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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/andrew-bergsma/which-side-of-the-cross-are-you-on/
Humbled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Verse 24,. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.
But he said unto them, Except he's a real Jew, isn't he? Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
God will bless to us what we have already heard. What our brother has been bringing before us is what we have in Christ. My question to myself and all of us here today is this, which side of the cross are we living on?
On the death side of the cross? Now you couldn't be a child of God, but you must be on the resurrection side, because the true gospel is complete. First Corinthians chapter 15, I declare unto you the gospel that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried.
The third day he rose from the dead. If Christ didn't rise from the dead, we wouldn't be justified. That's our position, brother. Couldn't be better. Linked with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. But maybe I'm living on the death side, even as Mary here.
The Lord was raised from the dead, and she's weeping, and she supposes that what was the Lord Jesus was a gardener. That's a very dangerous thing, brethren, to suppose as a believer. Remember Joseph and Mary when they went up to Jerusalem and were returning, and they supposed that the Lord Jesus, now at the age of 12, was amongst them.
He was always that obedient child. I don't think I would have liked to have been in the home of Mary and have Jesus as my brother. He certainly showed me up. But in any case, they went a day's journey, and evening comes on, and where's the Lord Jesus?
Now there was not just one caravan, there are likely more. Maybe they go from one to another, and he's not in the monks. Supposing that Jesus was amongst them. Brethren, that's very dangerous. We gather together in the Lord's day to remember him, and the breaking of the bread, and the drinking of the cup.
We're not going to suppose that he's in our midst. We must believe he's in our midst, not symbolically, but in reality. Faith lays hold upon it, gives character to the breaking of bread service, or any service.
Mary stands there weeping, misjudges the Lord Jesus to be the gardener. The disciples, for fear of the Jews, again occupied with the dead Christ. If they've done that with our leader, what are they going to do with us?
And for fear of the Jews, they're inside the windows and doors bolted, looking for their protection in a man's way. Come on down to the man called Didymus, Thomas, twin. He has many twins. I've met very few that professed to be saved over the years that have never doubted.
I had six years of it, not every day, but subject to doubts whether I was really a child of God. Two things we must keep separated, but bring them together. If you're in the meeting today, and likely there's someone wondering, am I a genuine child of God?
My problem was looking at others and I thought they were advancing in the things of God more than me, or they were happier than me. Occupied with yourself doesn't bring happiness, but keep two things separate.
The work of Christ saves. That's 2 ,000 years ago. You and I weren't there, but God was in Christ reconciling the world. God was there. He was satisfied with the work of his Son. That's the work of Christ.
How do I know it's true? The Word of God. You'll never get full assurance until you get to the Word of God. He that believeth on the Son, H-A-T-H, hath everlasting life. When I saw that six years later, it was almost too good to be true.
I said, how in the world could I ever doubt when God says it? I believe it. That ends it. I've had my ups and downs since, but it's never affected the position. That's what God in Christ did for us 2 ,000 years ago.
Thomas, except I put my finger into the wounds of his hand, dealing with a dead Christ, not believing the record of the disciples. The Lord has risen. He's appeared unto Peter. We've seen him, except eight days later, while the others were enjoying the things of God, the resurrected life of the Lord Jesus, he was down in the dumps.
And I want to come to an Old Testament character called Jacob that brings it up. Shall we just turn now to Genesis chapter 45. We all know the story of the conditions in the world at that time. There was a famine in the land, drought conditions.
Remember how the brethren were sent by Jacob to go to Egypt to get corn and get food to sustain them. When they come, even the very first time, Joseph is now about 38 years of age. He was sold to the Ishmaelites at the age of about 17 or 18.
When these brethren come, he sees right away, these are my physical brothers. They don't recognize him. He's dressed in Egyptian garb. He's speaking roughly. He wants to get a confession out of them. And you know the story, eventually in chapter 45, Joseph makes himself known to his brother, I am Joseph.
Does my father yet live? He gets all the information and he sends his brethren back with a message. And it's a very important message. Just shall we read it together? Verse 13 of Genesis 45. Let's read verse 12.
And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen. And ye shall have haste and bring down my father, hither.
They could have went away and says, be occupied with their forgiveness. Here's the one that we treated so despicably, and he has forgiven us outright. No, that was not the message. Go home and tell my father Jacob of all my glory in Egypt.
Brethren, it's one thing to be saved, but it's another thing to be a worshipper. When Christ died upon the cross and rose again, he finished the work of redemption. But in John chapter 4, the Father seeketh worshippers to worship him in spirit and in truth.
And that's something deeper in the life of the child of God. And so he gets the message, ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt. And so the brethren returned. Let's read now, shall we, in verse 24 of Genesis 45.
So he sent his brethren away, and they departed. And he said unto them, see that ye fall not out by the way. Otherwise don't get arguing one with another. And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive.
He is governor over all the land of Egypt. Notice, and Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. Of course, they have given the impression 20 years earlier, with a coat of many colors dipped in blood, giving the impression that Joseph is dead.
Now 20 years have passed, brethren, and like Mary, and like the disciples, and like Thomas, he lived 20 years with a dead Joseph. And all the while, God was working, bringing him out of the prison to the palace.
Which side of the cross am I living on today, brethren? Is it the dead side? Am I only thinking about what Christ did? He died upon the cross, or am I enjoying, as our brother has been bringing on, things that we have in resurrection?
And it says here, and Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. What convinced Jacob that Joseph was yet alive? It wasn't the messengers, his sons. Notice further, let's read verse 27, and they told him all, all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them.
Notice, and when he saw the wagons, which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived. It wasn't the mess, the message of his brethren. It was wagon loads of provision, sent by Pharaoh, the best of the horses, the best of the caravans.
Talk about plenty of rain. Here's plenty of food in Egypt. Jacob's gonna come where the food is, where Joseph is, his brethren as well. And did you notice the change? Jacob gets back to his name that was changed in Genesis 32.
And Israel said, not Jacob. He's now on the resurrection side. The one that was in the prison is now in the palace. He says, I, as he says here, it is enough. Joseph, my son, is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die.
That's my simple message, brother. Which side of the cross are we experientially living on? Positionally, we're all on the resurrection side if we're saved. But are we enjoying the resurrected life? That's going to make all the difference.
All that our brother has been bringing for me, will I enjoy if I find that the one that died rose again and I have a link with Christ in heavenly places. And when he saw the wagon loads of provision, 66 wagons in the Bible, 39 in the Old Testament, 27 anew, all about the heavenly Joseph, promised in Genesis, prophesied through the minor and the greater prophets, preached on in the New Testament, all about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Brethren, let's be exercised and let's seek by the grace of God to enjoy what we have in Christ on the resurrected side. God bless his work.