Our text is taken from verse
21. These Gentiles, these Greeks,
as Brother Lowell read to us, and he referred to my text several
times without realizing what it would be, and it's the request
of these Greeks that came to Philip. Philip is a Greek name.
Perhaps that's why they came to him with their request. I
don't know. But they asked, Sir, we would see Jesus. That's our text. Sir, we would
see Jesus. I remember reading a story concerning
Mr. Spurgeon. There's a lot of stories
about Mr. Spurgeon. But I've read a lot
of his sermons, by the way. And this one I think would probably
be true. preached to so many people when
he pastored the church in London, the Metropolitan Tabernacle,
between 5,000 and 6,000 people every Sunday morning and Sunday
evening. It became necessary for him to issue tickets for
people to have their seats because there were so many they would
have to turn away. So if you didn't have a ticket
to the service, you didn't get in. I don't think they sold them.
They just gave them so that people would would not be turned away
from the service. There was a man that traveled
to London from America, and one of his desires was to hear Mr. Spurgeon preach. And he didn't
have a ticket to the service, but he had a friend there in
London who was a member of the Tabernacle, so he gave up his
seat so his friend could go attend. So he went to the Sunday evening
service and heard Spurgeon preach, and afterwards he met with his
friend who gave up his seat for him and asked him, what do you
think of our Spurgeon? And his friend replied, well,
I didn't really think of Spurgeon, didn't think a thing too much
of Spurgeon, but oh, I love Spurgeon's Christ. I love the Christ that
Mr. Spurgeon preached. And that's
our desire tonight. Sirs, we would see Jesus, that
God might enable us to see Him. I don't know what these Greeks'
desire or reason for seeing Jesus was. It doesn't say, and we don't
know. And to pretend that we did know
would just make it obvious that we didn't. I don't know what
their reason was. The reason I bring that up is
simply because many people we do know from reading the Gospels
wanted to see him for the wrong reasons. Often they did. Can
you imagine coming to the Savior and not wanting saved? Can you
imagine coming to that one of whom it was said, and this could
only be said of him, this was only said of him, an angel made
this announcement. The angel Gabriel came from the
presence of God Almighty and went to Joseph as he tossed and
turned on his bed concerning the condition he found his wife
in, or bride to be, and said, Joseph, don't be afraid. Don't
be afraid. Don't be alarmed. Don't be concerned. Hush your thoughts of putting
her away privately, because that which is conceived in her, Mary,
is of the Holy Ghost. And Joseph, when he's born, when
that holy thing, that is conceived in the womb of Mary comes forth. When he's born into this world,
give him this name. Call his name Jesus, for he shall
save his people from their sins. That's why he's coming into the
world. That's why he's coming in the way that he is, made like
unto his brethren, that he might redeem them. Can you imagine
coming to that one with that mission? with that task before
him, the one and only savior, the only redeemer. Can you imagine
anyone coming to him when he was on earth and anyone that
approached him was a sinner and not asking forgiveness for their
sins? But many people did. God pity
those who deceive themselves in thinking that they don't need
the healing touch of the great physician. How can any fallen
son of Adam think so? And the reason is because they're
blind. They don't know their need or
they're deceived into thinking that they're already whole like
the Pharisees and they don't need the touch of the great physician. People's motives for coming to
Christ rather when he was on earth were often wrong. They often approached him for
the wrong reason. For example, in this chapter,
those verses that Brother Royal read to us a moment ago, I see
an example of it here, verses 17 and 18. The people therefore that was
with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave that were witnesses
to that, and raised him from the dead bear record. Apparently
they told other folks, and it's those other folks that it speaks
of in verse 18. For this cause the people also
met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. They came simply out of curiosity. This is a miracle worker. Let's
go see, perhaps we'll watch him perform another miracle. Turn back a few pages in your
Bible in the Gospel of John to chapter 6. We have another example
of people desiring to see Christ, but for the wrong reason. In
John chapter 6, verse 26, our Lord speaking, And he's speaking
to those many that have been fed by the miracle of the multiplication
of the fishes and the loaves. He leaves them, crosses the lake,
they follow him. But for the wrong reasons. Because
he that knew what was in man and didn't need that anybody
testify unto him what was in man, he knew men's hearts, he
said these words to them. Jesus answered them and said,
verse 26, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, so far
so good, but, read on, ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles,
not because you believe they bear witness to who I am, but
because you did eat of the loaves and were filled, and now you're
hungry again. That's the only reason you've
sought me out. Verse 27, labor not for the meat which perishes,
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which
the Son, and only the Son, of man shall give unto you, for
him hath God the Father sealed. Christ said, you seek me not
because you believe who I am, but simply because you want fed
again. Look what he says on down in
the chapter, in John chapter 6 verse 35. I am the bread of
life, he that cometh to me, not like they did. They came physically,
they came with their feet, but they didn't come filling their
need of a savior. A miracle worker? Yes. Someone
that will provide our needs? Yes. Someone that will take care
of our health? Yes. Oh, but salvation? No, no. But Christ says in verse
35, I am the bread of life. He that cometh unto me shall
never hunger. Let a hungry sinner come to me
and eat of me, partake of me, become one with me, and he'll
never hunger. And he that believeth on me shall
never thirst." Oh, we would see Jesus in that way, as they requested. It requires God's favor for a
man to come to Christ in that way, as we spoke about this morning. It requires grace. One old hymn
writer expressed it like this, and this is a very interesting
question. He says, what comfort can a sinner
bring to those who never felt their woe? Now think about that. What comfort can a savior bring
to those who never felt their woe, those who've never been
made aware of their need? A sinner is a sacred thing, he
went on to write. A sinner is a sacred thing. The
Holy Ghost had made him so. When one like that comes to Christ,
he or she does so because, like Peter said, we don't have any
place else to go. We come out of the desperation
of our heart. We come out of a need, a need
that only you can meet. We come to you because we don't
have anywhere else to go, like that woman with the issue of
blood. Let's look at that just briefly.
Turn back, if you will, to Luke's Gospel, Chapter 8. This is familiar,
but it'll do us good to just look at it. Luke, Chapter 8.
And remember, Our Lord is on his way to the house of Jarius. He has come to our Lord first
and said, I've got a daughter, 12 years old, and she's dying.
Will you come with me? And he follows this man home.
He goes with him. And on the way, on the way, there's
a woman with an issue of blood. And we're told here in Luke's
account of it that she had spent all of her living on quites. Physicians. Verse 43, she had
spent all of her living upon physicians, neither could be
healed of any. Matthew tells us she grew worse. The only thing they relieved
her of was her bank account. She grew worse. She was hemorrhaging
to death. This issue of blood that afflicted
her. Verse 44, she came behind him. She came behind. She thought
to herself, if I can just get to him, if I can get through
this mob, if I can get through this multitude, if I can just
make contact with him, If I can touch Him, I believe all will
be well. I believe He'll do for me what
these others can't do. Oh, I've got to get to Christ,
she said. I've got nowhere else to go.
Oh, brother Loyal, that's the work of God's grace. That's an
evidence that God has gone beforehand and prepared the heart. It's
in that sense, out of a sense of need, that we must see Jesus. and seek Him. Oh yes, this was
a miracle, so to speak, by the wayside, on the way to perform
another. Does that not demonstrate what
John said concerning our blessed Redeemer? He's full of grace
and truth. Full of grace and truth. that in him all the fullness
of the Godhead dwells bodily. She had spent all, but was nothing
bettered, only grew worse. Neither, we just read, could
be healed of any until, until that day. Oh, blessed day. Blessed day. She came to him. She came to him. Oh happy day when Jesus washed
my sins away. Oh what a day. I don't know what
other events, I don't know anything else about this woman, what she
may have experienced before this. or after this, but I guarantee
you, nothing would compare to this day. Because this day, this
day, she met the master. This day, she was able to squeeze
through that mob and reach forth and touch the hem of his garment,
and the moment she did, she was made whole. And you know what
that's a picture of? That's a picture of salvation.
That's a picture of a poor, needy sinner. being aware of his sins,
of his need, being taught by the Father and being brought
by Christ. As the hymn writer said, here's
a sinner that's a sacred thing. Spirit of God has made him so. And she comes to the master.
She comes to that great physician. She had been to these lesser
physicians, these so-called physicians. They couldn't do nothing for
her. Oh, but now she comes to the great physician. And by the
touch of his garment, by touching his garment, rather, she's immediately,
we're told, made whole. Immediately, this hemorrhaging,
this issue of blood was dried up. From her, there only flowed
the disease and certain death, but from him. But from him. Oh, that's the
issue, isn't it? The issue is with him. The cure
resides with Him. Oh, if I can touch Him, it doesn't
matter how diseased I am. It doesn't matter how ravaged
this has made my body. It doesn't matter how near death
I might be. If I can just get to Him, He's
able to save to the uttermost. Oh, that's our Savior. That's
our Savior. And brothers and sisters in Christ,
He said, I'm the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's why,
Lonnie, He's able to save under the uttermost all that come unto
God by Him because He ever liveth the same yesterday, today, and
forever to make intercession for them. I like that word there
in verse Her issue of blood was sconced,
dried up. From us there only flows sin
abounding. That's it. But from him there
ever flows, continually flows, a supply of grace overabounding,
raining over our sins. Grace that reigns and rules and
conquers our sin. She brought her disease, oh,
but he had the cure. Immediately. Immediately. It's no telling what these cracks
told this poor woman to do. It's no telling what procedures
they used on her, but none of them wrought a cure. They couldn't
do anything for her, but all she does is come to Christ, and
one touch, and she's cured completely. Oh my soul, what a picture of
His saving grace. The hymn writer expressed it
so well, did he not? The vilest offender, the vilest
offender, like you and like me, the vilest offender that truly
believes that moment, that moment, from Jesus a pardon, a full,
free, irrevocable, eternal, everlasting pardon receives. Oh yes, sirs,
we would see Jesus, see Him filling our need of Him, filling our
need to touch Him and to be touched by Him. Notice now our Lord's
response. It doesn't seem he granted them
an audience, does it? Because when Philip came to Andrew,
being from the same town with Peter, they go to Christ together, Philip
and Andrew, with the request of these Greeks. In verse 23,
And Jesus answered them, saying, This is his answer. Remember,
this is just a few days before the Passover. the last legitimate
Passover. This is before, just a few days
before, he that was pictured by the Passover. He that, as
John said three and a half years before as he walked by, behold
the Lamb of God. He that would do away with all
the ceremonial types and pictures. Just a few days before that accomplishment
of the true Lamb, He says, the hour is come. The hour is come
that the Son of Man should be glorified. The hour for which
He came into this world. The hour for which He became
what He wasn't before. That's right. Hebrews 2. Because
His brethren were flesh and blood. What did He do? took part of
the same. He took hold of, not angels,
he didn't come to redeem fallen angels, but he took hold of the
seed of Abraham for his brethren, his children. He became what
he never was and would never cease to be. Think about that. Isn't that something? Let's do
it. He became what he never was.
flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones, and he would never,
the eternal absolute God, would always be in union with his brethren. No wonder Paul said, great is
the mystery of godliness. If that's all the great apostle
could say, my soul, what can we say? Great is the mystery
of godliness. Let's just leave it there, he
seems to say. God was manifest. God. God Almighty. He was manifest
in the flesh. My soul. The Word. The eternal
Word that spoke the world into existence. The very expression
of God. was made flesh and dwelt among
us. There's a man in glory, flesh
of my flesh and bone of my bones. that can be touched with the
feeling of my infirmities." Why? Because he was, in all points,
tempted like me, like his brethren. He can identify, he can sympathize,
and brothers and sisters, he can give grace to enable us to
go through in times of need. Oh yes, he says, the hour is
come. The shadow of the cross was already
eclipsing his holy soul just hours away. Look at verse 27. Now was my soul troubled. That
would seem like strange language. Language that we could never
even begin to understand or have a clue about if we didn't know
this. This hour that he spoke of was
that hour that he would soon experience the withdrawal of
his father's presence. He said, the hours come, you
all are going to leave me, going to leave me to myself. Because
it's written, the shepherds shall be smitten, the sheep will be
scattered. You'll leave me alone. But he
said, I'm not alone. The father's with me. I do always those things that
please the Father. And then yet, on the cross, he
said, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? With that in view, no wonder
he says, Now is my soul troubled. When he prayed in the garden
a few hours from now, we're told that he began to be heavy and
sore amazed. Now is my soul troubled, and
what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour,
but for this cause came I unto this hour. And hear the captain
of our salvation say, Father, glorify thy name. Glorify thy
name. Oh, yes. we would see Jesus. Nothing else is worth our attention,
is it? The hour is come. While the world
was created, to display by His death the wonders of the triune
God, in mercy, in grace, in righteousness, in justice, all involved and
necessary for the salvation of his people, as we read of in
Psalm 85 this morning. Behold, I come to do thy will,
O God. The hinges of eternity revolve
on this hour. Eternity past, I don't know how
else to say it, eternity to come, they all revolve on this hour
when the Son of Man would enter into the very holy presence of
God Almighty and in some way that I can't explain, that I
can't understand, but I believe, oh thank God I believe, He was
made sin for me. It doesn't just say that sin
was imputed to him. It says he was made sin itself. Is that not what it said? In
2 Corinthians chapter 5, God has made him. Men could spit
on him. They could scourge him. They
could mock him. They could pull out his beard.
They could thrust the crown of thorns down on his brow. They
could do all those horrible things to him. because pallet delivered him
to their will. And their will was away with
him, away with him. But they couldn't do this. Only
God Almighty could do this. God had made him to be sin, to
be sin. Sin. God brought all the wrath
and punishment due to all the sins of all his elect to focus
upon one spot, one place. And like a sun with many rays,
the Son of God's righteous ignatiation was brought to focus upon one
person, the Son of God. God made him to be sin for us. This is what he spoke of when
he said, the hour is come. Look at John chapter 17, verse
1. Just shortly after this, what
we read of in John 12 and 13, he goes to the garden and offers
up his high priestly prayer. Father, he says, Well, let's
read the entire verse. These words spake Jesus, and
lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is
come, the hour is come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
also may glorify thee. Oh, our glorious high priest,
who needeth not daily be read in Hebrews, as those high priests
offer up sacrifice, first for their own sins, And then for
the peoples, for this he did once when he offered up himself. Oh yes, let me see him. Let me see him. By the witch
will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. What that means is not once for
everybody, but once forever. once got the job done, once completed
the work of putting away the sins of his people, never to
be repeated. You remember when you were young
and your parents would say something like this to you? Mine often
did. That's final. I'm not going to tell you that
again, boy. Once and for all, that's it.
Christ bore the sins of his people once. Final. Complete. Never to be repeated. It's not
necessary that it should be repeated because he got the job done the
first time. His mission was accomplished
the first time. That's why God raised him three
days later from the dead to prove it. Look at verse 24 now in John
12. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Oh, how this hour was always on his mind. Always. Always. From eternity. And now, it's
arrived. Time didn't determine when Christ
should die. Christ determined the time he
should die. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth
alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit. Except if corn of wheat fall
into the ground and die. And that's what he was about
to do. He wouldn't turn back. He wouldn't be deterred. He set
his face like a flint. He said, I have a baptism. Not
a sprinkling, an immersion. The very word means to immerse,
to cover up. And he says concerning his sufferings,
it's a baptism. It's an immersion. I'm going
to be covered up by the wrath of God. I'm going to be immersed
in sufferings. The wrath of a holy God again
seen is going to roll over my head. I have a baptism to be
baptized with, and how am I straightened until it be accomplished?" Oh
yes, he would not turn away. He says if he would, he would
abide alone. If that corn of wheat doesn't
fall into the ground and give its life, it doesn't bring forth
any other. That corn of wheat must die,
or there'll never be a harvest. If it doesn't die, give its life,
it abideth alone. Oh, but if it die, our Lord says,
here's the sure outcome, it bringeth forth much fruit. One is as certain
as the other. Did he die? Did he really die? Did he, like the corn of wheat,
fall into the ground and die? Yes, he did. Yes, he did. Well, the other is just as sure
as that, as just as certain as that is this outcome, the fruit
of it. It bringeth forth much fruit. It pleased God in bringing many
sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
suffering. John himself, the writer of this
gospel, saw the fruit of his death brought forth because he
saw when he was on the Isle of Patmos a multitude that no man
could number. Yes, he did. He saw the fruit
of Christ's suffering. He saw the outcome of that corn
of wheat falling into the ground like a candle that's burning
and giving life to others, it consumes itself. John saw the
result of that and he said, it was a multitude that I couldn't
number. And not only that, they stood
before the throne of God and they were all dressed alike without
a spot or a wrinkle or any such thing. Let's look in the book
of Revelation, not chapter 7, but chapter 14. John saw the
fruit of the travail of the soul of the son of man's suffering.
Revelation chapter 14. Oh, what a blessed sight this
must have been for John. Because the book of Revelation
opens with John saying he was on the Isle of Patmos for the
testimony of the Lord. He was cast out there apparently
for the preaching of the gospel. And they thought, we'll hear
no more about that fellow. And the Lord Jesus Christ, they
couldn't stop him from coming to his sheep. He comes to John
and gives him the Revelation. of Jesus Christ. And oh, what
an encouragement this should have been was to John, verse
14. Or rather, verse 1 of chapter 14. And I looked, and lo, a lamb,
all that corn of wheat that fell into the ground, a lamb stood
on the mount Zion. But remember, he didn't abide
alone. He laid down his life And look,
as the result, and with him, and with him, a hundred and forty
and four thousand. These represent God's elect.
Having his father's name written in their foreheads. I send unto
my father and your father, and my God and your God. Look down
in verse three. And they sung, as it were, a
new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the
elders. And no man could learn that song but the hundred and
forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not
defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they which
follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. They follow him in
life. They follow him in death. But
they follow him, bless God, to glory. They follow the Lamb wherever
he goes. These were redeemed from among
men. All men weren't redeemed. They
were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God
and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found
no guile. And look at this, for they are
without fault before the throne of God. Oh yes, if he fall into
the ground and died this precious seed, it bringeth forth much
fruit. He brings many sons to glory. Oh yes, we would see him. the Lord Jesus. One hymn writer
put in the verse what he thought when he read Galatians 2 and
15, which says, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he
made a show of them openly, triumphing over them. And the hymn writer
wrote concerning that verse, His be the victor's name who
fought the fight alone. Triumphant saints no honor claim
their conquest was his own. What though the accuser roar
of ills that I have done, I know them well and thousands more. Jehovah findeth none. Oh yes. He covered all their
sins. Blessed, blessed the conqueror
slain, slain by divine decree, who lived, who died, who lives
again, for thee, my soul, for thee. Oh yes, we would see Regardless
of the reasons that these Greeks made their request, they still
serve, as we've seen, a blessed desire, do they not? Do they
not? For consider, we would see Jesus because we
can't be saved otherwise. We can't be saved otherwise.
If he doesn't open our blinded eyes, To behold Him, we cannot
be saved, no matter what we may claim to have seen, to have learned,
to have experienced, and people claim to have all kinds of revelations
these days. Oh, but if they've never seen
the Lamb of God, They're yet in their sins. That's what our
Lord told the Pharisees, did he not? The religious leaders,
you say you see, therefore your sin remaineth, he said in John
9. Oh, but if we would see Jesus,
what a sight. What a sight. When we are brought
down by the sovereign grace of God to see Jesus, we then can
look up and sing. We can look up and sing, did
you not? Did you not? When he brought
you to the footstool of his sovereign majesty, when he brought you
down to the nothingness that make you realize your nothingness,
what you were, and some understanding to what he is, And in the light
of that holiness you cried out, what must I do to be saved? How
can a man, how can this man be just? Was that God? And then he was pleased to show
you the only mediator between me and God. Oh yes, and then
he rolled back the blindness of my depraved heart. He touched
my eyes so that I could see, and I beheld Him. I beheld Him,
the substitute for sinners, and I sang down at the cross where
my Savior died, downward for cleansing from sin I cried. There to my heart was the blood
applied. Glory, glory to His name. I read of one lady brought under
conviction of sin, that necessary work of God's Holy Spirit, her
heart being made by grace to fear. And before God had brought
her by that same grace to relieve her fear, Before she had experienced
that sweet application of His grace, speaking peace to her
heart while she was still seeking it, she said, Lord, if you'll
save me, if you'll have mercy on this unworthy sinner that
I am, I promise you this, you'll never hear the end of it. Didn't we all say the same thing?
Didn't we all say the same thing, brothers and sisters? Huh? Did we not, when we were seeking
His grace, not say the same thing? You don't have to do it, Lord. You don't have to do it. Oh,
He taught us better than that. We might have thought that at
one time. We may have been told that by a lot of well-meaning
people. But oh, when he worked in our
hearts, we were made to feel he doesn't have to. Oh, but if
you will, if you will, and God, if you will, you'll never hear
that. You'll never hear the end of
it. You'll never hear the end of it. I'll spend my life thanking
you. We would see Jesus. When we see Jesus, we can go
on as believers. After we behold the Lamb of God
and our sins are taken away, oh, we still must have fresh
glimpse of Him, do we not? So that we can go on singing,
it is well with my soul. Could there have been a more
troubled, confused, broken-hearted people Then the disciples, after
seeing their Lord and Master, Him whom they were sure was the
Messiah that should come into the world, bow His head upon
the cross and breathe out His last. Because as of yet, they
knew not the scripture that He should rise again from the dead.
We're told that over and over. So when they saw Him die, can
you imagine how they must have felt? Can you imagine the joy? He told them before his arrest
that night, the world's going to rejoice and you're going to
lament. But he said, your sorrow is going to be turned into joy
because I'll see you again. I'll see you again. Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb
and stoops down and sees two angels. Why seek ye the living
among the dead? Why weepest thou? They've taken
away my Lord, and I don't know where they've laid him. I've
come to finish preparing his body for burial, which I couldn't
do when he died and was taken down from the cross because the
Sabbath drew on. Where have you laid him, so I
can finish the work? And he appears to her, and she
supposes him to be the gardener. And that one who spake is never
meant to speak to that Mary Magdalene." He said, Mary. And her eyes was open. And she
saw him. And she said, oh, master, master. And then that same day he appears
to his disciples. in the upper room, the door locked
for fear of the Jews. And he appears to them and says,
peace be unto you. And we read, then were the disciples
glad when they saw the Lord. And we can only be glad and carry
on and serve and worship and honor him as he is pleased to
allow us fresh glimpses of his precious person. Oh yes, as Brother
Loy said in the reading, we would see Jesus. In his prayer, God
allowed our pastor to preach in such a way that we would see
Jesus. Let me close the message and
the service today by reading some words of dear brother Henry
Mahan. He said this, A local church
is a company of brothers and sisters. We are one family. One
life is ours. And one love is ours. And one
objective to know and glorify the Lord Jesus is ours. This
is the comfort and strength of all that we are all in Christ. We cannot properly minister the
gospel of Christ without one another. The eye cannot say to
the hand, I have no need of you. Blessed and happy. is that assembly
of redeemed people brought together and baptized into one body by
his spirit, whose love for the Lord Jesus and for one another
enables them to sing with one voice, pray with one heart, walk
in one direction, and worship with one spirit, where each member
realizes the importance of his presence, prayer, support, and
cooperation, where Christ is Lord and all others are servants,
where Christ Christ's will is preeminent and all other wills
and desires are in subjection. Where there are no young and
old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, but Christ is
all and in all. Oh yes, we would see Jesus. Remember he said, where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst
of them. God bless you.