The Names of the Mediator (4)

Branch

““Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant theBRANCH” (Zechariah 3:8).

The Lord teaches the prophet Zechariah in night visions. In the fourth night vision we find the high priest Joshua accused by the devil. God the Father speaks; Joshua is redeemed. He is acquitted from guilt and punishment and received a right to eternal life by virtue of the merits of the Angel of the LORD because of the eternal good pleasure. An unclean high priest is cleansed. We find him in this night vision as a silent man. He could bring nothing against Satan’s accusations. Nor could he appeal to his office as high priest. His conscience condemned him. Uncleanness and death remained. The image of the accused high priest is shocking to the prophet Zechariah, but it is no less poignant for the people. After all, does this people not consist of returned exiles who look with joy and expectation to the high priest Joshua? However, if this high priest is unclean, nothing remains of their expectation.

Satan has powerful means against the Church. Sometimes he oppresses with the enmity of the world. At other times, the old man stirs and there is no strength in the battle against sin. Also, the Prince of Darkness aims his arrows at the servants of God. Despondency and despair make it impossible for them to serve. Joshua has no answer; neither do his friends. Then the Lord speaks the wonderful word, “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant the BRANCH.”

In spite of everything, Joshua may still be alive, as well as his friends, who are fellow warriors in God’s kingdom. The fact that they are still alive after the exile is a sign. Christ, the Branch will come. A branch testifies of new, spotless life. Dejected office bearers, silent guilty ones, God will make His word come true. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth” (Jeremiah 23:5). “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b).

—October 14, 2010, Rev. C. Neele

Bread

“I am thatBreadof life” (John 6:48).

In John 6, we find the Lord Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. There He fed thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. This was a miracle. A miracle of Christ is a sign. We must see deeper than the external miracle. Christ wanted to give spiritual instruction with the multiplying of the bread. The multitude did not understand this spiritual instruction and neither did the disciples. The multitude wanted to make Christ king, but the Saviour forced His disciples to go into the ship; He Himself sought solitude. The disciples come into a storm; thus, Christ is going to prepare them for spiritual instruction.

The following day, the multitude finds the Lord Jesus in Capernaum. There He teaches about the meat that endures unto everlasting life. He calls Himself the true Bread that came down from heaven. Bread is the common food in Scripture. Bread and water are the necessities of life. Thus, Christ is necessary for spiritual life. Without Him, no life is possible. Have we learned this already?

Someone who eats bread receives new vigour. The Lord Jesus wanted to use plain bread as a sign in the ministry of the Holy Supper so that there would be new strength in spiritual life. He calls Himself the living Bread. This is food that revives the soul. He who does not eat this Bread remains in the midst of death, but whoever may eat it will live forever. He declares that this Bread is His flesh. His flesh will be broken. He will die and, thereby, obtain eternal life.

In the time of the Bible, bread was not cut, but pieces were broken off. In each broken piece was nourishing power. This is how it will be experienced if the Bread of Life may be eaten. This is Bread that never runs out. God’s people may eat a piece of this Bread each time. By faith they may look upon Christ who gave His flesh. This is the food for their souls. This is enough for them in this life but also in dying, yes, even unto eternity. There is a people who may know that a crumb satisfies. However, a beggar-people receive not only the crumbs of this heavenly Bread, but they receive the whole Bread. For “he that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). This is life.

—February 11, 2010, Rev. C. Neele

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