A FRESH VIEW OF JESUS
Luke 19:1-10; Hebrews 12:2; 2:8 from “But now we”-10
In the preaching of the glad tidings tonight, dear friends, I would like to ask the question of each of us whether we have had a view of the Lord Jesus Christ. This morning, the hymn we began with included the lines:
‘See Thy stoop to Bethlehem’s manger,
Hear Thee still the raging wave,
Learn Thy love in all its fulness
At the cross and in the grave.’ (Hymn 77)
These four lines tell us much of the story of the Lord Jesus. I trust we might have a view of Him, to see His ‘stoop to Bethlehem’s manger’. The Lord of glory, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Himself has come into this world. When He came in, it was said of Him, “and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins”, Matt.1:21. None other could do that. The Lord Jesus, that blessed Man, was able to save those who believe on Him because of who He is in His Person: He is “over all, God blessed forever”, Rom.9:5. The Lord Jesus came into this scene from the heights of glory. Another hymn says,
‘O Lord of glory, who couldst leave
The height supreme in death to lie’.
(Hymn 68)
He came in to fulfil the will of God in all its fulness, and to make known the love of God to His people here – and not only to His own people, the Jews, but to everyone. Simeon could say, “Lord, now thou lettest thy bondman go, according to thy word, in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation … a light for revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel”, Luke 2:29-32.
The One who came in as a babe in Bethlehem’s manger, came in for us. I trust each one of us may have a fresh view of the Lord Jesus. If you have not yet had a view of Him, may you have a view of Him tonight. There is no-one else that we have to speak of in the glad tidings: Scripture tells us that “neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved”, Acts 4:12. That is the One we speak of in the glad tidings.
Hymn 77 goes on to say, ‘Hear Thee still the raging wave’. How could the Lord Jesus do that? Think of how terrifying it was for the disciples at that time, and then it says of the Lord Jesus that He “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Silence; be mute”, Mark 4:39. The disciples say: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (v.41). Yet that One, the Lord Jesus Christ, so great, came into this world to lay down His life. We sang of that: ‘At the cross and in the grave’. Think of the greatness and the perfection of that One who was here in this scene.
In the passage in Luke’s gospel we read about a man, Zacchæus, who wanted to see Jesus. He was a small man, evidently, and it says that he ran on ahead and he climbed into a sycamore tree that he might see Jesus. The Lord Jesus looked up and saw him, and asked to stay in his house. The people murmured at it; they said, “He has turned in to lodge with a sinful man”. I suppose in one sense they were right. He was a sinful man, but that is the case with each one of us. Everyone falls into that category as being away from God. We read elsewhere, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, Rom.3:23. Each one of us falls into that category. Only the Lord Jesus was without sin. The Scripture says of Him: “who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth”, 1 Pet.2:22. What perfection was seen in the pathway of the Lord Jesus. The Lord says, “Zacchæus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must remain in thy house. And he made haste and came down, and received him with joy”. Have you received the Lord Jesus for yourself? Do you know what it is to acknowledge your sinful state before a righteous and holy God? Have you had a view of the One who is able to take away your sins, a view of the Lord Jesus Himself?
It says he “received him with joy”. What great joy it is! I can say that for myself as coming to know the Lord Jesus: what it is to have the burden of your sins rolled away. As we come to understand the burden of our sins, we feel it pressing down on us. Yet as we repent of these sins and come to know the Lord Jesus as Saviour, to ask Him to save us from our sins, the whole burden of our sins is rolled away. How wonderful that is! It says he “received him with joy”. I trust that is the case with each one here – that we know for ourselves what it is to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts, and to appreciate the greatness of the way He has gone.
I was affected by that hymn that we sang this morning, speaking of ‘At the cross and in the grave’. That pathway of the Lord Jesus led Him to the cross and into the grave. Why did He go that way? He said that He could call on the Father and He would “furnish me more than twelve legions of angels”, Matt.26:53. What power was inherent in that One! When they came to take Him in the garden, and He asked them, “Whom seek ye?”, He could say, “I am he”. The scripture says, “they went away backward and fell to the ground”, John 18:5,6. What power was in Him, the Creator of the world, the inherent power and holiness of that One! Yet He went to the cross and the grave in order that we might come into blessing.
Another hymn says, ‘He died that we might live!’ (Hymn 286). Scripture would support that (see John 10:10,11). On the mountain of transfiguration, where He was transfigured before three of the disciples, the voice out of heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight: hear him”, Matt.17:5. The Father had not found delight in other men as He did in Christ. Every one had fallen short in some way, even the great men whom we read of in the Bible, but in the Lord Jesus God found His delight. At the very beginning of the Lord’s public service, at the time of His coming up from the waters of baptism, the voice out of heaven said, “Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight”, Mark 1:11. The acclamation of heaven could not be held back. Those thirty years of His life were very largely out of the sight of men, but think of heaven’s estimation of that life!
John the baptist could say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”, John 1:29. Then he says again, “Behold the Lamb of God” (v.36). The spotless Lamb of God – none other could come in to take away the sin of the world. He was able to do that because of His own holiness and righteousness. Think of Him going to the cross. We sang ‘at the cross and in the grave’: think of the cross! The passage that we read in Hebrews 12 says – and this was quoted in thanksgiving this morning and I was affected by it – “looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. The Lord Jesus has been exalted, but before that, men lifted Him up on the cross. We remember that the Lord Jesus said, “I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me”, John 12:32. Think of the drawing power of the Lord Jesus. Have you been drawn to Him? I trust that each one of us has been drawn to Him.
Another scripture says, “I drew them with bands of a man, with cords of love”, Hos.11:4. Each of us can know the greatness of the love of the Lord Jesus for us; we can know it individually tonight. It says here, “in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross”. What joy was lying before Him! The Lord Jesus had spoken of a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, “and having found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all whatever he had and bought it”, Matt.13:46. That would remind us of the Lord’s joy in His assembly. The Lord Jesus laid down His life so that there would be an eternal answer for His heart’s affections in the assembly – that which is formed out of His death and is suited to Him in every way.
He “endured the cross”. The hymn says:
‘His love to the utmost was tried,
But firmly endured as a rock’ (Hymn 103)
How great the sufferings that the Lord Jesus went through on the cross, those three hours of darkness, hidden from the sight of men. You think of what was endured there, the sufferings of the Lord Jesus under the judgment of a righteous and holy God: He was forsaken; our minds can hardly take it in. He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, Matt.27:46. The whole matter of sin and of sins was laid upon Him at that time. And then He could say, “It is finished”, John 19:30. The whole matter was settled once and for all. Scripture tells us that He “has entered in once for all … having found an eternal redemption”, Heb.9:12. He did this in order that we might come into blessing.
The Lord Jesus went into death. We have spoken of it this afternoon. The side of the Lord Jesus was pierced “with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water”, John 19:34. His blood was shed: “without blood-shedding there is no remission”, Heb.9:22. Think of the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus! How many animals had been slain in the Old Testament days, but now there is one sacrifice that is able to cover every sin. The Lord Jesus was able for the whole work of putting away sin, and He laid down His life. He could say, “I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it again”, John 10:18. How wonderful that He has taken His life again – He has come out of death. We are not speaking of One who is in death, but of One that we know is out of death. I trust that each of us has a fresh view of the Lord Jesus, the One spoken of in our passage in Hebrews 2 as “crowned with glory and honour”.
We are reminded of Stephen, in his great gospel preaching to the Jews who rejected it. It says, “having fixed his eyes on heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, Lo, I behold the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God”, Acts 7:55,56. He saw that One crowned with glory and honour. I would just touch on this scripture in Hebrews 2, to help us to get a fresh view of the Lord Jesus. It says, “But now we see not yet all things subjected to him, but we see Jesus, who was made some little inferior to angels on account of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour”.
One of the hymns says,
‘Received in glory bright up there,
The Father’s greetings, honours rare,
Are heaped upon His Son’s blest brow;
He is the mighty Victor now.’ (Hymn 350)
The Lord Jesus is crowned with glory and honour.
I would commend the word to each of us. Turn to the Lord Jesus in your need: if you have not known Him as Saviour yet, acknowledge before Him where you are in your sins and come to know Him as your own Saviour, and come under the shelter of His precious blood. You will find all these blessings to enjoy. It says here, “in bringing many sons to glory, to make perfect the leader of their salvation through sufferings”. “Many sons to glory”: how much there is to be gone in for. How blessed to be among the “many sons” of God. Then too the power of the blessed Holy Spirit is available to us. The Lord Jesus said, “And I will beg the Father, and he will give you another Comforter”, John 14:16. There are blessings available to each one of us; the Spirit would help us to go in for them and to know the reality of them. We spoke of that in the reading this afternoon. Our blessings are not superficial, and the Lord wants us to know the reality of them. That can only be by the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling believers. By Him we have the enjoyment of these things.
I trust that it will be the case with each of us. May we have a fresh view of the Lord Jesus, a view like never before, to see Him “crowned with glory and honour” now.
May we be encouraged by these few words, for His name’s sake.
Preaching of the word of God, Grangemouth
14 July 2024
Malcolm Buchan