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True Education
he wanted to introduce into Christ’s work were based on principles
aimed to achieve worldly recognition and honor. The working out of
these desires in the life of Judas helped the disciples to understand
the antagonism between the principle of self-aggrandizement and
Christ’s principle of humility and self-sacrifice. In the fate of Judas
they saw the end to which self-serving tends.
For these disciples the mission of Christ finally accomplished
its purpose. Little by little His example and lessons of self-denial
molded their characters. His death destroyed their hope of worldly
greatness. The fall of Peter, the apostasy of Judas, their own failure
in forsaking Christ in His anguish and peril, swept away their self-
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sufficiency. As they saw their own weakness and something of the
greatness of the work committed to them, they felt their need of their
Master’s guidance at every step.
Many of His lessons, when spoken, they had not appreciated or
understood; now they longed to recall these lessons, to hear again
His words. With what joy His assurance now came back to them:
“The Helper ... whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I
said to you.”
John 14:26
.
The disciples had seen Christ ascend from the Mount of Olives.
And as the heavens received Him, there had come back to them His
parting promise, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age.”
Matthew 28:20
. They knew that His sympathies were still with
them. They knew that they had a representative, an advocate, at the
throne of God. In the name of Jesus they presented their petitions,
repeating His promise, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name,
He will give you.”
John 16:23
.
Faithful to His promise, the Divine One, exalted in the heavenly
courts, imparted of His fullness to His followers on earth. His
enthronement at God’s right hand was signaled by the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit on His disciples. By the work of Christ these
disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit, and under the
Spirit’s teaching they received their final preparation and went forth
to their lifework.
No longer were they ignorant and uncultured. No longer were
they a collection of independent units or discordant and conflicting
elements. No longer were their hopes set on worldly greatness.