The Same Jesus Here Now.

An unrecognized Stranger who turns out to be Jesus; an unusual haul of fish gotten in a very unusual way; a warm fire and tasty breakfast for cold hungry men; a tender talk about love and service and sacrifice, and about Jesus’ return;—­all this is a moving-picture illustration of the meaning of a word, one word.

It is a word Jesus used in that last long quiet talk.  It’s the key-word to this added chapter, occurring three times.  In the old version it is the word “shew”; in the revision “manifest.”  “After these things Jesus manifested Himself again ... and He manifested Himself on this wise.”  “This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples after that He was risen from the dead."[137]

The word used underneath literally means “to make manifest or visible or know, what has been hidden or unknown."[138] Then each time it is used it gets its local colouring from its connection.  The simple tremendous meaning here clearly is this:  Jesus let Himself be seen and known. He did not come.  He was there.

But their eyes couldn’t see Him.  In effect He was hidden, not seeable.  Now the change that comes is this:  He is seen.  And He is seen in His true native character; so certain results follow.  He had said, “I will manifest Myself."[139] And this was now the third time that He did it, to the disciples, after that He was risen.

This is the advance illustration of the Book of Acts.  This is the tremendous thing He is burning into their hearts through eyes and ears:—­He is always present.  He, whose power they had felt so stupendously, and whose warm sympathy so tenderly, He is always with them.  The coming of the Holy Spirit meant just this.  The Spirit would be as Jesus’ other self, as Jesus Himself.  The one thing the Spirit would do would be to manifest, to shew openly, the power of Jesus.

Then four pictures pass before their eyes to illustrate the meaning, a fishing picture and a breakfast picture in action; then in words, a love-service-suffering picture, and a picture of Jesus returning in person seen by all to take an advance-step.

The fishing picture clearly meant this:  great numbers of people, surprisingly great numbers, coming, drawn not by any human skill, but by the supernatural power of Jesus manifesting Himself in that way.  The breakfast picture meant this:  that this wondrous Jesus would take tender personal care of those in this blessed gathering ministry, even to their bodily needs and strength.

And the love-service-suffering word-picture said so plainly this:  true service grows out of love.  The chief thing is the loyal tender attachment to the person of Jesus.  Then out of this will naturally come service, and willingness to suffer.  The touchstone won’t be service but personal love.  The service will simply be an expression of the love.