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Notice -

I. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO FAITH.

1. Faith in the Son involves faith in the Father. "He that believeth on me, believeth not on me [only]."

(1) Christ reveals the Father as the supreme Object of faith. The Son as yet was a Revealer of the Father as the supreme Object of faith.

(2) His mission naturally and directly led faith to the Father.

(3) Faith in him was as yet a stepping-stone to faith in the Father. The introduction - the first resting-place of faith on her upward flight to the Supreme. There would be a time when Christ would be revealed as the special Object of faith; but now the Father is revealed as such, and the Revealer keeps in the background.

(4) Yet faith in Christ involves faith in the Father. No one can believe in Christ without believing in the Father. There is such an essential and official connection between the Sender and the Sent that faith in one involves faith in the other. When faith embraces the Son it finds the Father.

2. A spiritual vision of Christ involves a spiritual vision of the Father. "He that seeth me," etc.

(1) Christ is the express Image of his Person.

(2) The express Reflection of his character and attributes.

(3) The express Revelation of his will and purposes.

3. Faith in Christ alone made full faith in the Father possible.

(1) Knowledge is essential to faith. We must know God to some extent before we can exercise an intelligent faith in him. Indeed, appropriated knowledge is faith. "This is life," etc.

(2) Christ alone fully revealed God to mankind, and furnished them with knowledge concerning him. "I am come a Light into the world."

(3) Faith in Christ, as the Light, alone can result in faith in the object which it reveals. "That whosoever believeth on me," etc. The enjoyment of light can alone save us from darkness, and bring us face to face with the objects around us. The enjoyment of Christ by faith alone can bring us to enjoy the Father.

II. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN' RELATION' TO UNBELIEF.

1. Unbelief develops itself in two ways.

(1) In attentive hearing but non-observance. (Ver. 47.)

(2) Entire rejection. (Ver. 48.)

2. Both these classes incur judgment.

(1) Not directly by Christ. "I judge him not."

(2) The primary purpose of Christ's mission was not judgment.

(3) Its primary purpose was salvation.

3. The unbeliever's judge is Christ's message. "The Word that I spake," etc.

(1) Judgment is the secondary result of Christ's Word. Its primary and natural result is eternal life. Man turns it into judgment by rejection. When it fails to save on account of unbelief it judges and condemns.

(2) The judgment of the Word is partly present. "He hath," etc. Now the unbeliever is condemned by his own reason and conscience, and in the light of the Word he is self-condemned.

(3) It is more suitable that the Word should judge now than if Christ were to do so. He could not directly judge and save at the same time. But his Word must condemn when it fails to benefit.

(4) The final and full judgment of the Word will be in the .future. "At the last day," etc. Then the judgment by the Word will be published, and reach its finality. The Word, like Christ, is unchangeable. The rejected Word will judge. It will be the same at the last day as now, and will deliver its final verdict.

III. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO HIMSELF AND THE FATHER.

1. His mission was purely Divine.

(1) It was not self-derived. "I have not spoken of myself," etc. This in his case would be an impossibility, for he and the Father are one.

(2) It was not a mixture of the human and the Divine.

(3) It was purely the will of the Father.

2. His mission was minutely defined.

(1) It was embodied in a Divine command. (Ver. 49.)

(2) This command embraced the minutest details of his mission. "What I should say and speak," etc.

(3) This command was ever present to him in his inward consciousness, written as a law in his heart. It was the inspiration of every thought and the burden of every word. It was, in fact, a part of himself.

3. His mission was fully understood by him. "And I know," etc.

(1) Understood in its natural results. "Life everlasting."

(2) Understood in its awful importance. The fate of the human family hung on his message.

(3) Understood most absolutely. "I know." It is not "I think or believe."

4. His mission was most faithfully discharged.

(1) Without any additions.

(2) Without any deductions.

(3) With the most devoted fidelity. With regard to its substance and spirit, it was discharged with the greatest care. There was no partiality for favors, no evasions on account of frowns, no pandering to taste, no fishing for praise; there was no attempt to please any one but his Father.

IV. THE MISSION OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO ITS LAST PUBLIC NOTES.

1. There was intense earnestness. "He cried," and why?

(1) There was great danger. Judgment was at hand.

(2) There was a slight possibility to avert it. There was a little intervening time. It was brief, but must be used, and his message must be published.

(3) It was his last opportunity. His farewell sermon to the public.

2. A special effort is made. "He cried."

(1) He was intensely desirous to gain hearing and attention.

(2) He was intensely desirous to be understood.

(3) He was intensely desirous to be believed. Hence he did what was unusual for him - "he cried;" and the ministry to this day is the echo of that cry of Jesus. - B.T.

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KJV: Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

WEB: Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.