THE FULL REVELATION OF UNION WITH CHRIST

November 5, 2000 am
MF Blume

John 1:1-7  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.


John begins his gospel with a wonderful parallel with the book of Genesis.
• He begins with the beginning.
• And he begins with the LIGHT.

As we well know, Genesis follows through with speaking of day after day in which God accomplished various works.
• Before the first day, we read that God existed.
• And we read that the earth was void and without form.
• The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep.

During the first day God spoke forth light.
• Declaration was made.
• God spoke.
• And HIS WORD ALWAYS REVEALS HIMSELF.
• We actually see that LIGHT was God being revealed.
• He is the light.
• And He divided light from darkness.

On day two, God separated waters above from waters below.

On day Three things really livened up literally.
• Life was created.
• Plants:  grass and fruit trees.

Three days are always significant in the Bible of a precious truth.

John 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Mark 10:33-34  saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him; and after three days he shall rise again.

 Three days speak of the most precious truth in our entire lives.
• Nothing is greater than experiencing this three days yourself.
• And since Jesus resurrected the third day it is no wonder that the third day in Genesis shows the first indication of real life in this creation.

There is a specific set of three days mentioned in John.
• We read of one day wherein the priests questioned John the Baptist

John 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
And then there is day following this one according to 1:29
John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Then there is day following that in verse 35.
John 1:35-36  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
And even another day in verse 43
John 1:43  The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
So we have four days listed here so far.
• But there is an interesting note mentioned in chapter 2:1 that looks odd at first but actually makes a lot of sense.
• We need to note this because it has spiritual significance.
John 2:1  And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Chapter 1:43 says that Jesus had not been to Galilee yet during these days, and set out to go there on that day.
• And this day is the fourth day of the series of days in John 1.
• But chapter 2:1 says that it was during the third day of the previous chapter that Jesus was in a marriage celebration in Cana of GALILEE.
• In other words, according to Chapter 2, Jesus was in Galilee the third day, when John lists four days in chapter 1 and Jesus does not even proceed to enter Galilee until the fourth day.
• So we have him in Galilee the third day in chapter 2, but we have him leaving for Galilee on the fourth day in chapter 1.

But the truth of the picture is that John counts the days beginning on the day when JESUS FIRST COMES ON THE SCENE.
• This was the second day, or the day following the first day when John was questioned by the priests.

John says that Christ is the LIGHT, and we know that God said LET THERE BE LIGHT on the first day.
• So it only stands to reason that John count the beginning of days in John 1 as the day when Jesus appears to Israel.

John 1:4-9  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Here we really see how that the Gospel of John is so comparable to the book of Revelation. So Day One is John 1:29.
Day Two is John 1:35.
Day Three is John 1:43.

On Day One notice what happens.

John 1:29-34  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
 Jesus came on the scene and was revealed to John.

Verse 31 said that John knew that He would introduce Messiah, but did not know who it specifically was who is Messiah.
• He only knew that somehow through his ministry of baptizing in water that Israel would have manifested to them the Messiah!

This is full of truth!
• Baptism portrays of death and burial and resurrection.
• Dead bodies are lowered into graves.
• But since baptism shows one lowered into water and raised again, we see resurrection from the grave.
• And therefore baptism is such a wonderful portrait of death, burial and resurrection.

JESUS IS REVEALED TO THE WORLD THROUGH HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION!

John saw a revelation of the Messiah, personally, when he saw the spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

John 1:33-34  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
As I said, John also wrote the book of Revelation.
• That book is about a revelation of Jesus Christ.
• Well, it seems that the Gospel of John is also a revelation of Jesus Christ.
• Jesus is the light and is revealed.

According to the other gospels, Jesus went to be baptized by John the very day he left the wilderness where he was tempted of the devil.
• So He appears to Israel after He left the wilderness and that is the first day in John’s understanding.

Before God said let there be light in Genesis, we read that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2).
• We read that the world was covered in darkness.
• The earth was void and without form.

Well, in the same manner on this first day we read that Jesus is in the water and the Spirit of God descends upon Him while He is in the water.
• Just like the Spirit moving on the face of the deep.
• And it is then that John the Baptist said that he had Jesus, the Light, revealed to him.
• It was then that John first realized who Jesus was!
• LET THERE BE LIGHT.
• AND THERE WAS LIGHT.
• He was made known.

On day two, look at what occurs.

John 1:35-42  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.  One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.  And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Only John saw who Jesus was on day one.
• Nobody else saw the dove descend on Jesus.
• But on day two the revelation spreads.
• John points out what he knows to others.

Two disciples are with John.
• John’s disciples.
• And as they stand with John, they all look at Jesus, and they hear John say, “Behold, the lamb of God.”
• And those two disciples leave John and begin to follow Jesus.
• Those were John the apostle and Andrew.

The first day we see Jesus revealed as LAMB OF GOD.
• And Jesus is baptized.
• The second day we see Jesus revealed again as Lamb of God, but it goes further than that.
• People FOLLOW HIM this time.

We need to see Jesus revealed to us twice.
• The first time we see Him baptized.... or dead, buried and risen again.
• Then the second time we need to see OURSELVES INVOLVED WITH HIM in His death, burial and resurrection.
• AND WE FOLLOW HIM.
• We involve ourselves with Him.
• We need to see that WE DIED, WERE BURIED and RESURRECTED with Him.
• We need to see that WE WERE INVOLVED IN THAT EXPERIENCE OF HIS.

So as we progress through the three days, we see that the revelation of Jesus progresses, too.

And on the third day we read this....

John 1:43-49  The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Jesus called Phillip on the third day and Phillip told his brother Nathanael about Jesus.
• Somebody is revealing Jesus to others each day.
• God uses us to reveal Jesus.
• And Nathanael comes and Jesus not only already knows His name without any help from people, but informs him that He saw Nathanael beneath the fig tree.
• This completely astounds Nathanael.
• Obviously Nathanael had some sort of spiritual experience beneath the fig tree, perhaps praying for the Messiah to appear, for him to react like he did when Jesus informs him of seeing him there.
• And obviously it was a secret time of  Nathanael alone with God for him to be shocked and to call Jesus the SON OF GOD.
John 1:49  Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Its something that he said this because we read earlier...
John 1:45  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Phillip called Jesus the Messiah, but yet told Nathanael He was THE SON OF JOSEPH.
• So we have the LAMB revealed on day one.
• And the lamb further revealed as the one whom Moses spoke about in day two, the messiah.
• And thirdly, on day three, the revelation progresses and we have Jesus recognized AS THE SON OF GOD.
• John saw him as Son of God on day one in verse 34, but Nathanael confesses it to Jesus, Himself, similar to Peter confessing in in Matthew 16.
• Nathanael confessed JESUS’ DEITY!
• The revelation became greater each day until He was made known as SON OF GOD.
• AND KING OF ISRAEL!
• LORD!
• Even more of Jesus is revealed!

The third day was when Nathanael was beneath the fig tree alone and seeking God.

Notice what the Bible says about beneath the fig tree.

1Kin 4:24-25  For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

Mica 4:3-4  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

• Being underneath the fig tree speaks of peace and prosperity.
Deut 8:7-8  For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
It speaks of coming into the promised land.
• When you go the three days with Jesus, you come into the promised land.
• Its like you left Egypt’s bondage of your life in sin in the world, and you accepted the lamb’s death for your salvation as Israel’s lambs blood splashed on their doors in Egypt saved them from death, and Egypt.
• It begins with the Lamb as the first day occurred when John saw Who the Lamb of God was.
• And they came out of Egypt to go into a promised land of Canaan, where fig trees and peace and prosperity existed speaking of our spiritual peace and prosperity in Jesus.

The real promised land was Jesus.
• He is the Lamb and the land – the promised land.

And we discover that also on this THIRD DAY, in Galilee, Jesus attended a wedding.

John 2:1  And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Here He performed His first miracle.
• At a wedding where a man and a woman are united and become one flesh, Jesus turned water into wine.
• Moses’ first miracle was turning water into blood in Egypt.
• Law brought death, but Jesus brings life.
• He is the life and the life was the light of men.

On the third day there is the fullness of the union.
• Married to Christ.

Acts 2:13-17   Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Wine speaks of Holy Ghost baptism.
• When you go the entire three day journey with Jesus, you fully know who He is and you actually are joined to Him.
• Every marriage has a supper.
• And at this one, Jesus provided the wine.
• Wine, Jesus said later, speaks of His blood shed for our sins on the cross.
• Communion is the supper of union with Jesus’ death.
• We eat the bread of his broken flesh and drink the wine of his shed blood to show our UNIONS to Him in His death.

So we see a revelation on day one.
• Then a further revelation where we FOLLOW Jesus.
• And then even further revelation where we come into UNION and MARRIAGE with Jesus.
• John’s other book, the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, speaks of THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.
• Sounds like John 1:29 and 2:1 combined!
• The lamb, and the marriage.
• We saw Him as LAMB at first.
• Then we now see Him as a LAMB MARRIED TO THE CHURCH.
• And the marriage supper, the UNION supper, is the bread and wine.

This is the full revelation of Jesus Christ that God wants you to experience.
• Do not just see Him as Lamb and not go further and follow Him.
• Follow Him.
• But do not stop there either.
• Be baptized in His Spirit.
• As they were baptized and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, we read that men mocked saying they were drunk with new wine.
• It was new wine alright, but spiritual wine!
• Come into this full union until you are ONE with Him, with the Holy Ghost inside your very being!
• So one with Him that as He began creation by SPEAKING, HE SPEAKS THROUGH YOU IN OTHER TONGUES as you drink the new wine!
• Drunk in His love.
• And His work of new creation kicks in through you, and others are touched.
• Speaking in Tongues is intended to reveal Christ through you to others.

Acts 2:8-11  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Creation was God’s work.

And this NEW CREATION is also God’s Work.
• And He speaks, but this time in new creation, THROUGH HIS PEOPLE.
• And we reveal Him to others.

James said this about the tongue.

James 3:3-8  Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The tongue can no man tame.
• And when person FIRST speaks in tongues, there is a full union happening.
• Tongues do not play that role afterwards.
• Fruit of the Spirit do that.
• But tongues INITIALLY speak forth this note that God is in control of the person, who has finally surrendered all to Jesus.

John is speaking about creation as Much as Genesis did.
• But John is speaking about NEW CREATION.

One translation reads as follows:

DARBY TRANSLATION

2 Corinthians 5:17  So if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new:
And when we get a full revelation of Him, we will carry on that revelation and actually reveal Him through our lives to others!
• Holy Ghost baptism puts His Spirit in us to reveal Him to the world.
• The full three days... death, burial and resurrection. UNION TO JESUS.