Okay, now, returning again to
John chapter 14, I'm entitling the message from the words found
in verse 26 and verse 27. Let's read these two verses.
John 14, 26 and 27. But the comforter, notice
this comforter here is a person. A person. The Holy Spirit. whom the Father will send because
of me in my name. And the Holy Spirit will teach
you, teach you everything you need to know, all things. Teach
you all things relative to the gospel of Christ. Reveal things
unto you and bring these things to your memory whatsoever I've
said to you. Now, he said, verse 27, peace,
peace, peace. I leave with you my peace, my
peace. I give unto you. Now, not as
the world gives peace. Give I unto you. This peace that
he gives is a gift. This peace that he gives is synonymous
with salvation. Salvation is a gift. Now, that
being so, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
fearful. I'm endowing the message from
these words in verse 26 and verse 27. Comfort and peace only in
Christ. Comfort and peace only in the
Lord Jesus Christ. I like what the Apostle Paul
said in Philippians 3. Oh, that we may win Christ and
be found in Him. In Him is all salvation. In Him
dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and in Christ
we are complete. Now I'm sure that everyone here
is interested in those two things while we live in this life. And
most everyone is interested in these two things. People will
invest much of their earthly wealth to find what they call
peace of mind. Peace of mind. That's why one
reason the lottery is so popular, especially these days when the
jackpot gets to half a billion dollars, everybody thinks if
they could just hit that lottery they'd have some peace of mind.
I tell you, it would be just the opposite. You would have
a terrible, terrible turmoil. people will invest much of their
earthly wealth to find this mythical thing that we talk about peace
of mind or they'll spend much of their effort or their life
to try to garner some kind of comfort. Comfort. Any piece or
comfort that we could purchase or that we could manufacture
is only temporary at best and in reality is just a delusion. There is no comfort or peace
in this flesh. Not at all. Because comfort and
peace is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The only real and
lasting and satisfying comfort and peace that any sinner really
has, any sinner now, really has is in the Lord Jesus Christ,
for He is called King of peace. He's the King of salvation. He
is called, as we read a moment ago, the God of all comfort. He's our God and our Savior.
And as Peter said, the Lord Jesus Christ is a God of all grace.
For ye know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though
he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through
his poverty might be enriched." The Lord Jesus Christ is also
called, at least five times in Scripture, the God of Peace. He's a God of peace. Now don't
turn. Let me just read this to you.
I can find it quickly, I believe. Over here in Romans 16, we find
these words, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your
feet shortly. the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you, be with you, amen. He's the King of peace, He's
the God of all comfort, the God of all grace, and He's the God
of peace, peace. He made peace for us with His
own blood. Now in John 14, this is probably
the 6th or 7th message that I have brought from John chapter 14
as we work our way through this gospel according to John. In
John 14 we find the Lord Jesus Christ in this upper room, surrounded
by His apostles, where they observed the Passover, where the Lord
instituted the Lord's table, where Judas Betrayed him as it
was prophesied that he would my familiar friend had lifted
up his heels against me And where the Lord is instructing his apostles
in the way of salvation only found in Christ I think one of
the key verses here is found in verse 6 of John 14 Thomas
asked that question. How can we know the way and the
Lord said I am the way and He points right back to himself
and he says, I am it. I am the Savior. I am God, your
salvation. I am the way. I am the truth. I am life, eternal life. And then he makes this statement
that no one comes unto God but by and through him. Christ is
all and in all in this thing of salvation. The Lord is instructing
His apostles here in a way of grace, in a way that He saves
sinners by His grace. Four of them asked the Lord a
question. Peter, Thomas, Philip, and the
Apostle Jude. And he gave them a full God-given
answer. And we, just think about it,
we have the privilege this morning to study these things, this morning,
and to learn of him. I want to be a disciple that
sits at his feet and learns of Christ. Our Lord said in Matthew
11, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. For I am meek and
lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your soul. Now let's read beginning at verse
22 of John 14. The apostle Jude saith unto him,
Lord, how is it that you will manifest thyself unto us, that
you reveal yourself unto us, and not unto others, not unto
the rest of the people around us, not unto the world just in
general, but how is it that you will manifest and reveal yourself
unto us particularly? And the Lord answered and said
unto him, If a man love me, He will keep my word. He'll believe
my word. He'll receive my word. And my
Father will love him, and we will come. We will come unto
him, and we will make our abode in him, Christ in you as a hope
of glory. He that loveth me not keepeth
not my sayings. And the word which you hear is
not mine, but my Father's, which sent me. These things have I
spoken unto you, being yet present with you. So here's the question. How or why is it that some will
have a revelation of the gospel of Christ and some will not?
How is it that some are brought to love Him and some are left
in darkness? Why will some love the Lord and
some despise Him? The answer is found in these
words, God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Turn
back to Matthew chapter 11 for a moment. Matthew chapter 11. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but it's God that will show mercy
to whom He will. We love Him because He first
loved us. He is the first cause and last
end of our believing and of our loving Him. He's the first cause
of our faith toward Him. In Matthew 11, look at verse
25. At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and the prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes,
even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things
are delivered unto me of my Father. No man knoweth the Son, but the
Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and
he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." The glory of God
shines in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He will have
mercy on whom He will have mercy. Why is it that some are brought
to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and some do
not? Turn back one page, or a couple
pages, turn back to John chapter 10. Why is it that some have
a revelation of Christ and some do not? His sovereign pleasure. Why do some believe the gospel
and some do not? His sovereign purpose. Look at
John 10 verse 24. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt that
thou be the Christ? Tell us plainly. And the Lord
answered those Pharisees, Sadducees, I told you and you believe not
the works that I do in my Father's name. They bear witness of me,
but you believe not because you're not one of my sheep. As I said
unto you, My sheep, they hear My voice, I know them, they follow
Me. I give unto them eternal life. They shall never perish,
either shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which
gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father, we are one. And then it says the Jew took
up stones to stone him. If you're one of His, when you
hear the gospel and the power of God the Holy Spirit, you'll
receive it, rejoice in it, and love the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 26. We believe
according to the work of His mighty power. How is it that
thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto others? According
to what he says, verse 26, the Comforter. The Comforter, which
is the Holy Ghost. whom the Father will send in
my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things
to your mind, your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
Now again, we find more information the Lord gives concerning this
question, how or why some believe and some don't. The Comforter,
who is called the Spirit of Truth, shall take the things of Christ,
and shall reveal the beauty and glory of Christ unto some, and
not unto others." If you look at John chapter 15, verse 26,
John 15, 26, you see the paramount Purpose and the chief Purpose
of God the Holy Spirit is to reveal Christ unto us in our
heart verse 26 But when the comforter is come whom I will send unto
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me." Glorify me. Now turn to John 16. John 16,
just across the page. Verse 7, nevertheless I tell
you the truth. It is expedient for you that
I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto
you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he
is come, he will reprove the world, convict the world of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment. Verse 9, John 16, of sin, because
they believe not on me, of righteousness, because I go unto my Father,
and you see me no more. of judgment because the prince
of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say
unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit, verse 13,
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
truth, all truth. For he shall not speak of himself,
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will
show you things to come. Verse 14, he shall glorify me,
For he shall receive of mine, and show it unto you all things
that the Father hath of mine. Therefore said I, that he shall
take of mine, and show it unto you." What does the Holy Spirit
reveal unto us? What does the Holy Spirit comfort
us with? The answer is pretty simple,
isn't it? The answer is clearly revealed in Scripture. What does
the Holy Spirit teach us and what does the Holy Spirit comfort
us with? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
That's His chief and paramount purpose, to glorify Christ in
our heart. And that brings, when Christ
is exalted in our heart, when we're convicted of sin, what
I am, of righteousness, what I need, of judgment, what I deserve,
and what happened at Calvary, my sin judged in Christ Jesus,
that drives us to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that gives us comfort
and peace in our heart. That's what happens in regeneration.
Regeneration is the work of God the Holy Spirit in the heart.
You hath he quickened who were dead. When we're begotten of
God and born of God. Turn back over here to John chapter
6, I believe it is. John chapter 6. You hath he quickened who were
dead. That's why the Lord said you must be born again. It is
a spirit that quickeneth. You see John 6 verse 63. You see, this thing of believing
the gospel is just not something we call easy believism. Believing
the gospel is the work of God in your heart, making you new
creatures in Christ, raising you from the dead to enable you
to believe the gospel. John 6 verse 63, "...it is the
Spirit that quickeneth." The flesh profiteth nothing. The
word that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. You see, believing the gospel
is the fruit of the new birth, not the cause. Turn back to John
chapter 1. John chapter 1. Verse 12, "...as
many as received Him, to them gave He power to become sons
of God, even to them that believe on His name which were born,
Not of blood, that is fleshly generation, nor of the will of
the flesh, they believe, not because of the will of the flesh,
not because of the will of man, they believe because they've
been born of God, begotten of God. Whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God. The comforter. Look back
at verse 26 again. The Comforter, which is the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He'll teach
you. He will teach you. And the lesson
He teaches us, turn back to John 6 again. John chapter 6. You remember this verse here,
John 6, verse 44 this time. He'll teach you. What is the
lesson He teaches? Christ. No man, John 6, 44, no
man can come unto me except the Father which sent me. Draw him,
and I'll raise him up at the last day. It is written in the
prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Taught of God. The lesson is Christ. Every man,
therefore, that hath heard and learned of the Father, they come
to Christ. They come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The lesson the Spirit of truth teaches is the Gospel of Christ,
and that causes us to run unto Him who is our comfort, who is
all our salvation. So, do we have comfort? Comfort you, comfort you, my
people. What is our comfort? What's your comfort that your
sin put away? What's your consolation that you're justified before
God? What is your consolation that you have any righteousness
to present before God? What is your comfort? What is
your consolation? Christ, isn't it? He is the Lord
our righteousness. He is the Lord our peace. He
is everything. Christ is all and in all. Now
that leads us to verse 27 of John 14, verse 27. Peace, I leave
you. I leave you peace. My peace I give unto you. Oh, it's not like this worldly
peace. It's not like this worldly peace. Give I unto you my peace. Now, because Christ is our comfort
and Christ is our peace, we have peace with God through Christ.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. My
peace I leave you, my peace I give you. This also is the fruit of
the Spirit. When Paul writes to the Galatians
in chapter 5, he said the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, Peace. He is our peace. He's the God
of all peace. When the gospel of Christ is
revealed unto us, power of God the Holy Spirit, it brings in,
into our heart, peace. It's not a peace manufactured,
it's not a peace that we manufacture. It's not as some say, well I'm
trying to make peace with God. Forget it. You can't do it. You
can't satisfy God who is holy. We're too sinful. I'm not trying
to make peace with God, because that's what the Lord Jesus Christ
has already done for His people. This peace that He gives is a
genuine peace, real, everlasting, and every believer enjoys this
peace with God through Christ Jesus. In Isaiah 9, 6, unto us,
A son is given, unto us a child is born, and the government shall
be upon his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. He is the Prince of Peace. In Hebrews 7, we studied, He's
the King of Righteousness, and He's the King of, you know, He's
the King of Peace. He is King of Kings and Lord
of Lords. Now, He actually made peace for
us. with his own blood. We are reconciled
unto God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's look at several scriptures
here. Find the book of Romans first
of all. Christ is our peace. Christ is our comfort. You got
that? He's our comfort. He's our consolation.
He's our peace. We have being justified in the
Lord Jesus Christ. This sinner has peace with God. Justified in Christ Jesus. Now in Romans chapter 4 It says
in verse 25 that the Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 4.25, was delivered
for our offenses and raised again because He justified us. He justified
us with His blood at the cross. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, how is peace made? through
Christ, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's look at a few
more places. Turn over here to Ephesians. Ephesians chapter
2. Ephesians chapter 2. Verse 12. Ephesians 2, verse 12. He said
that at that time you are without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope, and without God in the world, that's us by nature,
but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made
nigh by the blood of Christ, for He is our peace. He's our peace. who hath made
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall partition, there
is no more Jew or Gentile, were one in Christ, having abolished
in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained
in the ordinances, for to make in himself of two one new man,
so making peace. that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.
And he came and he preached peace to you, which were far off, and
to them which were nigh. For through him we both have
access by one Spirit unto the Father. He is our peace." Now
I want to read another reference, turn over a few pages to the
book of Colossians, the book of Colossians. Verse 19, Colossians
1 verse 19, Colossians 1 verse 19, For it pleased the Father
that in him should all fullness dwell, having made peace. Now who made peace? He made peace. How did he make peace? How did
the Lord Jesus Christ make peace with God? By putting away our
sin. through the blood of his cross
by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven and you that were sometimes
alienated enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now have
he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death present
you holy unblameable unreprovable in his sight Christ is our comfort. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
peace. We have peace. It says here,
don't turn but let me just read it to you. In Romans 15 verse
13, Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing that you might abound in hope to the power of God the
Holy Spirit. Now, turn back to the text again.
This peace of God in Christ is not like any other peace. Notice
it says there in verse 27, this peace that he gives in the gospel,
this peace we have with God in Christ, is not like this ungodly
world. This world may say, peace, peace,
when there is no peace. Peace is only found in Christ. The peace and comfort and salvation
that we enjoy is the free gift. Notice he says, I give this unto
you. It's not something we earn, not
something we merit, it's not even something we deserve. This
gift of God's comfort and peace, which is salvation, pardon of
sin, forgiveness, and He brings in an everlasting righteousness
and imputes that unto us, is the gift of His love, the gift
of His grace. Comfort and peace and salvation
He freely gives based upon righteousness being established. Now let me
show you Scripture. In Isaiah 32, I know I pointed
this out when we studied through Isaiah, but it's been several
years, so turn back to Isaiah 32, and let's see if you mark
this Scripture in your Bible. Let's see if you mark this. See
if you remember Isaiah 32, 17. You see, the foundation of this
peace and the foundation of salvation is based upon righteousness being
established, the law of God being honored. Isaiah 32, 17, "...and
the work of righteousness shall be peace." And the effect of
righteousness, that is Christ our righteousness, quietness
and assurance forever. What is the effect of the work
of righteousness that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us? Peace. Peace. Peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. And make no mistake, this is
the free gift of His grace. or justified freely, freely by
His grace through the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't turn, let me just read
this to you. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world,
but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things
that are freely given unto us of God. He that spared not his
own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely, freely give us all things? Salvation
is a gift of God. Therefore, because we have peace
in Christ Jesus, because we have comfort in Christ Jesus, because
the Holy Spirit has taught us that salvation is all in Christ
Jesus, the Lord says here in verse 27, now, don't let your
heart be troubled. Don't let it be afraid. Now turn
over here to John 16, when the Lord is about to wind up his
teaching here in John 16 verse 32. Let not your heart be troubled. John 16, 32, Behold the hour
cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every
man to his own. Remember when they arrested him
and crucified him, they all parted. left him alone. Every man to
his own house, and you shall leave me alone, but yet I'm not
alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace." In this world,
you're going to have trouble, tribulation. But be of good cheer. I've overcome. I've overcome.
Now it's not you've overcome. I've overcome. We have peace
in Christ Jesus. in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
turn back to John 14 verse 28. You have heard how I said unto
you, I go away. He's talking about going away
to the cross to put away our sin, the sin of God's people.
And I'm going to come again. He's coming back without sin
unto salvation. We studied in Hebrews chapter
9. Now watch this. If you love me, you would rejoice. You would rejoice because I said
I'd go unto the Father by the way of the cross. For my Father
is greater, greater, greater, none greater than God Almighty. Remember the words our Lord says
in verse 23, if you love me you would keep my Word, receive and
believe the Word of the Gospel. And here He said, if you love
Me, you would rejoice, because I go unto the Father. The Lord
Jesus Christ is about to die for our sin according to the
Scripture. By fully accomplishing God's will in the matter of our
salvation by the sacrifice of Himself, Christ is going back
to the throne of glory by the way of the cross. When He had
by Himself purged our sin, He sat down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high. And because we have been taught
of God, because He has revealed Himself unto us, because He has
given us a love in our heart for Him, therefore we do rejoice
in Christ Jesus. Because we see and know and understand
what took place at Calvary. Do you know what happened at
Calvary? I'm talking about the Lord Jesus Christ dying on Calvary
Street. Do you know and understand what
happened at Calvary? If you do, the Lord said here,
you would rejoice. A lot of people see Christ crucified
as a defeat, as a failure. We never look at Christ crucified
as a defeated, frustrated reformer. He is victorious, conquering
king. The Lord Jesus Christ said, no man takes my life from me.
I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment I received in my father. You see, in Christ
crucified, we see all the law of God honored. All the types
and pictures and shadows under the law magnified. We see righteousness
established and we see sin put away. in Christ crucified. You mean you see all of that
in Christ crucified? Oh yeah. That and much more. That and much more. No wonder
Paul said, I'm determined not to know anything among you but
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Again, Paul said, I rejoice,
God forbid, we should rejoice save in the cross of the Lord
Jesus Christ. We do rejoice in Him. because
He goes to put away our sin for us. Without His sacrifice, we
have no atonement for our sin. Without His sacrifice, we have
no righteousness by which we can stand before our God. We do love Him because He first
loved us. We do rejoice in Him. We do find
all and all in Him. Now look at this last phrase
in verse 28. He said, I go to my father, having accomplished
our salvation. He sat down on the right hand
of the majesty on high, and then he says, for my father, my father
is greater than I. not in essence, not in character,
not in holiness, because he says over here, if you've seen me,
you've seen the Father, because he said in John 10, I and my
Father are one. He's not greater in essence or
in character or in holiness, but the Lord Jesus Christ is
speaking here and acting as the mediator of the covenant, as
the righteous servant of the Father, and in that office capacity,
The Father is greater than the Son, as the God-man mediator. Well, this is not a comparison
of natures or persons, but rather of state and condition. The Father
is greater, but it does not change the fact that I and the Father
are one. One in essence, character, holy,
and eternal purpose. Now, in verse 29, He declares,
and now He said, I've told you, before it comes to pass, that
when it is come to pass, you might believe Me. Now we had
this statement before, turn back to John 13, 19, when He's speaking of the betrayal,
Judas betraying Him. He said in verse 19, now I tell
you before it come to pass that when it is come to pass, you
might believe that I'm God. I am. You see that? I am that
I am. If you believe not that I am,
you'll die in your sin. The Lord speaks here by divine
decree. I tell you what's going to happen
before it happens that you might fully know that I am God. You
remember back in Matthew 16, he said, I must go to Jerusalem.
I must be betrayed. I must die. I must be raised
again. You see, the Lord knows all things. The Lord decrees all things. And the things that come to pass
in time are the very things that He has decreed, Jerry, from all
eternity. He said, I've spoken it, I'll
bring it to pass, I've purposed it, I'll do it. That's Isaiah
46. In Psalm 33, he said, I spake
and it was done, I commanded and it stood fast. Before it
comes to pass, I'm going to tell you what's going to come to pass
that you might know that I'm God. I'm God. Now look at verse
30. Hereafter, I will not talk much
with you, Hereafter. Now there's just a few hours
here between when he says these words and when he cries out from
the cross, it's finished. Just a few hours. Probably less
than 24 hours. He said, Hereafter, I will not
talk much with you. Now he did later, after his resurrection,
he was with them for 40 days before he ascended to glory.
But he says this in verse 30, and here's what I want to look
at for a moment. The prince of this world cometh. cometh, and
he's found nothing in me, had nothing in me, nothing in me,
nothing, nothing, And we must keep in mind that these are the
Lord's last instructions to his apostles before he is arrested
and then crucified. This is on the eve of his death
and tomorrow he will die for our sin according to the Scripture.
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. And one last time we see Satan here coming to assault
the Lord Jesus Christ. Here he's called the prince of
this world. Now we had a similar statement
made back in verse 31 of John 12. Turn back over there. Remember
this? Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince
of this world be cast out. And it refers to the cross here.
Verse 32. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all unto me, all his people, all his sheep."
Satan here is called the Prince of this world. In 2 Corinthians
chapter 4, he's called the God of this world. In Ephesians chapter
2, he's called the Prince of the power of the air. And in
John 16, we read a moment ago that he's called The prince of
this world is judged by Christ Jesus. The Lord is telling us
here that Satan has one last objective, to destroy the Lord
Jesus Christ before he accomplishes our salvation. That's his business
here. To destroy the Lord Jesus Christ
before he accomplishes and establishes salvation for us. He tried earlier,
remember? Forty days of temptation in the
wilderness, and the Lord rebuked him every time Satan assaulted
him. The Lord Jesus Christ rebuked
him. You remember what with? It is written, it is written,
it is written. And now, one more time, Satan
comes to assault the Lord Jesus Christ. But we know the whole
story. He was tempted and tried and
tested in every point as we are yet without sin. He is the impeccable
Savior. The Prince of this world, come
in! And He has found no sin in me. Nothing that agrees with
Him. There's no ally. with the Lord
Jesus Christ. That is, Satan and Christ are
not allies. They're enemies. They're opposites.
The Lord Jesus Christ, we read that He was manifested to take
away our sin, and in Him is no sin. We read in 2 Corinthians,
God made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. In 1 Peter we read,
who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, yet He bare
our sin in His own body on the tree. In Hebrews 7.26 He's called
the holy, such a high priest became us, who was holy, harmless,
undefiled, and separate from sin. He is the spotless Lamb
of God. And as the spotless Lamb of God,
He puts away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Satan can find no
fault in Him, no sin in Him, no defect in His character or
in His words or in His works, but the Lord Jesus Christ can
find much in Him, in Satan, to destroy and to conquer. The Scripture we read often in
Colossians 2, having spoiled principalities and powers, He,
that is the Lord Jesus Christ, made His show of them openly,
triumphing over them Himself. You remember the prophecy way
back in the Garden of Genesis chapter 3, Christ shall bruise
His hand, even though His humanity is bruised in doing so, His heel,
He crushed Satan's dominion and power by putting away our sin. Now let's go back to Jude's question
for just a moment. How is it that thou wilt manifest
thyself unto us and not unto the world? Well, I believe the
Lord has answered the question fully. Because the Lord Jesus
Christ has defeated our adversary, the accuser of the brethren.
Because the Lord Jesus Christ has put away our sin. Because
Christ reveals Himself unto us and has manifested Himself unto
us as all-conquering, victorious Savior and has given unto us
Complete victory. Over sin, He put it away. Over Satan, crushed His dominion. Over death, He said, I'm He that
liveth and was dead, behold, I'm alive forevermore. I have
the keys of hell and death. And over the grave, He ever lives
to intercede for us. Thanks be unto God. Here's what
we read in Scripture. Thanks be to God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We always have
the victory over all things in Christ. He always causes us to
triumph in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 14. Now, one more Scripture on that
point in Psalm 92 verse 4. He says, Lord, thou hast made
me glad through thy work. I will triumph in the work of
thy hand. Thanks be unto God who has given
us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we have one
more verse, verse 31. But that the world may know that
I love the Father, And as the Father gave me commandment, that's
exactly what I did. Arise and let us go. Even as the Father gave me commandment. Now this world here that's mentioned
here is not the wicked unbelieving world, but the world of His elect. such as are bought with His blood
and brought to believe in Christ through the preaching of the
gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ has demonstrated His love toward
us in that He laid down His life for us. He said, My meat is to
do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work. And
then He prayed in John 17, He prayed this way, I have glorified
Thee on the earth, I finish the work You gave Me to do. that
the world may know that I love the Father. Had the Father gave
me commandment, that's what I'd do. He did exactly as God gave
Him to do, obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
In every jot and tittle, every word and thought, deed, motive,
action, in every way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored God's law
and justice. And in doing so, He said, even
so I do. And what the good news for us
is this, He does this not as a public, not as a private man,
rather He does this as a public representative for His people.
You see, what He did, I did. By one man's disobedience, many
were made sinners, right? By the obedience of another,
shall many be made righteous in Christ Jesus. So He is my
comfort, He is my peace. How about you? How about you? Christ your comfort? Christ your
peace? Christ all of your salvation?
I hope so.