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T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S And P eter reiterated th is prophecy in Acts 3:22-26. But some thought He was a prophet, like so many of th e Old Testament prophets. They could not recognize Him as th e Christ. He was a P rophet, P riest and King. He had proven by His words and by H is works th a t He was th e p rophet and th e Christ. These questioners were of the same sort as those th a t have always quibbled about God’s Word. It was so in the Old Dispensation. I t was so in Christ’s day. I t is so today. “H igher Critics” of the “ lowest o rd er,” leaders of false systems, are all ready to call Jesus a prophet, bu t deny His rig h t to the title of Messiah; the Lamb of God; the only begotten-Son of God; the Word; God manifest in the flesh; but He is, and every tru e believer has th e testimony of the Word of God and of the indw elling ' Spirit of God, bearing w itness w ith his own sp irit th a t he is th e child of God. (Rom. 8:14-16.) “ F o r a s m a n y a s a r e le d b y t h e S p ir i o f G o d , th e y a r e t h e s o n s o f G od. “F o r y e h a v e n o t re c e iv e d t h e s p i r i t o b o n d a g e a g a i n to f e a r , b u t y e h a v e r e c e iv e d t h e S p ir it o f a d o p tio n , w h e r e b y w c r y , A b b a , F a t h e r . T h e S p ir it i t s e l f b e a r e th w itn e s s w it o u r s p ir it , t h a t w e a r e t h e c h ild r e n o G o d .” (3) THE I N C O M P A R A B L E WORDS, vs. 45-52, “Never man spake like this man.” . The chief priests and Pharisees had sent officers to a rre st Jesus but they could not, and theij; answer is rem ark able as testifying to a g reat tru th . No man could speak as He. did. His voice was the voice of God. He spake and it was. done. He had said, “Let th ere be ligh t” and th e re was light. How insignificant, how infinitesimal, are the words of men— of any man-f®*| compared w ith His words! He spake through the prophets. His messages were profound but simple, life-giving and life-destroying, bearing th e breath of Heaven and th e bitterness of eternal woe.' He spake th e tru th and th e tru th makes men free. He spake of Heaven
zeal and power which characterized his life. The Holy Spirit could not he sent un til afte r Christ had been to the cross and the tomb and ascended. For He must first make His blood offering. It was impossible for th e Holy Spirit to be given un til Jesus Christ was glori fied. (John 7:39.) The F ath e r worked, the Son worked, and th e Holy Spirit works,— and th is is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. There is much erro r in th e teaching concerning the Holy Spirit. Much th a t is purely sentim ental. People acquire the hab it of talk ing foolishly and ir reverently, and men use what they term, “ th e ir experience” ra th e r th an the Word of God. We cannot tru s t to men’s “ex perience,’’ bu t we can absplutely tru st the Word of God. Many people believe th a t th ere are several operations of the Holy Spirit. It would be b etter if they would believe the Scripture which teaches th a t there is but one operation. He comes to take possession of the believer upon his .ac ceptance of Christ. He fills the believer as fast and as full as th e believer perm its (Eph. 5 :1 8 ). The sinner obstinately refuses to re ceive Christ; the believer obstinately refuses to .su rrend er fully to Christ. There will always be the fulness of the Spirit in proportion to the surrender of the life to Christ. When He possesses one wholly He can use one mightily. Now, notice again what Christ says: “ If any man th irst, let him come unto me and d rink .” We will d rink and be thoroughly satisfied when we give the Holy Spirit His own way in our lives. (2) IMPORTANT DISCUSSION, vs. 40-44, “There was a division.” Some said, “This is the P roph et.” Others said, “This is th e Christ.” They were both right. He was “th e P roph et” and He was “ th e Christ.” Moses said: “T h e L a r d t h y G o d w ill r a i s e u p u n to th e e a P r o p h e t f r o m t h e m id s t o f th ee» o f t h y b r e t h r e n , li k e u n to m e ; u n to h im y e s h a ll h e a r k e n ” (D e n t. 1 8 :1 5 ).
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