Jesus, The Great Gatherer
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
Jesus declares Himself to be the great Gatherer. He came first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He came to His own and His own received Him not, and He said:
“How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under his wings, and you would not” (Matthew 23:37).
Even Caiaphas, the high priest, prophesied that Jesus should “gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (John 11:52). Jesus is the Gatherer of His church, the Ecclesia, the out-called ones. God is not converting the world, but taking out a people for His name (Acts 15:14).
In connection with God’s eternal purpose, we are told,
“that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him” (Ephesians 1:10).
One day, our Lord will gather up the saints when He gathers the wheat into the barn (Matthew 13:30).
“He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31).
Paul said,
“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
There will not only be an up-gathering, but also an out-gathering when “the Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and they which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42).
What do we have in all the above verses? We have Christ, the Gatherer of the church; Christ, the Up-Gatherer of the saints; Christ, the Out-Gatherer of all that offends; and Christ, the Gatherer of all things in Himself.
A Christian is eccentric because he revolves around a “different” center. He is eccentric because Christ is the center of his life, whereas most people revolve around some other center.
When the first disarmament conference was held in London, Will Rogers said, “Those fellows might get somewhere if it wasn’t for human nature.” He spoke well, for you cannot get humanity together so it will stay together, except “in Christ.” There is no other force that will hold them together.
—Eddie Cloer, director of the Truth for Today World Mission School