Let us commence our service by
singing together hymn 122, verses 1 to 4. And the tune is Penrhyn
553. Join all the glorious names of wisdom, love and power that ever mortals knew, that
angels ever bore, all are too mean to speak his worth, too
mean to set my Saviour forth. Hymn 122, verses 1 to 4. O Lord,
have mercy, ? O praise and love and power ?
? That e'er the mortals knew ? ? That angels still are born
? O Lord, to Thee, to speak this manner, do me to set my spirit
forth. O come, O come, ye children of
Bethlehem, O come, ye children of Bethlehem, O come, ye children
of Bethlehem, ? Master redeeming grace ? ? And
eternal praise ? ? My eyes with joy ? ? And gladness see ? ? Our fount of happiness for me
? ? The lake in autumn flesh ? Thee I, an angel, stand, And
mortal promises have I heard. ? His path. ? ? Her hidden cross, ? ? His humble
strife, ? ? To make His praise to all times known. ? May all things of my God Might
and good bless thy name, Thy leader joyful build, The hour of salvation came The
joyful news of sin's forgiveness Let us read together from the
holy word of God in the gospel according to John and chapter
3. The third chapter of John's Gospel. There was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus
by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him,
How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which
is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,
ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born
of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto
him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Verily, Verily I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and
testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things
and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly
things? No man hath ascended up to heaven
but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is
in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life. 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. For God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not
condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is coming to the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. For everyone that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest. that they
are wrought in God. After these things came Jesus
and his disciples into the land of Judea. And there he tarried with them
and baptised. And John also was baptised in
Anon near to Salem, because there was much water there. And they
came and were baptised. For John was not yet cast into
prison, Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples
and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and
said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan,
to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and
all men come to him. John answered and said, A man
can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. Ye
yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ, but
that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth
and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must
decrease. He that cometh from above is
above all. He that is of the earth is earthly,
and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is
above all. What he hath seen and heard,
that he testifieth. And no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony
hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath
sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and
hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life. but the wrath of God abideth
on him. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word from unto us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty,
which is an art, an art to come, we desire to bow before thee,
Thou, Lord Jesus, didst say, I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the ending, the first and the last. I am
he which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty. And we bow before thy great majesty,
the great king and head of the church, the creator of the heavens
and the earth, in whom we live and move and have our beings,
We desire as we come together this afternoon to worship Thee,
the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. We come
and pray that we may be favoured to touch the hem of His garment
and to draw from that sacred fullness that there is in Him.
We do thank Thee for that wonderful and most sacred doctrine of truth
of God manifest in the flesh we thank thee for the glory of
his person we think of that miraculous occasion when the holy ghost
overshadowed the womb of the virgin and that holy thing that
was born of her is called the son of god we do thank thee for
the incarnation of the son of god we thank thee for the holy
life he lived as a man here upon earth, fulfilling, honouring,
magnifying the righteous law of God on the behalf of his people
and thereby bringing in everlasting righteousness. We do thank thee
for that glorious everlasting robe of our Lord Jesus Christ,
his righteousness, Jehovah Sidkenia, the Lord our righteousness. We pray most gracious Lord that
we fill our hearts with gratitude for that honoured law and for
that glorious righteousness. We thank thee for the perfections
of our Lord Jesus Christ in all he did, in all he said. We thank
thee that the sin of the church is bright was laid upon him and
he became our sin bearer. And he took our sins and nailed
them to his cross. And oh Lord, we pray for grace
to meditate just a little on those tremendous sufferings of
our Lord Jesus Christ in the garden and in the judgment hall
upon the cross of Calvary. He loved not his life unto death.
He gave his life a ransom for all, and we desire to bow in
humble thankfulness. We thank thee that he rose again. Oh, the wonderful glory of that
empty tomb, the resurrection of the dead. He is not here,
he is risen. Oh, we do thank thee for a risen
saviour, a living saviour, who has the power of an endless life
We thank Thee that He has bodily ascended into heaven and sitteth
at Thy right hand, and through Him we have access by one Spirit
unto the Father. We thank Thee for the Holy Ghost.
We thank Thee for our Eternal Father. We thank Thee for all
those sacred blessings treasured up in our triune Jehovah, in
whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and of
understanding. Come and open that treasury today.
O Lord, we do beseech thee that we may delve a little into the
deep that coucheth beneath in thy word, that we may be enabled
to dwell a little on that glorious person of Jesus Christ. Lord, we must die to speak of
Christ, but enable us to speak for. We do humbly beseech thee
that those precious things of the gospel of Jesus Christ, open
them to our heart to our understanding, give us ears to hear, eyes to
see, hearts to receive thy precious word, O Lord, we do beseech thee
for thy great name's sake. We do pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst bless us as a church and as a congregation,
that we remember each one of our brethren and sisters in church
fellowship. and grant that we each may grow
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ. Help us to love each other, serve
each other, bear each other's burdens, thereby fulfilling the
law of Christ. And gracious God, we do pray
that thou would bless our brethren, the deacons, in their responsibilities
that they have here and elsewhere. And be gracious unto them. And
we pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst bless the whole
of our congregation, and that there may be those wrought upon
by the Spirit to come and tell to sinners round what a dear
Saviour they have found, and point to thy redeeming blood
and say, behold the way to God. Bring them forth, Lord. We do
humbly beseech thee to come and testify of Christ the Lamb, to
come and testify that as a poor lost sinner, they found the great
Redeemer. Oh, gracious Lord, so work among
us, grant signs to follow the preaching of the word. And Lord,
we pray that thou would bless the little ones and the children,
and they may be richly blessed of thee, taught of thee, that
thou would graciously bring them to a knowledge of the truth in
their very young and tender years. Lord, we often think of that
lovely word, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not, for if such is the kingdom of heaven. And oh Lord, we do
pray that thou wouldst bless the dear young friends, each
one of them, in all their various pathways, whether it's in their
employment, education, Lord, we pray that thou would preserve
and keep them from the temptations of the wicked one, from the allurements
of this vain world, and to put thy holy fear in their hearts,
an unctuous light to all that's right, and a bar to all that's
wrong, and bring them to living, vital, saving faith in Jesus
Christ. We do humbly beseech of thee.
Lord, we Pray that thou hast let thy work appear unto thy
servants and thy glory unto their children, and that instead of
the fathers may be the children whom thou mayest make princes
in all the earth, that a generation may be raised up that shall follow
on to know the Lord and call thee the Redeemer blessed. Lord,
we lovingly commend them all to thee. Remember the prodigals
that have wandered from the sanctuary. Lay hold of them, Lord, and cause
them to return, as thou alone art able to do. Indeed, O Lord,
thou art able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or
think, and hast thou not exhorted us? Open thy mouth wide, and
I will fill it. Send out thy light and thy truth
into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets, and grant
that many, many precious souls may yet be gathered. Hear us,
Lord. that this little house of prayer
may be filled with hungry, longing souls pressing into the kingdom
of heaven. O gracious God, do incline thine
ear, we humbly beseech thee, for thy great namesake, and have
mercy upon us and send real prosperity. Abundantly bless the provision
of thy house and satisfy her poor with bread. O Lord, Hear
us in heaven, thy holy dwelling place, and when thou hearest,
O Lord, forgive, for we are much that needs to be forgiven. We
pray, most gracious Lord, thy blessing upon each in the midst
of the journey of life and its attendant trials and perplexities. And we pray that thou would support
and sustain and strengthen and help, make us more spiritually
minded set our affections on things above, deliver us from
the temptations of the wicked one, deliver us from the power
and dominion of sin, we do humbly beseech thee for thy great name's
sake. Oh do bless parents as they seek
to bring up their children, give them wisdom and direction in
all matters. The cause that is too hard for
thee, bring it unto me. Remember those of us in the evening
time of life's journey and be gracious unto us and prepare
us for that great day when we must bid adieu to all that is
here below and be gracious unto us and grant that we may be fully
ripened for eternal glory made ready for that great day. We
do humbly beseech thee. Remember all thy servants as
they labour upon the walls of Zion today. Remember them for
good and strengthen them out of Zion. Fill them with thy Spirit. Grant that determination to know
nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Hear
us, Lord. We humbly beseech thee, and have
mercy upon us, we pray thee. And Lord, we We pray that thou
wouldst graciously remember the churches up and down the land,
and return unto Jerusalem with mercies. O Lord, we do beseech
thee, show us thy ways, teach us thy paths. Lord, be with us
as we turn to thy holy word. Come and open thy word to our
heart and to our understanding. Forgive all our many sins, For
Jesus Christ's sake, amen. Let us continue to sing hymn
122, and we'll sing verses five to eight. The tune is Haslingdon,
544. Be thou my counsellor, my pattern
and my guide, and through this desert land still keep me near
thy side. O let my feet ne'er run astray,
nor rove nor seek the crooked way. Hymn number 122, singing
verses 5 through to 8. I've lost you now, I've lost
you now, my God. How could this be so bad? ? Still keep me in thy sight ?
? Her words were peace ? ? And her word was right ? ? O'er the
ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? ? I call my shepherd for you. ? It was the light and the beam
? ? That brought grace from above ? ? And lightened our weary stream
? Each his brother, he calls their
names. His person is a tender place. ? To this special December ? ?
Will I commit my goals ? ? The answers have fulfilled these
offers ? and blues. Behold my song, and
freedom's end. ? By torching made the dead of
day ? ? Jesus, my bread, my bread is gone ? God and I. Thy guilty conscience
is now sacrificed inside. With love for God, Great League. Feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the third chapter
in the Gospel according to John, and read in verse 13 for our
text. John's Gospel, chapter 3, verse
13. And no man hath ascended up to
heaven, but he that came down from heaven even the Son of Man,
which is in heaven. The Lord Jesus was instructing
Nicodemus. As we find Nicodemus is a ruler
of the Jews. He had a place in the Sanhedrin,
which was the ruling body of the Jewish people. And he came
to Jesus by night. There were many that did that.
We read of a number that came to Jesus by night for fear of
the Jews, for fear of being laughed at, for fear of being mocked.
He came by night and said unto him, Rabbi, which of course means
master, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God.
For no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be
with him. And so the Lord Jesus then, he
challenges Nicodemus. And he speaks to him a most fundamental
truth of our most holy faith. Verily, verily. I've often explained
to you that it's translated from a Greek word which actually is
sometimes translated amen. Amen, amen, or certainly, certainly. It's a very, very positive form
of speech which Christ often used. Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
heaven. And Nicodemus immediately misunderstanding
and misapplying in a natural way what Jesus has said. Can
a man enter the second time into his mother's womb? And so the Lord Jesus again,
he very emphatically says, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except
a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Now we know that these words
of Jesus they found an abiding place in the heart of Nicodemus. You might say well how do we
know that it was Nicodemus who took the body of Jesus, came
unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. You see the word of
the Lord it took root in his heart and eventually he came out openly
on the side of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God quickened his
soul and the Spirit of God brought him to saving faith in Jesus
Christ so that he loved the Lord Jesus Christ and openly avowed
him. So we see the wonderful work
and here the lord jesus he explains to godemus in verse six that
which is born of the flesh is flesh but that which is born
of the spirit you notice a capital s means the holy ghost is spirit
marvel not that i said unto thee ye must be born again you see
my beloved friends these are vital fundamental truths of our
most holy faith, ye must. I've often said to you about
George Whitfield and it was said to him once by somebody that
frequently heard him preach, Mr. Whitfield, why is it that
you always, or rather preach so frequently from the words,
ye must be born again? And he looked the man in the
face and he said, because ye must be born. there's nothing optional about
it and the Lord Jesus he says here except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven what
we've spoken this morning of the kingdom of heaven of the
eternal city of the New Jerusalem you can't enter that city without
being born again of the Holy Ghost it's an utter impossibility
Oh you dear young friends, may these things sink deep into your
hearts of the vital need of being born again by the Holy Ghost. What does it mean to be born
again? It means to be given spiritual life. Because by nature you are
spiritually dead. Doesn't the Apostle Paul, when
he writes in the epistle to the Ephesians, the second chapter
and first verse, He speaks there, you hath he
quickened. That word quickened means to
give life. You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
in sins. It's what they were, it's not
what they were when the apostle wrote to them. What about you? And what about me? The great Dr. Owen You know,
he speaks of when he was called by grace and speaking to a young
minister about coming to the knowledge of Christ and being
born again. And he said to the young man,
he said, it's easy to say, but he said, I'd been preaching many
years before I was born again. before the Lord quickened my
soul and brought me to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. He said it's
not an easy thing. It's something that of course
is done by the Spirit, it's not done by us. And the great thing
is does the Holy Spirit dwell in your hearts? Has the Holy
Spirit quickened your soul? There's a word in the, 8th chapter
of the Romans and the Apostle there, he speaks so much of the
divine work of the Holy Ghost. He says there those beautiful
and well-known words, for the law of the spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
What does he mean, the law of the spirit of life? It's the
second verse. You'll see the Spirit is written
with a capital S. The law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. He's free from the law of condemnation. He says here that there is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. How vital
that we should be found in Christ Jesus. But he goes on, he speaks
quite extensively in this chapter eight on the divine work of the
Spirit. And you see the Lord Jesus, he
has said in verse eight, he said in what we've read here in John,
and Paul, he says here in the eighth chapter, so then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God, Without the Holy Ghost, without
the spirit of faith, we cannot please God. How vital these things
are. But then he could say of these
Roman believers, but you're not in the flesh. Verse 9. But in the spirit. If so be that
the spirit of God dwell in you. Then he speaks a very solemn
word. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, by that
he means the Holy Ghost, he is none of his. He is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the
body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because
of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Oh, that we could know this
divine work of the Spirit dwelling in the heart. The Lord Jesus
in those exceedingly well-known words in John chapter 16, he
says, when he the Spirit of truth is come, He will reprove the world of
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment when he is come. Oh,
that it may exercise each one of our hearts, may it exercise
the hearts of you, dear young friends. Do you have the Spirit of Christ?
Has the Holy Ghost quickened your soul? Do you feel yourself
to be a sinner? Do you feel yourself to be needed?
Do you have an aching void that the world can never fill? Do you long to lay hold of Jesus
Christ? And is Jesus Christ made precious
to you? Unto you that believe therefore
he is precious. Oh that Christ may be made precious
to you and that Christ may become the one thing needful unto your
soul. And that these are the vital
things that the Lord Jesus speaks of. And so here, in verse 8 of
this chapter 3, he speaks of this work of the Spirit. He's
instructing Nicodemus and the disciples, that the wind bloweth
where it listeth. Now he's speaking of the natural
wind. And thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
it cometh or whither it goeth. So is every one that is born
of the Spirit. You don't know where that came
from. You perhaps even can't point to the time when the Lord
began a work of grace in your heart. But you know it's happened
by the effect it's had. And the effect it will have on
your life. When the spirit enters into the soul of a person, he
has a divine influence there. And in that influence, opens
your spiritual eyes and ears and heart you think of when the
Spirit entered into the heart of Lydia and it says whose heart
the Lord opened as your heart being opened you're not too young to have
your heart opened no we read of those in Holy Scripture
young people that were wrought upon by the Spirit, and we worship
the same God. Oh, that it may exercise our
hearts. Two things, two very prominent
things that the Holy Ghost does. He shows us that we're sinners,
and he shows us that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour. And as we
read here in John, He will testify of me. That's what the Holy Ghost
does. He testifies that Jesus is the
way to God. Jesus is the way to bliss. I
am the way, the truth, and the life. And the Holy Ghost testifies
that in the heart. In a living, vital way. So that
you say, give me Christ or else I die. Give me Christ or else I die.
It's a wonderful thing. If the Lord has revealed that
unto you. You might say, but it's only
a small thing. Yeah, but it's a fundamental
thing. If your eyes have been opened to realize, give me Christ
or else I die. That's a very good thing. It's
a very precious thing. To be, have your eyes opened
and your ears opened and your heart opened by the spirit of
the living God see Nicodemus he questioned he says in verse
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him how can these things
be and then the Lord he reproves him Jesus answered and said unto
him art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things
but then he goes on in our text and he begins to speak of heavenly
things he says in verse 12 If I have told you earthly things
and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of
heavenly things? And then he goes on to speak
of heavenly things. No man hath ascended to heaven,
but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is
in heaven. Some very precious, sacred and
fundamental truths are found here. this verse no man has ascended up to heaven the way to heaven is through
Christ I am the way the truth and the life that's the way to
heaven no man has ascended up to heaven but he that came down
from heaven that of course is Christ he calls himself here I think
there are 72 occasions in the Word of God when Christ is called
the Son of Man. And most of them are in the Gospels
and spoken by Christ himself. Even the Son of Man, which is
in heaven. He that came down from heaven,
even the Son of Man, which is in heaven, say, sacred and precious
truth of our most holy faith. You know, what it's speaking
of here, something very profound, and that is the omnipresence
of God. You young people, you may say,
well, what do you mean by omnipresence? Well, you know what a presence
is. If you're present somewhere, you're present there. But omni
is a prefix to a word which means universal or complete. So when
it's only God that can be omnipresent. It's only God that can have a
presence in all places at all times and that's the meaning
of it. He's omnipresent. At your leisure, if you look
at Psalm 139, you will find there that David was His mind was so
enlarged by the Spirit that he saw the omnipresence of God. That God was in all places at
all times. It's a fundamental doctrine of
our most holy faith that God is indeed in all places at all
times. He's omnipresent. David in that Psalm 139 He saw
that even in the thoughts of his mind, God could see the thoughts
of his mind. Have you ever thought of that?
The thoughts you have, God sees it. He says, and lo, there's
not a word in my tongue, but thou knowest it altogether. Thou
knowest it altogether. Before you'd even spoken it,
God saw it in your thoughts. God heard it in your thoughts.
You think, of the millions and millions and millions of people
there is in the world. And yet God is in all places
and he knows the thoughts of everyone. He does. And he sees exactly what you're
doing, he sees exactly what you're thinking. I can't remember who
it was, but wasn't there one that said, thou God seest me?
How true that is. Thou God seest me. You see, In the first chapter
of John, where we read in verse 17, for the law was given by
Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Then in verse
18, no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. And sometimes this is misquoted. And it is said, which was in
the bosom of the father. But it doesn't say that. Which
is in the bosom of the father. And it has a bearing on our text.
No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven,
even the son of man which is in heaven. He's in heaven. His human nature was confined
on earth and that's where it was. Because that is what human
nature is, it's a finite existence. And the human nature of Christ
was here upon earth. But his divine nature was everywhere. If it wasn't, he would cease
to be God. So when he was here on earth, he was still in heaven.
And that is why it says there in chapter one, who is in the
bosom of the father. Even when he was here on earth,
he was still in the bosom of the father. He's still in all
places at all times. Now, of course, to the wicked,
to the person not reconciled unto God, that is an awful thought. That God is everywhere. He sees everything. He knows
everything. He understands everything. understand
this my thought are far off and he does and he does nothing ever
takes God by surprise nothing because he knows everything you
know I know it's a I know it's a very great deep and a profound
thing but God knows the end from the beginning he knows all eternity
past You might say, well, yes, he does, because he's existed.
He knows all eternity to come. Everything. That's what makes
him the eternal God. An infinite existence. So whatever
happens on this earth, whatever happens anywhere in the world,
doesn't take God by surprise. Because he knew it all, and he
knows it all. There is a time to be born and
there is a time to die and God knows what that time is. He knows
what time you have here upon earth and it was decreed when
you should be born and it was decreed when you should die. God knew it from the beginning.
He did. Because he knows all things. He knows all things. And this
glorious savior, this is an aspect of the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ that is a, and these are what he says here, heavenly things. Heavenly things. If I have told
you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if
I tell you of heavenly things? And no man have to send it up
to heaven but he that came down from heaven. Christ came down
from heaven. Christ was manifest in the world
as a man. The Son of God took a human nature
and became bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh. How it was
done we can't discuss but this we know which was done for us. Christ became a man for his people. He became bone of our bone, and
flesh of our flesh. In Hebrews, in the beginning
of the epistle to the Hebrews, and that second chapter, you
know the apostle, he speaks of the incarnation of the Son of
God, and that profound mystery of godliness of God manifest
in the flesh and he quotes to us from the book of Psalms in
the verse 6 of Hebrews 2 but one in a certain place testified
saying what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son
of man that thou visitest him thou madest him this is man in
general thou madest him a little lower than the angels thou crownest
him with glory and honor this is Adam and did set him over
the works of thy hands thou has put all things in subjection
under his feet see and then it goes on building on that what
human nature is or what Adam was it says in verse 9 but we
see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels. In other
words, he became a man. He lived here upon Earth in a
finite nature. Now, it's a profound mystery
that the infinite, the divine, assumed the human. But there
was a profound need that that had to be so. He was to redeem
his people. Hence, he took our nature. And in that nature, that human
nature, he suffered, he bled and he died for the sins of his
people and rose again for their justification. But we see Jesus
who was made little lower than the angels for the suffering
of death. That's why he became a man, for
the suffering of death. As God he couldn't die, but as
man he could die. This is a profound mystery of
our most holy faith. for the suffering of death, crowned
with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste
death for every man. Then in the 10th verse, it speaks
of his divine nature, for it became him for whom are all things,
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect. through sufferings. For both he that sanctifyeth
and they who are sanctified, that is of course the bride of
Christ, the people of God, are sanctified, are all of one, for
which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. When he
became our redeemer as a man, he became our brother. One of
the hymn writers says, doesn't he, brother to our souls becomes. And he says he is not ashamed
to call them brethren. And in verse 12 is a quotation
from Psalm 22, which speaks of the divine person of Christ,
saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst
of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Again, it's a quotation. When he says again, it's a quotation
from the Old Testament. I will put my trust in him, and
again, behold, I and the children which God hath given me, that's
the church, the bride of Christ, for as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same. Then again, he gives us the reason
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death
that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily, he took
not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of
Abraham. Wherefore, in all things, it
behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, for in
that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted. You see, that's how Lord Jesus
Christ, how we need the Holy Ghost to open our understanding,
to understand just what his glorious person is. None of us can fully
comprehend him. He's divine. He's almighty. The apostle says, in him we live
and move and have our being. That's true of everyone here
on earth, of course. But how much more so in a spiritual
sense for the living family of God, for the bride of Christ,
in him we live. In him we live. Says at the end
of this chapter, doesn't it? that last verse, he that believeth
on the sun hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the sun
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. He that hath the sun hath life. We come back to what we mentioned
earlier, give me Christ or else I die. And that is so true. He's the living one. In him is
life. In him is life. You think of
Bunyan's Pilgrim and the pilgrim's progress when he runs from the
city of destruction. He puts his fingers in his ears
to stop the crying of his family. And he says, life, life, everlasting
life. That's what he was after. That
is what he was looking for. And this is where you'll find
it. And no man, hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came
down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven, the
Son of Man. It's a term that refers us to
the human nature that the Son of God assumed, calls Him the
Son of Man. You find it principally in the
New Testament, but you also find it in the Old. We have that lovely word in Psalm
80, let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son
of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. That's Christ. David
had a sight there by faith of Christ, the incarnate son of
God, the son of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. No man hath ascended up to heaven,
but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is
in heaven. And then he speaks here of the
death that he should die. Again instructing Nicodemus. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal life. Should not perish, but have eternal
life. Life. This is where it is. It's in Christ. And of course, that serpent lifted up in the
wilderness. The persons that had been bitten
by those fiery serpents that were sent as a solemn chastisement
upon the children of Israel, if they hadn't been bitten, they
didn't need to look. But if they were bitten, it was
poison of venom, and they would die. But if they looked, if they looked, we have been
bitten by that old serpent, the devil. And his bite, contains
poisonous venom. It does. And it's only the blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, that can deliver you from that death, that comes
through the bite of the serpent, even Satan. That whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, eternal
life, and then we have those so beautiful words again this
is all in this teaching to Nicodemus for God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe it in
him should not perish but have everlasting life everlasting
Makes you think of that lovely word, doesn't it? He that has
begun a good work in you shall perform it unto the day of Jesus
Christ, everlasting life. He speaks here in John's gospel
of the spirit of God, and it says, and he will dwell with
you forever. He will dwell with you forever. And it gives meaning to that
word, doesn't it? I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee. Never leave thee, nor forsake
thee. He will dwell with you forever, that blessed and glorious
third person of the Trinity, who brings eternal life to the
soul of a poor sinner. He dwells in their hearts, he
fits them, and he prepares them for eternal glory. how thankful
we should be for the Holy Ghost, for that divine and glorious
person of the Holy Ghost. For God sent not his son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved. What does the apostle say in
the Acts of the Apostles? For there is salvation in none
other. For there is none other name
given under heaven whereby you must be saved. that is the name
of Jesus Christ. He that believeth on him is not
condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. That's who we believe in, this
almighty Jesus, this omnipotent Jesus, this omnipresent Jesus,
who is in all places, who said, all power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth, That's another way of saying I am omnipotent. We've already explained to you
what the omni means. Potent means power. Omni means
complete and universal power. That's what Jesus has. He has
power to save. He has power to deliver. He does. He that believeth on him is not
condemned. But he that believeth not is
condemned already because he hath not believed. in the name
of the only begotten son of god and this is the condemnation
that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather
than light because their deeds were evil for everyone that doeth
evil hateth the light jesus said i am the light of the world neither
cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds might be made manifest, that
they are wrought in God. And no man hath ascended up to
heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of
Man which is in heaven. You know, when our Lord Jesus
Christ was crucified, and died. And we read in the holy scriptures
that he commended his spirit to his father. Father into thy
hands I commend my spirit. And by his spirit he means his
holy human soul. He commended his holy human soul
into the hands of his father. And having done that, he entered
into death. The body without the spirit is
dead being alone. And that is when Christ voluntarily
entered into death. But you know, it's a deep mystery,
but it's a very sacred one. The divine nature was still in
that dead body in the grave. There was never any separation.
between the divine and the human. His holy human soul was in heaven,
but his divine nature was still in that sacred holy body that
was taken by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and laid in that
tomb that no man had yet laid in. He was still there. And I believe that that is what
the hymn writer is alluding to, When he says, the Lord of life
experienced death. Experienced death, he did. What profound mysteries there
are in our most holy faith. But what precious truth is contained. What a fullness of salvation
there is in Jesus Christ. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. And he is full of grace and truth. He is, he's full, and he ever
has been, and he ever will be. No man hath ascended up to heaven,
but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is
in heaven. May the Lord add his blessing
to these few remarks. Now let us sing the remaining
verses of hymn 122, verses 9 to 12. The tune is Darwell's 537. My advocate appears for my defence
on high. The Father bows his ears and
lays his thunder by. Not all that hell or sin can
say shall turn his heart, his love, away. Hymn number 122,
singing from verse 9 to the end. ? Our Father, as it is now ? ?
Let it forevermore be ? ? True to the fair ? ? Whose broad stripes
and bright stars ? My dear almighty God, my Comforter and
my King, Thy scepter and thy sword, thy
reign, grace I perceive. Thine is the path, Before I sit
in weary bones beneath thy feet. Now let my soul arise And tread
the tempted path. The Captain is revolted, Conquest
and account. of thee, O Saint, shall we that
day through death and hell obstruct the way. Shepherds on the hills of Beth,
and paths of Bethlehem, were demonstrate the forms of
rage and mischief. Ah, I shall be saved, Now, may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, Rest and abide with us each, both now
and forevermore. Amen.