hat a blessed truth it is that the same
Jesus, the same Lord who walked on earth, who spoke such words of
infinite love and tenderness, who wept, healed the sick, raised the
dead and commanded the demons, who calmed the storm, who had gone to
the cross to die that awful death in our stead--that this same
Jesus, raised from the dead, is now in the presence of God for us
and our Advocate with the Father. It is the same loving, tender,
caring, mighty Lord and Saviour, who is there and this same Jesus,
not another, will come again. The reality of this filled the
disciples with joy. They knew He had left them, they knew He lived
and that He would come again. This knowledge gave them power to
witness and to walk in holiness. The reality of this fills still the
believing heart with joy and leads as well as keeps in the blessed
faith life of fellowship with Himself, into which we have been
called by the Grace of God. The heart of the believer under the
control of the Holy Spirit has but one desire. It is to know Him and
know Him better. Other desires for blessings may come up, but that
life which is in the believer ever reaches out after Himself who is
our life. "That I may know Him" was the passion of that wonderful
man, who knew Him so well (Phil. iii:10). And it is just heart
knowledge of this same Jesus in His loveliness, His patience, His
power, His glory, in all His blessed fullness, which we need the
most and through this all other needs are met.

Look up then in faith, child of God, He who is altogether lovely,
whose perfect ways of love and grace, were so blessedly made known
in His life down here, this same Jesus, with all the tenderness of
infinite love, the love that never grows cold, is with the Father.
Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, to-day and forever. The disciples
heard Him pray His great prayer before He went to the cross (John
xvii). As they listened to His words addressed to the Father, they
learned as never before, how dear they all were to Him. How He loved
them, cared for them, what He had done for them, would continue to
do and what their future would be. And whenever we read these words
in His high priestly prayer, we can hear Him still pray. We know
that love for us cannot change; that prayer to keep does not fail;
that concern, so deep and gracious, in all who belong to Him is
unchanged, for it is "this same Jesus," who intercedes for us, whose
loving eyes watch our going in and our going out, our