The Purifying Of The People

Uplook – October 2013 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Purifying Of The People

“And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.” — John 11:55 KJV

“Our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” — Titus 2:13-14

What a contrast between these two verses! In the first verse we read of people attempting to purify themselves. In the second we read of a Savior who gave Himself in order to redeem and purify a people for Himself. Let us consider this contrast and how it applies to us today.

Can We Purify Ourselves?
In John 11:55 we read that the feast of the Passover was drawing near. This was one of the most important feasts in the Jewish calendar. It was one of the three times each year when all the males in Israel were to be present in Jerusalem (Dt. 16:2-3,16). This feast was a memorial of what the Lord had done in delivering them, through the blood of a lamb, from the judgment that fell in Egypt (Ex. 12). It also looked forward to the true Passover Lamb – Christ Himself (1 Cor. 5:7) and the salvation He would bring.

We read in the passage in John that many of the people went up to Jerusalem early in order to purify themselves before the feast. Did they realize that what was needed in the sight of God was not just an outward, ceremonial cleansing, but an inward one? The word of God reminds us that “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

But who can purify their own heart in God’s sight? Perhaps some of those who went up to Jerusalem for the feast thought that they were acceptable to God. Like many today they might have said to themselves, “We live moral, honest and upright lives.” Maybe some looked at a neighbor and said, “I am better than him.” But the word of God tells us that all our righteousnesses, that is all the good things we are trusting in to make us acceptable to God, are only filthy rags in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6).

There were probably others who said, “Well, I am not perfect but at least I am keeping all the religious rituals. I come and say all the right words. Certainly God will accept me!” Many people today still believe this. But what does the word of God say? Again, God looks at the heart of man and He says, “this people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” (Mk. 7:6; see Isa. 29:13).

The word of God tells us that He knows our thoughts (Ezek. 11:5) and He knows our hearts (Jer. 17:9-10). We cannot fool a holy God. So what then is to be done? How can we have a clean heart in God’s sight?

The Lord Jesus Can Purify Our Hearts!
Since we cannot purify ourselves, is there anyone who is able to do that for us? By God’s grace there is!

At the beginning of John 12 we find that the Lord Jesus also went up to Jerusalem six days before the Passover feast. However, He was much different than the rest of the people! He went up early not to purify Himself but to be worshiped (Jn. 12:3)! He was without sin (1 Jn. 3:5), holy, harmless and undefiled (Heb. 7:26). He was coming not to purify Himself, but to purify His people (Ti. 2:14) by going to the cross to die for their sins!

The Lord Jesus is the only One who can purify us and make us clean in God’s sight. But to receive this for ourselves we must believe that He took our place on the cross, that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24) and that He endured the judgment of God that we deserved. The Lord Jesus gave His life and shed His precious blood to make this happen. We read: “The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20) and “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7).

To those who believe on Him, the Lord Jesus can say as He said to His believing disciples here on earth, You are “wholly clean” (Jn. 13:10 JND), as in them not one spot remains in God’s sight! “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18 KJV).

Our Response: Zealous Of Good Works
Titus 2:14 tells us that while good works cannot save or cleanse us in God’s sight, once we have believed on the Lord Jesus and have trusted in Him and His work that alone can make us clean before God, He desires that we show our thankfulness by being “zealous of good works.”

Consider the example in the New Testament of some lepers who were cleansed. There was nothing that they could do to make themselves clean. They were helpless. But the Lord Jesus came and cleansed them. In Luke we read that one leper, out of ten who were healed at the same time, came in response and fell at the feet of the Lord Jesus and gave Him thanks (17:16). So we see that our worship is one of the good works that pleases the Lord.

In Mark we read about another leper who went and told everyone he knew what the Lord Jesus had done for him (1:45). That is another good work that pleases the Lord. If we have been made clean by the Lord Jesus Christ we should be worshiping and serving Him – showing our thankfulness for what He has done. Just as He is the only One who could make the lepers clean and create such joy in their lives, only the Lord Jesus can cleanse us in God’s sight.

Dear reader, whom are you trusting to make you clean in God’s sight?

By Kevin Quartell