GOD’S HONOUR FOR CHRIST
Robert Webster
Genesis 41: 41-44
Acts 3: 6, 7
Matthew 22: 1-14
I seek to speak of the way that God honours Christ. The gospel presents an opportunity for God to do this. You might say that you thought it was about the meeting of our need, and that is true, but God, in everything that He does, in all His ways, will honour Christ. The scripture in Genesis shows that God desires that we all may honour this One. He sets the matter on and leads the way in honouring the Lord Jesus. The scripture read in Acts would be an example for us of the way in which God would honour the name of Jesus, and it is for the blessing of men. The needy state of man is an opportunity for God to honour the Lord Jesus. The scripture in Matthew reminds us that God is very jealous when it comes to the Lord Jesus; let us never forget that. God is extending mercy and grace on account of that One, but He will always guard His honour.
When we look around, we see that men seek a place for themselves in this world. They seek to make a name for themselves, whether it is in the field of sport or entertainment or politics. We know that the Queen has honours lists; that is of no consequence in the gospel. What is of eternal consequence is that God has set apart one Man and given Him a place of exaltation, “granted him a name, that which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”, Phil 2: 9, 10. That is of eternal consequence, and in having to do with Him lies the blessing of every man, woman, and child. We need to get our view right in relation to the gospel; it is all about this blessed One. God’s eye is upon Him as it always has been. There He is, now installed in glory. Men may seek honour from men; one Man has received honour and glory from God; He now fills the highest place in the universe. A Man does that, one Man. God’s desire is that you might have to do with Him, and as having to do with Him you might give your heart and your life to Him here, and be secured for Him eternally to His praise and glory.
In the passage in Genesis, the impression I had was that the exaltation of Christ is God’s matter. We see here a great type of what God has done with the Lord Jesus. If anyone of us is secured, if God in His grace works in the heart of anyone and draws your heart after Him, so that you desire to honour Him, you will see that God has led the way; He has given Him this distinguished place. Joseph was given a place of prominence over the land of Egypt: Pharaoh set him over all the land. We read in Hebrews of the Lord Jesus, “Thou hast made him some little inferior to the angels; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, and hast set him over the works of thy hands”, chap 2: 7. That is God’s matter. Ephesians tells us “he set him down at his right hand in the heavenlies, above every principality, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name named”, Eph 1: 20, 21. What that One means to the heart of God! God is desirous that we might be brought into accord with Him. First we need to see the thing from God’s standpoint; see what God has done. What men do is of no consequence in the gospel, but God has given Jesus this place. Despite what might be apparent around, despite the fact that you may hear His Name taken in vain as an object of scorn and mockery of men, God has “highly exalted him, and granted him a name, that which is above every name”, Phil 2: 9. What that Man must mean to God! Man might seek glory from men, but this One has been glorified by God Himself. Although He is rejected here on earth He has been received up in heaven. There will be a time when He will have public sway on the earth as well: His glory will be seen. God will vindicate such a One.
Why has God given this One such a place? Why is He so precious to God? Everything that God has set His heart upon in man is found in this One. It has been perfectly expressed in the Lord Jesus. Every other man one way or another has failed. We must consider for God’s feelings, what it is to God that everything that He set His heart upon was found in this blessed One. We do not have to look very far within our own hearts to see that what is there is not what God would have. We find sin in our own hearts; there are things which flow out from that which are not pleasing to God. In contrast we have One who not only expressed God, but was in Himself everything that God set His heart on. He was the object of God’s pleasure in His life here. What was seen was a different kind of man, a different order of man. God looks upon the lowly, Ps 138: 6. Some people are naturally very humble people, but there is pride in every heart; the Lord Jesus stands apart from all that, the One who is lowly in heart. Only He could say, “I am meek and lowly in heart”, Matt 11: 29. We are exhorted in Philippians to have a lowly mind, but Jesus is lowly in heart. There is One who in lowliness and obedience took on everything that was given to Him to do. His dependence on God meant that God was glorified. What a life; what a Man He is for God!
He has accomplished everything for God. He has settled everything that became an issue between man and God. We know that sin entered into the world through Adam. Everything that has become affected by sin coming in has been settled by this One. It involved the giving of Himself, the sacrifice of Himself in order that eternal issues might be resolved; in order that blessing might be preached and mercy offered to sinners. It is all on account of what this One has done. What He has accomplished is like no other accomplishment you will read of in the history books. There have been many achievements that men will admire but, on the basis of what the Lord Jesus has done, God is going to secure a universe altogether pleasing to Himself. We shall be for His own heart eternally. Hebrews says, “having made by himself the purification of sins” (chap 1: 3); it was all His own matter. What it must mean for God that One Man has undertaken and accomplished such a work through circumstances of suffering; offering “himself spotless to God” (Heb 9: 14), in order that He might become the Sin-bearer. He took it all upon Himself, that great matter, in order that God’s righteousness might be satisfied, and His judgment of sin exhausted.
Not only has everything been settled, but God has been glorified in the very place in which sin was seen. The feelings of God enter into this. Christ was awarded the cross by man, but God has had His say. This world has no place for Him. It is very affecting when the Lord speaks as to the extremity of man’s heart towards Him, “he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon. And when they have scourged him they will kill him”, Luke 18: 32. We are speaking about the same One! The One that God has set His heart upon, the One who in all that He was, and all that He did, glorified God; the One whom God sets forth, that was the treatment afforded to Him by men. He will be publicly vindicated, but for the time being we have the world, a place that has rejected Him, and we have heaven where He has been received. He has been received up there; God is able to extend mercy and grace towards the sinner and offer forgiveness because the One who has been here and done everything for Him is now exalted in glory. The same blessed Person, the same lowly Jesus, the One of whom it could be said when He was here, “For the Christ also pleased not Himself”, Rom 15: 3. He did not seek anything for Himself. He could say prophetically, “the reproaches of them that reproach thee have fallen upon me”, Ps 69: 9. That which in the enmity of man’s heart was directed towards God fell upon Him, and in the meekness of His spirit He accepted this. What a Man He is for God. You may begin to see why God has set this whole matter on; how right He is to honour this One!
We have spoken of the life of Jesus on earth, but the Acts gives the commencement of our dispensation. We have this poor man here where I have read. At the time he was looking for something from Peter. Peter did not have silver and gold. You think of the place in which this was, Jerusalem. I suppose some here had seen the Lord, some maybe had seen the treatment He had received at the hand of a despising people, the mocking at the hands of man. Maybe some had been witness to that scene at the cross, and many may have thought that was a done matter. Through the faith of his own heart, Peter says, “Silver and gold I have not; but what I have, this give I to thee: In the name of Jesus Christ …”. I would suggest that the moment that Name was mentioned all of heaven’s resources were available to this man. It afforded God opportunity to honour Him, the One, who had not long before become the object of man’s game, amusement, mockery, scorn and spitting; and the one that came into the good of it was a poor needy man; what grace!
If there is anyone who feels they have a need, God would present Christ to you so that you might reach out to Him in faith; you might lay hold of the work that He has done. The work which has done everything for God is available to you, to meet every need that you find in your heart. The work of Jesus is enough to settle everything and He Himself is enough to fill your heart. God would be setting Him forth. If you reach out to Him tonight, God would love to honour His Name. He is honoured through those who come to Him. At this point, it was not the faith of the lame man, it was the faith of Peter, who understood what the name of Jesus Christ meant to God. This dispensation of peculiar blessing for men was really set on here on account of a Man in glory. Faith in Him and faith in His work brings in blessing; brings in blessing for men. Lay hold of it: your salvation is all bound up in it. God is desirous that you might have to do with Him because He knows you, He knows your heart. He knows the fears and the doubts and the questions you may have. He is setting forth One who can provide all the answers. The One who now fills the highest office in God’s universe is not only available for you but He is willing you to come to Him. He is desirous that you might come to Him. It is almost too wonderful to think that such a One is able to draw near to you; the same blessed Person; the same lowly in heart. He fills that place of glory, but He has a lowly heart. He looks at you; He takes account of you. Sometimes what we see inside ourselves might disgust us, and cause us to despair, but He will draw alongside you. He alone is able to meet your need. He binds up the wounds; that is a service that He would provide, and He would draw near in order that He may serve you. A personal service is available for all. He is lowly in heart. Your blessing is bound up in such a One; have to do with Him. God has honoured, and He is continuing to honour Him and one day all will see this. Come to Him now; it will be to His honour and glory. Young and old can lay hold of Him. We need faith, which is granted as a gift of God. Faith would draw us outside of all that we find in ourselves and it has one object and it is this blessed One of whom we speak. The One of whom it says in our hymn -
On His Father’s throne is seated
Christ the Lord, the Living One,
(Hymn 404).
In Revelation, it says, “I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages”, Rev 1: 18. We cannot measure all that it cost Him to go that way, the way of the cross, to become the Sin-bearer, to be exposed before God’s judgment of sin and - as such - to bear it, and to shed His precious blood and to go into death. He went into death as One that had power over it; that could be said of no other. He went into death as the invader, and conquered its power. The proof of it is that He is raised and is living -
Christ the Lord, the Living one.
God presents such a One to you. It is a wonderful blessing for men that He does.
We must remember that God is very jealous as to Christ. This passage in Matthew says it is “a wedding feast for his son”. When we think of weddings, we often think of seeing the bride, but this is for His Son; making much of this One. God is making much of Him; He is jealous as regards to Him. There were those who despised the invitation and there were those who did not come; we know that they made light of it. It would be a very solemn thing if anyone was to make light of this One. I remember a preacher speaking of the mockers that you read of at the cross of the Lord Jesus. They were walking by, but stopped just to mock. He said that if you reject this One, reject God’s overtures of grace, you are really a mocker. You are making light of all that Christ has effected and all that God has done with Him. God will not have it. What is said to the man who is found without a wedding garment is severe; God will not have His Son dishonoured. He is presented to you; it is an opportunity. He that brings joy to the heart of God is presented in order that He may fill your heart. Your blessing is wrapped up in it, but He will not have such a One dishonoured; the consequences are very severe.
We preach blessing to men, but there was a time when the Lord Jesus suffered at the hands of men. Think of the feelings of God. It says of Him that He was “given up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God”, Acts 2: 23. The Lord Jesus says to those who came to take Him, “this is your hour and the power of darkness”, Luke 22: 53. That was for a limited period. God has now exalted Him and for those who despise or mock or make light of such a One there are consequences. It is not trying to scare anyone, but God will not have it. He has to do with those who have rejected Him in a most severe way. This One who was not found with the wedding garment really was not honouring, was not fitting, was not suitable. I trust that none of us think we can do things our own way. We are cast upon this One; faith lays hold of Him: God would view us as in Him. There is no room for individuality; we all come in on the same basis - vessels of mercy, objects of grace, and as such our hearts are won by Him. Let us not despise Him; let us not say He is not for us: God will not have it. It is a very solemn thing, and must be soberly considered. He would have you to do with Him, prove Him for all that He is. The Saviour, Saviour of sinners, He is there, His work is available. Do not pass it by; do not pass the opportunity by.
What a sober thing it would be if anyone of us here has to do with Him as a Judge, when He is available to us now, freely available, making Himself available as the One that can answer every issue; settle every matter. Have to do with Him; it will be for His glory and honour; and then you find as having to do with Him your motives change. He has done everything for you: what is there we can do for Him? What is there we can do that will honour Him? Your motives change, and the Spirit will help you in anything you do for Him. It is something that involves our affections; He is able to secure the heart, and fill it in order that we might be held by Him. Then you find that your taste and your motives will change, and you will do things which are honouring to Him. You come into accord with God, and come under His moral sway. There will be a day when it is seen publicly. What a day that will be, when He will be vindicated. Be here for His honour now! I trust that we all might have some sense of what this One is for God, what He can be to us and come to acknowledge and appreciate God’s desires as to Him.
May it be so, for His Name’s sake.
West Norwood
9th July 2017