THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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hearing Him and thus being led to do , some thinking for themselves (vs. 45, 46). The Devil’s opposition to Christ always promotes His cause. How precious were those days, yet they- knew it not. A few days and He would be gone and the oppor tunity o f knowing, Him and His saving power and the Father He was so able and so desirous to reveal. They despised the days o f grace. And so it is today. A lit tle while, and no one knows how short the time may be, we have the'H oly Spirit with us and then He too will be gone. Let us not repeat the mistake o f those blind Jews. When the few days were gone Jesus would return to Him from whom T ie came and the earth would see Him no more until that great glad day when He comes again (Acts 1:11). When the day o f opportunity had ' passed and7He had gone, then the Jews would seek Him and not find Him. How eagerly the Jews have been seeking for the Messiah during these eighteen centuries which have passed since the Messiah they would not have came and went again from the people who would not have Him. And so Christ comes to men in the Spirit today and is with them for “a little while/’ and if they will not take Him He will go and the day will come when they shall seek Him and shall not find Him (cf. ch. 8:21- 24; Isa. 55:6). Jesus adds an awful word o f doom for the Jews, “Where 1 am ye cannot come.” To refuse to take Jesus ih the day o f opportunity is to be shut out o f His companionship forever. Wednesday, May 31 . John 7 :37-39- Here we have another cry o f Jesus. Would that all the world might hear' and -heed it. It is a most gracious cry. Notice who it is invites, Jesus. He alone can say, “ I f any man ¿hirst, let him come unto me and drink.” He alone can satisfy the deeper thirst o f the human heart. Who ever drinks at other fountains will thirst again (John 4:13, 14). Jesus alone gives the Holy Spirit, which is the living water (Acts 2.33; Matt. 3:11; John 1:33). Notice also who it is that is invited, "Any man ”
Tuesday, May 30 . John 7 : 29 - 36 .
While Jesus had said to the Jews, “Ye know not God,” He said o f Himself, “I know Him.” Yes, He knew God and H e will bring any one else to know Him who will become His disciple. But how did Jesus come to know Him? Note the won derful answer that Jesus gives to this all- important . question, “ Because I am from Him (literally, from with. Him, from His side, cf. ch. 1:1, 2), and He sent me.” Jesus’ knowledge of God is not speculative but 'experimental, from personal compan ionship with Him? From all eternity He had enjoyed the personal companionship of the Father (ch. 1:1). What a poor thing is the speculative „conception o f God reached by philosophic reasoning to put alongside that clear, full perception o f God reached by an eternity o f beholding Him by One who was one with Him. Jesus indeed had a right to say, “ I know Him,” and we also have a right to say “I know Him” if Jesus has taught us. The knowl edge that the believer in Christ has of God is no mere matter of speculation, but o f revelation by one who knew Him from all eternity. No earthly son ever knew his earthly father as Jesus, the Son o f God knew His Father (ch. 10 :15). Jesus’ won derful words filled the Jews with anger and they sought to arrest Him. Two things exasperated them: first, that Jesus should accuse them o f not knowing God: second, that Jesus should declare Himself to be from God. It was the old assertion o f His deity, the same assertion that finally cost Him His life. But they did not succeed in taking Him yet, “because His hour had not yet come.” All the powers o f earth or hell cannot touch a man who has set out to do the work the Father has set him to do until that work is completed (John 17:4; 8:20; Ps. 76:10). While the authorities sought to take. Him, “o f the multitude many believed on Him.” This incensed the Phar isees the more and they sent officers to take Him, but this attempt also proved futile. It simply resulted in the officers
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