“DIVINE LIFE: TRIUMPHANT OVER NATURAL FORCES”

The matter with which we are occupied in these days is 
‘the training of disciples’.

One of ‘the passages’ which was at ‘the foundation’ was: “Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in 
His name”. (John 20:30, 31) 

‘The Lord Jesus’ did many ‘Signs’ in ‘the presence of His disciples’, and ‘John’ says that out of those many he selected a few, that they might lead ‘the disciples’ into ‘Faith’ through which they would receive ‘Life’.  

So ‘the training of disciples’ is unto Life.  

We have been seeing something of these ‘seven Signs’ that ‘John’ chose for that purpose: ‘seven Signs’ given by ‘the Lord Jesus’ in ‘the presence of His disciples’ and intended to result in Life.  

We are ‘the Lord’s disciples’ also, and ‘He’ would train us in ‘the same way’, so that ‘the result’ of ‘His training’ of us might be ‘His own Life’ in us.  

Oh, I trust that everyone has come to see that! 

We now come to ‘the fifth’ of these ‘Signs’. 

Reading: John 6:16-21 -

You notice that this is not a very long ‘story’, but it is very full.  

It is one ‘Sign’ which ‘John’ selected out of ‘the many’, and if he decided, out of so ‘many’, to include this ‘one’ in his ‘seven’, he must have regarded it as being ‘very important’.  

You will have noticed that this was something for ‘the disciples’ alone.  

‘The multitude’ had gone away, and ‘the Lord Jesus’ was going to deal with ‘the disciples’ alone.  

It was therefore something ‘very important’ as to their ‘training’.  

Now both ‘Matthew’ and ‘Mark’ record this ‘incident’, and they have more to say about it than ‘John’ has, which means that ‘John’ had just his one ‘object’ before him and was reducing this whole thing to one ‘purpose’.  

But in ‘Matthew’ (14:22) and ‘Mark’ (6:45) it says that ‘the Lord Jesus’ constrained ‘the disciples’ to enter into ‘the boat’, and that word constrained is a very ‘strong word’. 

It means ‘to make necessary’ - notice: ‘the Lord Jesus’ made it necessary for them to get into that ‘boat’. 

That word ‘constrain’ is translated in several other ways in ‘the New Testament’, and they will give us some idea of how strong ‘the word’ is.  

You will remember ‘the incident’ when ‘the woman with her infirmity’ pressed through ‘the multitude’ and touched ‘the hem of the Lord’s garment’, and ‘the Lord Jesus’ knew that ‘virtue’ had gone out of ‘Him’.  

‘He’ looked around and said: “Who touched Me?” 

‘The disciples’ said: “Master, the multitude throng You and press You and You ask, who touched Me?” (Luke 8:45) 

That word ‘throng’ You is ‘the same word’ in ‘the Greek’ as this word ‘constrain’.  

Have you ever been in a ‘multitude’? 

How helpless you are when you get into a ‘great crowd of people’! 

If they are all moving in ‘one direction’, it is no use trying to go in ‘the other’.  

They ‘constrain’ you to go ‘their way’.  

As you see, it is a ‘strong word’. 

Then, when ‘the Lord Jesus’ was arrested to stand ‘His trial’, it says: “And the men that held Jesus”. (Luke 22:63) 

That ‘word’ is the same as is here translated ‘constrained’. 

‘The Lord Jesus’ constrained ‘His disciples’ to get into that ‘boat’.  

Notice: it was not just a ‘request’ - ‘He’ did not say: ‘now, I would like you to get into that ‘boat’.’  

‘He’ said: ‘I want you to get into that ‘boat’ and go over to the other side’. (Period!)

You may think that is just a ‘lot of words’, but you will see before we have finished that it is ‘very important’ to this ‘Sign’.  

Now if ‘the Lord Jesus’ knew what ‘He’ would do about ‘feeding the five thousand’ when ‘He’ asked ‘Philip’: “From where are we to buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to test him: for He Himself knew what He would  do”. (John 6:5) 

‘He’ also knew quite well what ‘He’ was doing when ‘He’ constrained ‘the disciples’ to get into that ‘boat’.  

That is, ‘He’ had a ‘plan’ and a ‘purpose’ already in ‘His mind’ - it was a ‘deliberate part’ of their ‘training’. 

‘The Lord Jesus’ was always putting these ‘disciples’ into  ‘situations’ which would make it necessary for them to make a new discovery of ‘Himself’.  

We saw how ‘true’ that was in ‘the case’ of ‘the feeding of the five thousand’.  

‘He’ deliberately put ‘His disciples’ into a ‘situation’ which made it absolutely necessary for them to discover something new of ‘Him’.  

And that is exactly what ‘He’ was doing on this ‘occasion’.

‘The storm’, that took place on ‘the Sea’ was no surprise to ‘the Lord Jesus’ - ‘He’ knew all about it before it happened.  

‘He’ knew it was going to happen - and ‘He’ ‘constrained’ them to get into ‘the boat’.  

And so we come from ‘the story’ to ‘the Sign’.  

Actually, there are ‘four signs’ inside this ‘one Sign’, but let us remind ourselves of this - that a ‘Sign’ is something more than an ‘actual event’. 

It implies that ‘the event’ has a ‘deeper meaning’ than ‘itself’.  

‘John’ does not call this a ‘Miracle’: he calls it a ‘Sign’.  

He says that there is a ‘meaning’ hidden inside this ‘event’, and we are going to see what a ‘very great meaning’ there was in it.   

For we must remember that ‘the Lord Jesus’ knew all ‘things’.  

‘He’ was always ‘teaching’ and ‘working’ in ‘the light of the future’, and ‘the whole future’ was inside this ‘Sign’.  

Now look at ‘the details’.  

‘The Lord Jesus’ at this time was up on ‘the Mountain’, praying, making intercession, and we know that ‘Mountains’ in ‘the Bible’ always have a ‘Spiritual significance’.  

They speak of ‘the high places’.  

So ‘the first thing’ we have inside this ‘Sign’ is ‘the Lord Jesus’ exalted to “the right hand of the Majesty on high”. (Hebrews 1:3) 

‘The Psalmist’, in prophesying about ‘the Lord Jesus’, said: “You have ascended on high, You have led Your captivity captive”. (Psalm 68:18) 

“He raised Him from the dead, and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all”. (Eph.1:20) 

And what is ‘He’ doing up there? 

The writer of ‘the Letter to the Hebrews’ tells us: “He ever lives to make intercession”. (Heb.7:25)

‘He’ is praying, making intercession for ‘the Saints’, up in ‘the heavenly Mountain’.

“You have ascended on high”. - ‘You are making intercession’.  

That is in this ‘Sign’. 

‘The Lord Jesus’ was working with ‘the future’ in mind and was foreseeing ‘the time’ when it would be true that all ‘Authority’ had been given unto ‘Him’ in ‘Heaven’ and on ‘Earth’ - and, we may say, on ‘the Sea’ as well.  

That is ‘the Sign’ in general.  

‘The Lord Jesus’ is up on high making ‘intercession’, and ‘He’ was already, by this ‘Sign’, telling ‘the disciples’ something about what it would be like in ‘the future’.  

Then, next, notice ‘the Sign’ of ‘the Sea’.  

I expect you know that ‘the Sea’ is often used in ‘the Bible’  as a type of ‘the world’ and ‘the nations of this world’.  

When ‘the Lord Jesus’ called ‘Simon’, ‘the fisherman’, from ‘the Sea’ ‘He’ said: “I will make you fishers of men”. (Matt.4:19) - in other words: ‘I will send you into the nations to be fishers’.  

‘The Sea of Galilee’ was only a type of ‘the world’ and its ‘people’.  

And ‘Peter’ did get a great ‘multitude of fishes’ on ‘the day of Pentecost’.  

Read again the description of ‘the people’ who were in ‘Jerusalem’ on that ‘day’.   

It mentions a whole list of ‘nationalities’ represented there, and sums it all up: “Every nation under Heaven”. (Acts 2:5) 

And this great ‘spiritual fisherman’ let down his net on ‘the day of Pentecost’ and got a ‘draught of fishes’.  

‘The Sea’ is quite clearly a type of ‘the nations of the world’.  

But how restless ‘the nations are’! 

‘The Sea’ is a ‘very restless thing’.  

It is always changing, and we can never be sure of it.

Sometimes it is in a ‘tempest’, and then sometimes it seems to be ‘quiet’ and ‘placid’, but it is a ‘very uncertain thing’.

I shall stop here for today, and we shall pick it up from here ‘next Sunday’, Lord willing!

Last Sunday, I stated that ‘the Sea of Galilee’, where ‘the fifth Sign’ took place, was a type of ‘the world’ and its people’.

‘The Sea’, as we have seen, is a ‘very restless thing’.

It is always changing and we can never be sure of it.

When ‘the disciples’ set out that evening ‘the Sea’ seemed to be ‘quite calm’, but it was not long before it ‘changed its face’.  

You will remember, on ‘Paul’s last journey to Rome by Ship’, ‘the Sea was very calm when they set sail’, but it was not long before ‘the whole situation’ changed.  

How restless ‘the nations’ are, and how uncertain are ‘the situations’ in ‘the world’! 

Perhaps that was never more ‘true’ than it is today - ‘the nations’ are in a ‘tumult’! 

Now ‘the Lord Jesus’ deliberately sent these men into ‘the Sea’, and that is ‘the Sign of the Sea’, or ‘the meaning of the Sea’.  

What about ‘the Storm’? 

What is ‘the Sign of the Storm’? 

It says that a ‘great Wind’ was blowing - there arose a ‘strong Wind’.  

There are ‘evil forces’ at work over and around ‘the nations’ of this ‘world’ - ‘the very atmosphere’ is full of them, and these ‘forces’, like ‘the Wind’, are stirring up things against ‘the people of God’.  

That was never more ‘true’ than it is ‘today’.  

What a ‘mighty Wind’ is blowing against ‘the people of God’! 

In so many ‘nations’, ‘the evil forces’ are against ‘the Lord’s people’, stirring things up against them.  

But we do not have to go to ‘other countries’ to prove it. 

If we are ‘the Lord’s people’ we are all conscious that there are ‘evil forces’ against us.   

They are tearing at ‘our families’, molesting our ‘young people’, sometimes using unsuspecting ‘members of the fellowship’ to produce an ‘undercurrent’, and so on.

There is a ‘strong Wind’ blowing and it is ‘contrary’ - it is ‘hard work’ to row against it.  

Of course, ‘the Lord’ had told ‘His disciples’ that it would be like that, and that ‘the time’ was coming when they would be hated of all men for ‘His sake’. 

‘He’ said: “In the world you have tribulation”. (John 16:63) 

Yes, ‘He’ had told them that it would be like this - that, as they went into ‘the nations’, they would find everything against them.  

‘He’ knew all about it a long time before...but ‘He’ sent them into it.  

Next, ‘the Sign’ of ‘His walking on the Sea’.  

We note here in this ‘story’ that although ‘the Lord Jesus’  was away up on ‘the Mountain’, and they were away down on ‘the Sea’, ‘He’ knew all about their ‘situation’.  

‘He’ was not out of touch with them.  

‘He’ knew exactly what was happening.  

That is, of course, simple, but it is ‘very comforting’.  

If ‘He’ is in ‘Heaven’ and we are down here on this ‘Earth’, ‘physically’, even if there is a long way between ‘the two’, ‘He’ knows all about our ‘situation’. 

‘He’ is closely in touch with ‘the position’ that we are in.  

‘The natural thing’ was that they would be overpowered and forced under by this ‘Sea’.  

There was an occasion, you remember, when they were on ‘the same Sea’, and ‘the same kind of storm’ arose.  

That ‘time’ they awoke ‘the Lord Jesus’, saying: “Master, we perish”. (Luke 8:24) 

And this was another ‘experience’ like that, and it was quite ‘the natural thing’ that these ‘adverse forces’ should drown them, should prove to be too ‘strong’ for them.   

‘Naturally’ they would go under.  

And ‘the Lord Jesus’ came to them ‘walking on the water’.  

What did ‘the disciples’ learn that night? 

That if ‘the Lord Jesus’ is present, all ‘the natural course of things’ is reversed.

‘Natural laws’ are just turned around ‘the other way’.  

‘He’ has ‘ascendancy’ over all ‘the natural forces’.   

‘His Life’ is more powerful than all ‘the forces’ which are against it.  

And that is what ‘He’ was trying to teach these ‘disciples’.  

Now, of course, we can interpret this in ‘our own experience’, for we know something about ‘adversity’ in this ‘world’ and ‘the tremendous spiritual forces’ that are against us.  

But perhaps many of us know ‘the other side’ of ‘the story’ - that ‘naturally’ we should many times have gone under and these ‘other forces’ would have proved to be far too ‘powerful’ for us.  

‘The natural forces’ in ‘our own selves’ are far too ‘strong’ for us.  

It is not difficult for us to go down under ‘the natural forces’ in ‘our own make-up’, in ‘our circumstances’, in ‘other people’, and yes, even in ‘other Christians’ - ‘Paul’ had a real battle with ‘the natural forces’ in ‘the believers at Corinth’.  

And then there are ‘the natural forces’ in this ‘world’ - but all these ‘natural forces’ are reinforced by ‘super-natural evil forces’.  

Listen, if we were left to ‘ourselves’ they would overpower us and put us under.  

Yes, this ‘Storm’ on ‘the Sea’ has a ‘very real counterpart’ in ‘the Spiritual Life’ of ‘the Lord’s people’. 

But what I began to say was this: that we have not yet gone under.  

We who are ‘the Lord’s people’ are not under yet! 

‘The enemy’ has had a good try to put us under; and ‘people’ have had a good try to put us under; and ‘the world’ has had a good try to put us under, and we are aware of these ‘forces’ being active in our midst - but so far we are not under.  

Why is that? 

Because we are so ‘strong’?  

Oh no, never that! 

Because we have such a ‘determined will’? 

Because we say: ‘I am not going under’? 

Oh no, it is nothing like that! 

It is because this same ‘Jesus’ is inside, this ‘One’ Who can walk upon ‘the water’.  

‘He’ is not struggling with ‘the water’ or ‘the wind’ - ’He’ has them under ‘His feet’: “All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go you therefore and make disciples of all the nations”. (Matt. 28:18,19) 

You will find plenty of ‘storms’ there, but “Lo, I am with you all the days”. (Matt. 28:19) 

It is ‘the Power’ of ‘His Life’ that is stronger than all ‘the storms’.  

‘The Lord Jesus’ taught ‘the disciples’ this in ‘His act’, and they lived to prove it in their own ‘experience’ and ‘history’.

Notice this ‘last thing’.  

When our life is committed to ‘Christ’ we are not always kept from ‘trouble’.  

In fact, ‘He’ very often deliberately leads us into it.  

‘He’ constrains us to get into that ‘boat’.  

Of course, we do not know what is going to happen, but we do know that ‘the Lord’ is making us go in a ‘certain direction’ - and then we meet ‘trouble’.  

We have to say: ‘Well, ‘the Lord’ has brought us into this ‘trouble’. - ‘He’ is responsible for our being in this ‘situation’.’  

We may be wholly committed to ‘the Lord’, but that does not mean that we are going to be kept free from ‘trouble’. 

If we think that by being thoroughly devoted to ‘the Lord’ we are going to be saved from ‘trouble’, we are going to find that that is not ‘true’.  

Please, believe me! 
No, ‘wholly committed people’ are not saved from ‘trouble’, but they are made to ascend over it, to rise above it, for they are kept through it by ‘His power’.  

‘The trouble’ does not ‘destroy’ them.  

It becomes the ‘means’ in ‘the Lord’s hands’ of teaching them some ‘very valuable lessons’, and afterward they say: ‘it was worth all ‘the trouble’.’  

Several of you have told me over ‘the years’ that you know that in ‘theory’ but not in ‘Reality’, but that is just ‘the point’. 

“All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous, but grievous: yet afterward it yields peaceable fruit...of 
Righteousness”. (Heb.12:11)  

You know, I wonder what these ‘disciples’ said when they reached ‘the other side’! 

I expect, if they had an opportunity to talk together, they said: ‘Well, that was a terrible experience! - I really wondered what was going to happen - but I have learned a mighty lesson of ‘Christ’s power’ and would not be without ‘the experience’ for anything.’  

And so, we see, our ‘Spiritual Education’ rests upon this word ‘necessity’, for that is ‘the real word’ for ‘constrain’! 

‘He’ made it necessary for ‘the disciples’ to get into ‘the boat’, and it is necessary for us to have ‘experiences’ like this, because it is only by such ‘experiences’ that we discover what a ‘Christ’ we have, and what a ‘wonderful thing’ is this ‘Eternal Life’.     (Please, read John 9 for next time!)