I once read about an old woman,
a believer, who had, as she began to age, as often happens with
some folks, she began to lose her memory. Age took its toll
on her body and on her mind. She had at one time committed
much of the scripture to memory. She could recite large portions
by heart. Eventually, just one Precious
passage stayed in her mind. I know whom I had believed, and
then persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed
unto him against that day. But soon, part of that slipped
away, and she would be heard quietly repeating that which
I have committed unto him." And just before she died, just before
she slipped out of this world into glory, her family standing
by could tell she was saying something, but they couldn't
hear her. And one leaned over so they put her ears right up
next to the lady's mouth and heard her saying, him, him, him. It's all she could remember.
She had forgotten all the Bible but him. And she had forgotten
everything but him. But in him, she had all the Bible. And in him, she had everything. Turn with me, if you will, to
John chapter 20. This book is all about him, the
Lord Jesus Christ. We've come here to worship him. I've come here to preach him
to you. I want you to know, trust, love,
adore, and worship him. May God the Holy Spirit now set
our hearts on him. The title of my message this
morning is Lessons from the Resurrection. But I'm not here to convince
you of our Lord's resurrection or of the doctrine of the resurrection.
I want you to know him who is the resurrection and the life. May God the Holy Spirit now cause
the power of our Redeemer, his resurrection power, to be ours. John 20 brings us from the cross
of our Lord Jesus, brings us from his death, the ignominious,
painful, shameful death of the cross that he endured upon the
cursed tree when he who knew no sin was made sin for us. Brings us from the accomplishment
of redemption to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Here, John
brings us to the tomb that's empty where the Lord Jesus was
laid after he was put to death. He who was delivered for our
offenses, delivered to the hands of divine justice to suffer all
the fury of God's holy wrath and justice until God could say,
Fury is not in me. He suffered all the fury of God's
wrath and justice when our sin was made his sin. And now he
is risen for our resurrection, or risen for our justification.
Risen again as the proof Risen again as the evidence. Risen
again as God's public declaration that he is God's son. Risen from
the dead with power. Power over all flesh. Because
he who was made sin now has no sin. And we for whom he was made
sin, whose sins were made his, have no sin in him. Behold the
risen Christ. He's freed from sin. and all
for whom he died are freed from sin, justified in him. The whole of John's gospel here
is dealing with this matter of our Lord's resurrection in this
first 18 verses of this chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
speak of the resurrection, all of them in great detail, giving
specific items, specific details, so as to make certain that we
understand the reality of the resurrection. Why do all four
gospel writers use such specificity with regard to our Lord's resurrection
and the events of it? Because the whole of the gospel,
The whole of our holy faith, the whole salvation of our souls
hinge upon the death and resurrection of our Redeemer. Paul said, I
delivered unto you that which also I received. How that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was
buried and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures. All right, let's read together
John chapter 20, verses 1 through 18. The first day of the week, the
Lord Jesus was put to death on Friday, crucified on Friday,
buried Friday evening, and stayed in the tomb all Friday night,
Saturday. through part of Saturday night
and early Sunday morning. Early Sunday morning, cometh
Mary early when it was yet dark, still dark, unto the sepulcher,
and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she
runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom
Jesus loved, John the apostle, and saith unto them, They've
taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher and we know not where
they have laid him Peter therefore went forth and that other disciple
and came to the sepulcher So they ran both together and the
other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher
and He's stooping down and looking in saw the linen clothes lying
Yet when he not in Then come a Simon Peter following him,
and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the
linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went
in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher,
and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the
scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the
disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood
without at the sepulcher, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped
down and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white
sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where
the body of Jesus had laid. And they say unto her, Woman,
why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because
they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have
laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back,
and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She,
supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou
have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and
I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith
unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. And Jesus saith
unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father,
but go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my father
and your father and to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene
came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that
he had spoken these things unto her. All right, let me make seven
statements. Seven simple statements. May
God inscribe them upon our hearts. First, those who are forgiven most love
most. You find that plainly taught
by our Lord Jesus in reference to this woman Mary in Luke chapter
7 verses 36 through 50. The first one that John names
as coming to the tomb of our Lord Jesus is Mary Magdalene. Now, the history of this faithful
woman is very scant. We're told very little about
her. We're only told that she was a woman out of whom the Lord
had cast seven devils. We're told that she had been
a woman of ill repute. A woman whose life up until the
Lord Jesus stepped into it. Until the master stopped her
in her pursuit of her lust. A woman who was utterly degraded
by her behavior. But then the Lord Jesus stepped
in. and forgave her all her sins, cast out seven devils from her. And from that time on, Mary was
all his. Always by his side, following
him, hanging on his every word, observing his wondrous works,
paying attention as he spoke. It was this woman, if I'm not
mistaken, who anointed the Lord Jesus for his burial. She brought
the alabaster box and slipped in, hoping folks wouldn't pay
any attention to the fact she was there. She knew what she
had been and she knew what those Pharisees in Simon's house thought
of her. But she slips in behind the master's
feet and stood there weeping as she thought about what he
was about to endure for her. She alone understood that he
was about to die as her substitute, her redeemer for her sins. And
she takes an alabaster box, spiky and very precious, worth 300
pence. Bob, that's a year's wages. That's a year's wages. She'd
been saving that up for something special and she broke it open
just for him, just because she loved him and
counted it a delight to do so. And she anointed him and the
aroma filled the room. And while folks were carping
and yakking concerning it, she washed his feet with her tears
and wiped them with the hairs of her head. picked them up and
kissed them. And Simon, the leper, the Pharisee,
in his haughtiness joined the others in carping concerning
Mary. And the Lord Jesus asked him a question. He said, Simon, who loves most? And Simon answered, I suppose
he to whom most is forgiven. And the Lord Jesus said, you
have rightly spoken. And he's referring to this woman
Mary when he says, her sins, which are many, are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom
little is forgiven, the same loveth little. I'm going to deliberately spend
the bulk of my time on this issue. Mary's gratitude to our Lord
for his deliverance of her, delivering her from the very clutches of
hell, delivering her from the grasp
of her own heart's lust. Mary's gratitude to him for his
deliverance of her soul and the forgiveness of all her sins was
a gratitude that knew no bounds. Of all our Lord's followers on
this earth, it seems that Mary loved him most. It seems that Mary was most devoted
to him, most committed to him, most consecrated to him. Now,
the secular historians and the folks who have no knowledge of
the things of God have found something horribly evil in the
attachment of Mary to the Lord Jesus. But you who know the Savior, how we ought to long to be like
Mary. None felt that they owed so much
to the Savior as Mary felt she did. None felt so thoroughly,
so strongly that there was nothing too great to do for him and no
sacrifice too much to make for him. Mary was the last one at
the cross. Mary was the first one at the
tomb and the last one to leave it. Mary arose early and came
to the tomb while it was yet dark, and when Peter and John
had come and they looked into the tomb and they went to their
home, Mary stayed right there. Having been forgiven much, Mary
loved much. Having received much, she loved
much, and loving much, She did much, constrained only by a heart
of love and gratitude for her savior. That's what ruled this
woman's life. That's what motivated her. That's
what inspired her. That's what guided her. That's
what directed her. The fact is, the more fully and
more deeply We are aware of our depravity and sin. And our Lord's forgiveness for
our sin. The more we will cherish him
and cherish that forgiveness. To whom much is forgiven, the
same love much. Why do so many who profess to
be the Lord's disciples, do so little for the Savior whose name
they bear. How is it that so many whose
faith in Christ we cannot and should not question, work so
little, give so little, say so little, take so little pains
to promote his cause, and bring glory to his name in this world. Why are there so many who know
the grace of God in truth that do so little to make his grace
known to others? I weighed this for a long time
preparing this message. There can be only one answer
to those questions. It is a low sense of debt and
gratitude to Christ that makes saved sinners so horribly indifferent
to the worship and service of the Redeemer. I'm open to any other suggestions. Where sin is not deeply and painfully
felt, little is done for Christ. The man who is deeply conscious
of his own guilt, his own depravity, his own corruption, deeply convinced
that without the blood, the death, the grace, and the intercession
of Christ, deeply conscious that without these things, he would
be forever cast into the lowest hell. That man is the one who
thinks, I can never do enough for my Redeemer. Oh, Spirit of God, Make me such
a man. Give me Mary's heart. Give me
a sense of Mary's deep felt indebtedness and gratitude
to my Redeemer. Show me more of myself. As painful as it is, Merle, I
want my sin ever before me. Show me more of myself. Show
me more of my Redeemer that I may know Him in the fellowship of
His sufferings. Make me to know more of His grace. Show me more. Oh, make me to
know more fully, more constantly, God's amazing grace to me. Then, and only then, will we
have any sense of understanding what Paul meant when he said,
the love of Christ constraineth us. Turn there and look at it.
2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5. Verse 14. The love of Christ constraineth
us because we thus judge. That if one died for all, then
we're all dead. That is, if he died for us, we
died in him. And that he died for us, he died
for all. That they which live, this is
the reason he redeemed you, Mark Henson. This is the reason he
died for you. That they which live should not
henceforth live unto themselves. He bought you. He bought you. With his blood. So that you would
no longer live to yourself. I, I, me, me, my, my. Oh, God teach us. Christ, Christ,
Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ. Not me and mine, but
Christ and his. Not what I want, but what he
will. live not to yourself but unto him that died for them and
rose again. You're not your own. You're bought
with a price. You're not your own. You're bought
with a price. You're not your own. You're bought
with a Lord to thee. All right, here's
the second thing. First, those who are forgiven
most love most. God, teach me, teach me what
I'm forgiven, that I may love my Redeemer. Second, God's saints
in this world are not all alike. in personality and temperament
and behavior. Now, let that sink in. It'll
take a little while for it to sink in. God's saints in this
world, true believers, are not all like each other in personality,
temperament, and behavior. Here is Mary, this dear lady
who just seems to be all heart. And she goes and tells Peter
and John, they're taking away the Lord, and I know not where
they've laid him. And Peter and John take off running. They're
running to the tomb. They're running to the sepulcher.
And when they got there, John outran Peter and got there first,
and he stooped down and looked in. And Peter came running, and
he didn't even stop to breathe. He just ran right into the tomb. It came a little after Peter
and John and quietly stood aside and waited to see what they would
say and do. Now, people have made much of these things, some
suggesting great noble characteristics of John because he stopped and
wouldn't go in and Peter was kindly brash and irreverent and
he ran in and a little presumption also, nothing of the kind, nothing
kind. It was just not John's nature
to go rushing in. And it wasn't Peter's nature
to stop and ask questions. And it wasn't Mary's nature to
intrude where she shouldn't. They all worshipped the Lord
Jesus. They all trusted Christ. They
were all washed in His blood, redeemed by His blood, forgiven
of their sins, justified and sanctified, made righteous in
Christ Jesus, born again by God the Holy Spirit. But they were
all still different individuals with different personalities,
with different traits and characteristics. They all differed. And there's
just three of them. There's just three of them. The
same is true of this congregation. The same is true of every body
of believers. The same is true of God's elect
all over the world. God's people are not alike in
personality, temperament, and behavior. Yes, they all seek
God's glory. Yes, they all live by faith. Yes, they all seek to do good.
Yes, they all love and serve the Lord Jesus and love and serve
his people. No question about that. But they're
still different individuals, different personalities. And
the Lord God doesn't Take away those natural traits of one's
personalities, a personality that are not different. He doesn't
take those away when he saves them by his grace. If you read
the scriptures, you will see that the scriptures were written
by men who were prophets and by one who was apparently trained
in law, the Apostle Paul. They were written by men who
were fishermen, and men who were just ordinary folks, and written
by men who were kings, princes, governors, all in different backgrounds,
different ways. But as you read their writings,
you can look at them, and when you read Peter's writings, you
know you're not reading Paul. You know you're not reading Paul.
Two different men wrote this. Both of them wrote as they were
moved and carried by God the Holy Spirit. But they're two
different men. And that's by divine order and
divine purpose. God has arranged these things
and he's written them here for our learning. We should always
remember that there are great differences among God's saints. If we will remember this simple
fact, it will save us a lot of trouble in our journey from here
to eternity. And it will perhaps prevent unkind
and uncharitable thoughts and words concerning others. Just
because Bill Raleigh is not just like me doesn't mean that he's
not just as fine a fellow as I am. Now, that's a wrong way to say
that, isn't it? Just because he's not just like me doesn't
mean that I might not be just as fine a fellow as he is. Just
because we do things different, just because we think differently,
speak differently, and act differently under the same circumstances
and situations is no indication of evil. God made us and God
uses us as we are as his children in this world. Turn to Philippians
chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. J.C. Rowe said, The flowers in
the Lord's garden are not all of one color or all of one smell. That's a pretty good way to put
it. The Church of Christ has some in its ranks who are like
Peter, bold and a bit brash, unhesitating, and some who are
like John, little more reserved and quiet, and some who are like
Mary, some who are elders and some who are children, some who
are fathers and some who are young men, some who are mothers
and some who are babes. All are Christ, loved and chosen
of God the Father, loved and redeemed by God the Son, loved
and called by God the Spirit. If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, any comfort in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill
ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of
one accord and of one mind, that nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. Each esteem his brother as his brother rightly is. Rex
Bartley is in Christ. That makes Rex Bartley perfect,
holy, righteous, and pure before God. Why do we have trouble esteeming
him that way? Why do you have trouble when you think about
David Coleman thinking about him just that way? Why do you
have trouble when you think about Don Fortner thinking about him
just that way? Well, he did that. Is he your
brother? Is he in Christ? Oh, not be too
hard to esteem him like Christ. You esteem yourself that way.
And rightly so. The Lord God said, let us reckon
ourselves also to be dead indeed in the sin, but alive unto God.
Esteem your brethren that way. All right, back here in John
20. Here's the third thing. Look at verse 9. John 20, verse
9. Go back to verse 8. Then when also that other disciple,
which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed, that
is, he saw the Lord was gone, so he believed Mary's report,
that taking away our Lord, we know not where he laid him. For
as yet, this is one of the most remarkable texts of scripture
in the Bible, as yet after three years of incessant daily preaching
and teaching by the Son of God, as yet they knew not the scripture
that he must rise again from the dead. How many times did
he tell them that? I mean, just over and over and
over and over again. And it just went... I mean, it
didn't even slow down between ears, just went right through
their ears. They paid no attention to it. It appears that they did
an astonishing thing, David. They heard what they were listening
to hear. They only heard what they were
listening to hear. The lesson is this, true believers,
true believers are very ignorant of many things. Ignorant of many
things about which we ought not be ignorant. These men were true
believers, but they were ignorant of basic, simple, vital truths. If the Lord's disciples remain
so ignorant of this simple, vital fact that he must rise from the
dead. Brother Larry's fixing to go
pastor down at Sylacauga, Alabama. And those folks are going to
hear this sermon before you get a chance to tell them, so they're
going to hear it my way. You're going to find out some
folks after listening to you didn't hear a thing. And you'll
hear them say something. Man, doesn't anybody pay attention
to what I'm saying? Doesn't anybody pay attention to what I'm saying?
I listen to conversation. I'll hear somebody make some
statement. Man, I mean, I've been preaching here for 32 years.
Doesn't anybody pay attention? Doesn't anybody pay attention?
I ought not be too surprised. This is the son of God who was
the teacher. He was the preacher. And these
disciples didn't learn. The fact is, God's sheep are
still sheep. Ignorant, weak, defenseless,
dirty sheep. That's the reason, Larry, they
need shepherds to feed them with knowledge and understanding constantly. The Lord's disciples often are
weak in knowledge. The fact is the one thing needful
is not a head full of knowledge. but a heart full of Christ. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Some things we must know. I recognize
that. We must know our sinfulness and
guilt before God. We must know Christ as our only
Redeemer and the accomplishments of our Redeemer on our behalf. But the extent to which one man
may have great grace with much ignorance, and another may have
great knowledge and no grace in his heart, is a mystery that
only the day of judgment will unravel. Let us seek knowledge,
yes. Study to show yourself a workman
approved under God, needing not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. Seek to grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, seek knowledge, but make
sure Christ is yours and your Christ. Make sure that Christ
is in you, lest you be reprobate. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ and
thereby make your calling and election sure. Fourth. Learn this. Our fears. Our sorrows, our weeping, for
the most part, is baseless. I'm talking to you who believe
now. You who don't know my Redeemer, you've got a lot of reason to
weep and fear many things. But for you who are believers,
our sorrows, our tears, our fears, our weeping is baseless. And
these things come, basically, from unbelief and ignorance on
our part. First Thessalonians 5. When you get to verse 11 in our
text, John 20 verses 11 through 18, John is the only one who
mentions these things. He's the only one who tells us
about this conversation between our Lord Jesus and Mary Magdalene. And yet it is this conversation
between Mary Magdalene and the Lord Jesus that is the most heart-touching
of all the Lord's appearances after his resurrection. When
Peter and John went to their homes, Mary stayed at the sepulcher. She just couldn't leave. tombs empty but she didn't know
where the Lord was. She didn't know where they'd
laid him and she just she just couldn't leave. Her attachment
to the Lord Jesus was richly honored. Mary heard angels speak. Mary saw angels, one sitting
at one end and the other at the place where the Lord lay. And
Mary was the first to see the Lord Jesus after he rose from
the dead, the first to hear his voice, and the first to hold
conversation with him. Blessed are they who wait on
the Lord. You've come here this morning.
Wait for him. come waiting for him in the house
of worship, waiting for him before the open word, crying, O Lord,
show yourself to me. As we take the Lord's table,
wait for him at the Lord's table. Like the spouse of old, I charge
you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, tell
him that I'm sick of love. And yet we're told that Mary
stood there, we She wept in great sorrow, wept
in great fear, as if nothing could comfort her. She wept while
angels spoke to her. She wept while the Lord Jesus
spoke to her. And she talked to him. She wept
standing side by side with and face to face with He who had
just redeemed her and by right of redemption held the reins
of the universe as God our Savior. There she is weeping. Now, if
she had only known, if she had only known what had just happened,
what was happening and what was about to happen, Everything that
caused her to weep she had been jumping up and down clicking
her heels together clapping her hands and shouting hallelujah
if she had just no if she had just no and You and I if we knew
things as God knows If we could see as God sees Instead of weeping we would rejoice
and Instead of sorrowing, we would be made glad. Instead of
being downcast, we would be uplifted. You say, but Brother Don, we
don't see things as God sees them. And we don't know things
as God knows them. I know that. But, Burl, he's told us how things
are, and we ought to believe him. We ought to. Look here, 1 Thessalonians
5, verse 16. Rejoice evermore. Paul tells us in Philippians,
rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice. What? That doesn't make any sense.
It does if you know God. It does if you trust the Redeemer.
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. That doesn't
mean spend 23 out of every 24 hours on your knees in your closet.
That means walk before God, continually trusting Him, seeking His will,
seeking His grace, seeking to know Him. In everything, in everything,
in everything, give thanks. That's just too much to expect,
isn't it, David? It is unless you understand this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. What is? Whatever it is. Whatever
it is. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. Then shut up your grumbling.
Quit your whining, rejoice and give thanks. God's on the throne
and he's my God. I have no reason to behave in
such a way. Not if I believe him, not if
I trust him. Fifth. Be sure you get this. The Lord Jesus is very near his
own, especially when we don't know anything about his presence. Here's Mary, bless her heart, just broken
hearted, just broken hearted. He whom she loves had been buried
and now his body is gone. She's come, just try to imagine
if you've got a mausoleum and you just buried your husband
and he'd been your dear companion for 50 years and you've raised
your children together and you love him dearly, he loved you
dearly and God's taken him now and you go the next day down
to, by yourself, just spend a little time sitting there visiting. And when you get there, the mausoleum's
cracked open, somebody stole his body, he's gone. Gone. Well, you can imagine the consternation.
And yet the Lord told her he was going to die for her. And
he told her, and she apparently believed he would rise again.
And still, she's got all kinds of mixed feelings, all kinds
of difficult thoughts running through her mind, just all kinds
of things. Here's the Lord Jesus talking
to her, standing next to her in a body just like this, just
like this, flesh and bones, standing there talking to her. And she
had no clue he was around. She had no clue he was around. Next time you think he's forsaken
you, next time you sense that there's No nearness to God. Next time you sense a lack of
the knowledge of His presence, understand this. He says, His
name is the Lord who is with you. Jehovah Shabbat. God is
there. Rejoice in the Lord all the way.
Again, I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known
to all men. The Lord's at hand. He's got at your elbow all the
time. When you're weak, he's near to
make you strong. When you're hard-hearted, he's
near to break your heart. When you're languishing, he's
near to revive your soul. When you're fallen, he's near
to lift you up. When you're disconsolate, he's
near to comfort you and to minister to you. Here's the sixth thing. Look at verse 15, John 20. The Lord Jesus says, woman, why
weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? And she didn't
have any idea who he was. And then in verse 16, Jesus saith
unto her, Mary. And she turned herself and saith
unto him, rabboni, which is to say, master. Now learn this,
learn this. Every discovery we have of our
Savior is the result of Him discovering Himself to us. Every discovery we have of Christ
is the result of Christ revealing Himself, making Himself known
to us. Here's Mary talking to the Lord
Jesus. And she's like those disciples
on the road to Emmaus. She didn't know it. She didn't
know. Those things are written to teach
us something. We cannot know him or his word. We cannot believe him. We cannot
walk with him. We cannot commune with Him. We
cannot speak with Him or hear Him speak to us, except He graciously
make Himself known. The Lord God said in Covenant
Mercy, It shall come to pass before they call, I will answer.
And while they're yet speaking, I will hear. The Lord Jesus is talking to
Mary. I don't suppose He changes His voice tone any. His voice
was just what he'd always been. And she's hearing him talk, carrying
on a conversation. She doesn't have any idea who
he is. And then he says, Mary. And I don't suspect he changed
his voice tone then. He changed something in her.
He changed something in her. It was not his word that changed,
but her hearing that changed. Oh, Lord Jesus. When I read your word, make yourself
known. When you speak, make yourself
known. When I call on you, make yourself
known. As we take your ordinance, make
yourself known. As we meet in your house and
sing your praise, make yourself known. There is no knowing him
except he make himself known to us. And one last thing. Look at verse 17. Verse 17. Go to my brethren and say to
them, I send to my father and your
father, to my God and your God. Now, he's told us that don't
touch me now. Literally, the word is don't cling to me. People
make all kinds of Superstitious things out of this if you look
over in verse 27 of chapter 20, you'll see that he said to Thomas
Come here. Come here Thomas Thomas put your
finger right there Thomas give me a hand Stick it right there.
So what was it something that she couldn't touch his his resurrected
body? We'll be touching resurrected
body soon enough. That wasn't it. He was saying Mary don't
hang here and cling to me now and Don't hang here and cling
to me now. I've got something for you to
do. Go tell your brethren. I'm going
to glory like I said I would. I'm going to my reward like I
said I would. I'm going to my father and your
father. I'm going to my God and your
God. Now learn this. Oh, God help
you to learn this. And just merrily skip your way on
to glory from this day on, will you? All that is Christ, all that
belongs to Christ is yours if you're Christ. He identifies himself with us
like this. Your father is my father. Your God is my God. But wait a minute, he's God,
yes. He's the everlasting father, yes, yes. And he is the God-man,
our mediator, a real man in union with us in our nature, who has
made us to be real in union with him in his nature, partakers
of the divine nature. And he, going to his inheritance,
went yonder to take possession of all the glory he had earned
by his perfect obedience to the Father as his righteous servant. And the book says that we are
heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Now, what was it you wanted to
complain about? What was it that was troubling you so much? What's going on out there that's
worth fighting your nails over? What is it? Christ is yours,
and you're Christ, and all that is His is yours. Oh, God, make
him yours. Give you faith in him and life
everlasting. Amen.