JESUS KNOWING
John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
It would seem, upon a light reading of this verse that there is but little noteworthy contained in it. But let us seek the help of the Holy Spirit and meditate upon His deeper revelation. The first thing we notice is that even nailed to the cruel cross Christ seeks to fulfill the scriptures! For he did not just say, I thirst because his throat and tongue were parched, as surely they must have been. But he did so in obedience to his own gospel word! 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. He had done this from the very beginning of his earthly ministry, and he continues faithfully in it to this very end! For he instructed John the Baptist to baptize him for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. (Matt. 3:15).
But there is another matter worthy of notice in our verse. And it is set forth in our title; Jesus Knowing. And this is that to which we need give attention. For this sets the Lord Jesus forth as the Son of man, even though we know him to have eternally been the very Son of God! For as the eternal Son of God we understand that he is omniscient! Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Therefore we more greatly value and completely agree with the Apostle Paul’s instruction concerning this subject in his writings to Timothy. 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
And also think on these glorious words of the Apostle John as he sets forth just exactly whom he knew the Lord Jesus to be. 1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. So he was given, by the Holy Spirit, to know Jesus of Nazareth to be that eternal life, which was with the Father!
But as the Son of man, the Lord Jesus in his physical humanity, had to submit to succession! He was now in time, and time is the measure of succession! As Eternal God, he just “is!” Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. But in his humanity he had to submit to time, and all its successions of past, present, and future. Rev. 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev. 4:8 … Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
And he was made like unto his brethren in all things (Hebrews 2:17), in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest. Therefore he had to submit to ‘rationing’ out his knowledge to himself, affixing it to the degree of his physical growth as is normal to his church! Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. For revelation comes like the sun rises upon the nightly darkened earth, progressively encroaching upon its shadows until the noon day brightness is attained! Prov. 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
And one thing we must always keep in mind concerning our dear Lord and Savior is that he must preform all things perfectly before his Father in order to remain a viable sacrifice! Not only must his methods be perfect, but also his motives must be righteous in the accomplishment of his actions! For the High Priest had to examine the physical lamb which was to be offered as a sin offering for the people. But the Lord God, who looks upon the heart, examined the very soul’s travail of this Lamb of God, who was come to take away the sin of the world! Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Not only did he have to live perfectly, but he was required to suffer and die perfectly on the cross. His “travail” had to be representative of the perfections of God, and without the self pity of human affection! He could not say, as Cain, “My punishment is greater than I can bear!” Nor like Adam, could he say, “This is the fault of the woman thou gavest me.” (And indeed, it was the sin of his Bride, the church, for which he suffered.)
And how did he learn such obedience? Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Faith without works is a dead faith! And he is the author of faith! (James 2:20, Hebrews 12:2). And although he was “perfect” in his nature, he was yet to be made a perfect author of salvation. And that requires the experience of suffering. So he “learned” both the content and the extent of “all points” of temptations, yet he had to remain “without sin!” Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
But there were also times when he drew off of future certainties to act out the causes in the present that would bring forth their determined occurrence. John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? Since he knew, and had already informed his disciples of what was to take place concerning his death, he submitted to the requirements of the present in order to have such things accomplished! Matt. 20:18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. In fact, he said that he was most anxious, or “pressed,” and “sorely urged” (straitened), within himself until such things be accomplished! Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
He also knew that many things of which he wanted to inform his disciples about upcoming matters could not be stated until the coming of the Holy Spirit. John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
There is a small phrase hidden in a small verse in the third chapter of the Book of Mark that reveals Christ “learning” to be patient with those whom he taught. He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him. And he had had then ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, (Mark 3:10,14). But in verse twenty one we read, And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
His friends, or his kinsmen, due to all the multitudes he was stirring up, who followed him so much as they could not so much as eat bread, and due to the fact that he thought himself worthy of having twelve men to constantly attend him, were so aggravated with him that they lay hold on him and proclaimed that he is “bewitched!” (“beside himself” is the same Greek word, “bewitched” in Acts 8:9,11.) What a reaction! They had rather souls be left in sin and bodies in disease, just so long as it did not interfere with their normal routines. And their reaction was to proclaim the Holy One of God to be an embodiment of the devil!
Truly he had not only many things to say, but also many things to do that they could not bear! And what do we find him responding to this kind of situation? We then hear him say, for my time is not yet full come. And he patiently remarks, Are there not twelve hours in the day? (John 7:8, 11:9). These afflictions were causing him to “learn obedience.”
There is another instance that it might be beneficial to have brought to their attention. It is his reaction to his parents who had left him in the temple at Jerusalem, when they sought him out everywhere else, but finally found him there. Here is his reply as listed in Luke 2:49: And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? He was amazed that they had to search for him two days and not come directly to the temple. Why didn’t they know that he would be about his heavenly Father’s business? From this early age he was perplexed that the wisdom and knowledge within himself was not in even his closest acquaintances.
Then the next two verses inform us that even though his mother did not understand what he meant, he ‘dialed back’ his spiritual expression for the present time, yielding his opinions in subjection unto them. Luke 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
Also with Nicodemus, a ruler and teacher of the Jews, he could not get across some spiritual things, that Jesus thought he should know. And this had to have been a disappointing affliction upon the mind of the Lord by which he “learned” obedience to his Father! John 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
What a glorious Savior! What an amazing, constant willingness to die to himself so that his sheep could be led along at their own pace into spiritual edification! He truly would not quench, nor break flameless and smoky, or delicate faith! Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
There was one ‘hard saying’ that he expressed and then added that they might believe it if they saw him ascend back to heaven. John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
And so they did! John 2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Truly did the officers report, Never man spake like this man. (John 7:46)
He helped them believe in himself, that he was God. John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
And he set forth one greater witness than any other to establish faith in the revelation that he was very God! – His works! John 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Someone has truly stated that the greatest miracles that the Lord ever did were those within himself. Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. This, if none other miracle was ever seen from his hand, was enough to show himself to be very God! Consider this verse: Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: The power of God is seen in his self control, as revealed in his endurance and longsuffering of the ungodly! Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
And even though the Lord was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: (Isaiah 53:3), he was not moody, nor depressing! He leaves this physical realm with one thing he intends to be left to all those who believe in him. Listen to his words as he desires them to have his fulness of joy. John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Pastor Gene Breed 12/21/13
