And he met a tremendous need
that I had at that particular time through his writings. This book that I read then was
entitled The Fourth Old State of Man by Thomas Boston. It was
a great blessing. Just a few weeks ago, I was over
in Virginia visiting with my son Paul. And he gave me another
book by Thomas Boston. This is just the second one that
I've seen by this Scottish preacher, The Beauties of Boston. I've
been reading it for several days, and I found a message in that
book by Thomas Boston. I want to pass along to you this
evening. The title of the message is He
That Seeth the Sun. And his introduction went like
this. He said, Christ is God. Let that be established at the
beginning. Christ is God. Paul wrote in
Romans 1, I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, separated
unto the gospel of God concerning his Son. The gospel of God is
the gospel concerning God's Son. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world to himself. And then he said, secondly, let
this be established at the beginning, that Christ is the gospel. The
gospel of God is concerning his Son. Christ is the gospel. From beginning to end, he's the
author and finisher of our faith. He's the high priest of our profession. He is the gospel. Let this be
established that Christ is eternal life. Eternal life is Christ. To have eternal life is to have
Christ. The scripture says when Christ who is our life shall
appear, He is our life, then shall we appear with Him in glory.
This is the point that he sought to establish with Martha. When Lazarus died, she said,
if you'd have been here, my brother would not have died. And he said,
your brother will rise again. She said, I know he will at the
resurrection day. He said, Martha, I'm the resurrection. I'm the life. Do you believe
this? Christ is life. I am the life. He didn't just
make a way to God. He is the way. He didn't just
enable us to have the life of God, He is the life of God. Christ
is our life. And then he said, fourthly, Christ
is salvation. We just read that a moment ago.
Thou shalt call His name Jesus, He shall save. He shall save. He has become my salvation. My God has become my salvation. And then in the fifth place he
said, Christ is heaven. When he spoke to the thief, he
said, today. He didn't say, today you'll be
in heaven. He said, today you'll be with
me in heaven. Told his disciples, I go to prepare
a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for
you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself. That where I
am, there you may be. You may be with me. I'll come
again and receive you unto myself. That where I am, there you may
be. So that's the introduction of the message. He's God. He
is God. He is the gospel. He is eternal
life. He is salvation. And he is heaven. And then these are the points
that he made in the message, and we'll look at this chapter
6 of John. First of all, and I'll give you
the points, he said, the word of God presents Christ, the Word
of God presents Christ. Christ is the Word of God, and
the Word of God presents Christ. And then secondly, all who hear
the Word see Christ. If they hear the Word properly
preached, they see Christ, because the Word presents Christ. And
then all who see Christ believe Him, and all who believe Him
have eternal life. Now the word presents Christ.
Look at verse 35 of John 6. And Jesus said to them, I am
the bread of life. I am the bread of life. Throughout
the book of John, our Lord about seven times makes that statement.
Not just the bread, but listen to it. He said here in this text,
I am the bread of life. I am the bread. But in another
place in John, he says, I am the light. I am the light. John the Baptist said, I'm not
that light. I came to bear witness of that
light. He's the light. I am the light. He said in John
10, I am the good shepherd. I am the shepherd. The Lord is
my shepherd. And because the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not walk. I'm the chief shepherd. I'm the
great shepherd. I'm the good shepherd. I am."
He said, I am the resurrection and the life. He said, I am the
way. Thomas said, we don't know the
way. He said, I am the way. I'm the truth. I'm the light. No man cometh to the Father but
by me. He said, I am the vine. You're the branches. The branch
cannot exist by itself. It can't even bear fruit by itself.
It can't have life by itself. The life of the branch is divine.
The fruit of the branch is divine's fruit. I am divine. So He doesn't
merely show us the way to God. He doesn't merely teach us the
way to God or merely provide a way to God. He is Himself the
way. He's the bread. He's the light. He's the door. He's the good
shepherd. He's the resurrection. He's the
life. He's the way. He's the truth. He's the true
God. He's presented plainly and personally
in the Word. I am. Now, on to this same point,
the Word presents Christ. Our Redeemer is presented not
only plainly, but exclusively. exclusively. Look at that verse
again, verse 35. Jesus said to them, I am the
bread of life. And I love that last statement
that Jim read, verse 48. I am that bread of life. I am that Christ, that bread,
the bread. Peter said, There is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, Jesus Christ our Lord. I am de-bread,
exclusively. There is no other bread, there
is no other way, there is no other life, there is no other
truth. Turn to John 3 and listen to this, and in the event that
Sometimes, you know, you're exposed to friends and loved ones who
don't see this gospel. All of us are. We're constantly,
and during this Christmas season, families are coming together,
friends are coming together. You're going to be in the company
of folks who are religious, but they don't believe this gospel.
They have a religious tradition, they have a religious form, they
have a religious commitment, they have a religious persuasion,
but they just don't see this gospel of Christ. And sometimes you may feel like,
well, why am I so exclusive? Because the Word is. Why am I so radical on this point? This is the record. God hath
given us eternal life. This life is in his Son. He that
hath the Son hath life. Now, here's the consequence. Here's the alternative. He that
hath not the Son hath not life. Now, here in John 3, listen to
it. Verse 35, "...the Father loveth the Son, and hath given
all things into his hand." All things. That's pretty exclusive,
isn't it? All things pertaining to God,
all things pertaining to salvation, all things pertaining to forgiveness,
all things pertaining to life eternal, all things pertaining
to the new heaven, new earth, all things pertaining to redemption.
He has given all things into the hands of Christ. And he that
believeth on the Son hath life, everlasting life, and he that
believeth not the Son, unless some change takes place,
unless he surrenders his works and turns from his form of religion
and lays down his self-righteousness and commits himself to Christ
in saving faith by the grace of God and lays hold upon Christ,
leans upon Him, trusts Him, rests in Him, he'll never see light. but the wrath of God abides on
him." Now, the Bible presents Christ plainly, personally, exclusively. All things are in Christ. In
him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We are
complete in him. And those who have not Christ
have not life. That's so. And then the gospel presents
Christ plainly, personally, exclusively. Light's in the Son. He that hath
the Son hath light. The Son of God hath come and
given us an understanding that we may know him that is true,
and we're in him that is true. And this is the true God, and
this is eternal life. And thirdly, it presents him
freely. He said, I'm the bread. Well,
where'd this bread come from? Well, where'd this discussion
come from? Well, look back at verse 31. Verse 31, our fathers
did eat, John 6, 31, our fathers did eat manna in the desert,
bread from heaven. He gave them bread. He gave them
bread from heaven to eat. And Jesus said, verily, verily,
I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread, I'm that bread. Moses gave you a picture of that
bread, a type of that bread. That's what Moses gave. My Father
gives you the true bread. Well, let's go back and look
at that bread. I turned over there a moment ago, Exodus 16.
Let's look at that bread. Some things about it. God told Moses he would supply
the people with bread. See what about this bread? In
Exodus 16, verse 15, verse 14, let's read verse 14. that lay was gone up. Behold,
upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing,
as small as the hoarfrost on the ground. And when the children
of Israel saw it, they said one to another, What is it? It is
manna, that is, what is it? Or it is a portion. For they
wished not what it was. It was strange. It was something
they had never seen before, something that had never occurred on this
earth before. It's bread from heaven upon the ground. That's Christ. The angel came
and said, Joseph, don't be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. She's with child. But no woman's
ever been with child like she's with child. She's with child
of the Holy Ghost. A strange, what is it? That holy
thing born in her from her is the Son of God. Manna, bread
from heaven. Secondly, it was prepared in
heaven. This bread, they didn't prepare
it. They didn't reap the barley or
reap the wheat, grind it up, put it in the mill, bake. The
bread was prepared in heaven and sent down. Christ Jesus said,
A body, thou hast prepared me. He came down. Thirdly, it cost
them nothing. That's what Isaiah said, oh,
everyone that thirsted, come to the water, come buy wine and
milk, don't bring any money, don't bring any price. Don't bring any price, any payment. When they went out, there it
was. All they had to do was pick it up and eat it. The gift of
God. And it was given to everyone
who was hungry. All that was required of them
was an appetite. Let not conscience make you linger,
nor fitness fondly dream. All the fitness he requires is
to feel your need of him. What did they bring to the bread?
Appetite. Hunger. God furnished the bread. Next, it was sweet to the taste. Tastes like honey. It's so sweet. Christ, the name of Jesus. Oh, how sweet. How sweet. And they gathered it every day. Every day. Always sufficient
supply. They never wanted. They never
liked. And that's what he says over
here. He says, Moses, Moses didn't give you that bread. Moses gave
you a picture of that bread. And that's how Moses saw Christ. That's how Moses wrote out Christ.
Moses saw the bread. And Moses knew that wasn't that
bread. This was a picture of that bread.
When Moses saw the Passover, he knew that wasn't the saving
lamb. That's a picture of the saving lamb. When Moses lifted
up the serpent and the wilderness, he knew that was not the saving
one lifted up, the saving one, that's a picture of the one who
would be lifted up. So the gospel, this man Boston
says the gospel, Christ is presented in the gospel plainly. Plainly. It's so clear. I am, I am the
bread of life. I'm the door. Exclusively. There is no other door. Anyone
who tries to come up some other way is a thief and a robber.
I'm that bread. And thirdly, he's presented freely. Freely. Now then, his second
point was this. Those who hear the gospel, truly
hear the gospel, will see Christ. Look down here at verse 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me I should lose nothing, not a one, but should
raise it up again at the last day. This is the will of him
that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son." Well, where
am I going to see it except in the gospel? There's no other
place that a man can see Christ except in the Word of God, in
the gospel. And that's not physical eyes,
you see. That's where some folks, you know, if I could see Him,
if I could see Christ, maybe that's the reason people make
these trips to the Holy Land. They can at least see where He's
been, or maybe see the grave where He laid, or see the hill
on which He died. see the straits on which he walked.
Maybe that helps them, they think. But that's not the way Abraham
saw him. That's not the way Abraham saw
him. Abraham saw him in the Word of God and believed the Word.
How did Abraham see Christ? He saw him by faith. He saw him
in the Word. He saw him revealed in the Word.
He heard the Word of God and he saw Christ in the Word. It
says, the scripture says, Turn to John 8. Is that where that
is? John chapter 8, verse 56. Yeah, yes, here it is now. Abraham
lived way back yonder, before Moses. Way back yonder, before
any of the word of God was written. But God spoke to Abraham, made
promises to Abraham. That's what it says in Romans
chapter 4. made promises. And Abraham believed
the promises. He believed that what God had
promised, God was able to perform. And he saw Christ in the promises. Listen here to John chapter 8
verse 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. He saw it and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him,
Well, you're not fifty years old. Have you seen Abraham? He said, Barely, I say unto you,
barely, barely, I say. Before Abraham was, I am. Abraham saw Christ by faith. He was persuaded, being fully
persuaded of what God had promised God would do. That's how we see
Christ. Now, this man gave six things,
what it is to see Christ, six things. Let me give them to you.
First of all, he said, to see Christ by faith, in the Word,
is to see God. Turn to John 12. John 12 is to
see God. The disciples said, Lord, show
us the Father, and it suffices us. He said, he that has seen
me has seen God. He's seen the Father. Here in
John 12, verse 44, Jesus cried and said, He that
believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me, seeth him
that sent me. He that seeth me, seeth him that
sent me. By faith, when we see Christ,
in the world. We see God. God was in Christ. Let's look at John 14.9. That's
what he said to Philip here. Philip, have I been so long time
with you yet you've not known me? Philip, he that has seen
me has seen the Father. How sayest thou then, Show us
the Father? To see me is to see the Father. To believe the Word
is to believe the Father. Or secondly, to see Christ is
to see in him the covenant mercies of the everlasting covenant.
Turn to Isaiah. Here's a couple of scriptures
I want you to look at. Isaiah chapter 55. To see Christ is
to see the covenant mercies, the sure mercies of David. Listen
to Isaiah 55.3. Incline your ear and come to
me. Hear. and your soul shall live."
Hear, that's why we say, hear the gospel. You hear and your
soul shall live. And I'll make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. And that takes
us to Acts 13, verse 32. Acts 13, verse 32. Turn over
there. Acts 13, 32. sure mercies of David, the covenant
made, everlasting covenant with the people of God. Verse 32 of
Acts 13, And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the
promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the
same unto us his children, their children, in that he hath raised
up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second Psalm,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, and is concerning
that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to
corruption, he said on this wise, I'll give you the sure mercies
of David. When David lay dying, his last
words were these, Although it be not so with my house, God
has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things
and sure, the sure mercies the sure mercies of David, ordered
in all things and sure. And this is all my salvation
and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. So when
one sees Christ, he sees God. He sees the covenant, everlasting
covenant of God in Christ. Thirdly, when he sees Christ,
he sees in him our righteousness. Now, this is more than pardon.
This is more than being not guilty. This is actually being righteous.
Turn to Romans 3, actually being righteous. In Romans 3, verse 21 and 22. You see, I've got to have more
than just forgiveness. I've got to have a righteousness.
Who's going to stand in His presence? He that hath. not just hath been
forgiven, but he that hath a pure heart, he that hath clean hands. So I've got there more than pardon,
more than forgiveness, I've got to have an imputed righteousness,
a holiness, in order to stand before God. And that's what it
says here. But now, verse 21, the righteousness of God. Without
the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets,
it's even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of
Jesus Christ. And it's unto all, and it's upon
all. That belief is no different. It's upon all. In Jeremiah 23,
he's called the Lord our righteousness. Let me show you this, Jeremiah
23. He's called the Lord our righteousness.
Now, look at this. He says in Jeremiah 23, 5, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, I'll raise up unto David a righteous
branch. And a king shall reign and prosper
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. And in
his days, this man who executes judgment and justice, in his
days, Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely. This
is his name whereby he shall be called, the Lord our righteousness.
I don't have any trouble seeing Him our righteousness, do you?
He is our righteousness. He's the only righteous one.
He's called the righteous one, the just one. But here's what
may be difficult for you to lay hold of, but we've got to lay
hold of it by faith. That's our name too. Turn to
Jeremiah 33. Almost the same words. Jeremiah
33, 16. In verse 15, almost the same
words. See if you notice what's added. Jeremiah 33, 15, "...in those
days," at that time, "...will I cause the branch of righteousness
to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness
in the land. In those days shall Judah be
saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely." And this is the name
wherewith she shall be called. Father Goetz said he's called
the Lord our righteousness and the church, the New Jerusalem,
she's called the Lord our righteousness. So when you hear this gospel
and you see the Son, you see God. You see the sure mercies
of David, the covenant, everything's in that covenant in Christ. And
you see the very righteousness of God given to, imputed to,
reckoned to us. Like Brother Scott Richardson
said one time, we don't have a pasted-on righteousness. We
are righteous. That's our name now. Believe
it or not, we have no sin. When God sees us in Christ, He
sees us righteous. Fourthly, to see Christ is to
see the atonement, to see in Him the atonement. Leviticus
says, it's the blood that maketh atonement for the soul. When
I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Without the shedding of
blood, there's no remission. Well, turn to Romans 5. That's
the atonement we're talking about. In Romans chapter 5, listen to
this, beginning with verse 8. But God commended His love toward
us, and why were we yet sinners? Christ died for us. Much more,
then, being now justified by his blood, we'll be saved from
wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
being reconciled, we'll be saved by his life. And not only so,
but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have now received the atonement, the sprinkled blood, the hyssop. I told my class this morning,
David talked about his sins in Psalm 51, talked about his sins
ever before then. Then he said, Lord, purge me
with hyssop and I'll be clean. Wash me and I'll be whiter than
snow. Hyssop? Where did the word hyssop come
from? How's he going to purge him with hyssop? Hyssop is a
is a branch off of a plant with no thorns, but leaves and just
a little plant. Well, go back in Exodus to the
first time hyssop is mentioned, and God told Moses to slay the
lamb, kill the lamb, and then to gather a bunch of hyssop,
dip it in the blood, put it on the lintel and the doorpost,
and when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. And when the high
priest went into the Holy of Holies, he sprinkled the mercy
seat with hyssop, didn't he, dipped in the blood. And that's
how we are purified. When I seek Christ, I see my
atonement, atonement, reconciliation. Fifthly, to seek Christ is to
see our Mediator. One God, one Mediator between
God and man. Christ Jesus. High priest, interceding
for us, representing us. If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. I see him interceding,
not just with words or whether he even uses words, but it's
their presence at the right hand of God. is my presence at the
right hand of God. And then last, to see him is
to see what we shall be. Behold what manner of love God
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
God. And it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when he shall appear, we're going to see him as he is and
be like him. And be like him. You study our
Lord's walk in this earth after his resurrection. He'll give
you a lot of clues as to what our new body will be like in
the resurrection, a glorified body. We'll be like him. So what
is it to see Christ? It's to see God. It's to see
the covenant mercies of God in Christ. It's to see our righteousness. It's to see the atonement, the
atonement. It's to see our mediator and great high priest. It's to
see what we shall be. And then the third point Mr.
Boston brought was this. And all who see him, turn back
to the text. All who see him, hear the word,
taught of God, they believe on him. Now these Jews didn't. These men he was talking to here,
Let's read about them, verse 41. He said in verse 40, This
is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth
the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. I
raise him up to the last day. But the Jews murmured. They murmured
at him because of what he said. That's what I told you this morning.
Because of what he said. He said, I am the bread which
came down from heaven. I'm the bread of life. I'm that
bread. And they had trouble with that. They said, is this not
Jesus? The son of Joseph? The carpenter
whose father and mother we know? A man? Yes, he's a man. But he's
God. The God-man. How is it he saith,
I came down from heaven? We don't understand that. And
then he spoke to them. He said, don't murmur among yourselves. No man can come to me. Believe
on me. The word come to Christ is to
believe on him, to receive him, to submit, to bow to him, to
find in him our refuge and all things that we've been talking
about. Rest in Christ. To come to him is to receive
and believe on him. And he said, no man can do that
except the Father which sent me draw him. Well, how does the
Father draw? Well, he don't. I'll raise him
up at the last day. It's written in the prophet,
they'll be taught. They'll all be taught of God. How does God teach? The Word.
What we're doing right now. The Word. They're taught of God. And every man that hears, he comes to me. You remember
this morning, don't turn to this, but our Lord Out in the middle of
this message this morning, he said, I say unto you which ye
hear me. I say unto you which ye hear
me. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Every man that hath heard and
learned of the Father, there's just one thing he'll do, and
that's come to Christ. He'll come to Christ. He'll know
who Christ is. This is his fourth point. You
know who he is? Back over here in the next page,
John 6, 66, look at this. John 6, 66, and that time many
of the disciples went back and walked no more with him, many
of the learners, the people. Then said Jesus to the twelve,
will you also go away? And Peter said, Lord, to whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. We believe and are sure of it. You're the Christ, the
Son of the living God. That's the mark of one that's
been taught of God when it comes to Christ. He knows who he is. You're the Son of God. You're
the Son of God. Secondly, he chooses Christ willingly. Willingly. It's a choice of the
will. The natural will He rejects Christ. That's what he said in John 5.
He said, John 5, verse 4, You will not come to me that you
might have life. And the natural will will not.
They will not. But thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power. We know who he is. And these
people made a choice in John 6 and went back and walked no
more with him. Peter made a choice too. Our
Lord said to him, will you go away? All of you. No. No, sir, we know who you
are. And willingly thy people shall
be willing in the day of thy power. That's enabling grace.
That's the effectual call. But they'll come. They come.
The Holy Spirit enables us to see Christ. And when we see him,
we hasten to him. We hasten to it. And faith asks
no sign but just this, the Word of God. Just the Word of God. That's all the sign we need is
the Word of God. And faith embraces Christ with
a sincere love. Peter said, to you that believe,
he's precious. Precious is the name of Jesus
to a believer who can have its worth unfold, far beyond angelic
praises, sweetly sung to harps of gold. Precious when to Calvary
groaning he endured the cursed tree, precious when his death
atoning put an end to sin for me, precious in his death victorious
he the host of hell hath overthrown. Precious in His resurrection,
glorious, victorious over all our foes. Precious Lord, beyond
expression. All Thy mercies are divine. Glory, honor, power, worship
be forever Thine. Those who see Him run to Him. They know who He is. They willingly
choose Him. They ask no sign but the Word,
and they embrace Him with a sincere love. To you that believe, He's
precious.