that of Jesus, shows it to be one of compassion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way. He did not shun the publicans and sinners, though His teaching them was an offense in the eyes of the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees of, His time, who often complained on this score. His answer was, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”—Matt. 9:12
Peter, at the time of the Master’s crucifixion, denied Him with cursing, but later, following His resurrection, He demonstrated His compassion for the erring by sending a special message to Peter. No doubt Peter accepted this as an evidence that His Lord and Master still loved him. (Mark 16:7) Yes, there is every evidence that Jesus was indeed pitiful and of tender mercy.
How necessary it is, then, as we endeavor to grow up into Christ, that we be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God far Christ’s sake hath forgiven,” us. (Eph. 4:32) Let us ever be reminded of the thought in the Master’s prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” It is only because of the Heavenly Father’s compassion toward us, who were members of the fallen and condemned race, that we are enjoying the blessings of sonship through Christ. Shall we not then be happy to extend compassion and forgiveness toward those who may trespass against us? Indeed, to manifest any other kind of spirit would mean that, we are not growing up into Christ in “all” things. “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous [Diaglott, ‘humble’].”—I Peter 3:8
The Master’s Sympathy
Jesus was most sympathetic toward the bereaved and suffering of His day. In Luke 7:12-15, we have an account telling us about a dead man who was carried out of a home for burial. He was the only son of his mother, who was a widow. We can well imagine the sorrow of this mother under such circumstances. Jesus, seeing her, was moved by her sorrow, and the account says that He had compassion on her and said unto her, “Weep not. And He came and touched the bier, … and He said, … I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.” The impelling motive behind this miracle was the Master’s sympathy for this bereaved mother. He saw her affliction, and in harmony with the prophecy concerning Him, it is evident that He sympathetically partook of her affliction. The prophet said of Him, “In all their affliction He was afflicted.”—Isaiah 63:9
When the Master stood beside the grave of Lazarus, surrounded by those who were weeping because of his death, He also wept. (John 11: 35.) Jesus not only wept because of His sympathy with Martha and Mary, and their friends, but, perhaps, also He realized that, it would yet be many centuries before He would have the opportunity of putting an end to all such scenes of sorrow, and this, too, would fiend to increase the expression of His deep sympathy for the sorrows of mankind.
Growing up into Christ Will mean that we too will be sympathetic toward the poor, groaning creation, and specially toward our brethren in Christ. If our hearts are Void, of sympathy and feeling for others in their troubles, we are just that much short of having His image developed in us. Of those who are following Him in all things, the apostle says that they “weep with them that weep.” The, divine commission that was given to Jesus in Isaiah 61:1-3 applies also to His followers. In this commission, we are enjoined to “comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion … the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” We cannot do this effectively unless, as it was with Jesus, we have a truly sympathetic feeling toward the infirmities of others.
Zealous in Service
It was prophetically spoken of Jesus that the zeal of His Father’s house consumed Him. (Psa. 69:9; 119:139) It was the Master’s, zeal for the service of God that resulted in His persecution and finally in His death. This is not only shown in the Gospel accounts of His life, but had been foretold concerning Him by the prophet, who had said that He would become a stranger unto His brethren and an alien unto His mother’s children, and that the reproaches that had previously come upon God would also be upon Him because of His zeal.—Psa. 69:8,9
Of Himself the Master said, “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4) Again, the Master said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34) In a prayer to His Father near, the close of His ministry, Jesus said, “I have, finished the Work which Thou gavest Me to do.”—John 17:4
In addition to the prophecies concerning the Master’s zeal and His own statements in which He expresses His interest in the work of God, we have the wonderful example of His untiring devotion to that which had been given Him to do. We find that even when tired and needing rest, He still was willing to teach, and feed the multitudes. (Mark 6:31-33) However, the size of the audience did not matter to Jesus. Not only was He willing to minister to the thousands, but He was also happy to proclaim the message when there was only one in the audience, such, for example, as the Samaritan woman at the well.
Jesus’ ministry was of a two-fold nature in the sense that there was a message which He delivered especially to His disciples, as well as the work to be done among and on behalf of the world. He did not neglect one in favor of the other, as both were included in the divine will for Him. We find that throughout His entire ministry He ministered at times to the unbelieving of Israel, and at other times, to His disciples. Both these phases of the work were given due consideration throughout the entire period of His ministry.
In II Corinthians 6:1, we are told that “we are workers together with Him.” In Titus 2:14 we read, “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar, people, zealous of good works.” The “good works”, for which we are purified and set apart, is a, continuation of the work initiated by Jesus. In His prayer concerning His followers, Jesus said, “As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”—John 17:18
To grow up into Christ in all things, then, means that we, like Him, will be zealous for the work of the Father’s house. It means that, like Jesus, we will “preach the Word be instant in season, out of season.” (II Tim. 4:2) It means also that, like our pattern, we will be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” (Rom. 12:11) The Apostle Paul, who bids us to follow him as he followed Christ, admonishes that we should “be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”—I Cor. 15:58
The Apostle Paul himself was so concerned about this particular point of Christ-likeness that he said, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” (I Cor. 9:16) When writing to the church at Philippi, Paul encouraged them to be faithful in holding forth the Word of life amidst a crooked and perverse nation, and said that we are to shine as lights in the world. (Phil. 2:15,16) Jesus Himself had said that the church was “the light of the world.”—Matt. 5:14
Jesus is spoken of as the “faithful witness.” (Rev. 1:5; 3:14) The Apostle Paul also mentions Him as the faithful witness, “who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.” (I Tim. 6:13) The term “witness” is from the Greek word, martus, from which our word, martyr is derived, and, Jesus actually did lay down His life bearing witness for the truth. We are to grow up into Him in this respect, ‘because Jesus said of all His followers, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”—Acts 1:8
The Master’s Joy
While the Master’s faithfulness led to persecution, suffering, and finally to death, and while on account of His sympathy for the poor groaning creation He was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” yet at the same time He was filled with joy. His joy was based upon the fact that He was doing those things which were pleasing to His Heavenly Father. It was also a joy of anticipation of the glories of the finished work of God in the reclaiming of a lost world. It is this joy that is referred to by the apostle, who, in speaking of Jesus, wrote, “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2) Shortly before Jesus finished His earthly course, He bequeathed His rich heritage of joy to His followers. In His prayer concerning this He said, “And now, come I to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”—John 17:13
If we are growing up into Christ in all things we too will experience a rich measure of the joy of the Lord. This joy will be our portion even though, like Jesus, we may be called upon to suffer for righteousness’ sake. On this point the apostle writes, “I … now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church.” (Col. 1:2.) Again the apostle writes, “Strengthened … unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” (Col. 1:1.) The Apostle Peter, who suffered much because of his loyalty to Christ and to the truth, and because of his faithfulness as a light-bearer in the world, writes, “Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”—I Pet. 1:8
Abounding In Love
“As every lovely hue is light, so every grace is love.” Jesus was, in character, God manifested in the flesh, and “God is love.” God possesses unlimited power, infinite wisdom, and absolute justice, but He IS love. It was God’s love that prompted the giving of His Son to be man’s Redeemer, and it was Jesus’ love that enabled Him to gladly acquiesce in the divine purpose concerning Him. Jesus’ love was manifested not only with respect to this main purpose of His coming into the world, but also was displayed in all the little details of His life of faithfulness.
In harmony with the Apostle Paul’s identification of the various elements which make up love, we find that Jesus, in dealing with His disciples and with the world, was longsuffering; kind free from, envy; did not seek to display Himself; was not puffed up. He did not behave Himself unseemly; did not seek His own; was not easily provoked; did not think evil. Jesus did not rejoice in iniquity, but always rejoiced in the truth. His love enabled Him to “bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.” His supreme love for the Heavenly Father and for the Father’s cause was the motive which carried Him through to a glorious victory.
Concerning His disciples, Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) It was Jesus’ love that caused Him to lay down His life for His brethren, and for the world, and the Apostle John said of His followers, “We ought to lay down our lives, for the brethren.” (I John 3:16) So important is it that we grow up into Christ in love that He made it a subject of one of His commandments saying, “This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”—John 15:12
Love, however, like the other characteristics of Christ-likeness, is more than something about which we talk. In I John 3:18, we read, “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” Growing up into Christ in love, even as in all other respects, is accomplished in proportion to the degree of loyalty we manifest to the Word of God. This is why the apostle writes, “Whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.” (I John 2:5) Jesus was fully at one with the Father, being sanctified or set apart to the divine will in all things through His faithfulness in doing all that was written of Him in the volume of the book. So we, in our endeavors to copy Him, should seek always to be guided by the terms of our covenant of sacrifice through obedience to every detail of those terms as they are expressed in the Word of God.
It was in order that we may have grace divine to attain these glorious results in our consecrated lives that Jesus prayed on our behalf, saying, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth. … And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.”—John 17:17-21
By cooperating with God in the answer to this prayer on our behalf, we can have the assurance that, by growing up into Christ in all things, we have met the qualification of God’s fore-ordination concerning us, as stated by the apostle when he wrote, “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”—Romans 8:29