"...in these verses, how kindly and graciously our Lord speaks of His disciples. He bids Mary Magdalene carry a message to them as "His brethren." He bids her tell them that His Father was their Father, and His God their God. It was but three days before that they had all forsaken Him shamefully, and fled. Yet this merciful Master speaks as if all was forgiven and forgotten. His first thought is to bring back the wanderers, to bind up the wounds of their consciences, to reanimate their courage, to restore them to their former place. This was indeed a love that passes knowledge. To trust deserters, and to show confidence in backsliders, was a compassion which man can hardly understand. So true is that word of David: "Like as a Father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust." (Psalm ciii. 13, 14)
...As He dealt with His erring disciples in the morning of His resurrection, so will He deal with all who believe and love Him, until He comes again. When we wander out of the way He will bring us back. When we fall He will raise us again. But He will never break His royal word: "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." (John vi 37.) The saints in glory will have one anthem in which every voice and heart will join: "He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm ciii. 10.)" -John Charles Ryle
Our Lord calls us to love one another as He loved His disciples. His tender loving kindness is all He need reveal to us for our hearts to melt, and our souls to repent. At one time I knew not the Savior, but He sought me, and rescued me from my sin, and His wrath. I am forever grateful that Christ bore my punishment, and became a curse for the accursed.
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
I pray that God's great mercy would abound as never before in this age, and that many souls would be added to the Church, for the glory of God, and the praise of His amazing grace. Amen.
4 comments:
Excellent post!
JESUS our wonderful savior! Hallelujah!
Regards Paul
Thanks Paul.
Funny - I was thinking a similar thing about the same passage. I'm glad we are studying John in BSF this year and one of the things I'm really hoping to come away with is that sense of how tenderly Jesus cares for me persoanlly!
Paul prayed: "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,...that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you....to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge"
I pray we would grow in our understanding of Christ's love for us personally as well Susan. Excellent thought.
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