Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. There are famous paintings of Jesus all over the world. While we don't know exactly what he looked like, there are some clues in the Bible. Imagine looking into the face of Christ. What would his piercing eyes see in you? Today, more in our brief series called, In the Divine Presence.
Stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, what do you think you will experience when one day you see Jesus face to face? Dave, I think that Jesus is going to be quite different than the way in which we visualize him here on earth. I like the description of Jesus in Revelation chapter 1, where John sees the risen Christ in beauty, in power.
You remember that description? It's one that we ought to read regularly. And I told my wife Rebecca the other day that if the first thousand years I were to be on my face worshiping him, that would be perfectly fine with me.
And then afterwards, I want to see my parents and all of those whom I love and loved here on earth. For a gift of any amount, you can receive the book I've written entitled, One Minute After You Die. God has used this book mightily in the lives of many people. I remember a widow telling me that she kept it at her bedside. And when she couldn't sleep, she especially read the chapter on what we can expect when we die and what loved ones are doing in heaven now. For a gift of any amount, you can receive this book.
Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337, rtwoffer.com or 1-888-218-9337 in the divine presence. What do we mean when we say, I talk to him face to face? It's very different, isn't it? When you meet somebody and you talk to them directly over against reading about them in a newspaper or reading something that they wrote. I think that when you speak to somebody face to face, there's a connection, isn't there? There is a sense in which we can discern their moods. We know whether they are angry, whether they are fearful, whether or not they are optimistic.
Somehow we can read all of that and a whole lot more on their face. We can also discern not only their mood, but something about their attitude toward us. Do they love us? Do they care about us? Would they rather see us not be there?
Are they angry with us? All of that is also read on the human face. I worked with a man who was not able at all to control the way in which he looked. If he was angry, it became so very, very apparent he couldn't hide it. All that you need to do is to look at his face and know whether or not you were going to have a good day. Some of us grew up with parents.
I remember my father, he seldom had to spank us as children, very seldom. He just had to look at us and that said it all. Now when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, we have no portrait of him. As far as we know, no artist sat down and said, Jesus, I'd like to paint you.
If it happened, we don't know about it. But we do in the Bible have many different pictures of Jesus Christ's face. That is to say word pictures that describe his face and what was going on in his life as it is being described. The reason that I'm preaching this message is because at the end of the day, we'll be reminded that we are always in Christ's presence. Everything that we do is before the face of Jesus. But more than that, we should be like Jesus. And we're going to be looking at five different expressions, five different portraits of Jesus. And even as we look at these, every one of them has specific application to us. And at the end of the message, I'll tell you how all of those commitments to Jesus and Christ likeness, how that can be ours.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. I was at the Moody Bible Institute Library one day and I picked up a book entitled The Face of Christ by John McBeath, looked at it and saw very interestingly that he had 10 or so different portraits of Christ, that is verbal portraits of him. And so I'm indebted to him for the idea of this message. But also, I need to say that as I got into these five portraits that we're going to look at, I thought to myself, this really should have really been five separate messages.
But today you're going to just get the outline and maybe someday you're going to get the outline piece by piece and a message on each one. I'm not going to ask you to turn to all the passages, but at least two or three. We begin first of all with the portrait of Jesus that could be best described as the transformed face, the transformed face. And I do want you to look at the 17th chapter of Matthew. Matthew chapter 17, Jesus has told his disciples that some of them who are standing there will not see death until they see the kingdom. The disciples were beginning to wonder whether Jesus was the Messiah. And Jesus wanted to give at least to a few of the disciples a revelation of his glory.
As I mentioned last time, at Christmas we sing veiled in flesh the Godhead see. Well, for these few moments on the Mount of Transfiguration, which almost certainly is Mount Hermon, if you've been to Israel, it's Mount Hermon that Jesus went there with his disciples. And you'll notice that the text says, verse two, and he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. What an experience for the disciples, Peter, James and John and Moses and Elijah who got to see that. What do we learn about Jesus in this experience? The Bible says that his face shone, clothes white as light.
We see something about the purity of Jesus. The Bible says regarding God, in him there is no darkness at all. And that's why it is so important for us not to walk in darkness.
If there is a part of your heart that you know is in darkness, if there is a sin that you have not confessed that God has pointed out to you, you cannot walk in perfect harmony with God. Because the Bible says that God is light. And because God is light, there is no room for darkness when the light shines. It shows us the purity of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also shows us his strength. The Bible says that his face shone like the sun. Imagine what that is like. The sun in all of its brilliance, with all of its energy, with all of its life giving qualities, there is Jesus with this shining, transformed face.
Now can you and I imitate that? Well not on our own and we certainly aren't to Jesus and we'll never have a face like his. But those who spend time in God's presence, you can tell it on their face. Moses was with God 40 days and 40 nights and the Bible says that when he came down from the mountain, his face shone. As a matter of fact, his face shone like that, but notice that Moses himself didn't realize it.
The Bible says that he wished not. He didn't know that his face was shining. And Stephen, before he was stoned, you remember as he was being stoned, before he was taken to heaven, the Bible says they looked upon him and his face was like the face of an angel. You could tell that they'd been with God because of the look on their faces.
It's not that we have that natural radiance. It is the reflection of God, time spent in God's presence and you can see it on a person's face. There are some people at Moody Church that it is very obvious that they spend time with God. There's a woman and I've told her this, her husband is in heaven now. I don't know if she's here today, but when I look at her face, it is almost as if I can see Jesus on her face. Such a sense of radiance, such a sense of joy, such a sense of satisfaction. I hope that when I grow old someday, that I will look like that and I hope that you will too. You know, to be a gloomy Christian is really an oxymoron.
It shouldn't happen. So could I say to you candidly, if you're a Christian, tell your face, all right, tell your face that you're a Christian. The disciples are up on the Mount of Transfiguration and they see Jesus in his brilliance and I can imagine that when they came down, they look different too. First of all, we've seen now the transformed face of Jesus. Let's notice now the resolute face and I won't ask you to turn to this passage, the resolute or determined face of Jesus. It says in Luke chapter 9 verse 51, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Some of the older manuscripts actually add an extra word. They say he set his face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem or like the King James used to translate it, he set his face like a flint, like an arrow to go to Jerusalem. Here is the determined face of Jesus. Let's remember that when he decided to go to Jerusalem, think about what that road was like. He needed to be determined because this would be a very rough road, a very rough road. Jesus would be going to Jerusalem where he would be rejected, where he would be killed. He knew that at the end of this road there was death, there was separation momentarily from the Father.
This was a very, very rough road. It was also a lonely road because the Bible says that all of the disciples forsook him and fled. Jesus knew that when he went to Jerusalem, he would be going places where he'd have to go alone. When he was dying on the cross, there were three hours of sunlight during which time he suffered under the hands of men and then later on three hours of darkness when he suffered under the hands of God. And the reason that God shrouded the earth in darkness is that when that transaction was being taking place, when Jesus was being made sin for us, the one who knew no sin, when this was being laid upon him and he was becoming a sacrifice for our sins to the Father, the Father said that no one can see what is happening.
And so the earth is shrouded in darkness and Isaac Watts wrote, well might the sun in darkness hide and shut its glories in when Christ the great redeemer died for man, the creature's sin. When Jesus was there on the cross, every second of the clock seemed like hours as he suffered and so Jesus with a very determined face, you looked at him and you could see that he was absolutely resolute. He was determined to go to Jerusalem no matter the cost and when we follow Christ, there are times when we have to go alone. There are times that the only thing that can sustain us is grit and determination.
A few moments ago, we commissioned this young couple to go to Southeast Asia. The reason that I admire people like that is because they are saying no to a lot of things that we as Americans think are so precious and they're absolutely determined that if God calls, you go and sometimes the road is rough and sometimes the road is lonely and you're misunderstood but they stand fast, their heart is firm, their faith is great and they keep on pressing on. May God give us a determined face to do what he's called us to do. Let's look at a third face of Jesus and that is the submissive face and for this I do want you to turn to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26. This could be called, yes, the submissive face of Jesus. You'll notice it says in verse 39, we're in Gethsemane now.
We are at a place where we should take the shoes from our feet because the ground is holy. The Son of God is wrestling with the will of the Father. Verse 39, and going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed saying, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. He falls on his face. Why did Jesus fall on his face? First of all, because of the sheer weight of the sorrow. You remember the text in the Old Testament that says, does anyone have sorrow like I have sorrow?
And the answer of course is no. It's not possible for us to comprehend the sorrow that Jesus was in. So he falls on his face because of the extent and depth of the sorrow, but also falling on his face before the Father showed his submission and his acceptance of the Father's will. You'll notice it says, not my will. That's the human will of Jesus because Jesus had a human will.
He was 100% man, 100% humanity joined with 100% deity. But here's Jesus as a man. Father, not my will, but thine be done.
And there's no way that you can really say that unless you are wholly submissive. And the best way to say it is on your face before God. There are different ways that we can pray. We pray when we're seated. We can pray when we're standing up.
We can kneel. But when you want to as an individual lay down the weapons of a rebel, when you are finally finished and you say no longer my will but yours be done, the best place is to be on your face before God. I have in my mind here an image of Jesus. I don't think that this was a graceful act because it says he fell down.
It's as if the weight was so great he couldn't take it. He just went face first into the dust of Gethsemane. Father, not my will, but thine be done, he cried. It's the submissive face of Jesus. Why was Jesus able to say that to the Father? Well, of course, because he loved the Father and this was part of the Father's plan. And that's the real reason that Jesus could say this is because he knew that the cup that he would have to drink had been a cup given to him by the Father, not by Satan. Satan was involved. But at the end of the day, it was from God, the cup which my Father has given me.
Shall I not drink it? My dear fellow Christian today, when you see your trial is coming, not from Satan, though he may be involved, not from just the circumstances of life, but when you see behind all of that God, you'll be able to accept it and you'll be able to say thy will be done. The great theologian of Geneva, Switzerland, Calvin, had many, many physical infirmities. And he prayed one day and said, O God, I am greatly afflicted, but it is from thy hand. Therefore, I am abundantly satisfied. Jesus represents to us the submissive face, the face that says, Father, thy will be done.
And I'm speaking to many today. And you need to say that to God, don't you? In fact, if you'd be on your face, I think that you would know what God's will is, because there's something in your life that God is pointing out that it's your will against his and it's time his one. And so you get on your face and you say, Father, thy will be done. That's the submissive face of Jesus.
Let's go on to a fourth face. And that is what we could call the dishonored face. We're still in Matthew chapter 26, Matthew chapter 26. You'll notice it says in verse 67, then they spit in his face and struck him. And some of them slapped him saying, prophesy to us, you Christ, who is that that struck you?
Wow. When you spit in somebody's face, that is the ultimate insult. But in that culture, in that day, it was even more abhorrent. It indicated your greatest contempt for that person. And Jesus is struck in the face and they spit in his face.
This is the dishonored face. And yet look at his response. He remains silent. In fact, part of the story here in context is that the priest is trying to get Jesus to speak and Jesus remains silent. And then he gives them that great declaration of his deity. And it is at that point that they spit in his face. Someone has said that never was a dishonor less deserved and never more bravely born.
Wow. I was meditating on this and I was amazed to remember that Jesus was not in a helpless situation. If you and I had been there, what would we have done? Well, the answer is that in our weakness, we'd have maybe had to just bear it because we had no other options.
If you're tied up and somebody's spitting in your face, you just need to take it. But Jesus wasn't in that situation. He was not a victim in that sense of the word. He said, do you not know that I could call 12 legions of angels and they'd come and deliver me if I wanted out of this, I could get out of it just like that. All of you would be incinerated if I gave the word and yet he endured it. This morning as I was reviewing my notes, this phrase came to me. I thought of all of the unused power of Jesus, the unused power of Jesus, a man who could retaliate.
Now let's think about yourself. You are working in an office and there are people who want to do you in and they're making life as miserable as they possibly can for you. And you could retaliate. You have the power to do that.
You could really give word for word, insult for insult, injury for injury, weapon for weapon because you've got your own arsenal, but you choose not to. Now we're talking about true greatness. True greatness is not seen necessarily by the power that is used, but by the power that is unused, but could be used in retaliation. Jesus takes it and there are times in life when you and I need to simply take it too.
And you know what the exciting thing is? Jesus notices when we take it. He notices when we respond, even as he did. And someday in his presence, he will reward us. He will reward us for things that are done secretly on earth, things for which we didn't get any praise, any recognition, oftentimes perhaps being unfairly treated, but we accept it the way he accepted it.
And for that we will be thanked. One minute after you die, that's the title of a book I've written that has been a blessing to many people. I want you to have this resource, not just for yourself, but you know people who need to read it, who need to be reminded that it is eternity that really matters. You frequently have heard me say that all that really matters is what matters forever, but what will it be like on the other side?
The Bible doesn't answer all of our questions, but we do get glimpses one minute after you die. Here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. The title of the book, One Minute After You Die, and thanks in advance for helping us as we continue to get the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. Running to win does indeed go around the world. We're in 50 different countries in 7 different languages.
Would you help us even as we continue to expand? Go to rtwoffer.com. Of course, rtwoffer is all one word.
rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. As you and I think about eternity, it is eternity that should really determine our values here in time on this earth. I believe that you'll be blessed as a result of this resource.
You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. You're visualizing five faces of Jesus as depicted in the Bible. Next time, we'll conclude this brief series we're calling, In the Divine Presence.
We'll learn about the last four of these depictions ending with his glorified face as seen in Revelation chapter 22. Make it a point to join us. Running to Win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
