the desire of ages-第66章

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ion　to　the　miracles　that　marked　His　life。　Voluntarily　He　had　made　Himself　of　no　reputation；　and　taken　upon　Him　the　form　of　a　servant。　But　His　words　and　works　revealed　His　character。　All　whose　hearts　were　open　to　divine　illumination　would　recognize　in　Him　〃the　Only…begotten　of　the　Father；　full　of　grace　and　truth。〃　John　1：14。

The　prejudice　of　the　Pharisees　lay　deeper　than　their　questions　would　indicate；　it　had　its　root　in　the　perversity　of　their　hearts。　Every　word　and　act　of　Jesus　aroused　antagonism　in　them；　for　the　spirit　which　they　cherished　could　find　in　Him　no　answering　chord。

〃No　man　can　come　to　Me；　except　the　Father　which　hath　sent　Me　draw　him：　and　I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。　It　is　written　in　the　prophets；　And　they　shall　be　all　taught　of　God。　Every　man　therefore　that　hath　heard；　and　hath　learned　of　the　Father；　cometh　unto　Me。〃　None　will　ever　come　to　Christ；　save　those　who　respond　to　the　drawing　of　the　Father's　love。　But　God　is　drawing　all　hearts　unto　Him；　and　only　those　who　resist　His　drawing　will　refuse　to　come　to　Christ。

In　the　words；　〃They　shall　be　all　taught　of　God；〃　Jesus　referred　to　the　prophecy　of　Isaiah：　〃All　thy　children　shall　be　taught　of　the　Lord；　and　great　shall　be　the　peace　of　thy　children。〃　Isa。　54：13。　This　scripture

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the　Jews　appropriated　to　themselves。　It　was　their　boast　that　God　was　their　teacher。　But　Jesus　showed　how　vain　is　this　claim；　for　He　said；　〃Every　man　therefore　that　hath　heard；　and　hath　learned　of　the　Father；　cometh　unto　Me。〃　Only　through　Christ　could　they　receive　a　knowledge　of　the　Father。　Humanity　could　not　endure　the　vision　of　His　glory。　Those　who　had　learned　of　God　had　been　listening　to　the　voice　of　His　Son；　and　in　Jesus　of　Nazareth　they　would　recognize　Him　who　through　nature　and　revelation　has　declared　the　Father。

〃Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　He　that　believeth　on　Me　hath　everlasting　life。〃　Through　the　beloved　John；　who　listened　to　these　words；　the　Holy　Spirit　declared　to　the　churches；　〃This　is　the　record；　that　God　hath　given　to　us　eternal　life；　and　this　life　is　in　His　Son。　He　that　hath　the　Son　hath　life。〃　1　John　5：11；　12。　And　Jesus　said；　〃I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。〃　Christ　became　one　flesh　with　us；　in　order　that　we　might　become　one　spirit　with　Him。　It　is　by　virtue　of　this　union　that　we　are　to　come　forth　from　the　grave；not　merely　as　a　manifestation　of　the　power　of　Christ；　but　because；　through　faith；　His　life　has　become　ours。　Those　who　see　Christ　in　His　true　character；　and　receive　Him　into　the　heart；　have　everlasting　life。　It　is　through　the　Spirit　that　Christ　dwells　in　us；　and　the　Spirit　of　God；　received　into　the　heart　by　faith；　is　the　beginning　of　the　life　eternal。

The　people　had　referred　Christ　to　the　manna　which　their　fathers　ate　in　the　wilderness；　as　if　the　furnishing　of　that　food　was　a　greater　miracle　than　Jesus　had　performed；　but　He　shows　how　meager　was　that　gift　when　compared　with　the　blessings　He　had　come　to　bestow。　The　manna　could　sustain　only　this　earthly　existence；　it　did　not　prevent　the　approach　of　death；　nor　insure　immortality；　but　the　bread　of　heaven　would　nourish　the　soul　unto　everlasting　life。　The　Saviour　said；　〃I　am　that　bread　of　life。　Your　fathers　did　eat　manna　in　the　wilderness；　and　are　dead。　This　is　the　bread　which　cometh　down　from　heaven；　that　a　man　may　eat　thereof；　and　not　die。　I　am　the　living　bread　which　came　down　from　heaven：　if　any　man　eat　of　this　bread；　he　shall　live　forever。〃　To　this　figure　Christ　now　adds　another。　Only　through　dying　could　He　impart　life　to　men；　and　in　the　words　that　follow　He　points　to　His　death　as　the　means　of　salvation。　He　says；　〃The　bread　that　I　will　give　is　My　flesh；　which　I　will　give　for　the　life　of　the　world。〃

The　Jews　were　about　to　celebrate　the　Passover　at　Jerusalem；　in　commemoration　of　the　night　of　Israel's　deliverance；　when　the　destroying　angel　smote　the　homes　of　Egypt。　In　the　paschal　lamb　God　desired　them

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to　behold　the　Lamb　of　God；　and　through　the　symbol　receive　Him　who　gave　Himself　for　the　life　of　the　world。　But　the　Jews　had　come　to　make　the　symbol　all…important；　while　its　significance　was　unnoticed。　They　discerned　not　the　Lord's　body。　The　same　truth　that　was　symbolized　in　the　paschal　service　was　taught　in　the　words　of　Christ。　But　it　was　still　undiscerned。

Now　the　rabbis　exclaimed　angrily；　〃How　can　this　Man　give　us　His　flesh　to　eat？〃　They　affected　to　understand　His　words　in　the　same　literal　sense　as　did　Nicodemus　when　he　asked；　〃How　can　a　man　be　born　when　he　is　old？〃　John　3：4。　To　some　extent　they　comprehended　the　meaning　of　Jesus；　but　they　were　not　willing　to　acknowledge　it。　By　misconstruing　His　words；　they　hoped　to　prejudice　the　people　against　Him。

Christ　did　not　soften　down　His　symbolical　representation。　He　reiterated　the　truth　in　yet　stronger　language：　〃Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　Except　ye　eat　the　flesh　of　the　Son　of　man；　and　drink　His　blood；　ye　have　no　life　in　you。　Whoso　eateth　My　flesh；　and　drinketh　My　blood；　hath　eternal　life；　and　I　will　raise　him　up　at　the　last　day。　For　My　flesh　is　meat　indeed；　and　My　blood　is　drink　indeed。　He　that　eateth　My　flesh；　and　drinketh　My　blood；　dwelleth　in　Me；　and　I　in　him。〃

To　eat　the　flesh　and　drink　the　blood　of　Christ　is　to　receive　Him　as　a　personal　Saviour；　believing　that　He　forgives　our　sins；　and　that　we　are　complete　in　Him。　It　is　by　beholding　His　love；　by　dwelling　upon　it；　by　drinking　it　in；　that　we　are　to　become　partakers　of　His　nature。　What　food　is　to　the　body；　Christ　must　be　to　the　soul。　Food　cannot　benefit　us　unless　we　eat　it；　unless　it　becomes　a　part　of　our　being。　So　Christ　is　of　no　value　to　us　if　we　do　not　know　Him　as　a　personal　Saviour。　A　theoretical　knowledge　will　do　us　no　good。　We　must　feed　upon　Him；　receive　Him　into　the　heart；　so　that　His　life　becomes　our　life。　His　love；　His　grace；　must　be　assimilated。

But　even　these　figures　fail　to　present　the　privilege　of　the　believer's　relation　to　Christ。　Jesus　said；　〃As　the　living　Father　hath　sent　Me；　and　I　live　by　the　Father：　so　he　that　eateth　Me；　even　he　shall　live　by　Me。〃　As　the　Son　of　God　lived　by　faith　in　the　Father；　so　are　we　to　live　by　faith　in　Christ。　So　fully　was　Jesus　surrendered　to　the　will　of　God　that　the　Father　alone　appeared　in　His　life。　Although　tempted　in　all　points　like　as　we　are；　He　stood　before　the　world　untainted　by　the　evil　that　surrounded　Him。　Thus　we　also　are　to　overcome　as　Christ　overcame。

Are　you　a　follower　of　Christ？　Then　all　that　is　written　concerning　the　spiritual　life　is　written　for　you；　and　may　be　attained　through　uniting　yourself

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to　Jesus。　Is　your　zeal　languishing？　has　your　first　love　grown　cold？　Accept　again　of　the　proffered　love　of　Christ。　Eat　of　His　flesh；　drink　of　His　blood；　and　you　will　become　one　with　the　Father　and　with　the　Son。

The　unbelieving　Jews　refused　to　see　any　except　the　most　literal　meaning　in　the　Saviour's　words。　By　the　ritual　law　they　were　forbidden　to　taste　blood；　and　they　now　construed　Christ's　language　into　a　sacrilegious　speech；　and　disputed　over　it　among　themselves。　Many　even　of　the　disciples　said；　〃This　is　an　hard　saying；　who　can　hear　it？〃

The　Saviour　answered　them：　〃Doth　this　offend　you？　What　and　if　ye　shall　see　the　Son　of　man　ascend　up　where　He　was　before？　It　is　the　spirit　that　quickeneth；　the　flesh　profiteth　nothing：　the　words　that　I　speak　unto　you；　they　are　spirit；　and　they　are　life。〃

The　life　of　Christ　that　gives　life　to　the　world　is　in　His　word。　It　was　by　His　word　that　Jesus　healed　disease　and　cast　out　demons；　by　His　word　He　stilled　the　sea；　and　raised　the　dead；　and　the　people　bore　witness　that　His　word　was　with　power。　He　spoke　the　word　of　God；　as　He　had　spoken　through　all　the　prophets　and　teachers　of　the　Old　Testament。　The　whole　Bible　is　a　manifestation　of　Christ；　and　the　Saviour　desired　to　fix　the　faith　of　His　followers　on　the　word。　When　His　visible　presence　should　be　withdrawn；　the　word　must　be　their　source　of　power。　Like　their　Master；　they　were　to　live　〃by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　God。〃　Matt。　4：4。

As　our　physical　life　is　sustained　by　food；　so　our　spiritual　life　is　sustained　by　the　word　of　God。　And　every　soul　is　to　receive　life　from　God's　word　for　himself。　As　we　must　eat　for　ourselves　in　order　to　receive　nourishment；　so　we　must　receive　the　word　for　ourselves。　We　are　not　to　obtain　it　merely　through　the　medium　of　another's　mind。　We　should　carefully　study　the　Bible；　asking　God　for　the　aid　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　that　we　may　understand　His　word。　We　should　take　one　verse；　and　concentrate　the　mind　on　the　task　of　ascertaining　the　thought　which　God　has　put　in　that　verse　for　us。　We　should　dwell　upon　the　thought　until　it　becomes　our　own；　and　we　know　〃what　saith　the　Lord。〃

In　His　promises　and　warnings；　Jesus　means　me。　God　so　loved　the　world；　that　He　gave　His　only…begotten　Son；　that　I　by　believing　in　Him；　might　not　perish；　but　have　everlasting　life。　The　experiences　related　in　God's　word　are　to　be　my　experiences。　Prayer　and　promise；　precept　and　warning；　are　mine。　〃I　am　crucified　with　Christ：　nevertheless　I　live；　yet　not　I；　but　Christ　liveth　in　me：　and　the　life　which　I　now　live　in　the　flesh　I　live　by　the　faith　of　the　Son　of　God；　who　loved　me；　and　gave　Himself

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for　me。〃　Gal。　2：20。　As　faith　thus　receives　and　assimilates　the　principles　of　truth；　they　become　a　part　of　the　being　and　the　motive　power　of　the　life。　The　word　of　God；　received　into　the　soul；　molds　the　thoughts；　and　enters　into　the　development　of　character。

By　looking　constantly　to　Jesus　with　the　eye　of　faith；　we　shall　be　strengthened。　God　will　make　the　most　precious　revelations　to　His　hungering；　thirsting　people。　They　will　find　that　Christ　is　a　personal　Saviour。　As　they　feed　upon　His　word；　they　find　that　it　is　spirit　and　life。　The　word　destroys　the　natural；　earthly　nature；　and　imparts　a　new　life　in　Christ　Jesus。　The　Holy　Spirit　comes　to　the　soul　as　a　Comforter。　By　the　transforming　agency　of　His　grace；　the　image　of　God　is　reproduced　in　the　disciple；　he　becomes　a　new　creature。　Love　takes　the　place　of　hatred；　and　the　heart　receives　the　divine　similitude。　This　is　what　it　means　to　live　〃by　every　word　that　proceedeth　out　of　the　mouth　of　God。〃　This　is　eating　the　Bread　that　comes　down　from　heaven。

Christ　had　spoken　a　sacred；　eternal　truth　regarding　the　relation　between　Himself　and　His　followers。　He　knew　the　character　of　those　who　claimed　to　be　His　disciples；　and　His　words　tested　their　faith。　He　declared　that　they　were　to　believe　and　act　upon　His　teaching。　All　who　received　Him　would　partake　of　His　nature；　and　be　conformed　to　His　character。　This　involved　the　relinquishment　of　their　cherished　ambitions。　It　required　the　complete　surrender　of　themselves　to　Jesus。　They　were　called　to　become　self…sacrificing；　meek　and　lowly　in　heart。　They　must　walk　in　the　narrow　path　traveled　by　the　Man　of　Calvary；　if　they　would　share　in　the　gift　of　life　and　the　glory　of　heaven。

The　test　was　too　great。　The　enthusiasm　of　those　who　had　sought　to　take　Him　by　force　and　make　Him　king　grew　cold。　This　discourse　in　the　synagogue；　they　declared；　had　opened　their　eyes。　Now　they　were　undeceived。　In　their　minds　His　words　were　a　direct　confession　that　He　was　not　the　Messiah；　and　that　no　earthly　rewards　were　to　be　realized　from　connect