The Face of Jesus
Introduction
This is a sermon designed to help you in your devotional life—that time when we develop intimacy with the Savior. When I have a special time of closeness or intimacy with my wife or with my children, I usually am looking deeply into their eyes and we are communicating emotions, closeness, etc.
Today we are going to use numerous scriptural passages to help you look into the face of Jesus in a way that will create some of those “intimate moments.” Use each one to look into His face and develop a deeper sense of who Jesus is in your life in a more personal way.
I. His Simple Face
See Isaiah 53:1-3
This passage clearly prophesies that Jesus would not be handsome to such a degree that this would be the basis for His power with people. Jesus did not draw people because of His handsomeness. It is His heart of love for us that draws us and causes us to love Him in return.
Jesus is the ultimate example of the power of substance over form. When people look to Jesus, they see His truth, grace, and integrity. They see His love and His heart. Even today, we are not able to see His face (I Peter 1) but we are still drawn to love Him because of who He is.
II. His Smiling Face
Example #1: Read of Mary & Martha from Luke 10:38-42. Here Martha is asking Jesus to rebuke Mary for wasting time. But clearly Jesus blesses her and is pleased with her for her choice to spend time at His feet. Is there any place more important? Jesus even promises her that her choice will give her blessing that she will not lose forever. As He speaks to Martha, you can clearly see Him in your mind’s eye turn and smile at Mary as He tells her she has chosen the “better part.”
When was the last time that you spent time intimately at the feet of Jesus? Did you not realize that when you do He is pleased and smiles at you? Did you not realize that He blesses you? In the Old Testament, the priests were instructed to bless the people with a blessing. It includes this blessing: “[May] the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; [May] the Lord lift up His countenance upon you.” Numbers 6:22-27. This means God will smile upon you.
It is the birthright of every Christian to spend time with Jesus in such an intimate way that we feel His pleasure and know that He is smiling down on us. It is not a terrible sacrifice to spend time with Jesus, but the greatest blessing. It was one that was so important to us that He died on the cross to purchase that blessing for us.
Example #2 Luke 15:1-7. “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance.” The meaning of this passage and illustration is clear. When a person is saved the smiles are motivated with joy. Jesus smiles on you when you give your heart to Him. But I also believe He smiles on the one who shares the gospel—that shepherd who goes the extra mile to rescue a lost sheep. If you want to touch the heart of God and feel His pleasure with you, then become a soul winner.
III. His Sad Face
As we have seen, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be a man “of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Isaiah 53:3. We definitely saw that in His life, and if you consider these scriptures you can see it still today. The Bible points out several times of sorrow and sadness for Jesus. In fact, there is one particular theme in which we always see Jesus sad: when people misunderstand who He is and therefore miss His presence and blessing.
Let me give you an example. Again we turn to an episode in His friendship with Mary and Martha in John 11. In fact, one of the most memorable verses in the Bible reminds us of Jesus’ sad face. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept.” Jesus was not weeping because he had lost his friend Lazarus to death. Jesus never loses to death. He was weeping because His friends did not understand that and had lost their faith in who He was. They were challenging the fact that He had let Lazarus die. They did not trust His heart, His power, or His plan for God’s glory and their greater good.
Another time we see Jesus weep is in Luke 19:41-44. Here Jesus is on the road about to enter Jerusalem. As He approaches the city, the road overlooks the city as a whole. There Jesus is overcome with grief and weeps because He is broken- hearted that Jerusalem and His chosen people are missing out on the coming of the Messiah–an event they had anticipated for generations. Yet because they had strayed in their faith and walk with God, they were ignorant of what was happening. It broke His heart.
We need to realize the truth of Jesus’ sad face when we lose faith or hope in Him. In times when we doubt Him and take control of our own lives, we hurt His heart deeply. When we walk away from Him because we do not like His plan or path for us, it hurts Him deeply. Jesus’ love for us is deep and personal and so is the hurt when we do as Mary and Martha did.
IV. His Scorching Face
The Bible also gives us very clear images of times when Jesus was angry. In fact, we clearly see at times a “scorching face” on our savior. What would make Jesus have such an anger? Sin. Not just the idea of sin, but in a particular context. When sin has invaded His province and is staining His place of worship and victory. When the sin is allowed to occur and happens by people who know better in a place where they know better.
For example, there is an event where He chases the money changers out of the Temple. Here are some references for you: Luke 19: 45-48; John2:13-22; Mark 9:33-37. Consider the John passage. Here it clearly describes the anger of Jesus with the way people had lost the purpose of the Temple. It angered Him the way people had lost their fear and awe of God. This was sin terrible enough to stir His righteous indignation. It was so fearsome that the disciples in seeing His face could only think of an Old Testament scripture that described how His “zeal” had “eaten Him alive.”
There are times in our lives where our choice to sin is senseless and arrogant. It is wrong and we know better. In those times, we need to realize that in a very real way we anger Jesus and stir in Him a righteous indignation about our choices. The Bible makes it clear that God chastens those He loves. This anger is a holy and righteous passion which is focused on sin and its terrible effects.
We have lost a sense of awe over God and His holiness. This scorching face is a part of that. How much more would we take seriously times of repentance if we had a vision of His scorching face?
POINT: Your choices in life impact Jesus in a personal way. They will either cause Him to smile, to be sad, or to be stirred into His holy anger. Time spent alone with Him can help us make wise choices or resist temptation because we are reminded of how our choices directly affect our relationship with Him. This sense of closeness and personal intimacy with Him can help us make choices which draw us closer to Him and feel His smiling face.
V. His Set Face
Read Luke 9:51. Do you see the determination Jesus used in traveling to the cross? He was not set simply to go to Jerusalem, but to the cross.
This very intensity and purpose was prophesied of by Isaiah. Read Isaiah 50:5-7. Jesus knew He would be beaten, even on His face, and yet He trusted in the Lord’s power and plan for His life that He set His face “like a flint.” He determined that nothing and no one, especially the devil, would stop Him from His appointed mission.
Here is the point of encouragement and challenge for us: do you live with that determination? Do you have such a faith in God’s plan for you that you have set your face so that nothing and no one will stop you from living for Jesus?
As a pastor, I deal with this issue often – much more than you would think. So many times, folks know what to do. They simply do not have the internal drive or backbone to grit their teeth, grab a verse of promise or instruction, and live out their faith with strength and determination. There are times when we need to be encouraged because we are weak. But there as many or more times in which we need “to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Ephesians 6.
When facing a struggle, it would be excellent to have an image of the set face of Jesus. Read Hebrews 12:1-5. See how God challenges us to look to Jesus to know we need to keep serving and striving because we have not yet reached the point of death. Jesus determined to die for our sakes. The least we can do is set our faces as He set His to live for Him and His glory.
This is a major point for many of us and a place to spend some time in devotional reading and prayer. Really get down into these scriptures and picture in your mind His “set face.” It should change your focus and strengthen you in your walk.
IV. His Scarred Face
Review these passages that detail the beatings Jesus suffered for us: Isaiah 52:14,
Matthew 27:27-31, Luke 22:64, John 19. Consider the emotional trauma of having your own face bruised or disfigured in some way. Imagine the physical pain that accompanied Jesus’ injuries. If you saw The Passion of the Christ movie, remember closing your eyes or flinching during the gruesome beating scenes. Will you take the price He paid to redeem you for granted?
8) His Seen Face
As we’ve looked through these Scriptures for brief glimpses into some of the facial expressions of Jesus that show us His heart, remember that one day “we shall see Him as He is" (see I John 3:2). This is our hope of heaven! Read I Corinthians 13:12. Rejoice that one day we will see Him face to face and know Him just as well as He knows us!
