Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

The “Gospel” message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most wonderful story ever told.  In the history of man there has never been a greater, or more glorious story than this message about the love of God found in our savior. Jesus demonstrated his incomprehensible love for man by his crucifixion on a cruel cross, for OUR sins, and in three days HE AROSE! His resurrection gives us the hope of being resurrected one day, so we can spend the rest of our lives with him throughout eternity.

We will be celebrating Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, on EASTER, APRIL 4^th, 2021. Many of us like to think of Easter Sunday as RESURRECTION SUNDAY.

When I think of the “Gospel” message and the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, I can not help but ponder when our Savior was the most beautiful to me, and how did it affect me, personally.  My mind went to the night when the babe was born in Bethlehem.  As he was laid in the manger and the smiling face of Mary gazed at him lying there and the Star of Bethlehem shone so brightly overhead, I can only imagine what a beautiful sight that must to have been. There she sat beholding the Son of God, and Mary knew this like no other person could know.  Oh, what a scene it had to have been, there in a simple animal stable. Yet, as far as the world was concerned this was just another baby born to some poor family far away from home. 

Yes, he was a beautiful baby much fairer than all the lilies of the valley, or the rose of Sharon, but was this when he was the most attractive, I wondered. 

The Lamb of God

Once Jesus grew, and his ministry began, he encountered the man we know of as John the Baptist. What a thrill it must to have been for John when he saw Jesus coming in John 1:29:

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Then Jesus asked John to baptize him.

“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God  descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Matthew 3:17

What a beautiful picture of Jesus standing in the Jordan River, with the approval of God, to begin his ministry of preaching the gospel.  What a man among men and sadly most never could quite grasp it, not even unto this day.

The world lay in darkness and the light had arrived, if only men would come to that light.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth  me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  John 8:12

Oh, dear readers what is more beautiful than LIGHT when the night is so dark?

The Defeat of Death

Throughout the NT scriptures we can see the love, compassion, and humanity of Jesus. One place that profoundly shows his humanity is in the book of John. Here we learn about Jesus’ love for two sisters, Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus.

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. John 11:5

One day the sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick.

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  John 11:4

It was because of this, Jesus refused to go until he (Lazarus), was already four days entombed.  His body was already in decay when Jesus arrived to greet Mary and Martha.  They were so heartbroken and troubled, by this, not understanding why Jesus had not healed their brother.  They did not know that Jesus was going to show them something important. 

As Jesus stood in front of that tomb the scriptures said:

Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!  John 11:35-36

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?   The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Jesus grieves with all his people, as he grieved for Lazarus when we lose our loved ones. He cares, and he understands our grief, but he knows it is only a temporary thing for soon we will be reunited with those we love. The more we know of Jesus and his compassion and uttermost love for man, should make us realize how wonderful and beautiful our Savior truly is.  He cares for us like no one else can. He wants to be the most beautiful savior to all, and this includes you! Oh, love him who loves you most, my friends.

Our Future Glory

A future in heaven should bring pure joy to the believer. One day after Jesus’ final plan for man has been accomplished and we are in our eternal state, we will live forever, and ever in eternity with our wonderful, beautiful savior. We can see a picture of people who had died yet, were still alive in spirit when we look at the Mount of Transfiguration and what happened there. Remember, Jesus took three of his disciples there. 

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Matthew 17:1-3

What an experience that was for these three disciples, to get a glimpse of Jesus in his coming glory. What a life changing event this must to have been for them.  Not only did they see the glory of their Lord, but they also saw something else that they would never forget.  They saw Moses who had lived fourteen hundred years earlier and Elijah who had lived nine hundred years earlier, and they saw them alive. They also knew them, although they had never seen them before.

My readers, do you understand the abilities we too will have when we are with Jesus one day?  Does not this make our Lord and Savior more beautiful and wonderful to you? It sure does for me. Do you realize what a glorious plan God has for all of us who believe in Jesus as our own Savior?  God is showing us in his word just a few of the wonders of what our future life is going to be like when we leave this dark world of sin and death. Folks, there is no way to describe to you all the glory and beauty that is awaiting us in eternity once we escape this world that is so cursed with sin. 

The Apostle Paul said 2 Corinthians 12:2-4:

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.  And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Even the Apostle Paul was not able to describe the beauty and glory of heaven that awaits the children of God.

So, in our study I have shared a few thoughts of how beautiful our Savior is, and how dear we are to him.  Now let me turn our attention to what I think is the most beautiful time in the life of our Savior for me.  You may agree or disagree, but this is what I feel.

When Jesus Was Most Beautiful (Judas Iscariot’s Betrayal)

Some might not understand why I think Judas’ betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, which ended with Jesus being brought by the mob to Pilate, would be a reason to think of Jesus as the most beautiful savior.

And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. Mark 15:2

Through scripture we know that this betrayal started a chain of events leading to Jesus’ crucifixion, which of course then after, he died and rose again. This is the very reason we can look forward to being resurrected one day after we die.

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus did not put up any defense against what was about to happen to him.  He stood there like a lamb, dumb before his shearers.  Jesus only claimed to be the Son of God and for this crime he was condemned to be beaten and crucified.  The cruel Roman soldiers spat on Jesus, plucked out his beard, slapped his precious face, scourged him, put a crown of thorns upon his holy head, stripped him of his clothes and dressed him in a scarlet robe, then bowed down mocking him.

When they scourged him, surely, his bones were exposed. Only the Lord would know how many stripes were across his back and sides.  Some men would even die from this type of treatment, but our Lord not only managed to take the beating, but he was led away bearing his own cross part of the way to Calvary.  At Calvary, naked, he was brutally nailed to his cross being shamed to hang between two thieves. 

Then the wicked soldiers began to gamble for his clothes as they watched him die.  The mob gathered there, was jeering, and sneering at him with their insults. Near the cross his mother stood with John the disciple. Helpless they too watched the one they loved most dying such a painful and shameful death. Hanging on that lone cross was the only sinless man to ever live.  The only man to ever please God was dying at the hands of the wicked men he came to save.  None of them even knew it.  None of them even wanted him.  None of them cared!

Suddenly, the sun ceased to shine, and the earth began to tremble.  Fear began to grip the hearts of all those there as God judged his only Son in the place of all men.  For three long hours the wrath of Almighty God fell upon his only son and from his cross the Son finally cried, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me.”

The veil in the Temple was suddenly rent in two, signifying that there was a way open for all men to God now that the sin debt of all the world had been fully paid. Yes, Jesus, the most merciful, loving, beautiful savior of the whole world accomplished what he planned, initiated, and only he could do! The last words from his cross were, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.  John 19:30b

The Empty Tomb

Loving hands placed the beaten, battered body of our savior in a borrowed tomb. His lifeless body was suffering no more.  Before his death he had told his disciples, he would rise again. 

Matthew 28:1-2 says:

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.   

The Apostle John wrote in John 20:14-15:

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.  Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Could our Lord and Savior ever have been more beautiful? Here was the resurrected Christ who had himself conquered death and was alive forevermore. Praise the Lord we have a living Savior!

Although his suffering was awful and the worst any human could ever experience, it was all for my salvation, and yours. Nothing less than the suffering of Jesus would have paid for our sin.  It took the God Man himself, to deal with the sin of the world.  The sin of man, against a Holy God was this damning. If it were not for Jesus being willing to come and take our place and pay our sin debt, we all would have to be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.  What is sad is many people reject the offer of forgiveness and will one day be permanently separated from God in the Lake of Fire. My dear readers. I know no one should end up in the Lake of Fire! And! NO ONE has too! If you don’t know Jesus as your savior, just call upon his name right now, and you can be saved.

But Jesus said it best in John 3:16:  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Oh, heavenly Father how we thank you, and praise you for our beautiful Savior.  We thank you for salvation through our savior and we pray for those Satan has deceived. We eagerly await the day we too will see the glory of the Lord. Amen.  “Loving the Savior” Preacher