The Face of Jesus
Today’s Verse:
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ~2 Corinthians 4:6
It is said that the face is the window of the soul. Our face can indicate with others what is happening inside of us. A happy face tells others that you are accepting and inviting. An angry face tells others to stay away. A sad face indicates hurt and a desire for comfort and help. Our devotion this morning centers on the most important face that we should look upon: the face of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We see the remission.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). When John the Baptist saw the face of Jesus, he looked upon the one and only Lamb that could atone for the sins of the world. John was filled gratitude that he prepared the way of the Lord. John looked full in the face of the One Who was the only means of redemption for the sins of the world.
We see the radiance.
“And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Peter, James, and John got a foretaste of the glory of Jesus on that mountain. They saw a radiance that was holy and pure. They saw the Light of the World in His matchless glory and beauty.
We see the rue.
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). As Jesus fell on His face, there was great sorrow and heaviness in His soul. The look on His face depicted that the sin of the world would be placed on Him. It gives us an idea of the description that He was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”
We see the ruin.
“As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14). Our Lord’s face was beaten, bruised, and disfigured. The word marred means His features were beyond human recognition. Those who knew Him and saw the horrific facial injuries that He endured may have been taken aback at first glance. This was the Son of God Whom merciless soldiers and men inflicted the cruelest of injuries to.
We see the resplendence.
“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (Revelation 4:3). At His resurrection, our Lord came forth, all-glorious in His Person. He is marvelous and matchless. All who look upon Him cannot take their eyes off Him. We will take in His beauty, fairness, and glory with awe and delight.
We see the reflection.
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” God desires that each of us reflect the glory of our Lord in our testimony and walk with Him. Our witness should testify of our relationship and time in fellowship with Him. May the Lord make His face to shine upon us, and through this shining, may we demonstrate a closeness to Him that attracts others to a saving knowledge of His glory.
Have a Christ-radiant God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Joshua 22-24