What then is a tonic?

Preached at Ken Bridge Hotel, New Galloway, Scotland
Monday March 16th 7.30 pm

I trust that this word tonight will be to each one of you a tonic.

What then is a tonic? The word tonic has a number of meanings.

Tonight it will be to you two things:

• a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
• Something which will impart vitality and energy; "a bracing mountain air"

Let’s look at John 2:1 -12

John 2:1 - 12
Joh 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. And the mother of Jesus was there.
2 And Jesus and His disciples were both invited to the marriage.
3 And when they lacked wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus said to her, Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.
5 His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it.
6 And there were six stone water pots there, according to the purification of the Jews, each containing two or three measures.
7 Jesus said to them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And He said to them, Now draw out and carry it to the master of the feast. And they carried it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water which was made wine (and did not know where it was from, but the servants who drew the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 And he said to him, Every man at the beginning sets forth good wine, and when men have drunk well, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. And it revealed His glory. And His disciples believed on Him.
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples. And they did not stay there many days.

Look at verse 10

10 And he said to him, Every man at the beginning sets forth good wine, and when men have drunk well, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now.

• Every man at the beginning sets forth good wine
• When men have drunk well then that which is worse
• You have kept the good wine until now.

Jesus brought forth the good wine.

Jesus keeps the good wine until now

Let’s look at Ezekiel 37

Eze 37:1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and brought me by the Spirit of the LORD, and made me rest in the midst of a valley, and it was full of bones.
2 And He made me pass among them all around. And behold, very many were on the face of the valley. And lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, You know.
4 Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 So says the Lord Jehovah to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
6 And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And behold, a shaking! And the bones came near, a bone to its bone.
8 And I watched. And behold! The sinews and the flesh came up on them, and the skin covered them above. But there was no breath in them.
9 And He said to me, Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, So says the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these dead ones so that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the Spirit came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 And He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we are cut off by ourselves.
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and have brought you up out of your graves.
14 And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. And you shall know that I the LORD have spoken and have done it, says the LORD.

Let’s look at verse 11

11 And He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we are cut off by ourselves.

• He said to me
• Son of man
• These bones are the whole house of Israel
• Behold they say
• Our bones are dried
• Our hope is lost
• We are cut off by ourselves

This is what Gods people, Israel, are saying

Look at what God is saying in Verse 12

12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel.

• Therefore prophesy and say to them
• So says the Lord Jehovah
• Behold, O My people
• I will open your graves
• I will cause you to come up out of your graves
• I will bring you into the land of Israel

To bring them into the land of Israel is to bring them into the inheritance which is truly there’s.

Who are you going to believe O Israel, my people?

What you are saying of yourself?

Our bones are dried
Our Hope is lost
We are cut off by ourselves

What God is saying of you?

Behold, O My people
I will open your graves
I will cause you to come up out of your graves
I will bring you into the land of Israel

What will you believe?

Let’s look at Hebrews 4

Heb 4:1 Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For also the gospel was preached to us, as well as to them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
3 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested the seventh day from all His works."
5 And in this place again, "They shall not enter into My rest."
6 Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief,
7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 So then there remains a rest to the people of God.
10 For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
14 Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.
16 Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(MKJV)

Look at verse 6

6 Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief,

• Since then it remains that some must enter into it
• Since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief

Entering into what Jesus has for you is all to do with your believing it.

Who are you going to believe?

Let’s look at the Gospel of Luke 10:38 – 42.

Lu 10:38 And as they went, it happened that He entered into a certain village. And a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she came to Him and said, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.
42 But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.


Look at verse 42

42 But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
• One thing is needful
• Mary has chosen that good part
• Which shall not be taken away from her

What did Mary chose?

To sit at his feet, having ceased from her own works

Martha explodes into the room and say to the lord of all glory, ‘ Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.

Before I say more let me just show you the fruit of both these lives.

Let’s look at John 11:1 – 36

Joh 11:1 And there was a certain sick one, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 Then his sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.
4 When Jesus heard, He said, This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God might be glorified by it.
5 And Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 Therefore, when He had heard that he was sick, then indeed He remained two days in the place where He was.
7 Then after that He said to the disciples, Let us go into Judea again.
8 The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews lately have sought to stone You, and do You go there again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of the world.
10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because there is no light in him.
11 He said these things; and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps. But I go so that I may awaken him out of sleep.
12 Then His disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.
13 But Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He had spoken of taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him.
16 Then Thomas (he being called Twin) said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him.
17 Then when Jesus came, He found him already being held in the tomb four days.
18 And Bethany was near Jerusalem, fifteen stadia away.
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary in order to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.
23 Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again.
24 Martha said to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
27 She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.
28 And saying these things, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher has come and calls you.
29 As soon as she heard, she arose quickly and came to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, they followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there.
32 Then when Mary had come where Jesus was, seeing Him, Mary fell down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
33 Then when He saw her weeping, and also the Jews who came with her weeping, Jesus groaned in the spirit and troubled Himself.
34 And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, Behold how He loved him!

Look at verse 20

20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.

• When Martha heard that Jesus was coming
• She met Him
• But Mary was sitting in the house.

Expound this bit

Look at verse 28

28 And saying these things, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher has come and calls you.

• She went away and called Mary her sister secretly
• Saying the teacher has come and calls you

Expound this bit

Look at 31

31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, they followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there.

• The Jews who were with her in the house and comforted her
• When they saw Mary rose up hastily and went out
• They followed her, saying, she is going to the tomb to weep there

Where is Mary going?

She is going to Jesus.

The Jews followed Mary

The Jews did not follow Martha

Now let’s look at Martha’s conversation outside of the town with Jesus.

Look at verse 21

21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

• Martha said to Jesus
• Lord If You had been here
• My brother would not have died

22 But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.

• I know that even now whatever You will ask of God
• God will give You

23 Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again.

• Jesus said to her
• Your brother shall rise again

24 Martha said to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

• Martha said to Him
• I know that he shall rise again
• In the resurrection at the last day
Martha is putting what Jesus wants to do for her into the future her knowing, hoping, and desire to see resurrection in her live into the future

Jesus wants to do a work today, tonight, but Martha puts it into the future

Look at verse 25

25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
27 She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.

Do you believe this?

Do you believe that there is new wine for you tonight?

• Behold, O My people
• I will open your graves
• I will cause you to come up out of your graves
• I will bring you into the land of Israel

I want us to believe this and receive it tonight.