Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: April 3rd

When Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father. - John 13:1.

THERE is something peculiar here. He knew the time of his departure, and had his eye upon it, and regulated his measures by it, from the beginning; but we know not the day of our death. We have our hour of departure appointed us. Infinite wisdom and goodness have placed us here, and we are not to undervalue a state in which, we enjoy so many comforts and are favoured with so many means of grace and blessed and dignified with opportunities of usefulness; but the voice cries, (and we are always to be in a state of readiness to listen to it,) “Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest, because it is polluted.”

We are not to throw down our implements and run out of the field before the work of the day is done. But what will it then be but a departure out of this world, this vain world, this vexing world, this defiling, this tempting world,-this world which crucified the Lord of glory,-in which we walk by faith, and in which we so often exclaim, “Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech and dwell in the tents of Kedar!” What will it be but a departure out of this world “unto the Father”? For those who are “the sons and daughters of the Lord almighty” are going to their Father too.

No disaster shall hinder the Christian from arriving at his Father’s house in peace. And that house is replenished with every attraction which can draw us forward. When the venerable Mede, whose gray hairs were a “crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness,” was asked how he was, resting upon his staff, he cheerfully answered, “Why, going home as fast as I can; as every honest man ought to do when his day’s work is done: and I bless God that I have a home to go to.” What is dying now but the coming of our hour to depart out of this world unto the Father?-

“There is my house and portion fair

My treasure and my heart is there,

And my abiding home;

For me my elder brethren stay,

And angels beckon me away,

And Jesus bids me come.”

This is his name whereby he shall he called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. - Jeremiah 23:6.

NAMES are designed to distinguish and to make their owners known; persons more than things are always called by their proper names. When it is here said: “This is his name whereby he shall be called-JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, the Lord our righteousness, it may be considered as including three things.

First, This is considered his greatest work. When a man takes a name from any of his actions, we may be assured that he will do it from the most peculiar, the most eminent, the most glorious of them. When, therefore, the Redeemer was to assume a name worthy of him, and by which he was to pass in our world, he was to be called “the Lord our righteousness.” He is great and mighty as a Prophet and as a King, but it is his Priestly office on which all is founded, and which gives them their efficiency and their success. We rejoice in his dominion, but it is “his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross,” that affords relief to our troubled consciences, and by believing which we are enabled to “enter into rest.” This is the doctrine that harmonizes and honours the divine perfections, that gives them their glory in the highest; this is that which best secures holiness in life, and peace in death. This, and this alone, constrains us to live not unto ourselves, but to him that “died for us and rose again.” This is our comfort in adversity; in the confidence of this alone we can finish our course with joy. Every truth in Scripture is connected with it, and leaving it we lose the clue, and are found only in an inextricable labyrinth.

Secondly, It means that he is to be approached under this character. This is always to be the great subject of the Christian ministry. Paul therefore says, “We preach Christ crucified,” “whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” The first preaching of the gospel was called the “preaching of the cross” itself, and the first ministers made manifest the Saviour and the Redeemer’s knowledge in every place, for they knew and conformed to it-they knew that this was the name by which he was to be called, “The Lord our righteousness.”

Thirdly, It means that all his people would own him as such. Therefore it is said: “Surely shall one say, in the Lord Jehovah have I righteousness and strength.” Not only believe it, but say it. “One” here does not mean “one” exclusively, but “one” characteristically-one as a specimen, a sample of all of them; for all of them will be induced to use the same language, when inducted into the glory of this scheme, by the influence of him who is to glorify Christ by taking of the things of Christ and showing them to us. Each will then say, “My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long.” And not only is it the burden of their praise below, but of their praise above. It is the name under which they will adore him for ever.

They will not be so taken up with their joy, and dazzled with their glories there, as to forget the way by which they came there, and realized all this, but they will sing, “Worthy is the Lamb;” they will say, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever.”