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"Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life" (10: 17).
Here is a most wonderful display of love and grace extended to man by both Father
and Son in concert. We surely should seek to match our response to our Creator's deep
concern for us.
No.11.
Chapter 11:
pp. 157 - 160
With all these articles on the chapters of John's Gospel, we have sought the purpose of
the Holy Spirit in selecting just the few incidents from 3½ years' ministry by our Lord
when innumerable addresses had been given, actions and miracles performed. This
Gospel is largely set to show the links between God the Father (unknowable in essence),
the Lord Jesus Christ (the sent one) and the written and spoken Word (the Bible).
Mankind is lost without this chain of testimony. The savant and hopeful philosopher
seek without success to establish a "Being" or "first cause" that can satisfy their
independent ego.
The raising of Lazarus seems to stand next in importance to the Lord's own
resurrection:
"Jesus . . . . . said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the
Son of Go might be glorified thereby" (11: 4).
Demonstration was needed to proclaim to the countless thousands in the future who
would die believing in the Lord Jesus that their future heritage was assured even though
that resurrection day might be delayed for a long time. The Lord Jesus purposely delayed
coming to His friend:
"When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same
place where He was" (11: 6).
The deity of our Lord Jesus Christ can bring problems to the human mind. The power
to raise and quicken the dead by God and His Son can also raise questions. In both cases
we need to let the Holy Spirit in the Word of God express facts in His own words. As
soon as man, perhaps with the best of intentions, seeks to analyze, explain or try to
reconcile the powers and positions of God and His Son he is lost and error must creep in.
God saw fit to manifest Himself in the person of His Son. God has stated the
limitations He has placed on Himself, that in Christ we have the perfect man, begotten by
the Father, qualified to redeemed us righteously from our sins. Nothing man writes must
weaken this position. On the other hand the Scriptures and especially John's Gospel
underline the full and complete link between Father and Son so essential to confirm the
Son's words and His authority. Look up all the references that refer to the Son glorifying
the Father and the Father glorifying the Son. Again the repeated insistence that the