John 8: 24
John 10: 14, 15
John 11: 25, 26
Revelation 1: 17, 18
I would like to say a little as to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Man in whom our brother had put his faith and trust, the One whom he knew as his glorious Saviour, and the One who is referred to in chapter 8 “for unless ye shall believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins”. The Lord Jesus Christ is a blessed Saviour because of who He is, God Himself. And in that way, as a blessed, holy, sinless Man, He was the only one who could be called the Saviour of the world, and I would therefore ask everyone in this room, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? I would not like anyone to go from this room without the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Those who believe not only have their eternity secure, but they live in the enjoyment of a blessed relationship with a Man who lives in glory, and He lives for the pleasure of God. Our brother often spoke of his love for the Lord. He often spoke of the knowledge that he had of Him, and he was one who was indeed “saved in the power of his life“, Rom 5: 10, saved in the power of His risen life. Let us know Christ in this way, the greatness of who He is!
In chapter 10, the Lord is speaking of Himself says, “I am the good shepherd“: “I am the good shepherd“. We know the section well, but I would say our brother knew the shepherding of the Lord Jesus in his life, and I think we all, to a greater or lesser extent, know the shepherding of the Lord Jesus. Think of what Jacob said at the end of his life, “The God that shepherded me all my life long to this day” (Gen 48: 15), and I think our brother knew of that shepherding. In the previous chapter it speaks of a person who was cast out. He was cast out because of his faithfulness and because of the fact that he confessed the Lord. That man who was cast out was found by the Lord as “the good shepherd” and He brought that man into the flock; He brought that one into the enjoyment of a living relationship with Himself as “the good shepherd“. And as we read on it says “and I know those that are mine, and am known of those that are mine, as the Father knows me and I know the Father”. How wonderful it is that that relationship between the Father and the Son was seen in this world; the enjoyment of it, and the knowledge of it, was known in this world in a Man. We come into a blessed relationship with the Lord, as our dear brother did, in this way as being known of Him. How precious it is to know Him as “the good shepherd“, the One who cares for us, the One who loves us, as our brother did, and I am sure our dear sister would experience that at this time, the Lord Jesus as “the good shepherd“. As the Lord says, “am known of those that are mine”.
In chapter 11 He says of Himself, “I am the resurrection and the life”. Here was a scene of death, and we are in the presence of death as our brother has said, but the Lord Jesus is “the resurrection and the life”. He is the One who, for the believer, has removed the sting of death. He has made it of no account, and for our brother that is so; and for many in this room it is so, that we know One who is “the resurrection and the life”. Do we all believe in the resurrection? It is the foundation of Christianity. How great it is to know One who is “the resurrection and the life”! Here was the Lord Jesus in this scene of death, this scene of sorrow, and He was going to bring in life. Indeed, He was going to call a man by name and raise him from the dead. Is that not a wonderful thing, that we can know One who is greater than the power of death, One who has overcome the enemy, One who has taken that sting away as He did for this family here? He brought in life which was only available in Him. He allowed the exercises in chapter 11 to proceed so that He might become the blessed Centre and the blessed Head of that little family at Bethany. How precious that is!
Our brother has spoken of his memories of what our brother spoke about. I remember our brother speaking much as to this scripture in Revelation chapter 1: “Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the living one: and I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades“. John was being spoken to here, and I just have this impression of the greatness of who Christ is: “I am the first and the last”. He has initiated everything and He will complete everything; and in our brother He has completed the divine work. He is making claim to what there was in our brother, and He has taken our brother to be with Himself which is “very much better“ (Phil 1: 23). But, for those who remain, do we know this One as “the first and the last, and the living one”? Christ lives and He lives in the hearts and affections of many believers, multitudes of believers. Is He living in your affections, that blessed One who says He is “living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades”? I just have a wonderful impression of the greatness of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. Our brother did and he often spoke of it. I remember him, not long before he left us, quoting this verse in Revelation on Lord’s day morning, and I was impressed by it at the time of remembrance. He knew that blessed One who was “the first and the last, and the living one” and who is alive “to the ages of ages”. May we all have a greater impression of the blessed life that we can have as living in that heavenly realm, not only “saved in the power of his life” (Rom 5: 10) but enjoying that life which is beyond death, and beyond the sorrow and darkness that there is, to have our minds and affections filled with the glory of that Man and the place He fills at the Father’s right hand. May our affections be stirred in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Man who has claimed our brother and who, if He does not come for His own, will claim many in this way. He is the great I AM. May we be worshipful in His presence and may we too be comforted and encouraged as knowing that glorious One for ourselves for His Name‘s sake!
Grangemouth
21st February 2009
(At the meeting for the burial of Mr Ted Steedman)