THE BOSOM OF JESUS
Alan A Croot
John 13: 23-25
We are reading this book at home where I am local, and we read this chapter at the time when our brother was taken. All who knew our brother will understand why I make the connection between our brother and this passage. I believe he knew what it was to be in the bosom of the Lord Jesus, and I desire that all of us here may know that place.
I begin with a reference that Moses makes in Deuteronomy 33: 2, 3, at the end of his blessing before his death; one of the things he says is,
Jehovah came from Sinai,
And rose up from Seir unto them;
He shone forth from mount Paran,
And he came from the myriads
of the sanctuary;
From the right hand went forth
a law of fire for them,
but then it says,
Yea, he loveth the peoples.
I understand that that word “loveth” here comes from a Hebrew word that is unique in Scripture; it occurs nowhere else and it means, ‘to have in the bosom’. I draw attention to Moses here at the beginning of Scripture, because he knew God in a special way. It says of Jehovah Himself that He “spoke with Moses face to face”, Exod 33: 11. This was a man who beheld His form. Think how close Moses was to Jehovah, and Moses knew that Jehovah loved His people so much that He wanted them in His own bosom.
Isaiah also makes reference to this idea: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd: he will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom; he will gently lead those that give suck.”, chap 40: 11. Dear brethren and friends, this is the character of God Himself. This is His desire, that He should carry His own people in His own bosom. That is a place of intimate affection, a place where we can know Him, know Him for what He is, for God is love.
I come to John, who writes one of the last books in the Bible, if not the last book, and John records for us, “No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”, chap 1: 18. John appreciated the position Jesus had in the very bosom of the Father. What a wonderful picture of mutual harmony and love, the sight of the Lord Jesus in the bosom of the Father. How wonderful, dear brethren, to be taught of one, John, who was here with the Lord Jesus in His pathway, and learned His love, and had the secret made known to him that Christ had that place. John writes when the Lord was ascended in heaven, but as a Man He always had that place, in the bosom of the Father.
Where I read in John 13, we have one of the most serious things recorded in Scripture: the betrayal of the Lord Jesus. I did not read that, but that is the context in which John makes this passing reference. He says that he himself was ”in the bosom of Jesus”. What a place John had - in the bosom of the Lord Jesus; in the face of this most difficult issue, John was at rest in the bosom of the Lord Jesus. John was there, in a place that could not be more intimate, in the bosom of Christ Himself. He knew what that resource was, he knew what that comfort was, he knew the stability that resulted from being in that place and, despite issues, arising he remained there. I have been local with our brother almost all my life, and I knew what it was to work out matters with him according to Scripture, and he was always in the spirit of one who knew this place.
I trust dear brethren it is attractive to all of us. You might say, ‘Well, John was an apostle’. Yes, he was an apostle, in that sense what is apostolic is unique, and yet there is room in this place for every believer. It is not unique to John: it is available to us all; our brother knew it. You had but to see his face to realise that he knew this place. You had to but speak with him and he would impart to you something of the character of being in the bosom of the Lord Jesus Himself. Dear brethren, this place is available to all of us. The door is open to you. Will you avail yourself of it?
It might mean leaving things behind. You cannot enter into the bosom of Christ with pride in your heart or ambitions in this world. They are all to be left to one side; but it is worth leaving all natural things behind, and taking up your place in the bosom of Jesus: make it your place. It is not just John’s place; it is available to all of us to be in the presence of the Lord Jesus, in His bosom. It says, “he, leaning on the breast of Jesus”. We have been taught it is a place of support, a place of strength. It is a place of wonderful comfort; it is a place where all the resource of the compassion of God lies, in the heart of the Lord Jesus Himself and our brother whilst no longer in the body, in spirit still knows that love. How wonderful it is that our brother is still able to receive communications of divine love despite not being in the body any longer. He is not able to respond, but he still knows what that love is; that which he has known in his lifetime, he knows still the love of Christ. May we know it dear brethren and friends.
May the Lord bless the word.
Edinburgh
24th April 2023
At the burial meeting for David J Hutson