"When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain himself alone." (John 6:15)
This was immediately following the feeding of the multitude. By reading another record we learn that before He departed for the mountain He sent the disciples away, "constrained His disciples to get into the ship." (Matthew 14:22)
This word would imply that He was obliged to insist that they get into the ship. They did not want to do this, for they with the rest who desired to make Him king, wished to be with Him; and they, doubtless more than any of the others, desired this, for they knew His power better than the others did, and could not understand why He refused to use it in the ordinary way. "And when even was now come, His disciples went down into the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them." (John 6:16-17)
That was a lonely time, but Jesus saw them thus from where He was, for we read that He saw them "toiling in rowing." (Mark 6:48) "And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near unto the ship; and they were afraid. But He said unto them, It is I; be not afraid." (John 6:18-20)
On reading this, one cannot help thinking of the last words of Christ as recorded in: "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go, therefore, and teach all nations. ... and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Here in this Gospel commission, that all are familiar with, we have a command, the reason, and the consequence. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, therefore go and do this work."
Who is this that presumes thus to speak? What mockery it would be in any ordinary person to make such a statement,--it would be simply making sport of us. There is nothing more discouraging to a person who is losing heart, who feels helpless and weak, than to see somebody else go ahead and succeed when he cannot; and this discouragement is increased tenfold if that other, boastful in his strength, says, "It is easy enough for me; why don't you do it?" So the statement of Jesus, "I have all power in heaven and in earth,--I can do whatever I will, now you go and do the work;--if I can do it, you ought to," would in an ordinary man be mockery, and totally discouraging. But that is not the way He says it. He says, "Go and do this work, and, lo, I am with you."
Who is with us? I Am--that is His name. It is His name that goes with us. The name of the Lord, the strong tower, that name that is above every name, that name in which there is salvation, is with us; and that is what He said to the disciples that night when they were toiling and rowing. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe." (Proverbs 18:10) "Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name." (Philippians 2:9) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Although they were out in the sea, twenty-five furlongs from either shore, they were not alone. Jesus was in the mountain praying, but He saw them. Then after a time they saw Him coming to them, and they were frightened; but He said to them, "Be not afraid; I Am." (John 6:20)
He announced His name, they received Him gladly, and immediately the remaining distance was covered; when He was in the boat with them, they had reached the end.
Receiving the End of Your Faith
Before He came into the boat, when they did not know of His presence, because they didn't see it,--and what our eyes cannot see we are, like the heathen, prone to forget,--they were toiling in rowing, wearing themselves out.
As soon as He came into the boat, they were at the end. Why? because He is the Beginning and the End, the Author and the Finisher, the Perfecter. So when we get to the very beginning of our work, lo, it is ended--that is, when we begin in Him.
That is the way it will be in this work of proclaiming the last Gospel message: when we think it has scarcely begun,--because there seems to be so great an amount before us still to do,--lo, the work will be finished, because He says He will cut short the work in righteousness , and as He is our righteousness136, He will cut short the work in himself. "For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." (Romans 9:28) "In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:6)
And here is something that should serve as a warning: While many are flattering themselves that by and by they will be ready to serve the Lord, ready to engage in the work,--and to engage in the work of the Lord is simply to serve Him,--before they know it, the work will be ended, and the opportunity forever gone.
When the disciples received Jesus willingly, gladly, into the ship, "immediately the ship was at the land where they went." (John 6:21)
The work was done. So when we gladly receive the Lord without any reservation, without any hesitation, then we will find that the work is done. That is what does the work. "Lo, I am with you," (Matthew 28:20) the One with all power in heaven and earth. Jesus walked on the sea. He had power over the earth, the waves, the winds, and the elements. That power came to Him from the Father. Why? Because: "It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell;" (Colossians 1:19) because He did always the thing that pleased the Father, and the Father was pleased to be manifested in Him, and them He showed His power. When they received Him into the boat,--Him in whom is all fullness, all completion,--their work was completed. "And He that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him." (John 8:29)
His Power Given to Us with Himself
The One who did this is the One who says, "Now go, and I am with you; my name is with you."
That name by which the poor man at the gate of the temple was healed: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk." (Acts 3:6)
What is the name? I Am. That name worked with the man, so that it was no more difficult for him to walk than it was for Christ. The presence of Christ came into the man and then he could walk. Jesus could walk where others could not. That man, practically without any legs, could walk when he took the name of Jesus. So when Jesus says, "I am with you," (Matthew 28:20) He does not mean along side of us, taunting us with an exhibition of His superiority over us, making us discouraged at the sight of what He can do. No; that name "I AM," identifies itself with us, and operates in us, and then is the saying fulfilled, "You are complete in Him." (Colossians 2:10)
How can we come into communication with that power? How can we be so conscious of it that we can let ourselves rest upon the name, and in the name? "All power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)
Then you cannot get away from the power--you cannot go where the power of God is not. "Where shall I go from your Spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence?" (Psalm 139:7)
Where will man go that he will be beyond the presence of God's power? He cannot get off the earth, and the earth is full of the glory of the Lord. The earth is a standing memorial of the power of the Lord, and the heavens proclaim it. All speak the words, "I Am," and make known everlasting help and salvation.
Positive Terms
Mark well the words that Jesus uses. He says "I Am." There is no negative with Him. We very often put a negative with the I Am, that is, "I am not." But He does not does not do so.
Rachel would not be comforted for her children, because they were not,--didn't exist. That is our condition. We are not anything; we are less than nothing, and vanity. We are not sufficient.
Then comes One who is--I Am. I am not able to do the thing that I should,-but Jesus says, "I Am." There comes every time the reply,--I Am.
Our very word of complaint is a suggestion of victory, if we would only recognize it. In stating our lack of sufficiency, we begin with the very term which means success. "I am not able." We start in with I Am. If we leave off the "not," then we have the success. It is not we who are able; "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves [even] to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God; Who has made us able to be administrators of the new covenant." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6)
And thus out of the very depths we can step at once to the heights; out of our discouragement we can find courage; out of weakness we are made strong. So when we begin to say, "I am not," just stop: "Lo, I Am."
Christ is the positive truth,--I Am,--so we can leave off the negative, and there we can rest. When we say: "I am not able to bear the burden I am struggling under,--I feel that it is crushing me," Jesus says, "I Am." "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28)
Cast all your burden upon me--I am able. When we say: "I am not able to endure this contempt, this slight, this lack of appreciation, this being cut off and misunderstood,
Jesus says, "I AM." So whenever we may say of anything that needs to be done, "I am not able," then we may go back and cut off that negative, listening to Christ, "I Am able." "He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him." (Hebrews 7:25) "He is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." (Jude 1:24)
And the evidence of this, although we cannot see Him, is the power that we see all about us-in the heavens, and in the earth; yea, it is: "The power that works in us." (Ephesians 3:20)
• If we keep our mind on the presence of Christ;
• If we let Him impress our dull, stupid minds with the fact of His presence;
• If we will let Him write His law upon our hearts, and put it into our minds; then we can know what it is to have the strength of Him who said, " Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20) And His presence will give us rest, no matter how hard the work may be.--Present Truth, August 8, 1901--Timeline: IV-39 (Jesus Walks on the Lake)--John 6:15-21.