What does Jesus want us to do?

The proof of our love for the Lord Jesus is obedience to Him. In John 14:21 He said to His disciples, “He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me…and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Here, His commandments are specially referred to, things that He has asked His own to do, and, as we read in 1 John 5:3, “His commandments are not grievous.” What the Lord commands is what the divine nature finds delightful, and He has given His commandments so that the believer might have the means to respond to the love that has been so perfectly and fully manifested towards him.

We keep His commandments; but there is one commandment which stands out in a very special way, and which divides into two heads — faith and love. We are to believe on the Name of Jesus Christ, God's Son, and then love one another as He commanded His disciples; notably in John 13:34-35, for instance. We recognize here the two things that are so often mentioned together in the epistles. Paul had not been to Colosse, but he gave thanks to God on their behalf having "heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints" (Colossians 1:4). These two familiar things are proof of true conversion, evidence of a genuine work of God.

We have already seen that what the Lord commanded He expressed in His own life, but He gave the commandments that what was seen in Him might be manifested in His disciples. The Gospels contain many of the Lord's commandments. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, we read, "Let your light so shine before men" (Matt. 5:16); "Resist not evil" (Matt. 5:39); "Give to him that asketh thee" (Matt. 5:42); "Love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44); and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father … is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). These are but a few of the commandments given by the Lord in the Synoptic Gospels, every one of which was expressed in His own life, and that He desires to see in the lives of His own as making Him known before men, and as giving pleasure to Him and to His God and Father.

In John's Gospel the Lord commanded His disciples, "Abide in me" and "Abide in my love" (John 15:4, 10 following these with "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you" (John 15:12). To Simon Peter the Lord gave commandments for his personal service, "Feed my sheep" and "Feed my lambs" (John 21:15-17); and when Peter desired to know what John was to do, the Lord said to him, "What is that to thee? follow thou Me" (John 21:22). We are to abide in the Son of God, in dependence upon Him, and in communion with Him, ever dwelling in the sense of His great love for us, and manifesting divine love to our brethren, seeking to do His will and following Him.

First of all we have to challenge our hearts as to whether we are really acquainted with the commandments of the Lord; for how can we keep them without really knowing them? His commandments must be learned, and how else can we learn them but by becoming acquainted with the Scriptures. There are the individual commandments given in the Gospels and Epistles telling us what the Lord desires us to do. He instructs us in this Gospel to wash one another's feet (John 13), to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34); to abide in Him (John 15:4). In Matthew 5 He tells us to let our light shine before men, not to resist evil, to love our enemies and to be perfect as our heavenly Father (vers. 16, 39, 44, 48); and many such commandments are given for our obedience. After writing many commandments in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians the apostle says, "If any one thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognise the things that I write to you, that it is the Lord's commandment (1 Cor. 14:37). So that it is not enoughto regulate our conduct in individual life by the Lord's commandments, we must learn so that we may keep His commandments in relation to His will in the assembly.

Having learned the commandments of the Lord we are to obey Him in keeping them, for obedience is the proof of love. Some would plead their love to the children of God as an excuse for walking in a wrong path, but this will never do; "Hereby know we that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments" (1 John 5:2). Simple obedience to what God has commanded is the proof that we love God and also His children. Is it love to the children of God either to lead them or to follow them in a way that is contrary to the expressed commandment of the Lord? His commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3), but they rather manifest the way for the divine nature to express itself in righteousness, holiness and love.

"But after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the glad tidings [of the kingdom] of God." This was the fitting moment for his public ministry. It was an hour little suited for nature, when Messiah's forerunner was tasting the enmity of the world; but Jesus came not to escape the sorrows of love in a hating world, but to make known what God is, in spite of — yea, because of — such a world. Therefore He says: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God† has drawn nigh. Repent and believe in the glad tidings." There was no more delay for the testimony of grace. It was no question of the law, but of repentance and believing in the Gospel. But though it was now the time for Divine action, grace will have sharers of its own joy. Accordingly, we have Simon and Andrew, James and John, called to become fishers of men. They had known and believed in Jesus before, but now they must follow and be with Him. Boats, nets, father — their earthly property, their ordinary occupation, their natural relationship — must yield to the call of Jesus. Not that all are called to go after Jesus thus; but assuredly it is the Holy Ghost who leads the soul that is born again to call Him Lord. Is this confession to be real or is it unmeaning? By His blood we are redeemed to God. We are not our own; we are bought with a price. He is our Lord, not only in great things, but in the smallest matters of everyday life. And sure I am that a crisis comes in the history of believing souls, when they must be put to the proof how far this is true in their experience. For Satan does seek to tempt us, out of the happy place of the servants of Christ, to make ourselves lords, as it were. Are we seeking our own interests, our own pleasure, our own ease? Are we struggling for our own will? Are we seeking to be something in the world, or, at any rate, something in the Church? What is this but to be lords instead of His servants? But to own Him as Lord, to do His will, this is our own proper business. For this we are saved. This is what He died for, and this is what we ought to live for — to own Jesus Lord. To live for ourselves in anything is to defraud Him of His rights, and it is to deny, so far, the great price He paid to make us His. "Of the kingdom" disappears with good reason (ℵBL, etc., 1, 33, 69, Syrsin Vulg.), though most uncials (AD, etc.) and cursives insert the words, the old versions being pretty evenly divided. It is an addition borrowed from Matthew, whose Gospel it suits perfectly (B.T., ubi supra). †Matthew uses "kingdom of God" in a few passages where "kingdom of heaven" could not be used (Matt. 6:33, Matt. 12:28, Matt. 21:43). Thus the kingdom of God was there when Christ the King was there; the kingdom of heaven began with Christ going to heaven. By-and-by, when Satan ceases to rule, it will be the kingdom of heaven (and of God too, of course), not in a mystery, but in manifestation. The kingdom of God has also a moral force which kingdom of heaven has not, and in this way is frequently used by St. Paul, and was peculiarly suitable to the Spirit's design in Luke (B. T., March, 18 5 8). See further note 21.

If any one therefore thinks of following the leading of the Lord Jesus, let him be fully prepared. he is called upon first to deny himself (v.23), which means not merely giving up certain advantages, but giving up himself, to deny himself any title of making decisions merely on his own. It means denying himself any rights as belonging to earth. He is to take up his cross daily and follow Christ. Matthew 16:24 does not include the word "daily," for there the initial decision is emphasized, but Luke emphasizes a daily practice.

Against this background, in the same chapter, the Lord said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35). The Lord never asked His disciples to do anything but what they had the perfect example in Himself. We have been brought into a circle of divine love where the love of the Father and the Son are known and enjoyed, and we have the nature and the power by which we can respond to this wondrous love.

Not one moment were they left in doubt as to that, for the Lord immediately replied, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He has sent" (29). Faith was required, believing on the Lord Jesus, the sent One of God, not activity in works, nor the bringing of an offering to the altar in the Temple court. Nothing was required, therefore, beyond what a man could do. Not works, but faith, was the work of God for them. But now a supposed difficulty presented itself. How should they believe on Him without some sign to authenticate His mission? "What sign showest Thou then, that we may see, and believe Thee? — What dost Thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat" (30, 31). Now it was but the previous evening that five thousand men, besides women and children, had been fed, being amply provided for in the wilderness. Could we have supposed, apart from the knowledge of our own hearts, that such a question should have been asked, and such a reference made to the history of the past, in the face of the miracle they had witnessed, and by which all of them had abundantly profited? With justice might He have turned away from them who had thus spoken. But grace in Him was active. Their souls' best interests He had at heart. So He, who is the only begotten Son of God, quietly replied, "Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses gave you not that [or, the] bread out of heaven but My Father gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world" (32, 33). Saving grace goes out beyond Israel, and is world-wide in its sphere of blessing. The true bread was out of heaven, far surpassing, therefore, the manna to which they had referred. It was, however, for them, if they would receive it, the gift of His Father; and it could minister spiritual life to them, and to the world.

Jesus knew man, the world, the generation that had enjoyed the greatest advantages of all that were in the world. There was no place for the foot to rest on in the miry slough of that which had departed from God. In the midst of a world of evil Jesus remained the sole revealer of the Father, the source of all good. Whom does He call? What does He bestow on those who come? Only source of blessing and revealer of the Father, He calls all those who are weary and heavy laden. Perhaps they did not know the spring of all misery; namely, separation from God - sin. He knew, and He alone could heal them. If it was the sense of sin which burdened them, so much the better. Every way the world no longer satisfied their hearts; they were miserable, and therefore the objects of the heart of Jesus. Moreover, He would give them rest. He does not here explain by what means; He simply announces the fact. The love of the Father, which in grace, in the person of the Son, sought out the wretched, would bestow rest (not merely alleviation or sympathy, but rest) on every one that came to Jesus. It was the perfect revelation of the Father's name to the heart of those who needed it, and that by the Son - peace, peace with God. They had but to come to Christ. He undertook all, and gave rest. But there is a second element in rest. There is more than peace through the knowledge of the Father in Jesus, and more than that is needed; for even when the soul is perfectly at peace with God, this world presents many causes of trouble to the heart. In these cases it is a question of submission or of self-will. Christ, in the consciousness of His rejection, in the deep sorrow caused by the unbelief of the cities in which He had wrought so many miracles, had just manifested the most entire submission to His Father, and had found therein perfect rest to His soul. To this He calls all that heard Him, all that felt the need of rest to their own souls. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me"; that is to say, the yoke of entire submission to His Father's will, learning of Him how to meet the troubles of life; for He was "meek and lowly in heart," content to be in the lowest place at the will of His God. In fact nothing can overthrow one who is there. It is the place of perfect rest to the heart. J. N. D.

There are two necessary prerequisites on the part of His own. It was not sufficient that they be troubled in heart, let them prove their love for their departing Lord. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." Obedience is ever the proof of love. "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."