THE KING’S BUSINESS
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to them, bring us eternal life. No one else has these words. If we leave Jesus there is no one else to whom we can go. By association with Jesus and by the illumina tion o f the Spirit, Peter had come to the place where he no longer merely hoped, but where he believed and knew that Jesus was “the Holy One o f God.” Have you This passage reveals to us a remarkable fact, viz., that Jesus’ own brothers, born o f the same mother and brought up in the same home, witnesses o f the beauty o f His life as He lived among them, “ did not believe on Him.” The time came later, after His resurrection', when they did believe on Him. These unbelieving broth ers o f Jesus undertook to dictate to Him just how He should carry on His work. That He performed miracles they knew, but they wished Him to do them in a more public way. They thought He was not showing good judgment in keeping Him self so secluded from the multitudes. They were o f a different mind, a worldly mind, and therefore the world quite liked them. But while it liked them, the world hated Jesus because both by word and life He testified against it that its works were evil. No matter how holy and unselfish and how full o f good works a life may be, men who are not ready to give up sin and wotldli- ness do not love, but hate the one who by his life and words testifies against their selfishness and sin.- Jesus went up to Jerusalem before the feast was over, but He did not go up to the feast. He was, as far as possible, avoiding publicity at this time, for the time had not yet come for Him to lay down His life in atoning sacri fice. Sunday, May 28. John 7:14-24. The question that the Jews here asked, “ How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” is one that we may all well deeply ponder. Jesus had attended none o f the schools o f philosophy or theol- reached that point? Saturday, May 27. John 7:1-13.
outward feeding upon the flesh o f Christ, profits one whit. It is only when the Spirit quickens in our hearts the Word which we read and makes real to us the flesh upon which we feed that life comes-. But the words which Jesus Himself spoke “they are spirit, and they are life,” because the Spirit is ever ready to take and use them and to impart life through them. The Spirit only works through an instrumental ity and that instrumentality is the W ord of Hod and pre-eminently the words o f Jesus. If then, you desire life, read and meditate upon the words of Jesus. If you wish others to have life, give them the words of Jesus. To how many millions life has come as they have meditated upon the words of Jesus as found in this gospel. Our coming to Jesus begins not in our will, but in the eternal loving will of God. If we come we have nothing to boast of, but much to be grateful for. Friday, May 26. John 6:66-71. Many came to Jesus who had no real appreciation o f Him and no genuine love for the truth. They were drawn to Him by the temporal blessings that He bestowed. His words were constantly sifting out the chaff from the wheat. The words He had just spoken drove many from Him. As Jesus looked sadly after one and another who had judged himself unworthy o f eternal life, He turned to the inner group o f all, and asked, “Would ye also go away?” Ah, He is saying that to us today, “Would you also go away? Would you like to follow the crowd that are offended at my doc trine and leave me?” Do not dismiss that question too lightly; it may be more appli cable to you than you think at first. There is in many a heart when it is little sus pected, a desire to forsake Jesus and His unpopular doctrine. Peter gave a remark able answer to Jesus’ searching question, “ Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words o f eternal life.” Yes, Jesus has the words o f eternal life, that is, Vords which i f we listen to them and let them sink into our hearts and yield ourselves
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