Please turn to your Bibles, Revelation 20:11-12. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.”

Every second of our clock is moving toward a day, a great day, a final day, a day for which all the days were created. It will be the day on which Almighty God, in the most public and solemn manner, will judge the whole world. It is the day on which God will judge every person’s thoughts, actions, and deeds. God, as creator, provider, and lawgiver, has every right to judge every person. He has not only the right but also the power to do so. Because He is omnipresent, He Himself is the eyewitness to every person’s acts. Because He is omniscient, He knows the deepest motives and intentions of every action. Because He is omnipotent, He is able to bring anyone to judgment and punish them.

The day of judgment is inevitable. God’s attributes of justice, holiness, and righteousness all call for a day of judgment. It is a day of God’s vengeance for all injustices done to His holy attributes. God’s works of Creation and Providence call for judgment. All wrongs are not set right in this life and history. Providence is often confusing. Things seem to be carried out very unequally in the world: the wicked prosper as if they were rewarded for doing evil, and the godly suffer as if they were punished for being good. Therefore, to vindicate the justice of God, there must be a day where there will be a righteous distribution of punishments and rewards to people, according to their actions. The day of judgment alone can solve the “riddle of providence.”

This day was prophesied by the oldest men, from Enoch, the third generation from Adam, in the Book of Law, historical books, Psalms, all the prophets, the Gospels, and the epistles. Not only in the special revelation of God’s Word, but even in general revelation, it is revealed that there will be a day of judgment. People, created in God’s image, as Romans 2 says, have a conscience within themselves that knows they have to face judgment one day. Conscience is like a recorder, recording all their sins. Why does conscience sometimes remind a person of a wrong they committed many years ago? It is a signal telling them that everything they have done, even if they try to forget it, is recorded. All conscience’s accusations, torture, guilt, and burdens are a signal and a foretaste of a certain coming day of judgment. This “trailer” is built into people by God Himself.

Acts 17 says God has fixed that day in His calendar. Not one second before or after, all history is moving towards that day. This is going to be a terrible day. All the judgments that have come upon this world—from driving Adam out of Eden, to Noah’s flood, to Sodom and Gomorrah’s fire and brimstone, to the plagues on Egypt, to Israel’s captivity, to the seals, trumpets, and bowls of wrath poured out in Revelation, to every war, plague, earthquake, and tsunami—are all just a trailer, a sample, for that great day of God’s judgment.

What a solemn day that will be! John says in simple language, “I saw a great white throne.” What is this white throne? The great thrones of the world, like Solomon’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s, were made of gold. All thrones are stained by bribes, injustice, and blood. This one is a dazzling, blinding white. Oh, what a throne! It indicates the immaculate, spotless purity, blazing holiness, and inflexible justice of God. This throne is so just that no one can point a finger at it or speak back to it. Its purity is unstained by any kind of partiality or injustice. It is a scary throne for every sinner because the pure whiteness of this throne will expose every person’s filth. The whiteness is a contrast to the blackness of every person’s sin. Who can stand before this throne of holiness? When God in His mercy revealed Himself, people fell down as if dead. But when He reveals Himself in pure, naked justice and righteousness, how can any sinner stand?

John says it is a great throne. It is great in size, importance, and verdicts. In every way, it is big. It stands alone with unchallenged sovereignty; no small thrones are next to it. Where are the other thrones and rulers before this one? They are all dethroned. All big kings, monarchs, presidents, prime ministers, and chief ministers will stand before this throne.

This great throne is so solemn. How many will be judged? John says, “I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God.” He who sits on the throne will judge fallen angels with Satan, kings, emperors, wise men, scientists, great giants, leaders, and great people of every generation: Alexander, Plato, Mohammed, Buddha, Einstein, Hitler, Stalin, Gandhi, all prime ministers, and chief ministers. All educated, uneducated, the richest people, sports and film stars, and superstars will stand. Imagine the audience: billions and billions of angels. All of heaven will be empty that day. All of hell will be empty. All tombs will be empty. Imagine every son of Adam who was dead, risen with new bodies, will stand, and those who are alive will be changed and will stand. A monumental, vast army will stand before that Judge. What a procession! All angels and all people. Imagine that great procession before your eyes.

This Great Throne doesn’t settle simple, temporary property litigations or crime cases, but it deals with the eternal destiny of every person. Human courts give five-year, ten-year, or life-term judgments. But what can they do after people die? But the punishment from this Judge is not 100 years, or 1000 years, but all eternity, forever and ever. It is an endless time sentence. If He decides and sentences you to eternal doom in hell, it can never be revoked. There is no other supreme court to appeal to. If this Judge decides an eternal sentence, you are a “gone case”; no one can change that sentence.

How will people stand before Him? Have you stood before a judge? I had the experience of being a witness for my dad’s accident. I was really nervous, just as a witness, to go and stand before him, not even as someone who was guilty. But the judge was sitting in a black dress, and the assembly was solemn. It was so scary. How will mankind stand before this dreadful supreme authority? The One who is most holy and most upright. What an overwhelming thought! The white throne. Let us see the one who sat on it.

Verse 11: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.” What a scene! How can we preach this? You want to know the dreadful power of Him who sits on the throne? When the earth and heaven, the whole universe, all billions of galaxies, cannot bear to see Him in His judgment avatar, they shudder and run and do not hide. They become nothing. What will that be like? What visual effects? AI can create that scene. What sound effects on that day? We all enjoy special effects, like things where a whole city is blasted and exploded. On that day, every sense of your soul and body will feel the special effects of that day. Thundering sound effects, what pictures and sounds. It will be a day of wonders. The earth and heaven fled from His presence. There was no place for them. God, who made everything out of nothing, now makes everything back to nothing.

It talks about the majesty and power of the person. How great and glorious! If the universe ran away and hid and became as nothing, what can a sinful person do before Him? Very scary. How can sinners stand before a fullness of holiness?

It will be a day of summoning. People may escape law courts when they die. Many criminals escape court by bribing and even by killing themselves. Bin Laden died before he could be brought to court. One woman who had accumulated disproportionate assets died, so the cases were dropped. But who can escape from this throne? When He calls all mankind to judgment, all the dead and the living will be summoned before this Judge. Can anyone refuse? Where can a person hide? Can Elon Musk take a rocket and hide on Mars? No. Mars is gone. Even if a sinner dies, He will raise him from the dead, give him a deathless body, and make him stand before this Judge. Oh, the Almighty hunter! He will pursue every soul and make everyone stand before Him. He will bring everyone to justice. Every person has to stand before His burning face. This sense of justice is built into every person. However ashamed or shy, you have to see that face. For sinners, there is no greater hell. How horrible His face will be, and to realize, “Alas, I have sinned against such a powerful, majestic God.” If Felix trembled when Paul preached of judgment (Acts 24:25), how will sinners tremble on that day?

Now, who is this sitting on the throne? John 5:22 says, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.” Acts 10:42 says Jesus Christ is the one who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. You who think Jesus is all sweet, baby Jesus, you will see a face of Jesus never seen before—as a righteous judge. The Lamb of God will then be turned into a Lion. When Joseph said to his brethren, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt,” they “were troubled at his presence” (Genesis 45:4). How their hearts smote them for their sin! So, when Christ shall come to judgment and say, “I am Jesus, whom you sinned against. I am Jesus, whose Gospel you repeatedly rejected, whose laws you have broken, whose blood you despised. Whom you lightly regarded. I have now come to judge you.” “I am the one who will decide your eternal destiny.” Oh, what horror and amazement will take hold of sinners! How they will be troubled at the presence of their Judge!

It is a big day. A big day in every way because it has the biggest audience, the biggest wonder, the biggest God, and the biggest surprises that day. Many will be shocked about their destiny. Many will come, saying, “Lord, we prophesied, cast out demons, and did miracles.” He will say, “I never knew you.” That day will decide the eternal destiny of every person. It is the day of God’s patience bursting. The stored wrath will be opened and come like a tsunami. It will be a day of despair. Have you seen despair? A heart despairing? We see it in funeral homes—people pulling and spreading their hair, putting mud on their heads. Oh, you should see the despair. So deep, so mad. Screaming to the mountains and rocks to come and “fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

This is a sneak peek at the day of judgment. This may sound like a story to you. Mark my words: the eyes that see me today will see this throne one day. These are words of truth from His infallible Word. Though this day is such a scary and awesome day, as much as it is dreadful for the sinner, it is so much more joyful and glorious for a true believer who is united to Jesus Christ.

Today, I want to talk about how gloriously blessed that day will be for true believers. In “Looking unto Jesus,” last time we saw our resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ. Today, we will see the next act of our Lord at his coming is judgment. For believers, it is such a glorious, good day, with things that are incredible and seem too good to be true. So many shy away from talking about the thrilling blessings of believers at judgment in a false humility. But I think it is unbelief and false humility. If God says this is what will happen to believers, and He has revealed that as our hope, we should meditate on and grasp our hope. Only then can we understand why Paul prays that God should open our eyes to see the glorious riches of our inheritance.

The Bible says even believers will stand in the judgment. Revelation 20 says all will stand before judgment. Matthew 25:31-32 says, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” Both goats and sheep will stand. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Some try to use a differentiation, saying this is the “Bema” judgment seat of Christ, which is different from a general judgment. All of that is nothing but nonsense. I have read several books, looked at the historical beliefs of true people of God, and what I state today is not a novelty. It will stand the test of historic, responsible, evangelical, Protestant exposition of the Word of God. I am following the stream of our forefathers. Why will believers stand in judgment?

What are the blessings believers receive during judgment? I can now understand five blessings from my Bible. As I grow, I may know more. I figured a way to remember it only this morning. We get grades in “A” and “A+.” Our blessings will be five times “A”: Acquittal, Acknowledgment, Acquiescence (or acceptance), Amazing rewards, and Assistance in judgment.

Negatively, for true believers, it is not a day of judgment for our sins. Though it is negative, this itself is a great blessing and relief to know. On this awesome day, when the whole world is judged with eternal damnation for every thought, word, and action, what great joy and relief to know that God will not judge those who are in Christ for their sins. Let me give three reasons for that.

1. For believers, the day of judgment has passed.When our dear Lord suffered on the cross, the wrath and judgment of God due for our past, present, and future sins fell upon Him through our substitute. He, in our place, absorbed all that wrath on Himself. He didn’t just turn away but absorbed it on Himself until the cup of wrath was completely emptied, and He cried out, “It is finished.” Today, we will study this evening the marvelous truth of the two goats on the Day of Atonement in Leviticus. He not only atoned for all sins but took our sins far away into oblivion, making all our sins as non-existent. His work on the cross turned away all of God’s judgment, all of God’s wrath, and all vengeance on our sins. Christ became propitiation, meaning He removed the wrath of God due to our sins through a sacrifice. If judgment for our sins fell on us through our substitute in the past, on the day of judgment, if God judges us for our sins, He would be unjust because He would be exacting a penalty for the same sins a second time, which a holy and just God would never do. Because of Christ’s work on our behalf, the throne of justice itself will plead that we not be judged for our sins. So, in terms of any thought of legal culpability for breaking God’s law, every bit of that has been borne by Jesus Christ. If even a tiny fraction of that was un-borne by Christ for our sins, we would be in trouble. We would have to dread judgment day with great fear. But praise the Lord Jesus Christ, because Christ bore everything fully, He announced, “It is finished.” We do not have even a tiny fraction of wrath on us. The great Gospel is found in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”
2. The second reason God will not judge us for our sins is that I am already perfectly declared righteous in Christ by God.Christ not only bore the wrath of God due to us and died, but He rose again and perfectly justified us before God. The resurrection of Christ is not only a guarantee that there is going to be a day of judgment, but it is a guarantee that on that day of judgment, God will not hold those in Christ accountable for their sins. The righteousness of Christ, imputed to us, is so perfect that God will see me as perfectly righteous before His throne of justice. How did God do that? Christ not only died for us and propitiated for our sins, but He lived a perfect life on our behalf and earned a perfect righteousness for us. God took Christ’s perfect righteousness and imputed it to us. The whole doctrine of glorious justification by faith is that we are not only forgiven but also declared righteous. I am so righteous that God can find no fault as to the demands of the law, the legal demands of the law. He can find no fault in the weakest believer that He would find in His holy Son. This is the Gospel of justification. This justification doesn’t happen on the day of judgment. This declaration comes from God the moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ. This is a past event for a believer. It is not a process, partially justified and then fully at the judgment. No. It is a one-time act of God in His court, once for all. Justification is a past event. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice the past tense, “justified.” Glorious peace comes only when you know that in Christ you are already justified and there is no more judgment for sins. How can you have peace when you, as a believer, think God will judge you for your sins?Think of the various criteria for judgment for sins. A believer doesn’t fit into any of those. Firstly, judgment is for the unrighteous. But God Himself has declared me perfectly righteous in Christ. Why then would the perfectly righteous be judged? Secondly, there must be charges for judgment. What charges? “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” Romans 8:33. God does not accept charges against His elect whom He justifies. Why declare them justified if He intends to charge them again in the future? Colossians 2:14 says He canceled the record of debt that stood against us as legal demands of the law by nailing it to the cross. Thirdly, is there room for wrath? Romans 5:9 says, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” The word “therefore” implies the conclusion is inevitable—no wrath, ever. The blood of Jesus not only made it possible for God to declare us righteous, but much more, it guarantees this declaration will never change.In summary, Christ has saved us to the utmost, that even if God wants to judge us, He will find no means to judge us on the day of judgment. The atonement of all our sins is finished, and our justification is complete, eternal, and unchanging. All wrath, justice, and legal demands are all eternally satisfied for us. As we come to the table today, oh, blessed be the colossal glory of Christ’s finished work on the cross, which put the blazing day of judgment on our side and for our support.
3. The third reason God will not judge us for our sins is that the Second Coming and events after that are my blessed hope.Most of the texts dealing with the Second Coming describe believers looking forward to it with great anticipation and eagerness. How can they do so if they are going to face a negative evaluation or a review of their sins? Titus 2:13 says we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” How can we call judgment for failure a blessed hope? Everything in the New Testament points to an attitude of joyful, eager expectation for the Second Coming. If His coming were for dealing with believers’ sins, why would we wait for Him eagerly?So the first blessing we see on the day of judgment is that God will not be there to judge a believer for his sins. So what will judgment be for believers? It will be for four positive things for believers.
4. It will be a public acknowledgment, confession, and welcome of the believer by Christ.Question 38 from the Catechism asks, “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?” The answer is, “At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God, to all eternity.”First, it talks about being raised up in glory. We saw that last time. It talks about two blessings in judgment: first, to be publicly and openly acknowledged, and secondly, to be acquitted. Let us look at the first blessing. I call this being publicly, openly acknowledged, confessed, and welcomed.Imagine when the world shudders at the feet of His judgment, the first act Christ will do is publicly and openly acknowledge and confess that they are His sheep with a special relationship with Him, and He welcomes true believers into His glorious kingdom. Matthew 25:32-34 says, “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'” In this solemn event of the universe, on that day, before His Father, all the angels and people, He will publicly say to us, “You are blessed by My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” God, who made the world so glorious in six days, imagine the glory if He prepared something from the foundation of the world! On the day of judgment, we are acknowledged and welcomed into His kingdom.Not all who claim to be believers will be acknowledged. Firstly, only believers who show their faith in their life by works of love among the people of God. The reason He acknowledges them, as Matthew 25:35-36 says, is “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” He will say, “Because you didn’t live as nominal Sunday Christians, but you had such a close fellowship and love among My people, you did this. For one of these least ones, you did it to Me.” Only those will be acknowledged.Secondly, Christ will acknowledge those believers who confess Christ before people now, who, despite whatever circumstances, stood for the Gospel, were not tongue-tied, but verbally confessed who He is, what He has done, that they believe in Him, and made all attempts to preach the Gospel. Matthew 10:32 says, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” They openly and unashamedly identified with Christ.Imagine the thrill of this honor! We go to some big political meeting, and a prime minister just walks to us and talks to us. How will that be? When Christ, in all His glory, sits on the great white throne of judgment, and the whole of mankind trembles before His judgment, on that day, Christ, their Judge, will own them by name. He will come and talk to them as a friend in very kind words and publicly and universally acknowledge and confess them. He will say, “Welcome to the greatest kingdom, to the greatest honor!” What an honor! Those whom the world scorned, looked upon as madmen and fools, but we didn’t shy away from sharing the Gospel. Now Christ will take them by the hand and openly acknowledge them as His favorites, precious in His eyes.These people were not like hypocrites, blowing a trumpet announcing their good works. What their left hand did, their right hand shouldn’t know. All they did for Christ and His people, they kept as secret as possible. All their faith, sacrifices, all their tireless service, efforts, and love they showed His people, no one advertised or recognized. Oh, on that day, it will get the greatest advertisement. Christ will mention before people and angels all the good deeds the saints have done. When people were running after name, fame, and money, and false teaching, you stood for the truth and served His sheep. All service and good work done for Christ’s name in secret—even a glass of water—will not be missed. Christ will take notice of it at the last day and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What we did in secret, He will reward openly. He Himself will be the herald to proclaim your praises. Thus, it shall be done to the person whom Christ delights to honor.What a comfort this is to believers, that everything that happens in judgment will be for their good. Someone said, “If this is the honor I will get that day, if Christ will confess my name that day and welcome me before His Father, the holy angels, and the whole assembled universe in the day of judgment, I can take any insult, any awful shame in this temporary world.” Can you imagine on that day, what joy will fill our hearts? Joy unspeakable and transcendent! It will put a full end to all doubts and fears about ourselves.
5. The Catechism also says He will publicly acquit believers. He will sentence them as blameless.What is it to be acquitted by Christ? It is to be freed and cleared from all the guilt of sin and punishment. What a glorious thing! When I was saved on this earth, He acquitted me from my sins in the secret of my heart and in the court of heaven, but that day it will be a public acquittal before all people, angels, and the Father. How wonderful to think! On the last day of judgment, which will accuse all mankind for their sins and sentence them to eternal wrath, in the same judgment, for true believers, it will not be a punishment for their sins but a public acquittal from all guilt and punishment of sins. Now it is a secret that I am a justified person. That day it will be publicly declared. Now it is subjective certainty, and then it will be full assurance. A believer may doubt this now, but not on that day.Oh, now, only when my assurance is strong, I have peace, and when that goes down, I have doubts and troubles. But then, an eternal, unshakable, unchangeable reality! Imagine now, with faith itself, my heart is so filled with joy when I know I am righteous before God and all my sins are forgiven. Then, when I am publicly and eternally acquitted of all my sins and declared righteous forever before the universe, and the verdict is sealed eternally, what joy and what peace will flood my heart! That is why judgment is a glorious blessed hope. We wait for that public acquittal. What a blessed day it will be to know for certain that all my sins are forgiven and I am made righteous, publicly, eternally, and unchangeably.The same judgment is as awful for a sinner as it is joyful for a believer. It has a dark side and a light side. The dark side: the books shall be opened, the book of conscience, all their sins laid open, their thoughts, heart passions, and actions. Being convicted, they will be speechless. The same voice which will convict them and punish them, saying, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” will, on that same day, publicly acquit the believer for all his sins and say, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The day of judgment will be a day of jubilee to them.In the world, believers were neglected and slandered and unappreciated. Even accused with all the evil men. Moses and Paul, who left so much worldly fame and name for Christ, were thought of as fools. We are thought of as fools to leave worldly enjoyment and serve Christ and struggle so much day and night, to take on the reproach of Christ instead of enjoying life. But on that day, oh, when acknowledged by Christ, He will “bring forth their righteousness as the light” (Psalm 37:6). He will wipe off tears from their eyes and dust from their names. This is the comfort for all believers. Whatever people may say, the saints, when reproached, may comfort themselves with the day of judgment, in which Christ will say who are His, and they shall shine as the sun.Note that this public acquittal will be done according to works, not by faith. That is why every verse talking about judgment in the Bible talks about every person, even believers, who will be judged according to works. The rule of assessment of a person’s condition will be only works, even for believers. How is that? Are we not saved by faith? Yes, but on that day of public judgment, our heart faith cannot be used as evidence for acquittal in a public judgment. What do we need? Works. We will be acquitted not on the basis of faith only but on the works that our true faith produced. Those works will be displayed before the universe as evidence of our true salvation. The fact that we have truly believed in Christ and that Christ has atoned for all our sins and declared us righteous will be proven by the undeniable proof of works of faith. He will openly vindicate us. The word “vindicate” means to clear from suspicion, to uphold by evidence, and to justify or validate the rightness of an action. Because true faith will always reveal itself in acts of faith and love for other believers. Doing these things didn’t make them sheep; doing these things were manifestations that they were sheep. What you did for one of these least ones hangs your eternal destiny. “I didn’t care, I came to church once on Sunday, and as soon as it was over, I ran away.” Examine if you are a sheep.Firstly, it will not be a day of judgment for our sins. Secondly, it will be an acknowledgment of Christ before the universe that we are His. Thirdly, we will be publicly acquitted by Christ. Fourthly, that day will be a day of rewards based on our works.

How glorious! Not only will we be acknowledged and acquitted, but we will also receive rewards that Christ enabled us to do through his grace. It will be a day of reward for all faithfulness to his truth and kingdom, and for suffering for righteousness. Jesus promised that those who endure persecution, love their enemies, and obediently serve their Master will be richly rewarded (Matthew 5:11-12; 25:23; Luke 6:35; 1 Corinthians 3:14). He does not say exactly what these rewards are, but we can assume they will exceedingly cheer us. Matthew 5:11-12 says, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”

God’s final judgment will bestow great reward. In 1 Corinthians 3, we know God will test everything we do for his kingdom and reward us on that day. It speaks of rewards for those who work in the building of the church, God’s kingdom. Every effort for the Gospel and for the church will be rewarded. The things that will get us eternal rewards are the efforts we put in for the Gospel and for building God’s kingdom using our gifts and talents. People who have been instrumental in God’s hands for building the church will receive an eternal reward for that labor.

Matthew 25:14, the parable of the talents, warns us not to bury our talent but to multiply it by using it for the kingdom’s growth. The person who did not use it and had no fruit is shown as an unbeliever, called a wicked and unprofitable servant, and punished eternally. But others who showed fruit received degrees of reward. The man who had five talents was set over five cities, and the man with two was set over two.

The Bible also talks about crowns. They are incorruptible crowns, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9, for those who are faithful to Scripture, obedient, and self-sacrificing. This includes the crown of righteousness. On that day, believers will not stand there wringing their hands, wailing over missed opportunities. There will be no jealousy or competition. The Bible says there will be degrees of rewards, but all in heaven will be perfectly happy.

Fifth, believers will judge angels and sinful people with Christ. This is where your head will spin. Scriptures assert that true believers will be given both the privilege and the awesome responsibility to share with Christ in the final judgment on unbelievers and even on fallen angels. There is a clear passage rebuking a fighting church that was even dragging another brother into court. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 says to find a wise brother among you to resolve your case. The reason he gives is in verse 2: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”

He’s arguing from the greater to the lesser. “Don’t you know?” Apparently, this is something he taught them in his 18 months of ministry among the Corinthians, clearly teaching that believers will participate in the judgment of the world. I don’t know how and what, but my Bible says this, and I, instead of cringing in false humility, believe it. Christ has lifted me to such glory! Not only will I not be judged, but I will judge not just sinners but even fallen angels.

All judgment is given to Christ. He will sit on the throne and judge. Look at what Christ says he will do with the position and the throne. Writing to the seven suffering churches, he gives seven promises to overcomers. Revelation 3:21 says, “He that overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne as I also overcame and sat down with my father in his throne.” It is as if there is no end to our blessings. “I love my people so much in my union, I will bestow as much as possible to confer upon my creatures. They will be supremely blessed and glorified with me; I will even widen my throne and make them sit with me and they will participate even in the final, climatic act of the Messianic judgment of the universe.” Lord, that’s too good to be true.

I feel like saying, “Hey, world, you spit me out as nothing. Beware, I am going to be your judge one day!” See the riches of the inheritance of the saints. On that great day, we will not only not be judged for our sins, but we will be acknowledged, confessed, publicly acquitted, rewarded, and given the honor of judging the world and angels with Christ.

Application: Communion – Three Duties: Remember, Examine, Proclaim

Remember Christ

Do you see the colossal glory of Christ’s work on the cross? He overturned the judgment throne in our favor by his work. So when the Lord Jesus sits upon his throne and looks over the mass of humanity, imagine his first act: he looks at his people and welcomes them, saying, “‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom’ (Matthew 25:34). As if Christ should say, ‘Oh, you happy ones, the delight of my soul, the fruit of my sufferings, stand no longer at the bar. You are heirs to the crown of heaven; enter and take possession.'” Upon hearing this sentence, with what ravishing joy will the saints be filled! This word, “Come, you blessed,” will be music to their ears and a cordial to their hearts.

This should fill our hearts with great love and thanks, praise and worship for Christ. Oh, what a salvation he has accomplished for us on the cross. Oh, the great, finished work of Christ. Do you see why we will praise Christ’s work on the cross for all eternity? What a glorious, full salvation he purchased for us! How sure is a believer’s atonement, justification, being so ratified privately and publicly in this world, and in the world to come.

This should make us love and long for the day of Christ’s appearing. What are we afraid of? Death, resurrection, judgment—it’s all part of a glorious, blessed hope package. We should eagerly yearn for it. This message should encourage us as Christians to abound in good works and work for Christ’s church. If Christ is going to reward me for even a glass of water for his Gospel and kingdom, how should we spend more of our time to earn eternal rewards? How are you using your talents—your talent of time, efforts, young life, and energy—are you burying them in the ground?

Examine

Remember I kept saying all this is for true believers. I told you what he will do with believers, and that it will be terrible for unbelievers. But you know, it will be the worst day for nominal Christians who believe they are saved, but are not. If you are a nominal Christian, may this message not deceive you and give you false security. The Bible repeatedly warns us that the day of judgment will be a day of eternal, greatest shock for many. Many who were sleeping, thinking they were believers, will be shown they are not truly saved. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And Lord, have we not in your name cast out demons and in your name done many mighty works?” He will say, “I never knew you.” This is shown in the parable of the five foolish virgins and the talents. Any pastor or any church cannot infallibly discern the true state of a person’s soul. In love, we may sometimes assume you are a weak sheep, whereas you may be a goat. We can all learn to behave like Christians, but do not be deceived. While on earth, we may have fooled everyone. On that day, you cannot escape. That great assize, that great gathering before the judgment seat of Christ, will show our true condition.

Some of you really worry about how you will stand on that day if you cannot stand the test of a local church, with no fruits, no good works, swallowed up in the worldly cares like in Noah’s days, eating, drinking, and giving in marriage, with no care for the Lord’s coming, and no multiplying of talents. I want to warn and caution you so your blood will not be on my head. These blessings are not for everyone, but for those who show their faith in good works.

The most terrible words will be said to people who are not saved. He will not acquit you, because acquittal is not done by faith in the heart alone, but by visible, outward actions. Since your dead faith did not have any actions, not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter, but only he who does the will of my Father. Final judgment for all people is by their actions. You cannot be acquitted that day, but condemned. My old pastor would say to examine yourself with judgment day honesty. “If Christ comes today, what actions can he see in my life that he can use to publicly acquit me, to prove I am his sheep?” Oh, otherwise, it will be most terrible for you.

With the most terrible words, Matthew 25:41 says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Terrible words. “Lord, you are the source of all goodness; you are telling me to depart from you?” “Okay, send me with some blessings.” “No, go with my curse.” “Oh, curse. Okay, Lord, can you send me at least to some comfortable place?” “Everlasting fire.” “Can we have some good company?” “No, to live and suffer with the devil and his angels for eternity.”

So, you who have eternal souls, if you would stand acquitted on the day of judgment, then truly examine your faith seriously and strive to reveal your faith by actions. Don’t be deceived about the greatest thing for which you were born.

If you want to live wisely, meditate much upon the day of judgment. 1 Peter 1:17 says, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.” Meditating on the judgment can change your life like nothing else. Most people’s lives changed when they meditated on the judgment of God. John Bunyan’s life changed. He couldn’t sleep; his family thought he was mad. But that made him leave the city of destruction and the city of vanity and take the pilgrim path, only by meditating on the coming wrath and the coming judgment. Knowledge of future judgment is always a call for present repentance.

Proclaim Christ

If Christ will confess us before the entire universe with such honor, this should encourage all of us to boldly confess Christ before this world. Let no one be afraid or ashamed to confess who he is, what he has done, and that we belong to him, no matter what loss or danger may threaten them.

If we do not, “But he that denies me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.” He will not acknowledge or confess you. Because Mark 8:38 says, “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with his glorious angels.” You never revealed your faith by confessing Christ.

We saw it is the duty of every believer not just to believe Christ in their heart but to show that by speaking the truth to people around them. We saw that God could send judgment if we always shut our mouths and never open them to confess Christ. Psalm 119:43 says, “And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.”

As people who still don’t believe Christ, how can you live this world without this hope? How will you die? How will you face judgment with all your sins outside of Christ? And you will hang down your heads and not be able to look your judge in the face. How horrible it is going to be for you. You will cry to the mountains and rocks to fall on you and hide you from his face. If you are an unbeliever, if I were you, I would be so jealous of these judgment blessings for believers. What? Not only all sins forgiven, acknowledged, confessed, acquitted, rewarded, and made to judge? And I will be judged eternally for all my sins? No, no. If these are the blessings in Christ, I will not rest for one second until I find myself united to Christ in faith. Oh, you must believe and repent.

In the golden chain of salvation, the last item is a most glorious diamond called glorification. Our salvation, starting with election, ends with glorification. That is when we experience the fullness of redemption’s blessings.

Now, if I ask when our glorification happens, some of you may think it happens at our death. No. While it is glorious to die as a believer—our bodies rest on earth and our souls are perfected in holiness and enter glory to be with the Lord joyfully—that is not the final glorification. That is called the intermediate state. Our final glorification, with our bodies and souls united, happens at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Titus 2:12 calls this our “blessed hope.”

In “Looking unto Jesus,” we come to this glorious topic next. We saw that after Christ ascended, He has been interceding for His people and reigning as mediator over the world. He will continue to intercede and reign until the last of His elect is securely saved and gathered into His church. Once the number of His elect is completed, His intercession will end, and He will immediately come as He promised.

As preparation last month, I said two things. First, guard your heart and mind from the mocking disbelief in the Second Coming in the last days. Scripture prophesies that in the last days, many will doubt His coming, burdened with worldly cares, just as in Noah’s days, when people were eating, drinking, and giving in marriage. Becoming narrowly worldly-minded will lead to a mocking attitude about His second coming, questioning, “Ah, when is He coming?” We need to guard our minds from this and pray with David, “Turn my eyes away from beholding vanity; renew it according to Your word.”

Second, develop a mindset of the New Testament experience of the Second Coming. Just as Jesus and the apostles taught us the truths of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, they also, with equal clarity and certainty, witnessed and taught us the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Second Coming was central to the New Testament Christian experience. I said three things about this: they saw waiting eagerly for the Second Coming as a sign of true conversion; as one of the primary means of sanctification; and as the great future hope of true believers. If our experience does not match up to this, there is a defect. So, as we look at this truth, pray that we may be transformed by the renewing of our minds. My prayer and goal today is that after I finish my message, I will have created a yearning for His coming in our hearts.

Two Main Headings

We have two main headings:

• Biblical Clarity of the Second Coming
• Glory of the Second Coming

Biblical Understanding of the Second Coming

Firstly, let’s discuss the biblical understanding of the Second Coming. We all know so much confusion exists regarding the Second Coming and eschatological truths about the last things. There is a teaching that has become very popular over the last 100 years—premillennialism, or “premil”—so popular that most churches in our country believe it. People who have been in our church going through the Bible verse by verse are very clear, but we have new people coming from that teaching and new subscribers to our channel who still have many doubts, so I have to repeat this. Unless you take away that block, you cannot truly enjoy the blessedness of our hope.

The foundation of the premillennial view is that there are two returns of Christ. One is a secret rapture only for His church, and then a final return. They teach there are two resurrections: one for believers and then one for unbelievers. First, all the church will rise, and living believers will go to heaven and meet the Lord secretly in the air. Once the church goes off, the Antichrist will come, then there will be a seven-year tribulation period (three and a half years of tribulation and three and a half years of great tribulation), many Jews will be saved, and things will be at their worst. Then, Christ will come again a second time, publicly, and reign over this world for 1,000 years. Jews will rebuild the temple, bring back sacrifices, and then Satan will be let loose for a while, and then judgment will come, followed by the final state. You would have seen charts depicting this. This premillennial view is very, very popular. It is a favorite doctrine of the Brethren and was made popular by them. Very subtly, Darby and Scofield, in their reference Bibles, added these notes and charts. Because it came in the Bible, many people even thought this is what the Bible teaches. The media and sensational “Left Behind” movies and books made it famous. It is so strongly a part of their church doctrine that if you don’t believe it, they will take you out of church membership; that has happened to one of my brothers.

Even some good preachers I admire, like John MacArthur, Jerry Falwell, and Ray Comfort, all preach that. John MacArthur himself has famously described it as “leaky dispensationalism,” meaning he doesn’t adhere strictly to every tenet of classic dispensationalism. I was telling someone that once you allow wrong ideas to impact you deeply, no matter who you are or how much of the Bible you may know, it will blind you to the truth. MacArthur is a great preacher and has done great service to God in this generation; we are not worthy to untie his sandals. But he is fallible. If you try to trace where these wrong seeds were implanted, you’ll find it was in Talbot Theological Seminary where he was trained, which is one of the strongholds of dispensational theology. His admired mentor, Dr. Charles Feinberg, a brilliant man with strong ideas about Jews, was also a strong dispensationalist.

What is wrong with that teaching? There are many problems, such as people being given a second chance to repent in the tribulation period, which suggests, “If you don’t repent now, don’t worry, when the tribulation starts you can repent.” The teaching talks about building a temple again and offering sacrifices again. After the Lord has once and for all offered a complete sacrifice and torn the veil, what is the meaning of all this? It divides the people of God into two groups: the church and Israel. It denies the present mediatorial reign of Christ. Most sadly, it robs Christ of His glory. We will see that the Second Coming is synonymous with the revealing of Christ’s glory, but this view robs Christ of His glory as if He secretly comes, behind the scenes, subtly and magically takes away His church. What is the need for it in the plan of God?

But the main problem is, does the Bible teach two comings of Christ? When you, as a diligent Bible reader, compare verse by verse, will this stand the test of the analogy of Scripture? Lo and behold, no one will ever be able to show two comings of Christ. It miserably fails the test, and only by twisting and taking verses out of context, using some symbolic language, can you come up with this premillennial view. Before we start looking at the blessings of the Second Coming, I want to clear this up. We don’t have time to look at everything in that view, but the main point I want to show is that the Bible nowhere talks about two comings.

My proposition against premillennial teaching is this: all the passages in the Bible that explicitly teach the Second Coming teach just one final coming of Christ, and that coming will bring glory to believers and judgment for the wicked. I have to prove this. One coming of Jesus Christ. A coming which will bring final salvation and glorification to the people of God and final judgment to the wicked. For any teaching to be true, we shouldn’t take isolated verses; it should pass three criteria: Did Jesus teach it? Did the apostles teach it? And then, did the people of God in church history believe and teach it? Let me show you that Jesus, the apostles, and church history taught and believed in one coming.

Let me quickly show you in the Bible. If you can note these verses and privately compare them, let me know if you have questions. I will give two witnesses from Jesus’ teaching in the gospels and two from the apostles’ teaching in the epistles, so it is very clear to you. These are all direct, key passages that talk about the Second Coming. We saw the whole of Matthew verse by verse for seven years, and Matthew 24, which is the root teaching for all Second Coming discussions. Nowhere did we see two comings. How is one coming described in Matthew 24:29 and following?

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

When does this gathering of the elect happen? Not seven years before, secretly. No, it is when the sun is darkened, the moon doesn’t give its light, and when He appears in heaven. All tribes will mourn, and that is when the elect will be gathered. Some say this is the elect in Israel. Oh really? But verse 31 clearly says “elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Another example is the parable of the tares in Matthew 13:40, where at the end of the parable, the Lord says, “Let both grow together till harvest.” What will happen at the harvest of His coming? “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The “shining forth” is always connected with the glorified state of saints in the Second Coming. So we see glorifying the saints and punishing the wicked happening at the same time. There is no secret rapture with seven years in between. In these two clear passages in the Gospels, we see only one coming.

Let us go to the epistles. 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Next, in chapter 5, verse 1, Paul continues to talk about the coming: “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you.” Oh, this artificial chapter division has caused so much confusion. It is the same day. Verse 2 continues, “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” What will the Second Coming of Christ do? Verse 3: “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

It is the same day which will bring judgment and destruction for the wicked and full salvation and glorification for the saints. That day will find the wicked unprepared, and it will find the child of God prepared and watching. It will be a day of glory for them. But it is the same day. Verse 9 says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” How can you squeeze seven years in between these chapter divisions and say it is different?

Another key passage that talks about the Second Coming clearly shows that it is one coming. In 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, Paul is comforting people who are suffering. He says in verse 7, “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.” When He is revealed, what will He do? Verse 8: “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Is this seven years after the rapture? No, no. See verse 10: “when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

Do you see there is only one coming? At that time He will glorify the saints and at the same time punish the wicked. It is one event. We can keep looking at other passages. The Bible nowhere clearly teaches anything about a secret coming or two comings. If this is shocking or unbelievable, I plead with you to have a Berean spirit and examine the Scriptures.

Not only these scriptural passages, but is this some new discovery I have made or that a few reformed men have made? No, no. This is the historical understanding and faith of the true people of God throughout church history: one return and one resurrection. The oldest expression of the historic church’s faith is what is commonly called the Apostles’ Creed. What does it say at the end? “On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” Next it says, “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” Why didn’t most godly Christians know anything about a secret coming for His church? He will come once, and that will result in judgment.

You see the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the Canons of Dort, the Westminster Confession, the London Baptist Confession—in all the great church confessions of faith, this is the faith of God’s people. One Second Coming, one general resurrection, followed by one judgment, and then eternity. It is so simple and clear. To mix this up with a rapture, seven years, tribulation, great tribulation, a temple again, sacrifices, a 1,000-year reign, two comings, and two resurrections, and then judgment and eternity, is so confusing and absurd and also contradicts many other teachings of the Bible.

Yes, Romans 9 talks about a future mass turning of Jews; God may bring many Jews to Christ. The Bible talks about the Antichrist, terrible apostasy, and tribulations intensifying like birth pangs. One thing about prophecy is that until it happens, we cannot 100% clearly know how it will happen. All this premillennial view and charts claiming to make it crystal clear are neither biblical nor the faith of the historical people of God. But one thing we clearly know from the Bible is that there are not two comings; there is only one coming of Christ. That fact alone demolishes the entire premillennial teaching. Still, if you want to stick to it and say, “The rabbit I caught has three legs, and my Bible says two comings,” that is your stubborn freedom. But like I said, your mind will never be able to properly see the glory of the Second Coming and live in that light until you see it as the Bible teaches. So, what does the Bible teach? That is what we are going to see today and in the coming weeks.

Today, I want to open our blessed hope: the Glory of the Second Coming. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 1:4. These people are suffering opposition from Jews, the community, and authorities for their faith. Paul encourages them with the blessed hope of Christ’s coming in the midst of their suffering and their glorification at His coming.

4 “so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God… 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

Think for a moment and contemplate, with the eye of faith and the eye of imagination, this tremendous scene. In the past, when our Savior ascended to heaven, His form gradually disappeared from the gaze of His disciples. The angels said this same Jesus will come back likewise. He goes to heaven, we saw His session, He sends the Holy Spirit, He intercedes and gathers His church, and He reigns as mediator and prepares the world for His coming. When the last elect is saved, His intercession ministry is done. Imagine the scene in heaven when all is ready.

Imagine the boundless, triumphant joy on Christ’s face. We can imagine Christ saying to the Father, “Father, after My ascension, I sat at Your right hand, interceding until now; the last elect is saved. It is time for Me to go to the world to grant full redemption to My people and judge the world. The great day has come. Now we can dismantle and shatter this stage of creation. Let Me break the seventh seal, let the seventh trumpet be blown, pour out the seventh bowl.” Let the angel announce with an oath, “that time shall be no longer.” All time given to mankind is over; there is no more concept of time; now eternity starts.

Maybe the day is announced with a trumpet in heaven to call and summon all souls and all angels. Oh, what a stir there will be in heaven. Think of the Father’s joy, who bears the scar of how terribly the world treated His Son and how even now the world doesn’t know His glory. Oh, on that day, the full glory of the Son of God will be revealed. He promised to sit at His right hand until He makes His enemies His footstool, and that day has come. Think of the angels, how eager they must be for the revelation of the glory of Christ. All the billions and billions of powerful angels are eagerly ready to come down. If believers here, even with remaining sin, yearn so much for Christ’s coming to experience full redemption, we cannot imagine the joy of perfected souls in heaven on this day of joining the souls and bodies of the saints together. They will experience their full redemption on the day that has been so long looked for! Imagine Adam and Enoch, how long they have waited. Jude 14 says, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied this: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones.’” What a scene in heaven! I imagine if the Lord doesn’t come in my lifetime, I will be there!

No wonder Revelation is filled with ecstatic worship and triumphant song. Revelation 11:15 says, when the seventh trumpet sounded, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’”

Imagine the scene on earth. One day all of a sudden, the sky will split and roll back like a screen, there will be a sign and the sound of an archangel and a trumpet will sound, and every part of this world will see it. All continents and nations will see it. He will come with all glory. The light of the sun and moon begins to fade before a brightness superior to its own. What an event that day will be! There are so many things to talk about, so let us quickly look at four things from 2 Thessalonians 1:8, when “the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance.”

• Revelation of Jesus Christ. Verse 7 says “the Lord Jesus is revealed.” Luke 17:30 says, “on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” The Second Coming will be the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, an unveiling. It points to the fact that Jesus is not revealed yet. All we saw at His first coming was a humiliated form of a servant. His essential glory was veiled in flesh; His humanity veiled His glory. There were a few glimpses now and then, like in the transfiguration. The purposes of the first coming to lift us from our gutter of sin could only be accomplished when He came with veiled glory in the form of a slave, so men could insult Him, mock Him, spit on Him, slap Him, make Him suffer, and even kill Him on the cross as an atoning sacrifice.

But in the redemptive plan, the Father has fixed a day when the Lord Jesus Christ will be unveiled with all His glory. All that is happening now in providence is behind the scenes. The seven seals, trumpets, bowls, wars, famines, plagues, political upheavals—all events are like a grand sculptor sculpting an amazing statue of art for many years, and all are waiting, waiting, waiting, not for one or two years, but for thousands of years. From Job, all the Old Testament saints and all the prophets, and all the apostles to the last saint, are waiting. All the glorious twists and turns of thousands of years of providence, which were so confusing and raised so many questions at individual, national, and international levels, will be made clear. On that day, God will pull down the big veil, to the eternal awe and shock of the universe, and the full glory of the Lord Jesus Christ will be unveiled. There will be no more veiling of what He truly is, both in His essential deity and in the conferred Lordship as a reward for His suffering.

It will cause universal awe. Like at the first coming, the world will not wonder who He is. But the undiminished splendor of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed to everyone. Every eye will see Him personally with their own eyes in infinite glory because His coming will be so dramatic. As He descends, He shatters and dismantles the whole universe. Think of the language used for the most mighty substances: the great sky is rolled back as a scroll, His brightness will be so bright that the sun and moon will become dark, all the big stars and billions of planets and heavenly bodies will fall like figs from trees. What a scene!

Then, notice in verse 7, the unveiling is described in three prepositional phrases: “From, With, In,” to underscore the nature of the revelation.

• FROM: The source of that unveiling is from heaven. If you are sitting here with a mocking mindset, can we believe all this in this advanced 21st century? We are going to Mars. Day and night go on. How can all this happen? Your mind is not able to believe because your mind is all focused on this little cursed, muddy heap of earth and your puny little 50-60 years of experience. You have to realize that the one coming is from the highest eternal heaven, which rules all realms with unbounded authority. In a second, He can crush this cursed earth even now. This is not a big thing for one from heaven. This is not a dream or a myth. This is the infallible Word of God. This is where all of history is going, every tick of the clock, every movement brings us closer to God pulling down the veil. So the source of this unveiling, our hope, is from heaven.
• WITH: He will come “with the angels of His power.” He will come with an innumerable retinue of all angels as a witness of His power. I believe heaven will empty itself of all the saints and all the angels. They will be His servants who will accomplish His purposes on that day. They are not there for show. They are called “angels of His power.” They will be the instruments of His power to execute His judgment and salvation.
• IN: He will come “in flaming fire.” Not just fire, but flaming. Other passages talk about Him coming with clouds. We know in the Old Testament, fire and clouds are a manifestation of the presence of God. The Israelites were led with a pillar of fire and a cloud.

Now, what are the redemptive blessings we receive at this time? It is so glorious. We will look in detail at the blessings of resurrection, judgment, and eternity in the coming weeks. Let us look at three general blessings today that this 2 Thessalonians 1 passage talks about. We again have another RGA: Rest, Glory, and Admiration.

• First: Rest from all afflictions of every kind. Verse 7 says, “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”

If you are a child of God, crying out that you have no rest and there is no end to your affliction, the Second Coming will give you rest. What kind of rest is it? It is a full, eternal relaxation or relief—a true and permanent deliverance from all the pressures and sufferings that come from this sin-diseased, cursed world. These things cause varied forms of restlessness.

I don’t know how much we can appreciate this, but think of the Thessalonians who were suffering terribly because of their conversion. They faced constant opposition from Gentiles, Jews, and authorities. They were restless. So aptly, Paul holds out the promise: the moment Jesus is unveiled from heaven, every oppressive pressure on the child of God will be utterly and eternally removed from the Christian. This is an age of tribulation for Christians, not like dispensationalism says, where it’s all for future Jews and we can be jolly in our sins. No. Jesus said, “If you live like My disciples, in the world you shall have tribulation.” The apostles said, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Historically, persecuted people are the ones who have the most glowing vision of the return of Christ, because it makes them hold loosely to the things of the world and makes their hearts burn for that glorious day when the Lord will come. When situations in the world are difficult, that is when our hope becomes lively. I don’t know about you, but I never appreciate what a blessed thing it is to be a believer more than when I suffer, face difficulty, or face fear and death. What a blessed thing it is to be a believer now!

As a child of God, if you are suffering today, if something is making you sad, if you are struggling with anything that is causing restlessness, let me encourage you to set the vision of this unveiling of Christ before you. He comes to deliver you from all afflictions and to give you permanent rest. Every oppressive pressure on the child of God will be utterly and eternally removed from the Christian. Think about your affliction—health, poverty, needs, sickness. He will deliver you. For some, it may be a husband, wife, or children. Aren’t you happy that He will deliver you from all that? May that give you hope.

Glorification in His Saints

Let us look at the second blessing: the glorification of Christ in us. In verse 10, Paul says Christ comes “to be glorified in His saints.” What does that mean? It means we are so inseparably united to Christ. He is the head, and we are His body. Every believer is a member of His body. Christ cannot be completely glorified without us being glorified. So He comes to be glorified in His saints.

What does that mean for us? Here on earth, no matter how much we grow in grace, we are still not fully glorified in Christ. We are struggling with remaining sin. We are not a pretty sight here, harassed by the body of death and struggling with the propensity and inclination to sin. We have a hundred and one weaknesses. The work of redemption is always in progress. Even the apostle Paul, we saw, was not perfect. Much of the glory of Christ is obscured in His body in its present situation. Paul yearned to be delivered from his body of death. Christ cannot be fully glorified in us until His full work of redemption is completed in us.

So when it says He comes to be glorified in His saints, it means that at the moment the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God are heard, the veil is pulled away, and Christ is manifested. At that moment, Christ’s redemptive work in my soul and body will be so complete, so perfect, so glorious, with a deathless body and a sinless soul. These bodies will be fashioned like His own glorious body, and every last drop of sin and stain of depravity will be removed. I will be made perfect in holiness, both body and soul. John says when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. At that moment, His work of redemption in me will be complete. At that moment, Christ will be glorified in His saints. This can only happen at His Second Coming.

The full application of redemption happens at the Second Coming. How can I explain this? Think of it this way: all that God gives in this world is a foretaste. Think of a saved person. Maybe they were a sinner who had been destroying their body and soul with addiction to alcohol, drugs, gluttony, and adultery, living as a child of the devil, defiling their mind, heart, and body without any control. But the grace of God transforms them and saves them. They are called, regenerated, justified, and made a child of God. They become a living sacrifice. How marvelously they change! They leave their former life and their life is new. We see them living holy, with control over their food, passions, sexual drives, and recreation, and using their body for the glory of God. Oh, we see and praise God. What glorious things God has done in their life! Once as rash as an animal, now so gentle and good, like an angel. We say, what a monument of God’s grace! Like a wretched slave trader who became an angel-like John Newton, writing “Amazing Grace.”

But my friend, all that has happened to him, God says, is a little foretaste, a drop, a down payment of the best that is yet to come. So the transformation that happens to him in this life is called a foretaste, an earnest, a down payment, and he is sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. All the sanctification and changes that have happened for you in this world are just a foretaste, a trailer, compared to the glorious transformation that will happen when you are glorified in Christ. Isn’t that exciting? Oh, how this should make us yearn for His coming. What we are so excited about now is just small change; the jackpot lottery comes at the Second Coming.

That is why the Bible says we are saved in hope, with a perspective that the best is yet to come. The unveiling of the Lord Jesus will be so glorious for us. Full redemptive blessings will be bestowed on us, of which we have only had a foretaste all our life. Imagine if Christ receives glory through us now, when we only have a foretaste, but what a mess we still are with our remaining sins.

Some of you, as a pastor, I see with an honest confession. So you know what a bad pastor I am. After years and years of teaching, honestly, you only cause me frustration. Still like this? Still not mature in Christ? Still dishonor Christ? When will you grow and arise? The harvest is plenty. When will we have laborers? Still struggling with the basics of godliness. Sometimes in discouragement, I ask, “Lord, how long! I should struggle with them forever! When will they grow up?” He keeps saying to me, “You love Me, feed My flock.”

You know why? Because a day is coming when even the least of saints, when I look at you on that day, I will jump for joy. Yes, yes! You will reach a state so glorious. Not a dim reflection of Christ, but a perfect reflection of Christ in body and soul, perfectly conformed to the image of the glorious Christ. He will be universally glorified in each of you. Oh, that day all the flock of Christ will be made perfect.

How comforting to those of us who live every day mourning for our sins and failures! Oh, I don’t glorify Christ in this world as I should. I do so little. I fail in so many areas. I bring so much dishonor. Oh, to see this hope! A day is coming when I can perfectly glorify Christ in heart, mind, and soul. What a wonderful combination! That day, Christ will be perfectly glorified by pouring full redemptive blessings on me. I will be able to perfectly glorify Him. My highest good and His highest glory happen in one act. They are joined together in the scheme of redemption. When He comes, He is glorified, and I will perfectly glorify Him.

Admiration of Christ

The third blessing is the admiration of Christ. Verse 10 says Christ comes “to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe.” What is this admiration? It means to marvel with glad astonishment, a gloriously pleasant shock and grateful wonder, leading to praise and worship. It is a wonderful shock. Let me give an example. A son was asking for a bat that cost 1,000 rupees. He keeps asking and asking. He brings a pamphlet, shows pictures, and says, “It’s so nice! I want it.” He keeps asking, very eager. The parents decide to buy it for him on his birthday. On that day, the parents tell him, “Okay, your gift is in the room, go!” He runs, opens the door, and he is shocked and filled with wonder and amazement beyond words. Why? Instead of the bat he was asking for, he finds a costly 100,000 rupee bike. He had always secretly wanted one, but never thought his parents would buy such a thing. It was beyond him to even ask for such a thing. But when he finds that his parents brought what he secretly wanted, far beyond the 1,000 rupee bat, the parents have brought a 100,000 rupee bike. How wonderful! It is beyond all his wildest imaginations. It’s a poor example. What does he experience? He experiences wonderment and amazement.

We have some idea of Jesus Christ’s coming. It will be like this and that, so joyful. But when the Lord Jesus returns, His saints will experience that which is far beyond expectation or imagination. When they are given rest and experimentally feel and know what it is to be glorified, when they experimentally know how to look upon the face of the Savior whom they loved unseen, they will be like the little boy who got far more than he ever wished, hoped, or asked for, and will be left breathless and shocked.

They will be shocked and sit with admiration and amazement. All our admiration will be focused on Him, by whose gracious work all this has happened to them. None of this comes because of them, but by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we see how great He is—when our eyes and mind grasp, “Oh, He is so great! So gloriously exalted!”—when we realize He left all this glory, came to this earth in the form of a slave, a babe to a virgin as a small cell in a womb; became so poor that His parents didn’t have money for a lamb but gave pigeons; He grew, and allowed Himself to be mocked, scorned, ridiculed, slapped; He endured suffering and drops of blood like sweat; nails were driven into His hands and feet, leading to a shameful death on the cross, enduring the hell of hells on the cross and crying out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” He rose, went back, ascended to heaven, sent the Holy Spirit, interceded until He applied all the salvation blessings He purchased as the glorified God-man. And finally now, He comes, gathers all His sheep from all the nations of the earth, then by covenant faithfulness pours full redemptive blessings and makes them experience this bliss, and will take us to eternal bliss.

Imagine you standing there. All this happened because of whom? Whose merit? Whose labor? Whose work? Whose sweat drops? Whose blood? Whose pain? Whose suffering? Whose intercession? Whose Spirit? Oh, that one. We believed Him when others didn’t. We didn’t wait in vain. Behold, He comes back with all this glory. We see face to face in all glory now. Surely, what could we do? What shall we do? What else will be fitting in that hour? Looking upon this one with glad and joyful tears, but to admire Him and marvel at the magnitude of His grace and the glory of His person.

So, brothers and sisters, we see the three glorious blessings at His coming: rest from all afflictions, being glorified in Him, and standing in amazement at Him. Do they strike a yearning in you, in the slightest way, to say with John, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”? Remember RGA: rest, glorification, admiration.

Oh, the sad part is that finally the passage also talks about what will happen to the people who don’t believe. Verse 8 says He is “taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sitting here, you are not moved by any of this. You are looking here and there, wondering when the sermon will be over, stuck to your world and its pleasures and problems. See what the verse says. Are you a person who does not know God? Not just knowing about God, but knowing God in a relationship? You can know God by obeying the gospel through repentance and faith. The second description the verse gives is “those who do not obey the gospel,” meaning you have heard the command of the gospel so many times—the good news, the wonderful things God has done for you in Jesus Christ. The mystery was hidden for ages, but has now, historically and geographically, come to you, and it commands you to repent and believe in Him, but you are still living and not obeying the gospel.

In spite of all the knowledge of the truth, there is no obedience in your life. See what will happen on that day. Just knowing this will not help; have you obeyed? Do you see yourself in this description: not knowing God, not obeying the gospel? When Jesus Christ is coming, He will come for rest, to be glorified in His saints, to be admired, but He will take vengeance and punish with everlasting destruction away from the presence of the Lord. Very terrible words are used. He will take vengeance, and verse 6 says, He will repay. Why? What did I do? He will take vengeance on you for all your sins and disobedience and pay you back for all your sins.

Can you imagine this almighty God who will come with such glory and revelation, coming to you to take vengeance? It will be like a villain coming to take vengeance, as you would have seen in some great revenge movies. But the most terrible vengeance is this. The degree and duration of punishment. The degree: if one with a word of mouth can throw galaxies into space, if that hand is lifted against me to take vengeance, oh, what will that be? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. In all His glorious power in His Second Coming, the duration of payback and vengeance is forever, forever. No rest, no interval, everlasting destruction. Even if you die and are buried, He will raise you from the grave and give you this punishment.

Friend, if you take five minutes and seriously think about this—about your eternity, everlasting punishment with an eternal soul and a never-dying body—if you think seriously for five minutes, you will immediately run to Christ, repent, and put your faith in Him. Do not allow sin and this passing world to harden you and blind you so much. The world and its lusts will pass away. Think, where will you be 100 years from now? May God open your eyes so you immediately obey the gospel, repent, and believe in Christ. All this glory will be yours on that day.

As we come to communion today, we do this in remembrance of me, until I come. We remember His coming as well. He says we have to remember His death in the light of His Second Coming. We not only have to look backward at the reality of His suffering and look upward at the reality of spiritual fellowship with Him and His mediatorial reign now, but also look forward to when all that He died to purchase for His people will be realized in our experience.

I keep teaching everyone again and again: it is not enough to hear, know, and enjoy the sermon. You must meditate on this until your souls are on fire. Do it every day. That is when you can live every day with energy and strength to glorify God. That is what “looking unto Jesus” means. When understanding works seriously, deeply, and spiritually, these things will become a spiritual sight and a scene before your eyes. You will probably have visions of the rapture burst on your sight.

Christian, if you would gain more and greater victories over the world than you have ever done, bring this scene often before the eye of your mind and gaze upon it until you become blind to all earthly glory. He who gazes long at the sun becomes unsusceptible to impressions from inferior luminaries. He who looks much at the coming glory of the Sun of Righteousness will be little affected by any alluring object the world can exhibit. Oh, let this be our work. Let us meditate on the Second Coming of Jesus until it becomes a vision to us. Has the reality of that event been burned into your heart? You have to live in the light of that truth.

This is our hope. Develop this hope. Develop a yearning. New Testament believers saw this as a sign of true salvation. If we are born again, Peter says, He has “begotten us again unto a lively hope.” The Second Coming is a great means of sanctification.

May we come with hearts full of love to communion.

1. He came first, emptying Himself of glory in love. When He left, He went with a rich testimony of His love: “It is expedient for you that I go away.” In the same way, His returning is all love. “I will not leave you orphans in the world, in the grave, comfortless; I will come unto you.” Yes, He has gone to heaven now, but He is always thinking and interceding for us. He ever lives for that. His heart beats for us. This Christ will come again, but He will come again in His own person. What love! The great, exalted Christ, He Himself comes. Might He not send His angels? But He must come Himself! Oh, what a heart-beating love that He will come to deliver us from all afflictions. Oh, His love that He united us together, so He staked His great glory with our glory. He comes to be glorified in us, to bestow the fullness of all redemptive blessings.
2. When He comes, Christ will welcome all His saints into His presence, and is not this love?

Oh, we will be so amazed by the riches of His grace—His rewards of grace, a reward beyond all our work, and beyond our wages, and beyond all promises, and beyond our thoughts, and beyond our understanding. It is a participation in the joys of God and in the eternal, unfading inheritance.

Oh, how foolish and stupid we are not to eagerly wait for His coming! What else are we waiting and living for if we are not waiting for His coming? RGA—rest, glorification, and admiration. May we say, “Come, Lord Jesus,” as we partake.

We are developing our understanding of the whole redemptive plan. In our heartwarming Christology, we saw Jesus pre-creation, in the Old Testament, his birth, life, death, resurrection, his ascension, session, Holy Spirit mission, and intercession. All these blessings fill us with bliss, and we might feel like saying, “Enough, what else do I need?” But we are caught by a God who doesn’t bless us according to our capacity, but according to the infinite riches of his grace. So we continue the redemption story. What do you think should be next in redemptive history? Yes, chronologically, we can say it would be the Second Coming of Christ. If you think you’ve seen anything so far, I am delighted to tell you the best is yet to come; the most thrilling topics start now! So far, whatever I have taught is a foretaste of what is to come. The real fullness of blessings actually starts now.

Yes, though in chronological order, it is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but I think we have to understand another glorious present ministry of our Lord: the Mediatorial Reign of Christ. I believe this will be the best preparation to grasp the glory of his Second Coming. Most Christians go wrong in understanding the Second Coming because they either don’t have any idea or proper knowledge of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ. Before we look at his Second Coming, I want to talk about three things today:

1. The meaning of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ
2. Biblical evidence
3. Implications

The Meaning of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ

After Christ rose from the dead and ascended, he was given all authority and power. As God-man, he is not waiting for a future reign, but he started his mediatorial reign when he ascended and was seated at the Father’s right hand. That is why before he went to heaven in Matthew 28, he didn’t say all authority in heaven and on earth will be given to me in the future. No, it has already been given, and therefore you should go into all the world, because my reign has started, and your gospel work will be victorious.

The Mediatorial Reign of Christ is his powerful, official rule over all things in heaven and on earth for the glory of God and to execute God’s salvation purposes for his people. Christ’s reign is absolute and supreme. It is an unrivaled dominion. He sovereignly overrules and controls all political powers, kings, ministers, prime ministers, chief ministers, and counselors of all nations. Any kingdom that rises and falls is under his reign. Right now he is at the right hand of God, above every authority, ruling and reigning every region in this world, whether Lingarapuram, Bangalore, India, or the world. All things are under the reign of Christ. It is unrivaled dominion and unparalleled supremacy. Like a central government sitting in Delhi rules the whole country, so he sits in the control room of the universe in heaven and rules the whole world. It is happening now.

This reign has several purposes. There are two main purposes. First, to gather and perfect his Church. Second, to subdue and use his enemies for his purposes. This includes completely removing the power and effects of evil spiritual forces in the universe and finally defeating them fully. That is the meaning of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ.

Biblical Evidence

As Christians, it is so important to realize and live in the light of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ. Not realizing this not only hinders our spiritual growth but also leads to many theological and practical errors in Christian life. That is why in Ephesians 1, after Paul lists all the blessings, he earnestly prays for three things.

Ephesians 1:15-23 says:

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

He prays for illumination on three things: to know the hope of his calling, second, the riches of his glorious inheritance, and third, notice he prays that they know “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us.” Greatness is big, but here it is the “exceeding greatness of the power.” What kind of power is that?

That power is working towards us. It is not only the power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the right hand of God, but also the power that makes him exercise universal reign: “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” He “put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Do you see how clear this verse is? “All… All…” There is a present reign of Christ. He is above all; everything is under him. Only when the Holy Spirit opens our spiritual eyes can we see the glory of this reign. That is why Paul prays that our great need is to realize this awesome reign of Christ and the power that comes to us from grasping that. As we look unto Christ with eyes of faith this morning, may we see him “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named.”

All our forefathers were great spiritual giants because they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit to see this reign and lived in the light of this reign. They were fearless lions serving Christ and the gospel. But sadly, after the 19th century, oh how many Christians, not realizing this truth, have gone completely wrong with a worldly kind of dispensational teaching. Just like the Jews, they are stubborn. Even though our Lord said his kingdom is not of this world, they adamantly want him to reign on this earth or at least for 1,000 years. By doing that, they completely reject this marvelous present Mediatorial Reign of Christ and don’t realize how terribly such a view affects their present Christian life. Ephesians verse 23 is very comforting when it says he is reigning with such power for us, for our benefit, for our good. What an amazing thing. If we knew the prime minister of our country was ruling the country for our good and was a member of our church, what a comfort that would be.

The next biblical evidence for the Mediatorial Reign of Christ is found in Revelation. Revelation will become so clear and meaningful only if you understand this mediatorial reign. For those of you who missed the Revelation series 10 years ago, let me give you a full tour of the book now. Revelation, as the name itself suggests, reveals the glory of Christ, not just his glory somewhere in the future, but also his present mediatorial glory. When the book starts, in Revelation 1:5, see how he addresses himself: “Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.” He is not the coming ruler but the present ruler of the kings of the earth. Doesn’t this clearly mean he is presently ruling over the kings of the earth?

Imagine the context to whom Revelation is written. All the apostles are dead. The last apostle is in exile on Patmos island. The churches are suffering from terrible persecution. What comfort would it give those suffering saints if the whole book of Revelation only talked about what would happen thousands of years after their generation? That is what dispensationalists teach. When you are terribly suffering now, who cares about events in the future, what will happen to Jews or Gentiles where we will not even be on earth? During intense suffering, we want to know what our risen and ascended Lord is doing right now by revelation so we can be faithful to him today, right?

With that proper context, if you start reading Revelation, you will see it gives us the most encouraging heavenly view of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ. The book of Revelation reveals to us all the events that happen from his first coming to the second coming. All of them come under the Mediatorial Reign of Christ in apocalyptic, figurative language. It uses apocalyptic and end-time literature. It is not a confused book, but a beautifully orderly, vivid, visual drama. You will see it is explained to us in seven recapitulating cycles: seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. In between each, there are interludes, pictures. After seven churches, there is the throne and worship of God and the Lamb. After seven seals, there are pictures of the 144,000 servants. After seven trumpets, there is the dragon and the woman. After seven bowls, there is the judgment of Babylon, and the final victory and eternal state with the new creation. Each apocalyptic image starts from a period of his first coming, what he does in his mediatorial reign, which leads to the end with his second coming of Christ, judgment, and the eternal state. These are not linear events, one after another, but a recapitulation of the same period from different angles.

Let me show that clearly to you with one example. After the letters to the seven churches, Revelation 4 gives us a vision of the throne of God. The Lamb of God is worshiped and glorified as worthy to open the seal. Great glory is given to Christ by innumerable angels and elders: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” He is exalted above everything. When does this happen? If you read in the proper context of the New Testament without any confusion caused by dispensationalists, this talks about the glorification and enthronement of Christ after he rose from the dead, ascended, and was seated at the right hand of God. He is given all authority in heaven and on earth, symbolized by him taking the scroll and he alone being worthy to break the seals of the scroll. It is a vision to encourage suffering believers by showing what Christ did after he ascended to heaven.

It is not talking about some future seven-year tribulation. It talks about what happens after Jesus takes the throne after his resurrection and ascension. It is Christ ruling and reigning over the present gospel age. He takes the scroll which is God’s redemptive plan—remember he predestined it before creation—and as the enthroned king, he breaks the seals of the scroll. Then events take place on earth. It is a history of what happens between the first and second coming. This period is called the gospel age.

What is written in the scroll? All that Christ prophesied in Matthew 24 that will happen before his coming is stated in apocalyptic language in Revelation 6. He opens the first four seals, the four horses.

2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

The white horse talks about the peace message of the gospel. It shows the victory of the gospel during this age. The gospel will spread and be victorious in spite of all hindrances. Hasn’t that happened in the last 2000 years? The gospel goes conquering and to conquer. From 12 men, it is now the biggest religion in the world, though nominally, it is Christianity today. The white horse of the gospel is still going everywhere and calling the elect, conquering. It is this victorious horse and the one who sits on it that brought you and me to Christ after 2000 years.

Secondly, during this reign, he not only has to call and build his church, but he also has to dismantle all the foundations of the evil spiritual forces in the world, which have many complex layers of spiritual powers, principalities, and dominions. So secondly,

4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

This indicates that as the gospel spreads in this time, there will be constant wars in the gospel age, and people will be hating and killing one another.

Verse 5, he opens the third seal:

5 So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

This indicates that during this time, there will be scarcity on Earth: famine, a lack of resources, recession, economical collapse, and inflation, even for basic food items like lentils, oil, and petrol at high rates. Should we wait for a great tribulation for this to happen? Isn’t this happening before our eyes?

Verse 7 says,

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

This shows that during this time, there will be mass deaths from war, hunger, and plagues.

The fifth seal shows the souls of those beheaded crying under the altar of God because of the word of God and their testimony, crying “how long?” It talks about Christian martyrdom during this time. Isn’t that happening in the last 2000 years?

Now see how the sixth seal takes us to the end. Verse 12 describes a great earthquake; the sun turned black; the whole moon turned blood red, and verse 13 says, “the stars in the sky fell to earth, the heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” This is the great day of judgment. Verse 15 says, “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.” Verse 16 continues, “They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!'” Verse 17 says, “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

When he opened the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1), “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” The judgments were so terrible and unimaginable that it doesn’t even say. You will notice the same pattern in the seven trumpets and seven bowls, but from different angles. All of them tell us what will happen between the two comings during the reign of Christ. Not understanding these cycles, dispensationalists take this and say there will be two resurrections, three comings, and two kinds of judgment. They have messed up the simple truth of scripture.

Christ exactly prophesied the same events in Matthew 24, all leading to his Second Coming. Turn to Matthew 24. He talks about the destruction of the temple, political upheaval, and the prevailing disasters of this age: wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, and famines, with one kingdom rising against another. Just as he said the Jerusalem temple would be destroyed, it was destroyed and the Jews scattered. We have seen the distress of the Gentile nations over the past 2000 years. There has been the constant upheaval of the rise and fall of empires, nation rising against nation—Roman wars, European wars, the Crusades, World Wars I and II. Even now, in May 2025, as I preach this message, isn’t everyone talking about a war this year between our country and Pakistan? In the last three years, we have seen the war between Russia and Ukraine and the tariff wars going on between the US and China. We are also seeing new kinds of wars: cyber and digital wars. This is causing people to live in fear, wondering what is going to come next. There is political turmoil. Wars and rumors of wars have marked this entire age.

So, my brothers, my humble submission is that all this points to not something coming in the future, but all these manifestations are the awesome reign of Christ over the world now. He prophesied all this on earth. Now he is in heaven with all authority. All of this is the result of the risen and reigning Christ breaking the seals on God’s scroll, unveiling the redemptive plan of God. How marvelously encouraging to see it that way. All these disasters—earthquakes, wars, famines, foods, tsunamis, landslides, political upheavals, injustices, and inflation—are to be seen as great proof of Christ’s mediatorial reign and the fulfillment of his prophecy.

Matthew 24 says:

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows…

So my brothers and sisters, I hope you can see that after our Lord died, rose, and ascended to the throne of God, as the enthroned king with all authority, his Mediatorial Reign of Christ started. All events are happening in this world because Christ is breaking the seal right now as I speak, and he reigns over the world in the fulfillment of prophecy. Great events and movements are going on earth as a result of Christ’s reign in heaven. So with Paul, I say, “Upon us the ends of the ages have come.”

Applications

1. The truth of the Mediatorial Reign of Christ (MRC) removes all dispensational carelessness in Christian life.Realizing we live in the midst of prophecy being fulfilled removes all dispensational carelessness in Christian life. I hope I can help you see and get this. When I was a dispensational guy, I was all about waiting for a secret rapture. Until then, we didn’t know what was happening in the world or what Christ was doing in heaven; it all felt out of control. There was no prophecy or control here. The prophetic clock had supposedly stopped ticking during the church age, and we were living in a great chaos. It was only when the secret rapture occurred and the church was taken out of the world that the prophetic clock would start ticking again, and events of prophecy would begin to unfold. Until then, the church was not important, and commitment to the church was not important. The only thing that mattered was Israel. Now, gospel spreading is not important because there is another chance during the tribulation, which leads to so much carelessness in Christian life.I don’t know about you, but when I changed from a pre-millennial to an a-millennial view of prophecy, it changed everything about how I think about my Christian life, my ministry, and my view of the church. It changes everything. The church and my commitment to the church became my greatest priority in life. Working for the Gospel became not only my great pleasure and delight but also an urgency. I hope it changes everything for you. We are the ones upon whom the ends of the ages have come.The church is not some side plan of God that will secretly disappear so that the main plan for Israel can happen. No, the church is the center of God’s plan, the only plan of salvation. Jews and Gentiles should come inside the church to be saved. My greatest loyalty and commitment should be to the church of Christ. We are the ones through whom the world is to be redeemed. We are the ones who are to bear witness to God in these last days. We are the ones. Doesn’t that change it for you? Christ is reigning and breaking the seals; this is the Gospel age. Preaching the Gospel and church commitment are now life-and-death issues. I can never be careless about these things.The truth of the MRC should bring great comfort to believers. What are you worried and tense about? Look to Christ! Christ reigns over the world for our good. Our Joseph is governor, accomplishing the salvation purposes of God for us. He will reign until his coming. Everything that happens in the world—every single thing in our life—is under the reign of Jesus Christ. Nothing can come into our life without the good and saving purposes of his will. He will allow only things that bring the greatest good for you and me individually and as a church. What peace, confidence, and boldness that can bring when we lift our eyes to see our Lord reigning with all sovereign authority.
2. Stop being so wrapped up in politics.There was a time when I was fully fixed on the news—this news and that. “Oh, what will this government do?” All their conspiracy plans, NRC, anti-conversion laws, India-Pakistan wars. “Oh, inflation is going up… what will happen next?” We don’t need to be so wrapped up in all the political injustices, conspiracies, and problems, biting our nails day and night. Oh, the Balakot attack, an India-Pakistan war is coming. News channels have now become thrilling horror channels with all the graphics and voices. Looking at them, our blood pressure will go up. Oh, whatever politician or party comes, they cannot fix the problems in our world. Only when He comes will it be solved. He is reigning now for our good; he is in control; he is coming soon. You know now, I don’t waste my time and energy on all the latest news channels, maybe just a few minutes to be updated so I can vote for the right party. I am not worried because I know all this is part of his plan, and he reigns fully now. Instead of getting involved in all these passing things, we need to spend time knowing the Lord more, worshiping him, and serving him.
3. The MRC should give great boldness and energy for Gospel witness.It will give us enough motivation for sharing the Gospel with people because this is the Gospel age. The Gospel is the center. You know when Christ gave the Great Commission, what was the foundational basis of the Great Commission? It is the reign of Christ. He said, “Go into the world and preach the Gospel.” On what basis, Lord? “Because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” I am reigning; therefore, go into the world. We can go with confidence and preach because Jesus is ruling and reigning. There is nothing that is going to stop the Gospel. No work of Gospel effort will go in vain. The white horse and the one who sits on it went out conquering and to conquer. The Gospel will triumph, however discouraging the situation may be. Oh, we get discouraged. “Oh, no one listens.” Just imagine, many of you don’t do anything because of this discouragement. Jesus is reigning. If you have confidence in that, you will not back down. He’s reigning now in the spread of the Gospel during this age. We need to be bold in our witness. Seeing his MRC will fill us with boldness and energy for Gospel efforts. Our work will be victorious. We need to preach the Gospel with that mindset—not as if we are losing a side. No, we are on the winning side.Revelation 20, the 1000 years of reign, talks about the mediatorial reign. Those who suffer for the Gospel in this Gospel age are the wisest and greatest winners! Revelation gives two pictures: in this world, Gospel suffering may look pathetic and struggling, and all the Gospel enemies may seem to be winning, but in the heavenly scene, they are the greatest winners. Whatever they lose for Christ and the Gospel, they will not only gain 100 times more and receive a reward even for giving a glass of water, but in case they die, as soon as they die, they will reign with Christ in this mediatorial reign during this period. What an encouragement for the Gospel! Oh, how foolishly we would waste our lives if we don’t see the Gospel as the main work during this mediatorial reign. This is the Gospel age. Preach, live, sacrifice, and do everything for the Gospel!
4. We need to bow our knee to this Lord.Christ said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” If you have not repented, you have to now because it is not what you see. It is all ruled by the kingdom of heaven. Christ rules. So you have to repent now, otherwise, very soon he will come, and then the whole universe, every knee will bow and confess him as Lord. You know why? Because the Second Coming of Jesus will undoubtedly prove the mediatorial reign of Christ. The whole universe will realize at that time that he reigned over the world all these years and accomplished his purpose until his coming. As believers, if there are areas in your life not under the Lordship and reign of Christ, we need to repent and submit to him. We need to glorify him for the way he is reigning today.
5. We should yearn for his coming during this MR period.Some of you don’t believe in his MR now. You know, one day you will fully know about his reign and it will make you bow down; that day is the Second Coming. His Second Coming will reveal to everyone that he was the one who reigned on this earth and accomplished his purposes. This is what I want to expand on and prepare our hearts for the next message on the Second Coming. There are two things:
   • Guard your heart and mind from mocking disbelief in the Second Coming in the last days.
   • Develop a mindset of the New Testament experience of the Second Coming.
   Guard your heart and mind from mocking disbelief in the Second Coming in the last days.Do you believe in Christ’s Second Coming? Many of you don’t believe, double doubt, “yes, but no.” On one side, dispensationalists have confused the glorious truth of his coming, and the world continually fills us with its mocking unbelief, which molds our thinking. “Where, pastor? For 2000 years, people have been saying he’s coming, coming. Day and night go on, year after year, and he is not coming.” Do you know that this is exactly what was prophesied—that in the last days people will not believe his coming?2 Peter 3:3-8: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”He will surely come; we should never allow a mocker’s mindset to influence our lives.Luke 21:34: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”Matthew 24:37-39: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Christ comes.Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”Develop a mindset of the New Testament experience of the Second Coming.What is the Second Coming in the New Testament experience? As surely as Jesus and the apostles taught us the truths of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, they also with equal clarity and certainty witnessed and taught us the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. So a true Biblical Christian experience was always molded by the reality and confident expectation of the return of Jesus Christ. The same Jesus who died, rose, and went to heaven will come back in the same manner: visibly, bodily, and publicly.How did the Second Coming of Jesus impact the New Testament believer’s experience? It was not an optional belief. The New Testament sees an eager expectation of Christ’s Second Coming as three things: 1) as a sign of true conversion, 2) as one primary means of sanctification, and 3) as the great future hope of true believers. Let me show you that.
   1. The New Testament sees eager expectation and yearning for the return of Jesus Christ as a distinctive evidence of true conversion.1 Thessalonians 1:8-10: talking about the Thessalonians’ conversion, Paul lists the marks of their conversion. “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and 1) how you turned to God from idols, 2) to serve the living and true God, 3) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” Do you see he points to one sign of true conversion—”wait for His Son from heaven”? It is an eager waiting. Even when talking about the Corinthian church with all their defects and failures, their conversion was marked with waiting for the coming of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:7 says they were “eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” True saving union with Christ always had this trait. So, if this aspect of waiting for Christ is missing in your life and mine, do you realize there is a defect in the Christian experience?
   2. It is not only a trait of true conversion, but the New Testament also saw it as one of the primary means of sanctification in this world.Titus 2:11-13: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”The grace of God, as a teacher, teaches us negatively to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and positively, we should live soberly (with clarity and in touch with the realities of time and eternity, not in a dream or vanity, drunk with the cares of this world and food, but to live as this world is not our home, not like in Noah’s days), righteously (according to God’s standard of right), and godly in the present age. What is the means used to make us live like that? Verse 13: “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”Oh, if we are not denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and living soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, it is only because we have not been taught by the grace of God to look for the appearing of Jesus Christ.
   3. The Second Coming is not only a sign of salvation but also a means of sanctification.The Second Coming is the great hope of believers as a pledge of the complete salvation of believers. It is their great hope, their blessed hope. Titus 2:13 says “blessed hope.” 1 John 3:3 says he who has that hope purifies himself, just as he himself is pure.It was central in the New Testament experience. So much so, they greeted one another with the Aramaic greeting, “Maranatha,” which means “Our Lord, come!” See, whatever world you are living in, whatever Christian perspective or school of thought you are living in, if you are not living with an eager expectation of Christ’s Second Coming, your Christian experience is defective.

So, as we prepare our hearts for the next message on the Second Coming, may God help us guard our hearts and minds from mocking disbelief in the Second Coming in the last days and develop a mindset of the New Testament experience of the Second Coming. The truth of the MRC should make us yearn for the coming of Christ.

As we take communion today, “Do this in remembrance of me, until I come.” We remember his coming as well. He says we have to remember his death in the light of his Second Coming. We not only have to look backward at the reality of his suffering and look upward at the reality of spiritual fellowship with him and his mediatorial reign now, but we also have to look forward to when all that he died to purchase for his people will be realized in our experience.

Summer has arrived. Imagine a world suffering with a terrible drought. No rain for hundreds of years. There is not a drop of clean, good water. The land is dried, parched, and full of large cracks. The whole landscape is barren. People are hardly surviving, drinking polluted, dirty water. To get one pot of that dirty water, they have to travel for miles. What a sad, heartbreaking scene!

Spiritually, for thousands of years, driven from Eden’s rivers, the Gentile world suffered a long drought. There was not a drop of living water; all our forefathers drank from the polluted water and traveled far and wide for it. Imagine one day there was a huge shower on that land. Life-giving, reviving water was poured out from heaven. Oh, what a joy to see that sight, to see all of them dancing in the rain! That is exactly what happened in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. That life spring, those rivers of living water, those showers of blessing, rained not just in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, but to the ends of the world. Here we are today, 2000 years later, you and I, instead of drinking old polluted water, are enjoying living water and are refreshed every day. But this glorious event didn’t happen by accident or by chance. It was eternally designed and planned by the Father, purchased by the Son, and poured out by the Holy Spirit.

In our series, “Looking Unto Jesus,” this is our tenth communion sermon. We have seen Jesus pre-creation, in the Old Testament, his birth, life, death, and resurrection. We saw that our redemption story did not end with the resurrection, but redemption’s application begins with the resurrection. Redemption’s application has four aspects: Ascension, Session, Holy Spirit Mission, and Intercession. These are four marvelous but very little understood truths through which Christ applies his saving benefits to his people. We have seen Christ’s Ascension. After Christ ascended, he sat at the right hand of God; it is called Christ’s Session, a glorious, glorious truth. Our Savior didn’t cease from his saving work when he sat down. Instead, he transitioned from an earthly to a heavenly ministry through his session. Today, all that you and I enjoy are the effects of his heavenly ministry.

Today, after his ascension and session, we come to his next act: the Holy Spirit’s Mission. This is the act of Jesus Christ sending the Holy Spirit into this world. Again, let me remind you that each of these topics deserves a detailed study, but I am just giving a high-level overview to prepare and warm our hearts for communion in this series. If you want to read a detailed study, giants like John Owen have written great works on the Holy Spirit, as have Octavius Winslow and A.W. Pink. I am just a kid before them, trying to grasp and teach about the Holy Spirit. So I have my simple four headings: Who is the Holy Spirit? When did he come? How did he come? Why did he come? Who, When, How, Why?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Always remember two things: the Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit is a person. He is the third person of the Godhead. He possesses all the essential attributes of deity. Though one with God the Father in the Trinity, he is a distinct person; he has a distinct personality. Just this thought has a tremendous practical implication. We must constantly remember that he is God and he is a person. But oh, how we neglect the Holy Spirit, how little we honor, value, and glorify him as God. All our spiritual dryness and fruitlessness can be attributed to that sin. We become like the men Paul met in Ephesus in Acts 19:2, who said, “We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Then Paul taught them and baptized them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and that is how the Ephesian church became fruitful and grew.

Instead of honoring him as sovereign God, we insult him by treating him as some impersonal force. We always think of him as an influence or power. We always think about using him as a means to an end, a means to some thrilling ecstasy, a means to make us joyful or feel liquid love. Oh, my brothers, remember, he is God. We don’t use him for spiritual tingles. We bow to him in submission as God. Anything he’s pleased to give me in the way of genuine, valid experience is his business. We cannot control him with clever little formulas or prayers. He is sovereign God; he blows where he wishes; we only plead with him. Oh, what poor understanding we have of the glorious person of the Holy Spirit. I was looking for sermons, and most are about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the fruits, the blessings, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But let me tell you, the Holy Spirit himself is an infinitely valuable gift. So can I plead with you to cultivate a consciousness of his divinity and personality? Remember, he is God with all of God’s attributes. We need to honor him as God. He is a person; he has feelings; he gets grieved as a person. We need to be careful not to grieve him.

When Did He Come?

It was the practice among great monarchs that when they conquered big kingdoms and acquired great spoils, in days of great joy and celebration, they would send gifts and presents to the people. We see David doing this in 2 Samuel. So Christ, when he conquered, ascended, and was crowned above all authority and power, on the inauguration day of his majesty, his great triumph and glory, Christ sent the Holy Spirit as the greatest gift of a triumphant, exalted Lord. Ephesians 4:8 says, “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” The Holy Spirit came when Christ was exalted at the Father’s right hand. That was the heavenly timeline for when the Holy Spirit came.

The earthly timeline for when the Holy Spirit came is recorded in Acts 2. This is a one-time, unique historical event where the Holy Spirit was given, not to be repeated again. There is no such thing as an ongoing waiting meeting for the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4 records the event. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Day of Pentecost has two beautiful historical significances. One, Jews celebrated their Passover in Egypt, and after 50 days, they came to Sinai and received God’s written law on tablets on Pentecost. On that very same day of Pentecost, God sent his Holy Spirit to fulfill the New Covenant promise to write his law not on stone but on the minds and hearts of his people. Secondly, Pentecost is a harvest festival. Fifty days were the appointed time of the Jews’ harvest. The first day was the first fruits of the harvest; in the beginning, they offered a sheaf of the first-fruits of their harvest. Then, on the last, 50th day was the full harvest. They took the harvest, made loaves, and offered two wave loaves as a sign of the harvest being ended. Acts 2:1 says, “Pentecost had fully come,” meaning it was the last, 50th day. How beautifully this is pictured: the Holy Spirit comes after 50 days of Christ’s resurrection. He was the first fruit of the harvest; he rose, ascended, and was seated at the right hand of God as the first fruit. And then, after 50 days, the Holy Spirit comes to raise, ascend, and seat believers as the full harvest at Pentecost.

But one important question: Was there no Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? Yes, he was there. Without his work, none of the Old Testament people would have been saved. He regenerated Old Testament saints; he even indwelt Old Testament saints and sometimes filled them. But the difference is in the degree and measure and the wideness of his influence. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was mostly confined to the nation of Israel, with a few exceptions. Even within Israel, he was only sprinkled in drops; only a few men were filled with the Spirit. In Genesis 41:38, seeing Joseph explain a dream, Pharaoh says, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” There were no showers of blessings, but now it is different, as Peter points out in Acts 2:16-17: “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh.'” Not just a few men who had great knowledge, but “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.” In the New Testament, he is freely poured out in showers and abundance. He is poured out widely throughout the world, even among Gentile nations, which didn’t happen in the Old Testament. It is because of that that you and I are here in church today.

How Did He Come?

Acts 2:2 says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” He came suddenly and unexpectedly. The Holy Spirit came from heaven, from the heavenly places. Though he is God and a person, he does not have a physical form; he is a spirit. So he comes down from heaven like an invisible wind, without any form. It says “rushing mighty wind,” which may indicate his sovereign, irresistible power when he comes. The Lord said the Spirit is like wind, which blows where it wills. Just as a strong wind may sometimes break rocks, uproot the biggest trees, and blow down buildings, so are the operations of the Holy Spirit. He takes down all before him. He conquered the world, beginning at Jerusalem and spreading itself over all the earth. No will of man, tradition, or nation can stand before his will. When he blows here, the most stubborn sinner here will fall down prostrate and run to Christ. He is power from the Most High. Oh, that this Spirit of the Lord would constantly come into our congregations!

Verse 3 says, “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.” Why fire tongues? Not to meaninglessly blabber like animals. Why did God give us tongues? The tongue is the unique, sole instrument for communicating knowledge from man to man. However much I know the truth in my mind, the tongue is the only channel by which this wisdom and knowledge are communicated. Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide into all truth, so he appeared in the form of tongues. Divided tongues means the apostles were given the ability to speak diverse languages, as we see in the same chapter. They spoke different languages that they had never learned. Now, the Holy Spirit would be poured on Gentiles as well, so they were given the ability to speak Gentile languages. They did not just blabber.

They were not ordinary tongues, tongues of flesh. Ordinary words will not change the world. They were tongues of fire. When the Holy Spirit fills, his unction will make them speak with fiery tongues. There will be fervency and fire in their speech, coming from a deep conviction and authority that will stun the world and convict their consciences. There will be fire in their tongues, and the words that come from those tongues will give life to dead souls. Oh, how much we need to pray in our ministry for fiery tongues. How cold it is sometimes without him.

Why Did He Come?

1. As the crowning reward of Christ’s work. All the prophecies of the Old Testament emphasize the coming of the Messiah and his work. But have we realized that there are many prophecies and promises in the Old Testament that emphasize the crowning blessings and fruit of the Messiah’s work? What is the summary outcome or fruit of the Messiah’s work? If you ask, “Why did God send Christ into the world; he lived a perfect life, died, rose again, ascended, and was seated?” What is the purpose of all that? Can I say it is for the Holy Spirit’s mission? For sending the Holy Spirit into believers’ hearts? That is the crowning blessing. The Old Testament, Gospels, and even epistles make this clear.

The Old Testament talks about the Holy Spirit’s mission. Isaiah 32:15 speaks of a time when “the Spirit should be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness should be a fruitful field.” And Zechariah 12:10 prophecies that “in that day I will pour the spirit of grace and supplication.” In the Gospels, John the Baptist saw the final fruit of the Lamb of God: “I baptize with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Lord himself clearly tells us why he had to die, rise, and ascend. John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” In the covenant of grace, what is the Father’s promise to the Son when he accomplishes his work? Luke 24:49 says, “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but wait in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high.” Peter says in Acts, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has shed forth this, which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). “The Holy Spirit was God’s ascension gift to Christ promised to Christ.” Even the epistles mention it. Galatians 3:4-6 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.” Why? “That we might receive the adoption as sons; And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!'” The crowning reward of Christ’s redemption is the Holy Spirit’s mission.

2. To give witness to Christ’s exaltation. As we come to communion today, how do we know Jesus Christ’s atoning work has been accepted by God? That we are truly forgiven and imputed by Christ’s righteousness? That we are accepted as God’s children? God not only raises Christ from the dead, ascends him, and seats him at the right hand. How do we know he is seated? As a witness to his exaltation and session, he sends the Holy Spirit to give witness not only externally through apostles but internally in your own spirit. That is what Peter says in Acts 2:32-33: “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” The greatest proof of God’s satisfaction and acceptance of the sacrificial work of Christ on our behalf is the sending of the Holy Spirit. Someone beautifully said the hem of the High Priest had golden bells; the sound of the bells was a sign that their High Priest was alive, interceding on their behalf. So the sound they heard that day and the pouring of the Holy Spirit is evidence that our High Priest is alive; he has completely atoned for our sins; he ever lives to intercede for us. Every experience of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a sound from Heaven that our High Priest is alive, has completely atoned for our sins, and ever lives to intercede for us.
3. The Holy Spirit was sent to apply all the blessings Christ purchased for us in our lives. The beauty of the Shorter Catechism is that it talks about the work of Christ on earth and in heaven until question 28. Then, before talking about the blessings of salvation such as effectual calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification, they insert question 29: “How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?” The answer: “We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.” The link between Christ’s work and our experiencing those blessings is the work of the Holy Spirit.

In redemptive history, the Father planned redemption, Jesus accomplished redemption, and it is the complete work of the Holy Spirit who applies all the redemption blessings into our lives. It is he who takes all the glorious blessings Christ purchased on the cross and makes it an experiential reality. This is the age of the Holy Spirit. All that we experience now comes from the Holy Spirit: Regeneration, the Spirit Convicting, the Spirit Enlightening, the Spirit Comforting, the Spirit Drawing, the Spirit Working Faith, the Spirit Uniting to Christ, the Spirit Indwelling, the Spirit Teaching, the Spirit Cleansing, the Spirit Leading, the Spirit Assuring, the Spirit Witnessing, the Spirit Sealing, the Spirit Assisting, Reminding truth, giving us words to share the gospel, the Spirit Interceding, the Spirit Transforming, the Spirit Preserving, the Spirit Confirming, and the Spirit Making Fruitful. He does all that. If we have to state it in one phrase, the Holy Spirit came to make our bodies the temple of God. God the Holy Spirit indwells us.

Just think, if you just realize and believe that you are being indwelt by God, and by a person, who can do all this, that itself will transform the way you relate to the Holy Spirit. Handley, a preacher from the last century, said, “When I realized I am indwelt by God and a person, it was like a new glorious discovery in my spiritual life. It was as if I got a new almighty contact who has all divine power and resources, and he is always inside me. All my soul ever needed to live a victorious Christian life is inside me through the Holy Spirit. Never shall I forget the benefit and gain to my conscious faith and peace which came to my own soul, when I started in faith appropriately living with that most gracious Personality of that Holy Spirit inside me.”

4. To take Christ’s place on earth and to completely compensate for the physical absence of Christ on earth. Christ said, “I will not leave you as orphans; He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). He is called the “Paraclete,” which has many shades of meaning: comforter, helper, and advocate. Because Christ was saying, “All that I was for you, he will be to you spiritually.” Imagine all that Jesus was to them. He was everything to them; he was most precious. The amazing thing is, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be better than me. “I will give you something better than that, so it is to your advantage that I go away.” He will, in fact, be better in a few ways. Physically, “I was with you, he will be in you.” “I was there for three years, and I have to go now; but he will abide inside you forever.” So don’t worry, “I am leaving; it is better I go, because he will make up for all my physical absence.”

All the rich blessings and inheritance I have purchased for you—my peace I leave you, my joy in fullness, my power, my glory, my love, my grace, my eternal life, and the benefits flowing from my sacrifice, resurrection, ascension, and session—he will make it an experiential reality for you, indwelling you in a way I couldn’t do, so it is better. He is the Spirit of all gifts; he will give you gifts to serve, enlighten you, sanctify you, and make you wise. He will give you boldness and the right words, and make you a powerful witness. He will give you pastors and preachers and plant churches through them. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s greatest legacy and wealth he left for us as believers. What an incredible promise. The Spirit, then, fills the place on earth of our absent Lord who is in Heaven now, with this additional advantage: that during the days of His flesh the Savior’s body confined Him to one location, whereas the Holy Spirit—not having assumed a body as the mode of His incarnation—is equally and everywhere resident in and abiding with every believer.

5. The Holy Spirit came to continue the earthly work of Christ, in calling and building his church. “Paraclete,” or “Advocate,” as the representative of another. The Holy Spirit is here to interpret and vindicate Christ and his work. He is here to accomplish His redeeming purpose in the world. He seeks out each one of those for whom Christ died, quickens them into newness of life, convicts them of sin, gives them faith to lay hold of Christ, joins them to Christ and the church, and causes them to grow in grace and become fruitful. He calls and builds the church. He fills the mystical Body of Christ, directing its movements, controlling its members, inspiring its wisdom, and supplying its strength. The Holy Spirit becomes to the believer individually and the church collectively all that Christ would have been had He remained on earth.

Application

Bless God and Christ for this inestimable gift; realize the great need for the fullness of the Holy Spirit; seek his fullness.

1. Bless God for this wonderful gift. Somebody gives a costly gift; we keep looking at it in different ways. The more we grasp the value and appreciate its usefulness, the more we should thank the giver.

Imagine what a wonderful and invaluable gift the Holy Spirit is. It was promised by the Father to Christ in an eternal covenant as a reward for his great work. Christ did all his work of redemption to bestow this gift on us. As soon as he ascended, he sent this as his greatest gift of his exaltation to his people. O my soul, consider this invaluable, princely gift of Christ, purchased with so great a price! Such a gift was never before given. We can say, “God so loved the world, that he gave his Son,” and “Christ so loved the world, that he gave his Spirit.” He gave to whom? He gave this to make you and me, who were dens of every lust, covetousness, jealousy, and lies, to make this filthy bag of flesh a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ is my inmate! That my soul is the temple, the house and dwelling, of the Spirit of God! Wow!

Before we take part in communion, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Stand a while on this! Look unto Jesus. O my soul, behold, he now sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, looking at us now. Bless Christ for this unspeakable love! He not only lived for me, died for me, rose, ascended, and sat at the Father’s right hand to ever bless me with the PKP ministry, but as the great emperor of heaven and earth, he takes the Father’s promised gift and sends it into your heart and my heart so that we not only positionally have all the salvation blessings he purchased dearly at a great expense, but all that should become an experiential reality by the Holy Spirit in our hearts. What a gift!

He not only took my sins and became sin, took my curse and became a curse, and gave his perfect righteousness, but he gives his greatest gift of heaven, his gift of exaltation to me. What will make you and me realize how great this gift is? Do we realize how valuable this must be? The greatest gift the Father promised in an eternal covenant. The greatest purchase of Christ by his finished work. This is a gift of the greatest love, from the greatest person. Now, what greater gift had Christ in store than to give his own Spirit? The Confession of Faith says, “The Spirit proceeds from him, and is the same essence with himself; the Spirit is the third Person of the true and only Godhead, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and is co-eternal, co-equal, and consubstantial with the Father and the Son in all eternity.” He is the eternal Spirit who was hovering over the earth at creation. He led all the prophets in the Old Testament. He gave wisdom to wise men. He has knowledge of all things. “For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” Such a person to come and dwell inside me forever. Is this not a great gift?

Yes, as great a gift as possibly can be given, a gift without equal. What more can Christ do to get all our love than to give himself and to give his Spirit, the greatest gift of heaven given to me? Come, my soul, and take a look at the glory and bounty of Jesus Christ!

This gift is not given in your hand, so that it can be taken away, but it is permanently and eternally given to your innermost heart. You are sealed by the gift of the Holy Spirit, never to be taken away. Ephesians 1:13 says this gift is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance until we acquire possession of it. It is a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Will I go to heaven to enjoy all my inheritance in Christ? Christ gives an infallible assurance by sealing us with the Holy Spirit. We don’t wait until we reach heaven to enjoy all those blessings. The Holy Spirit is a foretaste of all those blessings. Do we realize why we are blessed with every spiritual blessing? We used the acronym HUSH: Holy Spirit-granted, unchangeable, all-sufficient for life and eternity, and heart-satisfying blessings. It is all granted by the Holy Spirit.

Christ in his bodily presence went away, but Christ, in his Spirit, continues still: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” He is with us, and, what is more, he is in us. Oh, behold that gift!

It was an act of infinite love for Christ to come down into our nature, but it’s even more so that he would come down into our depraved hearts by his Holy Spirit. He dwells in your very soul. As Colossians 1:27 says, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Christ in you, the hope of glory. We as Gentiles were far from the commonwealth of Israel, distant from the covenant. Oh, how grateful we should be. This was a hidden mystery. The very thought of God indwelling you and me, Gentiles, should make us pause. If a baby were to dwell in someone, think how they would feel. But the very God of the universe dwells in me. How can we grasp this mystery?

If God indwells me, then the very Spirit of God, the communicator of all God’s highest blessings, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is united to you and dwells in you. He not only comes in person, but he brings along with him all his endless train of blessings: his graces, gifts, fruits, wisdom, and knowledge all flow from this Holy Spirit. If this God dwells in me, I have all things—not notionally, but truly, essentially, and experientially through his Spirit.

Have you not felt the quickenings and stirrings of the Spirit of God, kindling faith, love, and zeal? How many times, during a prevailing temptation, when you were about to yield to Satan, has he come in between you and the temptation and given you grace to help in time of need? Oh, the sweet benefits of the Spirit of God! As he is a holy Spirit, so he makes holy hearts. If there is any holiness in your heart, any good thing, any comfort, any wisdom, any grace, any love, any joy, any peace, it is all his work. Whatever good may be found in me comes only from your Spirit.

He has come to increase all this and to fill you with peace beyond understanding, joy unspeakable and full of glory. He sanctifies me and will one day make me completely like Christ, body and soul. Have you not been given a drop of heaven’s joy as the earnest of your inheritance? The seal of the Spirit is stamped on you. Have you not at times been assured of your salvation?

What will make you realize what a great gift this is? Do we realize how valuable this must be? When will we stop being like swine who do not know the value of pearls? If someone gives me a quintillion or a decillion US dollars, would it be worth more than this?

How grateful we should be for this gift. When God told David that his son would build the temple, he fell prostrate and said, “Lord, who am I, and what is my household, that thou hast brought me hitherto?” When we realize what depraved hearts you and I have, and that we are made the eternal temple of God the Holy Spirit to enjoy all the blessings and the comforts of the Godhead itself, we should be amazed. Oh, what a wonderful, merciful, and gracious God I have!

We as Gentiles, oh how grateful we should be. It is because of this gift that you and I are saved, persevere in the Christian life, and continue to be in the church. It is because of him that two people were baptized yesterday and six are entering church membership today. This gift was not limited like in the Old Testament, where God only spoke in Hebrew. But at Acts, people from many nations said, “How hear we every man in his own language?” (Acts 2:8). It is the Holy Spirit who made the apostles write the scriptures, and it is the Holy Spirit who in his providence translated that Bible into our own languages so we can hear God’s works. It is he who transcribes upon our hearts that which was before only written in our books. It is he who not only reveals truth from without, but also imprints it upon the soul. This witness within us will go with us and accompany us through all our difficulties.

Today we come to communion. Christ is not bodily with us, but you know how we can commune with him. The Holy Spirit brings the believing participant in the Supper into real and actual union with Christ. As we eat and drink at the Supper, the Spirit effects real communion with Jesus himself! It is through the Holy Spirit that we experience the presence of Christ in the Supper. So the first application is, “Oh, blessed be God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing by giving us his Spirit.”

We Need to Realize Our Absolute Necessity for the Fullness of the Holy Spirit

Yes, we have the gift of the indwelling Spirit, but we need to realize the absolute necessity for his fullness. In Ephesians, we see that the Spirit’s presence is not optional. One great reformed preacher from the last century said the greatest need of today’s church is the continual manifestation and presence of the Holy Spirit. Spurgeon said, “One of the most effective ways for a church to experience revival herself is to regularly think and preach much about the Holy Spirit; after all, he is the very breath of the church.” If he leaves, we will have a building and I will get up to preach, but it will all be dead preaching and worship. We will be nothing but a religious club, and we will cease to have a true living Church.

The Holy Spirit is absolutely essential even to live as a Christian family, a Christian husband, wife, or father. Even before Paul gives commands for Christian families—husbands love wives, wives submit, children obey—he knows none of us can do that as natural sinners. He says in Ephesians that only by the Holy Spirit’s power can you live as Christian families. Ephesians 5:18 says, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Then you will love your wives as Christ loved the church, wives will submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and children will obey their parents. It is only by the Holy Spirit’s filling that we can live a life of witness, even in the family. It is only by the Holy Spirit’s power that we can overcome our fleshly lusts; he alone can help with mortification and vivification. Galatians says, “Walk by the Spirit, so you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” And Romans 8:13 says, “If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.” He is the enlightening Spirit; without him, Bible reading is fruitless. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. He is the source of revelation, understanding, wisdom, power, love, comfort, joy, peace, and all we need in this age. The Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ.

For witnessing to the outside world, remember I preached a great commission series on the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit in the work of the gospel. He alone can convict sinners of sin and open their eyes to see the need for Christ. Christ said he will take my things and glorify me. Yes, he uses our preaching of the gospel. One of the great marks of men used by God in the New Testament is that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, and Paul was full of the Holy Spirit. We need to be such men.

So now for the million-dollar question: “Pastor, how do I experience the fullness and presence of the Holy Spirit?” We have to realize that we cannot control the Holy Spirit; he is God, and he controls us. We shouldn’t insult him by saying, “Do steps one, two, and three, and you can get the Holy Spirit into a box and be filled.” No. That is insulting the Holy Spirit. But scripture reveals two principles as our duty, which can be a means for enjoying his fullness. One is a negative duty, and one is a positive one.

Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:30 says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” What does this mean? In very brief terms, it means to honor him as God and not treat him as a means to an end. Value his indwelling in you as the greatest gift, and don’t treat him as some cheap gift. The more you value him and thank God for him, the more he is not grieved. Secondly, he is a person; he has feelings. James 4:5 says, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously for us.” When we are indwelt by him so intimately, the closest example is that of a husband and wife. They start living together and become sensitive to the slightest nuances of attitude and feeling. To maintain that relationship, you want to avoid what grieves the other person, right? You swallow words, you don’t say everything, and you change some things. In a real interpersonal relationship, you don’t want to mar it by grieving the other person. Is the Holy Spirit that to you? If we keep in mind that he is God and honor him as a person, we will not grieve him.

Pray for the Holy Spirit

Secondly, on the positive side, though we cannot control his sovereign working, we see a clear principle in God’s word that there is a close connection between fervent, persevering prayer and the increased presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

We see this in the experience of our Lord Jesus. The Lord was conceived with the Holy Spirit. Notice Luke 3:21-22: “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'” He is praying first; then the heavens are opened and the Holy Spirit descends in a bodily form like a dove. He is praying for the Old Testament promises of the Father who would equip him for his work by the Holy Spirit. He himself did not think God would automatically give the Holy Spirit, but he took the promises and fervently prayed, even at his baptism. And God heard and answered his prayer.

Now, what do we see the apostles doing? The apostles had about 120 people with them. What were they doing before they received the Holy Spirit? Acts 1:14 says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” It was in this climate of eminent prayerfulness that the Holy Spirit came. I already told you that the Pentecost experience was a one-time, unique, non-repeatable historical coming of the Holy Spirit. Just as we do not expect a repetition of the Incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension, we do not expect a repetition of Pentecost. However, there is a continual principle for all believers of all ages who already have the indwelling Holy Spirit: that we will only be filled with the Holy Spirit when we continually and fervently pray for the Holy Spirit.

We see, interestingly, how the same apostles who were filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost were filled again. See Acts, chapter 4. Peter and John had been arrested, arraigned before the Sanhedrin, threatened, and released. And what do they do? Look at verse 23: “And being let go, they came to their own company.” What did they do? They prayed for boldness. What happened? Verse 31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken, wherein they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

So we see in the experience of our Lord and the apostles a connection between prayer and the Holy Spirit’s filling. Now, what about their teaching? How do the Lord and the apostles teach us to be filled with the Holy Spirit? After the Lord taught them to pray in Luke, he teaches them by a parable that they have to be persistent. Then there is a peculiar promise with a specific focus on our prayers in verse 13: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

In Ephesians, chapter 3, verse 14, Paul is very far from Ephesus, but very concerned, and he is earnestly praying for them. For what? Verses 14-16 say, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.”

Philippians 1:19 says, “For I know that this all of these circumstances, even the adverse one, shall turn out to my salvation, that is, to the furtherance of the work of God’s grace in me.” How? Verse 19 says, “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” Notice the connection between your prayer and the supply of the Spirit, and your supplications.

What does this call for as a church? Clearly, this truth rebukes all our prayerless efforts and Christian life. It calls us to humble ourselves and give ourselves to earnest, persevering prayer for the Holy Spirit. If we want to see a revival in our personal and church lives, there needs to be a revival in our prayer life. I hope this recognition of the Holy Spirit will drive you to pray more.

Others should examine you and see that you have the Spirit working. “Do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit?” In this, he seems to put it out of question that true Christians know the Spirit of God dwells in them. If we do not know this, we cannot know that we have any part in Christ, because the Holy Spirit is the principal bond of our union. If we do not know this, we cannot know that we are justified. We cannot know that we are the adopted children of God, for it is the Spirit of adoption by which “we cry in our hearts, Abba, Father.” If we do not know this, we cannot know that we are sanctified, for it is the Spirit who is the beginner and perfecter of our sanctification. If we do not know this, we cannot know whether we are in error or truth, or whether our religion is true or false, for it is the Spirit who enlightens and leads us into all truth. If we do not know this, we cannot know our own comforts, for he is the only true comforter. Come then, and let us put ourselves to the trial; let us search whether we have the Spirit of Christ, which we may resolve if we will not deal deceitfully with our own hearts.

Sarah is a mother of three small daughters, two of whom are chronically unwell. Her husband died a few years ago, and she works twelve hours daily to earn a living for her family. She felt like she was drowning in life. She could not meet expenses, medical bills piled up, and her boss was unsympathetic, making her work day and night. She could hardly sleep four hours a day. Prayer felt more like a desperate shout into a void than a conversation with a loving Father. One Sunday, she heard a sermon on the session of Christ. The pastor spoke about Jesus not only living, dying, rising, and ascending for her in the past but also what he is doing presently, seated at the right hand of the Father. Sarah had heard it before, but this time, something clicked.

It wasn’t a lightning bolt of sudden relief but a slow dawning, a gentle light beginning to rise. Slowly, it transformed her life. She realized that all these years as a believer, she had been seeing only one side of her Savior’s glory: that he saved her by his life and death. She had been picturing Jesus as distant and uninvolved in her present daily chaos and struggles. Christ’s session made her see that her Lord wasn’t removed from her struggles but was intimately and sympathetically involved in her present life. He wasn’t just a King on a far-off throne controlling the universe, but her personal King who is reigning over her life, with infinite love ordering and controlling every small thing. He didn’t just die and go to heaven; he is her personal High Priest, understanding and sympathizing with all her weariness and weakness, ready to supply all the grace she needs. She realized he is not just a prophet who made his apostles write the scriptures but a personal prophet who takes those truths and enlightens her mind and teaches her heart. The Holy Spirit opened her eyes to see the present King, Priest, and Prophet ministry of her Lord, who is seated in an exalted place at the Father’s right hand.

That week, Sarah didn’t suddenly win the lottery or get a miraculous healing for her child. The problems remained. But her perspective shifted. In the midst of her troubles, she learned to lift up her eyes and behold her enthroned Lord. When she felt tired and weak, she started picturing her High Priest, Jesus, in the midst of her chaos, not as a rescuer swooping in to fix everything but as a constant companion, a source of strength, sympathizing with her weakness. When she felt overwhelmed by financial problems and medical bills, she remembered that he held all things in his hands and was ordering everything for her good. When her boss was rude and demanding, she remembered that he was Lord of all, including her boss. When she felt everything around her was dark, she read her Bible with faith and felt this enthroned Lord enlightening her mind and teaching her heart precious truths.

One evening, exhausted and on the verge of tears, Sarah sat by her child’s bedside. Instead of just pleading for a miracle, she poured her heart out to Jesus and shared everything with him as a friend. She told him about her fears, her frustrations, and her weariness. She acknowledged his authority, his presence, and his love. She didn’t get an immediate answer, but she felt a peace settle over her, a quiet assurance that she wasn’t alone.

The real change wasn’t in her circumstances but in her heart. Sarah began to approach her days with a newfound confidence. It wasn’t a blind optimism but a deep-seated trust in the One who sat on the throne. She still faced challenges, but she faced them with Christ. She realized his session wasn’t just a theological concept; it was the bedrock of her daily life, the anchor in her storm. Her great revelation was that it wasn’t about her problems disappearing but about discovering a new divine strength she never knew in the midst of her problems. It was only in the midst of these intensely difficult situations that she could see the profound glory of her Savior. She learned to see her difficult situation as a divinely ordained means and opportunity to know the sufficiency and glory of her Lord as her personal Priest, Prophet, and King. And that, she realized, was the most miraculous change of all.

In our series “Looking Unto Jesus,” we have seen Jesus pre-creation, in the Old Testament, his birth, life, death, and resurrection. Last time we saw that our redemption story doesn’t end with the resurrection, but redemption applies and begins with the resurrection. Then, there is the Ascension, the Session, the Holy Spirit’s Mission, and Intercession—four marvelous, but very little understood, truths.

All of Christ’s saving work can be divided into two states: his humiliation and his exaltation. The five stages of his humiliation are: being born with human nature, living in a low condition under the law, his suffering, his cursed death, and his burial. Christ’s humiliation ends with his burial. The first step of his exaltation starts with the resurrection, and the second step is the Ascension. We come today to the third step of his exaltation, which is Christ’s session.

“Session” is an old word. Its literal meaning is “to sit.” But it is not just a posture. When we say a “sitting” Prime Minister or Chief Minister, we don’t just mean that he is sitting in a chair. It symbolizes present authority, power, reign, and right. It is their regime, their reign; their session is going on. When you go to court, the clerk will announce, “All rise, the honorable judge is coming.” All rise; the judge walks in and climbs up to the bench, and he sits down. As soon as the judge is seated in the seat of authority, the clerk says, “This court is now in session.” It is in his just authority and fair control. It means that what was happening before, something different is going to happen in one sitting.

In the same way, we talk about Christ’s session. After he ascended, God glorified him by seating him at his right hand. It is an official act of his exaltation. It is not just a sitting posture but much more, as we will study today.

We have three headings: The Reality of Christ’s Session, The Meaning of Session, and The Application to Our Lives.

1. The Reality of Christ’s Session

How do we know Christ sat down at the right hand of God? We know he rose from the dead; the apostles were eyewitnesses. We know he ascended; they saw it with their own eyes. But how do we know he sat down at the right hand of God? We know because of the testimony of the scriptures and the Holy Spirit coming as an experiential reality to confirm his session.

The session of Christ was prophesied in the Old Testament, and this glory was promised to Christ as he finished his redemption work on earth. Psalm 110:1 says, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, Till I make your enemies your footstool.'” Daniel 7:13 says, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Our Lord himself foretold this in an amazing situation. In his Sanhedrin trial, the High Priest asks him, “I put you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!” Matthew 26:64 says, “Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power.'”

The session of Christ was an important doctrine in the apostles’ teaching. In fact, the very first sermon in Acts 2:32-33 says, “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God…” We started with Ephesians. Paul was praying that God should open our spiritual eyes to see “the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.”

Not only in the Old Testament, Jesus’s prophecy, and the apostles’ teaching, but in church history, starting from the Apostles’ Creed, which mentions eleven actions of Jesus: he was conceived, was born, suffered, crucified, died, was buried, descended to the dead, rose again, ascended, was seated, and then is coming again. Out of the eleven, nine of those actions of Jesus are past tense. One of them is future: he will come again. Only one of them is in the present, a present activity: he is seated at the right hand of God. You can see the session of Christ in all the confessions of faith in church history. So we see the reality of the session of Christ.

2. The Meaning of Christ’s Session

Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand now, so what? Christ’s session started a new heavenly ministry of Christ. Jesus was transitioning from an earthly to a heavenly ministry. Luke wrote two books: one, the Gospel according to Luke, and the second, Acts, which are like two ministries of Christ. Volume one is his earthly ministry, and where does it end? It ends with his ascension. Volume two picks up with the ascended ministry of Christ, the heavenly ministry of Christ. All the events in the book of Acts are the effect of Christ’s heavenly ministry after his session. The history of Acts abruptly ends because his heavenly ministry continues even now and will end at his second coming.

The Westminster Larger Catechism captures this beautifully: “Question 54. How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God? Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man, he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth.” What does he do with all that? “He gathers and defends his church, and subdues their enemies; furnishes his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and makes intercession for them.” The session of Christ means that now Jesus has entered into a new phase of heavenly ministry. He is gathering, building, protecting, and sanctifying his church.

As we come to the Lord’s table, what does it mean to us as his church and as believers? I want to highlight three things. Lift up your eyes as you see your enthroned Lord. I want you to:

• Behold your perfect priest
• Behold your reigning king
• Behold your infallible prophet

We have studied the three damages sin has done to us: it has filled our conscience with guilt, made our heart uncontrollably evil, and blinded our minds, making us ignorant. All our life struggles can be traced to guilty consciences, evil hearts, and ignorant minds. Our Lord’s heavenly ministry addresses each of these wonderfully: his priestly ministry resolves our guilt, his reigning ministry our evil heart, and his prophetic ministry our blind and ignorant minds.

Firstly, Behold your perfect priest. The book of Leviticus shows that a guilty conscience can find cleansing and acceptance with God only when an atoning sacrifice is offered and a High Priest goes to the holy place and intercedes for us. The writer to the Hebrews shows there are so many limitations in the Old Testament model. The High Priest could go into the Most Holy Place only once a year, and he had to first atone for his own sins. We saw that he had to follow a maze of complex rituals, and then when he came, he would always stand, indicating he had to continue to do that work. Hebrews 10:11-12 says, “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”

Here, our High Priest, who is sinless and has no personal sins of his own to atone for, after offering himself as a perfect sacrifice, not only enters into the earthly temple but even into heaven, into God’s very presence. Not only will he be there always in God’s presence, but the glory of his atonement work is emphasized in his posture: he sits. That is completely different. The Levitical priests stand daily because their sacrifices cannot take away sin. He did his work fully, by one offering, and after that, he sits forever in heaven.

Jesus sitting at the Father’s right hand. Behold him, fix that in your mind because that is an infallible assurance that his atoning work on the cross for you and me is completely finished. Oh, how we need to be reminded and assured of this again and again. If you notice, we lose our peace and joy, and all the small things of life become big only when we forget the great standing Christ has purchased for us. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

This morning, you and I not only stand as forgiven, cleansed sinners but as perfectly righteous before God, who have fulfilled all his righteous demands because of Christ’s work. The piercing eye of infinite justice cannot find the least flaw in us. God completely delights in us and passionately loves us because of this righteousness. It is a meritorious, virtue-filled righteousness. It is this righteousness that blesses us with all the blessings of God. Do you know it is this righteousness that purchased the whole of heaven for us? It is everlasting righteousness.

My struggling, ever-weighing, and drowning guilt. My Priest lifted me above all accusations of the law, the curse of the law, even my own conscience, and above all difficult worldly situations, trials, Satan, and demons. None of them can ever condemn me. Paul throws a universal challenge in Romans 8:33, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?” What is the ground of this bold challenge? Verse 34: “It is God who justifies. It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Do we realize this work of atonement is finished, perfectly completed for us? We stand right now as perfectly righteous; we don’t have to do anything now. The law has no demands on me. All negative and positive demands of the law are paid in full. What is the assurance of “Behold your Priest sitting at the right hand of God?” Think of who made him sit there. The God whose laws we have broken and before whom we are guilty. When he saw Christ’s work on our behalf, he was so pleased and gave him such a level of contentment. He not only raised him from the dead and ascended him but welcomed him into heaven as if congratulating him on the great accomplishment of his most difficult work. “O my Son, what shall be done for you this day? You have finished a great work, and what honors shall I now bestow upon you? The highest glory in heaven is not too high for you; come sit at my right hand.” “Oh, all you sinners, you are welcome now to my presence through my son.”

That is what we are proclaiming by taking part in communion. We are not offering any sacrifice or coming on our own merit. We come to take the bread and cup. We are not just looking at the elements but beyond the elements, at the perfect, finished work of Christ. We remember that glorious work is finished for us, and it is an infallible reality because behold who sits on the throne: my High Priest. This bread and cup point to the once-and-for-all, sufficient sacrifice of Christ who sits on the right hand. We ask him, “Lord bless; pour out the blessings that are ours in Jesus Christ. What he purchased for us; what he intercedes for even now.”

What about the struggles I face today? His atoning work is completed. But his priestly work continues. In the Old Testament, people went to priests for every problem and struggle they had; they were like all-in-one doctors for all people’s problems. Today, in the same way, for all the problems, weakness, and struggles you have, you can come to this Priest. Remember where he is sitting. He has not only lifted you from the lowest hell by atoning for all your sins but lifted you to the highest status of sonship, a child and heir of God. To a state of fellowship and very close familiarity with God and access to him with holy confidence and boldness. How the book of Hebrews encourages: Hebrews 4:14,16 says, “Seeing, then, that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace” to find all mercy and grace.

Hebrews 8:1 says, “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Wow! He is set on the right hand of God, as a High Priest or minister to intercede for us. Hebrews 8:24 says, “For Christ has not entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” This assures us of endless sympathetic mercy and grace for all we need.

Behold your reigning king. Jesus “sitting” does not mean Jesus is literally sitting at the right hand of God. God has no hand, right or left; it is a condescending to human language. Stephen in Acts actually saw Jesus standing. It is figurative language, taken from kings who place someone in honor and power and commit to them all the authority of their government, like Pharaoh did to Joseph. The greatest expression of God’s majesty is the throne of God. When Isaiah saw that majesty, he was undone. The right hand of God in the Bible is the place of honor, power, and reign of God.

First, the right hand is the hand of honor and glory, where kings would place those whom they highly esteem and honor. For example, Solomon placed his mother in a seat at his right hand in 1 Kings 2:19. So God has expressed his infinite favor, delight, and honor to Jesus Christ more than he ever did to any creature. “To which of the angels said he at any time, ‘Sit you on my right hand?'” (Hebrews 1:13). This is the highest peerless exaltation even God can do to anyone.

Secondly, the right hand is the hand of power. We call it the weapon hand and the working hand. “He is my right hand.” And the setting of Christ there imports his exaltation to the highest power and authority.

Thirdly, the right hand means a triumphant reign. When the Father said to him, “Sit at my right hand,” he gave the awful scepter of his sovereign government into Christ’s hand. He is the boss now. Whether things are on earth or in heaven, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, they are all under his triumphant reign. Though his enemies oppose, it is all useless because he is infinitely above them; they will all fall under his footstool.

This is amazing. Though Christ in his divine nature as the second person in the Trinity was always glorified, now he is exalted as the God-man with his human nature; even his humanity is exalted. Can you think of the exaltation of Christ’s human nature to the highest honor, even to be the object of adoration to angels and other beings in the universe? For it is properly his human nature that is the subject of all this honor and is advanced to the right hand of Majesty; it has become an object of worship and adoration. Oh, here is the mystery, that flesh and blood should ever be advanced to the highest throne of majesty, and being there installed in that glory, all the universe directs worship to him as God-man. Why was human nature advanced to such a height? I felt like going and hiding my face somewhere—it is for you and me! Can you believe it!

Ephesians 1:20-23 says, “God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Did you hear that? This Christ with human nature was exalted to such height and glory so he might be the head of the church. Having now the fullness of reign, grace, and honor in himself, he works all things according to the counsel of his purpose. In other words, he orchestrates the whole universe in such a way that his church might grow in grace here on earth, know his strength in its weakness, its riches in its poverty, and its glory in its humiliation, and finally enter the glory to be with him. No power in the universe will be able to hinder that because Christ reigns. He protects his church as the apple of his eye from all the enemies.

He sovereignly and providentially rules the whole universe and spiritually and redemptively rules over his church. His providential, sovereign reign is subordinate to his spiritual kingdom. He orders and rules everything for the benefit of his church.

So, brothers and sisters, when, like Sarah, in whatever situation providence has placed us, lift up your eyes and behold your reigning King. He is not far off. Every pressure you feel comes from him, and learn to see them as a means and an opportunity to experience his strength and grace and to draw closer to him and behold his kingly glory.

Why are there so many troubles, Pastor? You don’t know the depth of your evil, depraved heart. To sanctify that heart, break its pride, and teach it humility and dependence, his reigning wisdom allots this.

Every time I study the life of Joseph, I cry inconsolably, especially when he reveals himself to his brothers. Even though I have read it hundreds of times, every time I cry. Just as Joseph was at the right hand of Pharaoh and ruled the whole of Egypt, when he saw his brothers as beggars, he didn’t initially give them everything. He was initially distant and even rude. Why? He knew them as criminal enemies. He wanted to test them and make them repent. He used his reign and orchestrated the whole situation to test them, to lead them to brokenness and repentance, and he wanted to show all mercy and forgiveness, but he didn’t want to do so when they were still unrepentant. But when they repented and humbled themselves, though the ruler of Egypt, he fell on their necks and wept and gave them the best in the land. Our Joseph is the ruler of this world. We have high connections. He may seem uncaring and rude sometimes, but he is orchestrating all this for our sanctification and blessing. He is a King who is reigning over our lives. When we submit to his reign in our hearts, he opens the treasures of heaven to us. So whatever happens in life, brothers and sisters, remember: our Joseph reigns on the throne.

Behold your infallible prophet. Another great problem we have is a blind and ignorant mind. Many times we feel like we are groping in darkness in life. Many mental disorders sin has created. One that doctors call myopia is that you can only see a little in front of you. If you make a hole in your hand, you can only see a little, not to the right, left, up, or down, only in front of you, the immediate. When we face problems, with myopic vision, how big it looks. We stop seeing anywhere else. This is why we are sometimes so discouraged. Then we have amnesia, especially about God. We learn about God, and then the next week we forget. The Lord has to say, “Remember me,” because this is our problem.

Behold what our prophet has done to cure our mind’s diseases, blindness, and ignorance. He does his prophetic work in two ways: through external means and internally through his Spirit. Peter in Acts says that what they were prophesying and teaching is the result of the pouring of the Holy Spirit. This pouring of the Holy Spirit is proof that Christ is exalted to the right hand of God, and that he, as the final prophet, has sent his Spirit. Christ did his prophetic ministry through the Holy Spirit by revealing all truth to the apostles and making them record them as scriptures in the written word. He providentially preserved that for thousands of years. Now he does his external prophetic ministry through his word. Hebrews 1 says, “God in the past spoke in various times in various ways through the prophets, but now he’s spoken to us through his Son.” His Son is exalted, pouring out his Holy Spirit, speaking to his people. It’s not only scriptures.

In Ephesians 4, Paul says that when Christ ascended into the highest heavens, he led a host of captives free. And what else did he do? He gave gifts. Do you remember what Ephesians 4 says? When Christ ascended, he gave gifts to men. What were those gifts? He goes on to list some of them: Spirit-filled people like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These Spirit-filled people all have prophetic ministries. Christ, the exalted Christ, preaches prophetically through them. All these gifts come when he is enthroned, when he is seated in his session. Jesus’ session in heaven marks the era of the prophetic ministry through his word and ministers. Now he does his prophetic work externally through the word and his ministers. This is not adequate on its own.

Secondly, he does his prophetic ministry through internal illumination. We need both; both are ordained by him. Preachers only teach our ears and minds, but Christ alone can teach our hearts. That is why even the great teacher, Apostle Paul, prayed that Christ would open the eyes of the Ephesians and enlighten and teach their hearts.

So as we look at the session of Christ, behold your Priest, King, and Prophet who is meeting all our deepest needs from heaven even today through these ministries. There is much more on this subject that I could not cover.

Application

Lift your eyes and look up, believer. In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, he writes about a man who is always digging in the dirt and never realizes that there is a crown above his head because he never looks up. The main problem in many of our lives is that we never look up, like that man always digging in the dirt. We look down and see one problem after another.

Yes, when you face the trials of life, tears, struggles, and discouragements, just as Christ faced and as Sarah faced, remember that there is another reality that we as believers need to be reminded of time and time and time again. Lift up your eyes and behold the ministry of my Priest, King, and Prophet (PKP).

Colossians 1 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” This means, “Set your affections on things above,” that is, set your desires, loves, hopes, and joys on heavenly things. Oh, what a shame it is to set our affections on the things in this life. Do we not have a kingdom, a God, a Christ, and a crown in heaven to set our affections upon? And shall we set them upon dross and dung? We set our affections there because our best and choicest things are already in heaven.

The Bible teaches that as a believer, you are united to Christ. You are thereby also united to the glory which belongs now to Christ so that you, the Bible says, are raised and seated with him in heavenly places. This implies the advancement of believers to the highest honor. Ephesians 2:6 says, “He hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This is by faith, which makes it as sure to my soul as if I had a foot already in heaven. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” By faith, I now sit in heavenly places. If Christ’s session is mine, then I am set down with Christ in heavenly places—not bodily, but by faith.

What is the end of Christ’s session, but that he might invest all his saints with the same privilege? “All power, authority, and judgment is committed to the Son, he is highly advanced, and thereby he has the advantage to advance me and to glorify me.” Oh, what joy may enter into this poor, dark, disconsolate soul of mine, while I think over these glorious passages of Christ in glory!

His prayer even now is that they might be where I am. Oh, how should faith stand and gaze on Christ in that respect? What! Is he there preparing to lift me to such glory? What, shall I sit at the right hand of Christ? Admire, O my soul, this aim of Christ, the meaning of his exalting himself with human nature was to exalt you. The meaning of his exalting you in this manner is to manifest to all the world the height of his grace to you in raising so poor a creature to so rich a glory. Consider the power, virtue, and influence of this object for our souls’ salvation. Oh, the flowings, the rich emanations of grace and glory that come from here! Oh, why do we toil ourselves in gathering sticks, struggling for little honor in this pitiable world, when tomorrow we shall be out of this world and be so exalted with Christ, going to Christ?

How should it heighten my joys and enlarge my comforts when I consider that Christ is set down at God’s right hand? Oh, the loveliness, beauty, and glory of his countenance! Why are we not all in a burning love? O my heart, why are you not love-sick?

If Christ is honored so gloriously, think of what honor is reserved for all believers and those who faithfully serve Christ.

One of the things that the session of Christ should remind us, as Christians who struggle with everyday struggles, is that we are in union with the glorious and honorable Jesus Christ. Look up, believer, and look to him by faith who has entered into that glory for you. And because he is there, as you trust in him, you will soon be there, too. It made Stephen’s face shine as the face of an angel when he had but a glimpse of Christ at his Father’s right hand. Even though the world was stoning him, his face was filled with divine joy. This gives us confidence in facing life’s challenges (Romans 8:31).

The Father set Christ on his right hand, and Christ will set the saints on his right hand. So runs the promise, Revelation 3:21: “To him that overcomes, I will grant to sit with me in my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” 2 Timothy 2:12 says, “If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.” What amazing love: that his glory shall be their glory in heaven. See where free grace has already mounted up poor dust and ashes!

Romans chapter 12 says, “Be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Now, what can bring about a renovation of your mind? As you think of these truths, your mind is lifted up to things that are above. Your mind gets out of the rut that the world is always trying to put you in. And one of the things that the Spirit does as he lifts up your mind is he lifts you up to the one who is infinitely exalted. Your minds are daily dragged down by the gravitational pull of this present world.

You come to this place of worship each Sunday looking for what? For refreshment, for strength, for renewal, for grace, and for power from on high, from God. Because you’re going to have to go back out there, and you’re going to have to go back into that place of house and work and listen to all the cursing and all the blasphemy and all the dirty jokes and all the weariness and all the commercials that you’re going to see that are going to tell you this is the way to happiness. This is the way to have a nice life; it’s all these goods and all these luxuries. You need more of this, more of that. The world creates envy, covetousness, and lust in our hearts, and it is always going to weigh down on you.

And the scripture is saying, “Wait, look up to the glorious one.” As you look up to Christ and your mind is transformed by the Spirit of God through the word of God, it will give you that inoculation you need to resist the confused noise and cacophony that comes at us on a daily basis, so that we would not be like that man in Pilgrim’s Progress, always looking at the dirt, but looking to the crown that is above our head. This looking up is going to give you grace to persevere. It will make you know the power of his resurrection in your life. Ah, what reason you have to honor Christ on earth, who is preparing such honors for you in heaven.

Worship with Awe

This should make us worship and love the Lord as the first-century believers did. Is Christ set down on the right hand of the Majesty in heaven? Oh, with what awful reverence we should approach him in worship! He is an object of eternal admiration and worship of all the angels, who have no portion in his session. How much should we worship him who has all the portion of this exaltation? How much should we worship our PKP?

As we come to communion, let us get rid of light and low thoughts of Christ, and a formal, irreverent, and careless mindset. Begone all deadness and drowsiness, for we are coming to a great King—a King to whom the kings of the earth are but as little pieces of clay. Behold, the angels cover their faces in his presence. He is an adorable Majesty. He is no longer just human. John, who was lying on his chest, saw him in glory and fell like a dead man. Yes, we can approach freely and share our struggles, but we must recognize that he is exalted and worship him. Recognize Christ’s Lordship in every area of our lives. Obey his commands and follow his example.

Serve with Confidence

This should fill us with confidence in the work of the gospel and the church. When such a Lord reigns, how will the church fail in its gospel mission, whatever opposition it may face? Haman could not prevail against the Jews while Esther, their friend, spoke for them to the king. No more can our enemies prevail while our Jesus sits at his and our Father’s right hand. All the enemies are made a footstool. Though they cause a little noise, you see a footstool for the one sitting on the throne only lifts him up. It is useful to lift him up higher; so shall all of Christ’s enemies’ efforts only exalt him. He is lifted above all their opposition.

Serve for a Great Reward

If Christ is so gloriously advanced to the highest throne, then serving and suffering for him is the greatest honor we can have. That is why Moses “esteemed the very reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26). That is why Paul boasted that his very chains and sufferings for Christ have glory in them. All we get for service in the world is finally ashes. These men counted shame and suffering for Christ as treasures. It would richly reward him. If we lift up our eyes and see how exceedingly great Christ is, we will count it the greatest glory to serve him and to be humbled and to suffer for him.

We are learning that the secret to constant joy is in the Lord. All things the Lord has done for us, is doing for us, and will do for us, all we have in the Lord, is what we will become in the Lord. It is in that realm that there is an infinite ocean of things we can rejoice in, even if nothing is right in the world. If we are to rejoice in the Lord like this, we clearly have to know deeply what the Lord has done for us and is doing for us. If our knowledge of the Lord is superficial and very little, we will be able to draw on living waters for life’s difficult situations.

So, we are aptly doing a communion series, “Looking Unto Jesus.” We have looked at Jesus’ pre-creation, his ravishing beauty and glory. We have looked at Jesus in the Old Testament: in Adam, he would be the only seed to come to deliver mankind; in Abraham, he would come through a nation; in Moses, he would fulfill the condemning law; in David, he would establish an eternal kingdom; and in the prophets, he would bring a New Covenant. We have looked at Jesus at birth, and last time, we looked at the 33-year whirlwind tour of his life: the preaching of John, the baptism of Jesus, the temptation of Jesus, the nature of Christ, and the ministry of Jesus. A big weakness of our church, as we saw at the picnic, is that we hear and forget. We do not dig deeply into those thoughts through meditation and store them in the deep well of our memory, so we can draw on them for help when needed. If we just do this, we will always have so much stuff to rejoice about.

Today, we come to the most critical aspect of our Lord’s life: his suffering and death for us. In fact, the passage from which I took the phrase “looking unto Jesus,” Hebrews 12, tells us to look to Jesus to run the Christian race victoriously, and it immediately tells us to mainly look at Christ’s suffering and death. Hebrews 12:2 says to “look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame.” The Holy Spirit most powerfully uses Christ’s suffering for saving sinners and sanctifying believers, because he knows of all other parts, acts, or passages of Christ. It is a deep, deep well from which we can find enough comfort and strength.

This is the high point which our man Paul was always studying. In fact, Paul summarizes the whole good news as “Jesus crucified.” Out of all the wisdom of the world—east, west, south, north, the wisdom of Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greeks, Romans, even the great wisdom of Solomon—Christ crucified was such great wisdom for Paul that he not only calls it surpassing knowledge, but says, “I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Paul knew from experience that this is the only wisdom that keeps a man always rejoicing and blessed.

The question you and I have to ask ourselves is, “O my soul, how deep is your well of knowledge?” How many hours, days, months, and years have you spent to attain this wisdom? People spend 21 years to get a doctor’s degree, people have to spend 15 years just to get a degree, some 30 or 40 years to master a field. How little we spend to know Jesus Christ! No wonder some of us know nothing at all of Jesus Christ!

Come then, and let us spend some time looking at this one necessary thing, this greatest wisdom. Let us not make it just historical and theoretical, but personally practical and appropriating. As we intently look at Jesus’ death, virtue flows from that looking. For this experience, in our imaginations, each one of us should imagine we are actually standing there and looking at Jesus, even speaking to him, asking him why he is doing this, and he is answering us. See if you have attained a surpassing knowledge of Christ. As we look at his suffering and humiliation, always remember who he is: Pre-creation, his exalted glory and infinite worth; equal to God in every way; the one who made the world and who upholds and governs all things he has made. Every time I explain his humble suffering, when I say “remember who he is,” let your mind go up to see his glory and down to see his humiliation. That will take your breath away.

For our study, we will divide Christ’s suffering into three places: Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha. We will see his suffering in these three places as we look unto the Lord.

Gethsemane

Follow him into Gethsemane. After his marvelous ministry, his suffering starts as he enters Gethsemane. That night, imagine you are following Jesus and his disciples. After the Passover, Judas has gone to bring the army, and Jesus with his disciples crosses over the brook Kidron. As he crosses at Passover time, rivers of blood are flowing down from the temple. He sees the blood in the moonlight and knows he has to pour out his own blood to satisfy the wrath of God. He comes to the garden of Gethsemane. Imagine that dark night with the Passover full moon, in a garden where Adam sinned, and in this garden, Christ must intensely suffer.

We see three things: his face expression, his words, and the consequence of his prayer. As he entered this garden, he began to be agonized; all his powers within him were in conflict. Consider, O my soul, Mark says he was “greatly amazed,” greatly awe-struck, stunned, astounded, astonished. Suddenly, he is struck into a strange fear.

We stand there and ask him, “Oh, Son of God, why are you so shocked? What are you afraid of?” We ask him, “Why, Lord? All our lives we have never seen you afraid of anything. Why are you cowering in fear now?”

He answers, “The cup.” We say, “What cup, Lord?” He says, “Oh, sinner, what have you done! You are so blind about your state. This shock is a result of seeing the depth of your depravity, and in that depravity, what oceans of sins you have committed in God’s sight and how much wrath you have accumulated. In your blindness, you never see or realize even less than one percent, but before the law of God, your depravity and sins are so vast and terrible. I see how depraved you are now. If my holy Father has to forgive you all these sins, he wants to impute all these sins on me as if I committed them, and I have to bear the wrath for all your sins. It is so vast and so terrible. Just seeing them makes my holy soul abhor them. Though I am the eternal Son of God, in my humanity, it makes me shocked and tremble. This cup reveals the full scope of your wickedness. The horror of the thought that the guilt of all those sins of all time will be imputed on me and an unmixed wrath against sins will be unleashed on me, without one drop of mercy, knowing the holiness and justice of my Father, makes me afraid.”

This cup not only reveals how horrible the suffering he has to undergo will be, but also what wretches you and I are, going astray from the womb and what horrid wickedness you and I have committed. How hateful we must be to accumulate such wrath for God that it made the Son of God stagger in Gethsemane. It is as if Christ says, “Don’t you really know why I had to suffer and sweat blood? Don’t you really understand my agony in Gethsemane? If you honestly see your heart before God’s law, you will understand a little bit of the horrible, putrid, deep, bottomless, infinite pit of the dark ocean of sins in your wicked heart. You will be able to appreciate a little bit why I sweat blood, why I agonized.”

Think of the fear of hell for one man’s punishment; it is so scary and terrible. Christ feared the hell punishment for innumerable elect all concentrated on one soul. At least for all eternity, men’s wrath is in a way diluted, but all the wrath for all eternity was concentrated on him for a few hours. Never was a man so afraid of the torments of hell as Christ, standing in our place, nor was he only afraid, but also filled with great sorrow.

Christ, who never spoke about his sorrow and never sought any sympathy, was now filled with this unspeakable sorrow. This terrible storm of agitation and bewilderment over his soul broke his long-suffering and calm nature, and bursting forth from his patient lips came the unspeakably pathetic cry, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” These words let us look dimly into the deep abyss of woe within his soul. Why does he share this now? Maybe it will kill him now if he doesn’t vent out his sorrow in some way. Sometimes, it relieves us when we share.

His sorrow was deadly; it melted his soul as wax is melted with heat. It continued with him till his last gasp. His heart was like burning wax all the time of his passion. Oh, what an agony this was!

In that sorrow, anyone would have given up, but his love for us was so intense that he stood there. Think of the complex conflicts in his holy soul: on one side, his whole being abhorred taking on sin so much that he would become sin for us. On another side, he saw how much it was beyond the strength of his human nature alone to do this, and on yet another side, how dreadful the consequence would be if he died before fully drinking. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that he prayed with loud cries and tears, for what? He prayed that he might not die. This means he prayed that he would not die before he fully finished the cup. God should sustain his humanity until the last minute. The earnestness of that prayer was so intense, his heart beat so fast, and his arteries were pumping blood so intensely that the subcutaneous capillaries burst open and mixed with sweat, which fell as what? Not drops, but great drops of blood. The original word signifies “lumps” or “clots.”

Oh, what man or angel can conceive the agony, the fear, the sorrow, the amazement of heart, that has such an unusual, rare outward expression? He did not just weep tears of blood from his eyes, but his whole body shed tears of blood, not small drops, but solid, great drops of blood! Oh, my soul, look unto Christ, and if you will bring this consideration home, say, “My sins were the cause of this bloody sweat.” Imagine how tired the Lord must be after that Gethsemane experience.

Gabbatha

Follow him from Gethsemane to Gabbatha. Gabbatha is Pilate’s court, where he was scourged and finally sentenced to be crucified. Then you see Judas come with a troop following him, with a most traitorous kiss, “What, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Has money and the world blinded you so much that you sold the Lord of life to murderers for such a cheap price? An army of soldiers comes and arrests him. You see a picture of many ravenous wolves surrounding and assaulting the most innocent lamb. What a pathetic sight! They put chains on his holy body and drag him furiously this way and that. They take him to Annas’s house, then hurry him from Annas to Caiaphas. A fraudulent court was set up in the middle of the night with so many false witnesses, but nothing worked. Caiaphas, the high priest, adjures our Lord to tell him if he was Christ, the Son of God. As soon as he affirms it, he is doomed as guilty of blasphemy.

Now again, as if all demons entered those Sanhedrin members, without any common dignity, they pour out all their venomous anger and revenge. Each one gives him a slap and a punch. They spit upon that divine face. They play a game: they hoodwink his eyes and strike him on the cheek, scoffing and jesting and saying, “Who is it that smote you?” Oh, remember who he is that is being treated like this. He is the Glory of Heaven, the one whom angels adore and praise, Christ adored by the highest heaven, Christ the everlasting Lord, whom all holy creatures exalt. The Father, Jehovah, his only great delight and entertainment, is his Son, the one who alone is glorified and adored for his eternal perfection, and now he is so much shamed, cursed, mocked, and spit upon, blasted by the profanity of blind, stupid sinners.

Then after all that treatment, when the whole world slept, the Lord could not sleep all night. He was in the court until cock-crow; he did not sleep for the next few hours; he had not a drop of rest that night. Now, early in the morning, behold him dragged again from Caiaphas to Pilate. Not just Jews, but even gentiles’ hands should be covered with the blood of the Son of God. The place where Pilate tried him is called Gabbatha, so he comes there.

Pilate tried everything to release Jesus, and all failed. In a final attempt to release Jesus as a last resort, he orders him to be scourged. Imagine the place of Gabbatha inside the Praetorium, a large common hall surrounded by big stones and curved entrances. Medically, this punishment would bring a man close to 80 to 90% death; many actually die during scourging. Even if a man does not die, he cannot live a normal life after a scourging; it is a terrible, terrible punishment. People dreaded Roman scourging. A man was taken by his wrist; he was tied in chains and hung from a post. His feet were dangling so that his body was taut and stretched. His hands and legs were stretched separately, so no hands or feet could come to rescue or hide the stretched body. Two soldiers would stand, one on each side, with a short, thick, heavy wooden handle. At the end of the handle were a series of leather thongs or ropes, and at the end of the leather thongs were bits of lead, brass pieces, cow or lion animal teeth or bones, and stones, all with sharp ends. Two men, one on each side, would whip him across the body to the point where not just skin but flesh, arteries, and veins were gashed and exposed—very often it brought death. The blows were laid on with full force, so that it was done in a rhythm. They would cry out as our men do when lifting weight at the same time to apply force. The effect was horrible.

Just to get beaten with one stick is painful; iron rods are more terrible, but to be scourged with that kind of whip is to be half dead. Who can number the stripes with which they tore his body, one wound eating into another! They pulled away not only his skin but even his flesh, making his internal organs a little visible, laying bare even the organs of his kidney, liver, intestines, and bones. He was all covered with blood. It is a torture beyond description.

See his state there in Gabbatha, writhing in pain and swallowing his own blood! Oh, joy of angels and glory of saints, who have thus defiled you with so many bloody blows? Certainly, they were not your sins, but mine. My conscience tells me each of those scourges should be my scourging, for all the horrible sins of my life. What a picture of love to take it all upon you.

Those soldiers did not stop with scourging. As if bodily pain were not enough, they tortured his soul by a mock coronation. They play the game of a mock coronation and do seven things to our Lord. First, any king on the day of his coronation should be dressed with royal clothes. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. What is the next thing? What is a king without a crown? The great symbol of his kingship is the crown. After clothing him with the robe, they twisted a crown of thorns and put it on him. A Palestinian thornbush has sharp, piercing thorns two or three inches long, and they twist them into a crown. When he presses it on, every point of every thorn begins to cut a straight furrow from which blood spurts, trickling down his face like different little waterfalls, flowing down his face to mingle with the rest of the blood on his body. Now the king has a royal garment; he has a crown. Now for the third item for him to be a real king, he must have a scepter. They take a stick and give it to him in his hand. Fourth, verbally, they mock him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Fifth, subjects will either kiss the king’s feet or hand. These people fall on their knees as they rise from their knees, they come close to him as if they are going to come and kiss his face. As their face gets closer, instead of a kiss, they spat on him and walked away and laughed. Then finally, they take the stick and hit him in the head. Imagine, one after another, who knows how many hundreds of soldiers kept doing this.

Oh, my proud heart, look unto that Jesus. How can I think of this without tears when I remember who he is? The King of Kings, the King of Grace, the bringer of the eternal kingdom, the heir of all things, equal to God, a person mesmerized angels yearn to kiss the feet of, surrounded and guarded by seraphim. See what my sin has done to him in Gabbatha.

Do not forget the glory to which he had been accustomed. He was the Father’s darling, eternally in the bosom of the Father, adored by the highest creatures, cherubim and seraphim. His face shone with the light of a billion suns. Angels yearned to get a glimpse of his face. Angels could not see and closed their faces in his presence. That person’s face is here spat upon, and the one whom the entire universe worships, every principality and power in the heavenly places, is given mock worship! Behold the most mysterious and wondrous scene. He sits there, mocked with a crown of thorns, the center of a comedy. Can there be a more wondrous scene like this, filled with so much irony and wonder?

What we see in the human world is God working out in the heavenly theater of spiritual reality. Christ is being treated as a criminal in the court of heaven as he takes on our sin. See everything Christ went through; even the smallest pain was absolutely necessary if he had to save us.

Take one by one, he was stripped naked. The shame of nakedness came in with original sin. To atone for original sin, he submitted to that shame. He was stripped naked in shame to clothe us with his perfect righteousness. He was put in a scarlet robe. Sins are so terrible, so deeply and permanently staining our souls, it is impossible to be washed out at all. God placed those terrible sins on Christ, and here is a visible symbol of Christ being clad in a scarlet robe, which signified his bearing our deep scarlet sins. Why a crown of thorns? As a result of that original sin, God cursed him and made him to be a king of a thorny, cursed life. Thorns were a symbol of the curses of original sin. Oh, he took that curse to redeem us.

Pilate sees Christ after this, and his inmost heart melted with pity. Oh, pity. He gets an idea: he will use this form of Christ to draw pity from the crowd and stop them from sinning and killing Christ. So he says those famous words, “Behold the man.”

Imagine you are standing there. What a shocking and sad spectacle of Jesus, when he came forth wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. O my soul, fix your eyes on the sad object! Suppose you were in the place of Jesus. Think of it: what if in so sensible and tender a part as your head, men should fasten a number of thorns! Alas! You can hardly abide the prick of a pin, much less the piercing of so many thorns. His whole body was not just blood, but blood mixed with skin, mucus, and flesh all flowing. He comes shivering there and stands with a red robe, a crown, and a scepter stick in his hand.

Behold not just the man! Behold the God-man. The sight should make you break out and say, “O the brightness of your Father’s glory, who has thus cruelly dealt with you? O unspotted glass of the majesty of God, who has thus wholly disfigured you? O river that flows out of the paradise of delights, who has thus troubled you?” He is the eternal Son of God by whom all things were made and by whom all things consist. He is the heir of all things, who will be lifted above every name in the universe. When we realize how high he is and then see the descent to which he came, it will make any sensible man tremble.

“It is my sins, O Lord, that have so troubled you. My sins were the thorns that pricked you, the lashes that whipped you, the purple that clothed you. It is I, Lord, that am your tormentor, and the very cause of these your pains. My transgression, yours the deadly pain.”

Even stones would have melted at that sight, but the depraved heart of men is so hardened than stone, so full of pride. Forget about bringing one drop of a tear, it hardened them more in sin. They cried out even louder, “Crucify him.” Then Pilate agrees to their blasphemous request to kill God.

Golgotha

Follow him from Gabbatha to Golgotha. See how they lay the heavy cross upon his tender shoulders, that body that went through such pressure to shed great drops of blood, and a body that was so torn and rent with whips. He could carry the cross, but he struggles to carry it.

They give him sour wine mixed with gall, to make their work easy, for an anesthesia effect. He will not kick and fight. But he refused it. Firstly, so there would be no lack in his work of our atonement. Under an anesthesia effect, he shouldn’t leave even one or two sins of mine. He must fully feel the infinite, complete, terrible horror of horrors for all our sins. His whole being—body and soul, every nerve and sense—must fully feel the consciousness of the wrath of God. The deepest hell, which becomes unbearable, has no anesthesia. Secondly, he refused the wine to show the absolute and completely voluntary nature of his suffering. Without that, as a man anesthetized with love for you and me, he happily stretches his hands and feet to be nailed. There was no compulsion; it was freely laid down for us.

Look at him on Golgotha mount, lifted up on that engine of torture, the bloody cross. He hangs on nails, and as he hangs, his own weight becomes his affliction. Oh, see how his arms and legs were racked with violent pulls, his hands and feet bored with nails, his whole body torn with stripes and gored with blood. And now, O my soul, run with all your might into his arms, held out at their full length to receive you. Oh, weigh the matter!

Keep looking at him on the cross. All around, he sees mocking, insults, and blasphemy. No comfort. Think of all the mocking of crowds and the testing of the religious leaders; even the worst criminals crucified with him mock and insult him. Oh, then came the dreadful three hours of darkness that spread over all the earth. Now the sun was ashamed to show his brightness, seeing its creator in such disgrace. The sun hides all its glory at midday; the heavens discolor their beauty and are in mourning robes.

Imagine you stand before the cross in darkness and imagine what horror he must have gone through. Christ feared hell punishment for innumerable elect all concentrated on one soul. At least for all eternity, men’s wrath is diluted in a way, but all the wrath for all eternity was concentrated for a few hours, just as when a billion suns concentrate all their heat and pass it on one object, all the wrath of God passed on that lamb on the cross.

At the end of three hours of darkness and silence, there was a loud cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Christ, in the garden, tasted the bitter cup of God’s fierce wrath, but now he drank the dregs of it. Oh, but what’s the meaning of this? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The most mysterious words—God forsaking God—who can understand this?

I am so depraved and sinful that God had to eternally forsake me in disgust. But instead, God so loved you and me, he imputed those sins on Christ and forsook him for our sins. Jesus was forsaken so that God could never forsake us in eternal hell. Why did you forsake me? God says, “Because I am making you a sin-bearer and a curse so that sinners may be saved.” That is the gospel. Words like “substitution,” “atonement,” “imputation,” and “justification” are not just theological jargon or jolly blessings. The cry of abandonment shows that it cost the greatest pain, greatest sacrifice, greatest suffering, and highest expense for the infinite Godhead. It was a real purchase, a real transaction, and real pain to God.

Application:

This sight should make Christ desirable, believable, and lovable.

Desirable

If the Holy Spirit opens a sinner’s eyes, Christ’s blood, suffering, and death are the most desirable aspects of him to that sinner. Nothing brings so much joy, rest, and peace to refresh a parched and thirsty guilty soul as the blood of Jesus. The story of Dr. Faustus, who sold his soul to Satan, recalls him crying out, “Oh, for one drop of Christ’s blood! I will give everything in the world for one drop. The Devil is dragging my soul to hell. Just half a drop is enough to pull me from hell and put me in the bosom of God.” A beautiful, rich woman convicted of sin cried out so earnestly, “I have great beauty, a good husband, children, and many other comforts, but I would give them all for one drop of Christ’s blood. Oh, my soul is parched and thirsting.”

But what is there in Christ’s blood, suffering, or death that is so desirable? It is desirable for its merit.

1. It is not the suffering of a man or the death of a martyr that we sadly remember. It is the suffering of the very God-man, the intrinsic excellence of his person, “the brightness of his Father’s glory,” a person of the Godhead with all the attributes of God equally. Every drop of his blood was not only the blood of an innocent man but of very God. If the all-wise, all-good, all-blessing, infinite God shed his blood for a great purpose, what infinite worth it must be. Surely everything of God is desirable.
2. There is a worth of infinite value in it. All the wealth in heaven or earth cannot redeem one soul. When even ten thousand worlds’ worth of wealth cannot redeem one soul, can you imagine the worth of Christ’s blood, which alone can redeem all souls? Therefore, the apostle sets this against all corruptible things, such as silver and gold, the things so much valued among men of this world: “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). “You are bought with a price.” And what price was that? Why, his own blood. This was the ransom which Christ gave: “The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many,” which signifies an adequate price, or a counter-price.
3. There is in it a merit of atoning satisfaction. In all the universe, it is this blood alone and this suffering alone that makes you and me, as defiled sinners from birth, accepted, beloved, and reconciled children of God. No wealth in the universe, no self-righteousness, and no devotion are acceptable; only this blood. It not only covers all our actual sins but also covers our original defilement and makes us stand pure in the sight of God. Is it not desirable?
4. There is in it not only a true, but a full and copious satisfaction. Christ’s death and blood are superabundant for our sins. “The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant” (1 Timothy 1:14). It was overflowing, redundant, more than enough. Oh, if we would exercise faith and know the infinite value of Christ’s suffering, how much unbelief in our hearts would go away! How much dishonoring of Christ’s work would go away!

Some of our pathetic instability, our not rejoicing in the Lord always, is because of this unbelief in the infinite value of Christ’s blood. We think we are right with God only on the basis of our righteousness and devotion. We have never learned to regularly stand in faith.

Some complain in unbelief, “Oh, if I had not been so great a sinner, there might have been hope.” This is to undervalue Christ’s redemption. This is to think there is more in sin to condemn than in Christ’s sufferings to save. Not only your sins but all the sins of all the men in the world are, to Christ’s merits, but as a drop to the ocean.

Let me tell you the blessings that flow only from his blood and suffering. Firstly, there is in it the remission of sins. That is why at the first communion, Christ took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” No one’s sins are forgiven if they wash in the Ganges, receive thousands of baptisms, shed tears their whole life with regrets and heartbreaks, or try to cleanse their past sins with future charity works. Oh, how many keep doing it. The world is full of people praying and doing a hundred and one things for the cleansing of sins. God’s word clearly says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission.”

We as sinners, sinning every second, need Christ’s blood more than we need food. We don’t eat every second, but we sin every second. How much more desirable Christ’s blood is for us. Sin defiles us, makes us guilty, and makes God strange and far away. Our pride, impatience, dullness, slothfulness, and our thousand imperfections; how our sins afflict us. We become loathsome in our own eyes. Our conscience tortures us, saying, “You are a horrible sinner; how can you go to God?”

You might have come to church today feeling like that. Just one believing look on Christ’s suffering and blood, pointing your defiled conscience to Christ’s suffering, says, “Yes, I am a sinner deserving the worst punishment, but see the punishment for my sins.” With believing faith with God, what an argument is put into our mouth from these sufferings of Christ: “O Lord, I am unworthy to be forgiven, but it is just and right that Christ obtain what he died for. O pardon my sins for his death’s sake and for his precious blood’s sake.” Oh, what assurance of all sins forgiven comes into our hearts.

Secondly, in the blood and suffering of Christ, there is reconciliation and peace with God. The Bible says we are afar off, infinitely far off. Do you not sometimes feel a strange distance? God is somewhere; I am somewhere else; there is no connection. “In Christ Jesus, you who were afar off are made near by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace.” Sometimes we also sense an enmity, as if God hates us, is angry with us, or upset with us. It happens regularly, right? “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”

If you are like that spiritually today, this should encourage you to come very near to God through Christ’s blood. These things are not just nice verses, but spiritual realities we should experience through faith. Whenever our sins haunt us, whenever we feel a distance from God, what are we to do? Oh, learn the great secret: immediately look unto Jesus’ death and suffering for you. See his blood. We come to God through Christ’s suffering and blood and find God’s nearness and presence, an ocean of love.

Come and look on Christ’s death as the means and meritorious cause of reconciliation. Experience this, and you will realize in faith, “Oh, this death is so desirable! This is where the secret of Christian life is. This is where my peace is. This is where heaven’s doors open for me.”

If I have to look at God without the bloody glass, God is far, angry, and strange. When I look at God through this bloody glass, an ocean of love opens. When God the Father looks at a sinner in the bloody glass of Christ, he says, “I don’t have a drop. I don’t feel one drop of anger or hatred for you. All your sins are hidden from my sight by this blood. All my justice is satisfied. In fact, you are perfectly righteous. I, seeing you in my Son, love you as intensely as I love my Son.”

Do you see why Christ’s death and blood are so desirable to the soul? Through Christ’s blood, every sinner shall be thus appeased and reconciled with God! There is in it a blessed virtue to open heaven and to make a passage there for our souls, liberty “to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” It is the blood of Christ that tears the veil and makes a way into the Holy of Holies, that is, into the kingdom of heaven. Without this blood, there is no access to God. It is only by the blood of Christ that heaven is open to our prayers and that heaven is open to our persons. This blood is the key that unlocks heaven, unlocks the Father’s love, and lets in the souls of his redeemed ones.

Christ’s suffering was a fully sufficient ransom not only to forgive all our sins but also to reconcile us, justify us, adopt us, and even purchase eternal heaven for us.

Come now, whatever state you are in, look unto these sufferings and blood. It is not an ordinary man; it is the blood of very God-man. It was a ransom more than enough for all your sins. It gives all merit and satisfaction. It brings all remission of sins, reconciliation with God, and peace with God. It even earns heaven for you. All other privileges, benefits, and dignities of the soul you need to reach heaven are in the blood of Jesus. And is not all this worth looking after? How much we should regularly desire to meditate and think. How healthy for guilty souls to regularly think of Christ’s suffering. That is why the gracious Lord said, “Remember me.” It is not that he gets any selfish benefit. Some say, “Don’t forget me; don’t forget all I did.” No. “Remember me” so that is the only way you can always be happy. Even in that command, he wants us to be happy.

How much we should desire to experience the benefits of his blood and suffering in our lives through faith! All that his blood has brought. How precious is this blood. Oh, I am undone, except I have a share in this blood!

Not only desire the blood, but also believe in Christ for justification and sanctification. Look on Jesus as lifted up. Why did he hang there on the cross? For two purposes. These are the two great needs for a sinner: he should be justified and sanctified in this world so he can be glorified. Christ, by his death, had a design not only to deliver us from the guilt of sin but also from the power of sin. This design the apostle sets out in these words, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). Justification and sanctification.

The confession states that the primary object of saving faith deals directly with the Lord Jesus and his work. It accepts, receives, and depends on the benefits that come from Christ’s suffering to a sinner in the gospel. It is as if a person is sinking and someone gives him a piece of wood. You accept it, make it your own, and then put your full weight on it. That is the simple meaning of faith. You accept you are a sinner, Christ’s suffering alone can save you, you make it your own—he died for me—and you put your full weight on it.

You exercise your faith. Accept and receive that Christ’s death is for you, “in him I have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” As on this account he suffered, “to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity”; so if his death is mine, I may assuredly say, “My sins are pardoned, and my iniquities are done away.”

Come then, looking unto the cross, don’t you want the assurance that all your sins are forgiven? Let me tell you, there is no greater joy in the world than that. When you exercise faith, you will in a way hear in your soul the whisper of God’s spirit, “Son, or daughter, be of good comfort, all your sins are forgiven. You have a part in my sufferings. These sufferings and blood are for you.” Oh, heavenly bliss! You don’t know what you are missing.

Not only for justification, but also exercise your faith for sanctification. Christ not only forgives sins by his death, but he destroys their power and crucifies them. His cross does not have it “reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Those of us who groan, “Oh, I want to be more holy! I sin often,” and ask how we can be holy, can find the answer here.

The only divine way to be holy is by looking at Jesus at his death and exercising your faith. Sanctifying virtue flows from that alone. The former is available for our justification, the latter for our sanctification. If blood can forgive our sins, Hebrews says, “How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?”

True mortification springs from a root of faith in Christ’s suffering and death. It is a blessed effect arising from a looking unto Jesus’ suffering and death. How does Paul describe sanctification? “I should be conformed to his death.” As I see his death, a spiritual death works in me. I die to sin not only positionally but experientially. The same that was done to Christ in a natural way is done in the believer in a spiritual way. Christ by way of expiation, we by the way of mortification and crucifying our sins.

This is where you go for strength to overcome your sins. “Pastor, sin is so pleasant. I know it is wrong, but I love it. I am so addicted to it. How can I feel virtue and strength from Christ’s death in my soul, for mortifying, crucifying, and killing my sin?”

1. Through meditation, nothing makes sin more ugly than meditating on the suffering of Jesus. Just to remember what sin did to him in Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha. You must look upon those grievous, painful, and shameful sufferings of Christ. The more you see, the more you feel the odiousness and execrableness of sin. The cross stands out as the most holy way to live.
2. Pray with self-examination. If you will but exercise your faith, you can draw mighty strength and virtue from his death into your soul.
3. You must weigh and consider what it was that caused all this, namely, sin, yes, your sin, yes, this and that sin particularly. If therefore there is in you any spark of love toward Christ, it will by all means make you loathe sin and cast it away from you; to root it up, to quit your hands, to rid your heart of it. This looking creates all violence, all holy severity, against sin for his sake. Slowly you will notice that sin, in this way, loses the affection of the soul. The influence that should nourish sin is cut off, and it withers by degrees until it is finally destroyed.
4. Now when the heart is thus exercised, God, by his Spirit, will not fail to meet us. Our desire and endeavor to weaken and kill sin in the soul will be met with his strength.
5. Then you start experiencing sanctification in degrees of mortification: first, the practice of gross sins in word and deed stops. The second is that it strengthens the will to deny consent to all appeals of temptation. If when these motions first arise, we presently quench, reject, detest, and cast them away from us, therein is true mortification. The third is to slowly become free from any liking of any evil motion, not only to deny consent but also to deny the very thought or imagination.

Love Christ

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” How should we but love him who thus loved us? The only way is when we see Christ’s love for us, and when we look unto him, we exercise our love to him again. What less than a ravishment of spirit can I feel when I behold the Lord Jesus, who from everlasting was clothed with glory and majesty, now exposed to hunger, thirst, weariness, danger, contempt, poverty, revilings, scourgings, and persecution! Oh, what ecstasies this love brings us to!

1. Think of it to see the Judge of all the world arrested, accused, judged, and condemned!
2. To see the Lord of life dying upon the tree of shame and curse!
3. To see the eternal Son of God struggling with his Father’s wrath!
4. To see him who had said, “I and my Father are one,” sweating drops of blood in his agony and crying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Oh, where has his love for mankind carried him?

Think of the distance between the self-existent, sovereign Christ and us. We are irrelevant to him. Had he only sent prophets to show us the way to heaven, that would be a great mercy. If he had sent his angels from heaven, that would be a greater mercy. Or, if it must be so, had Christ come down from heaven himself only to visit us, pity us, and show us the way to heaven, this would have been such a mercy that all the universe would be shocked. Old Testament people fell on their faces when he came like that.

But Christ should come not to just visit, but be born like us. What great mercy! Then to live for us, how great. Then to die for us as a man. The greatest difficulty and humiliation for him. All this is the greatest mercy to us.

But to think he not only died but was forsaken by the Father, to part with the sense and sweetness of God’s love, which is a thousand times better than life. A billion deaths in one for him. He should become a curse so that we might be blessed. He should become sin so that we might become righteousness. He was forsaken so that we might not be forsaken. He was condemned so that we might be acquitted.

Oh, what raptures of spirit can be sufficient for the admiration of this infinite love! Be you swallowed up, O my soul, in this depth of divine love, and rejoice in Christ’s love for you. Look upon him! He hangs on the cross all naked, torn, and bloody, between heaven and earth. See how much he loves you. I will think the rest. Alas! Had I the tongues of men and angels, I could not express it. Oh, love more deep than hell! Oh, love more high than heaven! The brightest seraphim that burn in love are but as sparkles to that mighty flame of love in the heart of Jesus.

If this is Christ’s love for us, what is the love we owe to Christ! Oh, for a heart that might be in some ways answerable to these mercies! O God, raise up our souls to you; and if our spirits are too weak to know you, make our affections ardent and sincere to love you. The whole gospel is no other thing than a motive to draw man to God by the force of God’s love to man. In this sense, the holy scriptures may be called the Book of True Love, seeing therein God both unfolds his love to us and also binds our love to him. But of all the motives we may draw from Christ and of all the arguments we may find in the gospel of Christ, there is none like this: the death of Christ, the blood of Jesus.

Is this not such a love-letter as never was the like? Read the words, “For his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4). Oh, consider it, is not this a great love? Are not all mercies wrapped up in the blood of Christ?

You may have good things in life, but is this not the greatest good in your life? Christ is above all, and will you not love him? Oh, that all our words were words of love, and all our labor, labor of love, and all our thoughts, thoughts of love, so that we might speak of love and muse of love, and love this Christ, who hath first loved us, with all our heart, and soul, and might!

We studied in our Friday meetings the great importance of meditation. David in Psalm 119:15-16 said, “I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” That is what we are trying to do in our communion meditation. We are recalling and meditating on what we already know about Jesus and contemplating it so we can experience divine delight and strength from that truth. We have looked to Jesus pre-creation, looked to Jesus in the Old Testament. In Adam, He will be a seed. In Abraham, He will come through a nation. In Moses, He will fulfill the Law. In David, He will establish an eternal Kingdom. In the prophets, He will bring a New Covenant. And we looked to Jesus at His birth. Now we come to looking unto Jesus in His three years of earthly life.

If we were to study all the life and works of Jesus, John said the world is not big enough to keep the records. To know the life of Jesus, we have four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—the life of Jesus presented in monumental, blessed majesty and divine harmony. We should read them over and over and ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes. Paul’s eyes were opened to see such infinite glory in Christ, he accounted all things but dung for the surpassing excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Others have read and read and grasped so much glory; they have spent their whole lives writing large volumes on the glory of Christ’s life. Men have been writing and preaching for 2000 years about the life of Christ, and they are writing and preaching still, even this very second; so many are writing and preaching. They will continue until the end of the world.

When we began our ministry, for four years we studied Jesus’s life through the Gospel of John, and then for the last seven years, we studied Matthew. We know the historical details of the life and ministry of Jesus. But that is just the beginning of knowing Jesus. All those truths God taught us were not for us to simply study and understand and then put into the archive of our memory and forget. No, God wants us to recall and meditate on those truths until we bring them to some profitable, practical use. When we face life situations, we have to recall suitable situations in Jesus’s life and meditate, “Look unto Jesus.” We may then feel a kind of sensible change; that is how we really know Jesus experientially, as Paul did, and truly grasp the surpassing excellence of His knowledge, realizing that nothing compares to it.

Today, in 40-50 minutes, let us walk with Jesus through His three years of life on earth and His ministry. Just to see one Gospel, we took seven years. Today, it is very broad, an eagle’s aerial eye from 50,000 feet. We will skip a lot of things. There are a few things that we can cover in one sermon and prepare your hearts for communion. Remember this is not a historical study, but a devotional, experiential study.

We will cover:

1. The Preaching of John
2. The Baptism of Jesus
3. The Temptation of Jesus
4. The Nature of Christ
5. The Ministry of Jesus

First, we see the preaching of John the Baptist. He is the forerunner of Christ, sent to prepare the way. As we sit under his preaching, what do we see and feel? His ministry prepares us to see the glory of Christ, which is why all the Gospels begin with him. Though the man has not performed one miracle, the entire nation went to hear his preaching. Why? We see a strict, uncompromising, holy life, a rare example of self-denial and mortification, a man who rejected the world, despised its honors, fame, and name, and resisted temptations. He was clothed in camel’s hair, and his food was locusts and wild honey. He preached about repentance and coming judgment. By his life and preaching, he was a great means to prepare men to see the glory of Christ.

Can I ask you to imagine you are sitting for a while under this preacher? He stands here preaching righteousness with his posture. See what effect it will have on your heart. You see a man living such an austere, economical, and strict life, but living such a glorious, useful life. The whole nation goes to hear him; God chose him as the forerunner, filled him with the Holy Spirit from birth, and Jesus calls him the greatest born among women. In God’s sight, he is the most useful man, the greatest prophet, and did a great ministry. Doesn’t this man prick our consciences somewhere? With all we have, all our luxury, doesn’t it make us blush about what meaningless, useless lives we live? We are regularly running after worldly pleasures, honors, and names, and so poor in obeying and serving God, or doing anything useful for God’s kingdom. Doesn’t his message of repentance—the axe is on the root, every tree that doesn’t bear fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire—make us feel ashamed of our lives and sins, creating a sorrow and hatred for sins? It makes you see the emptiness of worldly pleasures. What life am I living? What is the use of all our worldly pomp and rush? When I meet God, what account will I give of my life to God on judgment day? How will the world remember me? If I have any sense, I have to change. Do you feel a spirit of mortification of sin? It urges you to deny yourself and die to the world. This is the effect you need to feel if you properly look to the forerunner. Read about him and keep looking at John the Baptist until you have that effect, because that effect is called repentance, which is the great preparation through which the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to see the glory of Christ. Without this, you can never see the glory of Christ in any of His ministry. If you feel your disease of sin, you will see the Savior’s glory as a great physician, you will run to Him in faith, and you will be saved. Repentance—that is where gospel blessing starts.

Then, we see Christ coming to this man and being baptized, the Holy Spirit coming from heaven like a dove and anointing Him. Yesterday we had one baptism. We were all baptized once. We repented, saw Christ’s glory, and were baptized. Sit by that Jordan river and see the sinless Son of God. What need did He have to be baptized? Even John says, “Lord, You should baptize me.” He shows by baptism that He took our place, and He wants to fulfill all righteousness so that He can impute all that fulfilled righteousness on us and justify us before God. He was baptized not for Himself, but for us. Aren’t you interested in that? What a sight! The holy Son of God stands in a sinner’s place. He went down into the waters of baptism so that we who believe in Him might find the effects of it in our lives. Do you know that all our baptism gets virtue because He was baptized in our place? It is because He was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon Him that the same Holy Spirit comes on you and me and gives us a new birth and unites us to Christ. By that one Spirit, we are baptized into His death, burial, and righteousness; we are identified as one, as if we died with Him, were buried, and rose, and so now we can partake of all the benefits of His life and death. How precious His baptism meditation should be to us!

See, when you have repented by John’s preaching of repentance, believed in Christ, and been baptized, you can expect something: the devil’s temptation. So after baptism, we see Him fasting for 40 days and tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Meditating on His temptation will help us see what kind of enemy we have, how he fights, how he is resisted, and how he is overcome. His first assault was when Satan moved Christ to doubt His Father’s providence by turning stones into bread. When that didn’t work, the second was directly opposite, to presume on His Father’s providential protection by jumping, believing angels will protect Him. And when neither doubt nor presumption could make Christ fall, he tempted Him with all the pleasures, lusts, honors, and allurements of the world.

This is exactly the way you and I are regularly tempted. If he cannot drive us to despair and doubt, he tries to lift us up to presumption. And if neither of these works, then he brings out all the pleasures, lusts, profits, and honors, which are so appealing to us. Many times we fall. Oh, how terrible when we get caught in his temptation. Yes, the Lord says, “Pray you will not enter temptation.” When we pray and watch, we can live victoriously. But when we enter and get caught, what a sad person I become! What struggles with remaining sin! I cannot read or pray. What horrid, dirty thoughts come into our minds, as if the worst gutter is pouring into my mind. Sometimes even terrible dreams. Sometimes it truly makes us think, “We are so bad. We are not a child of God. We are the devil’s children. We will definitely go to hell.” What a warfare! We resist one temptation, and another comes. Sometimes it feels like waves; we feel we will sink. What do you do when you are so discouragingly caught in waves of temptation? How do we come out of it? Some of you today, this morning, may be caught in temptation. Oh, look unto Jesus’s temptation.

But here is your comfort: remember you have such a Savior who was in all things tempted in like manner, yet without sin. He knows what you are going through; He knows the horror of temptation. The devil poured all the world’s gutter into His mind. For us, depraved but saved sinners, it is a horror. How would the sinless, holy Son of God have felt? He knows all. He has seen the height and maximum power of temptation pressure and never fell. We break at some point; He never fell. Satan became tired and left. Now, you are united to Him. You are not tempted alone; Christ is with you in the temptation. See to what extent He went to feel the height of my temptation. If we don’t eat for four days, we have to go to the ICU. Forty days… body juices, eyes all gone, body skin and bones. He could in a second eat a feast, but He fasted to identify with and help me in my temptation.

He says, “My child, I know your temptation. Come to me.” When you are tempted, “I am praying for you that your faith fail not, while the devil is shifting you.” He knows what torture temptation is by experience. His love, mercy, and tenderness are most of all at work when you and I are most tempted. As dear parents are ever tender of their children, but then especially when they are sick and weak, so, though Christ is always tender of His people, He is especially so when their souls are sick and under temptation, struggling. Then His bowels yearn over them indeed. He says, “Tempted Child of God, come to me.” When you know His compassion, how boldly, therefore, can we go to the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace to help in time of need! Christ was tempted in all ways, so that He might comfort, strengthen, assist, and help those who are tempted. That is His job as our high priest. What comfort! Remember when you face temptations, remember Christ’s temptations. Look unto Jesus. Go to Him for help. What strength He gives us! See that desert. He stands victorious. The devil ran away. In your temptation, when the devil tortures you, look at Him. He will give you strength to overcome temptation, and the devil will run away.

See, when you have repented by John’s preaching of repentance, believed in Christ, and been baptized, why does God allow us to be tempted? See, it is such temptation that makes us grow in holiness and become useful for God’s kingdom. Temptations create perseverance, do their work, and create character, so we lack nothing and become useful for God’s kingdom. That pattern is seen in Christ’s life. Once He was baptized and tested, and overcame temptation, He started His ministry. He called His disciples and started His ministry.

Usually in ministry, they say, “First the man, and then his ministry.” So let us see the nature of Christ and His ministry.

Nature and Ministry of Christ

We already saw He was born with complete divinity and complete humanity. We cannot imagine what an infinitely wonderful person this combination has made Him. Such a glorious, esteemed person as the Son of God, He united human nature to Himself. Oh, the wonderful, glorious, perfect union of the divine and human nature in Christ renders Him an object of admiration and wonder. Now at His baptism, His human nature is anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure. It is overflowing with all the graces of the Spirit. Do you realize what a man Christ must be! If a small measure of grace in the saints makes them sweet and desirable companions like Paul, Epa, and Tim, we say, “What a man!” What must the riches of the Spirit of grace filling Jesus Christ without measure make Him, having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?

What beauty He must be who is anointed without measure by the Holy Spirit. Oh, what a glory must it fix upon Him! All the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelt in Him. Hebrews says He became holy, harmless, undefiled, full of grace, truth. John’s reason that He is so full of this is so that we empty sinners can behold His glory, the glory of the only begotten Son, full of grace and truth, and receive grace upon grace. What an appearance Christ must be! Try to imagine with your eyes to see this glorious person—not only in His person as God, but as man—not just a perfect man without sin, but anointed with the Holy Spirit not just in a drop, or what a man’s capacity could hold, but without measure, overflowing with all good graces of the Holy Spirit. How beautiful must He be! If God could open our eyes, if you could but clearly see His glory, oh, we would faint. Someone said Christ’s inward beauty would ravish love out of all the devils, if they had but grace to see His beauty. This loveliness of Christ ravishes the souls of the glorified. This is the person who walked on this earth 2000 years ago.

What kind of life did He live? The holiness of His life is stunning. As God’s Son with almighty power, the heir of all things, think of His great patience when He lived among sinners. With one breath, the whole universe can go to ashes. But what patience in intense suffering, what love in most terrible enmity, His self-denial, His mercy, His generosity, His meekness, His pity, His humility, His obedience to His Father. “He was made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Living under the whole law, half of the law needs active obedience. How He satisfied it by His holy life without breaking one jot or tittle of the law, even living the most poor life, in the midst of unjust enemies, and even in the horror of the cross, not one murmur or bitter complaint. His life was a miraculous life.

The Bible says He never sinned. Have you heard of a man from birth to death who never did one wrong, not one lie? Not only outside, because God gauges sins as not only what we do outside but also what we do in our hearts. He never had a bad thought in His heart, hate, lust, or wrong desires. Everyone who met Him said He is without sin. The closest who lived with Him—Peter, John, even Judas who betrayed Him, who would have loved to have found some reason to justify the betrayal that he did—couldn’t find it. He said, “I betrayed innocent blood.” The whole religious court, the Sanhedrin, couldn’t find one thing. The civil Roman court governor couldn’t find any, finally to pacify his conscience, “Washes his hand and gives him to be crucified.” Even the centurion who crucified Him, seeing how He behaved through the unjust horror of the cross, cried out that He is truly a righteous man. No one could find one sin. History couldn’t. Nobody could because there wasn’t any. One perfect life. Oh, what a marvel He was.

Not only His active obedience, but then passive obedience: He underwent all the penalty of our sins and satisfied it by suffering a wrongful death, not in any way deserved. For whom is all this? It is only for us, that we might be redeemed and adopted; redeemed from all evil, and adopted into all good. Consider the nature and perfect life of Christ, O my soul, until you feel some virtue to come out of Christ’s life into yourself.

Next, we can see His ministry. We can summarize all of His ministry into His word and works ministry. Word is preaching; works are miracles. What a word ministry! As the final anointed prophet, He spoke like no other man. His words were unsurpassed. The Gospels repeatedly say that those who heard Him were continually amazed and stunned at His teaching. Police came to arrest Him, but got arrested by His words. Just read the New Testament in the Bible. Who has spoken such life-giving words, words that can pierce a man’s mind, heart, conscience, and soul and transform and make him a new man? His words have the power to change any man. His words changed harlots into pure girls; robbers and murderers became saints. The comprehensiveness of His teaching… He taught about God, angels, the devil, demons, men, the earth, heaven, hell, the past, the present, and the future, how the world began, what will happen in history, and how the world will end, and what happens after death. His words were supernatural. He said heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 2000 years later, His words are still the most popular, still changing people. The words of the book called the Bible are the most popular book in all of history, translated into more languages in the world, the most printed, sold, and read book in the world.

A question we have to ask is, “Has His teaching changed me?” Is there anything comparable to His Sermon on the Mount? Not only the first time when it was preached, but anyone who reads it now stands stunned and shocked with its high moral standard. It is the greatest standard of moral purity the world has ever known. It splits open the moral hypocrisy of any man’s heart and shows him as a depraved, guilty sinner before this mountain. “If you look at a woman to lust, it is adultery. Anger is murder. Covetousness is robbery.” Realizing his guilt, Nicodemus, the greatest teacher, comes and says, “Lord, how can a man live like that?” He says, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” His teaching forces every man to ask, “Am I born again?” When you see Jesus’s teaching, that is the first question you have to ask. “Am I born again?” Without that, none of His teaching will make sense. Imagine as if Christ Himself is standing by you and opening His mouth and telling you, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Was ever such a thing done upon me? Do you have that experience? Are all old things done away, and all things now become new? Has the old person, the old lusts, the old talk, changed in your life? Are my aims and ends new? Only when you are born again can you begin the kingdom life. Or else we will be blind. If we are born again, His commands are not burdensome. Jesus Christ is the final prophet. He not only teaches through preachers to our ears and minds, but He preaches through His spirit to our hearts. Have you experienced His spiritual, inward prophetic ministry? This illumination I am talking about. His illumination makes us see His commands are not a burden, but ways of blessedness, ways of rest. We will be able to say with David, “Words of God are more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. And in keeping them there is great reward.” If you have not started realizing that, you have not experienced the prophetic ministry of Jesus. Men can only teach your minds, which will make you experience this sweetness. Flesh and blood cannot teach you that. Only when the final prophet teaches you inwardly will you receive His illumination. Oh, Christ may speak to our hearts so we know what ravishing sweetness there is in the words of Christ.

Think of His works ministry. The supernatural works of Christ are absolutely staggering. I mean, there are eyewitnesses, hundreds and thousands of them. He showed that He was God and He had authority and power over disease, nature, demons, and even death, such miracles as never man did before. Have we deeply looked at Jesus’s miracles and meditated on them? They are heavenly arguments that prove who He is: that He is truly the Son of God and all He taught are infallible truths. You have to believe in Christ and His teaching because of the miracles.

Do you realize that His works and words are divine means to make us see the infinite glory of Christ? The Holy Spirit opened many eyes to see His glory by His works and words. Can I ask you, has He done that to you? The Father gave witness that He is the Son of God from heaven; John the Baptist gave witness; demons confessed; disciples confessed; and even to this day they confess as witnesses of seeing the glory of God’s Son. 1 John 1:1-3 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us.”

You know about the Bible, Christ, and the Gospel, but the most important question is, “Has all that knowledge manifested the glory of Christ to your heart?” Above all! It is this manifestation within our heart that concerns you most. God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son by using His words and works. Christ should manifest the glory of Christ into your hearts. If Christ is not manifested in your heart by His blessed Spirit, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:4, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Christ Jesus is in you?—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

Is Christ manifested in you? The bare history is a manifestation of Christ to all, but there is a mystery in the inward manifestation. The apostle, speaking of the saints, adds, “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints: ‘To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.'” (Colossians 1:26-27). Oh, the riches of the glory of this mystery! See, this is the glorious revelation God hid in the ages, but now to His saints. The question is, “Has He let you see into the wonders of His glory? Has He given you the light of His glory within?” This only the experimental Christian feels. I am not asking this to discourage you, but to encourage you and make you realize there is so much for us to know and grow in Christ. I am asking this to wake you up from any dangers of perfectionism that make you lazy in Christian life. I’m pushing you like Paul to run the race, reaching forward to what is ahead.

So here is a bird’s-eye view of the life of Christ: The Preaching of John, The Baptism of Jesus, The Temptation of Jesus, The Nature of Christ, and The Ministry of Jesus.

Can I bring three applications? Believe, Bless, and Become.

Three Applications

Believe Christ

Great good news of the Gospel, this glorious person, all His nature of divinity and humanity, in all the treasures of all His wisdom and knowledge, the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in bodily form, His. He is my wealth that will not be taken away! Not only Christ, but all His life, His baptism, His ministry, His active and passive obedience are mine and are imputed to me. It is because of this infinitely worthy, glorious person being my Savior that when I come today before God, I am not only treated as righteous, but I am an adopted, beloved child of God, just as Christ is treated, with all His freedom and privileges.

Do you believe that? All comfort and joy begin with that faith. This is a free gospel offer. Many don’t experience joy because they stand aloof, not daring to make a personal application of Christ and His life to themselves; they do not progress because of a lack of faith. But here is the property of saving faith: it sees the glory of Christ, apprehends and appropriates to itself, and makes use of whatsoever Christ is, or does, for its personal benefit.

We should come to communion not spiritually numb, but we should stir and exercise our faith. Faith must directly and immediately go to Christ. Yes, we must with the eye of our faith believe Christ was God in human flesh, born under the law. He took on our penalty of sins and atoned for them and fulfilled our duty to the law on our behalf. He both satisfied the curse and fulfilled the commandments! He purchased everlasting righteousness. By exercising faith only, we experience and feel the virtue and efficacy of Christ’s righteousness flowing into our own souls. Communion is a celebration of our union with Christ. We come to it with faith. The confession says the glorious effects of life and death flow out of Christ’s life, into a believer’s soul! It comes through faith. Oh, exercise that faith as you participate: “Christ is mine. All my trust is in Him. I come to partake in the benefits and virtues in Christ.”

Bless and Love Christ

We have seen that we have to believe first. Second, let your faith take you by the hand and lead you from one step to another, making you love Christ at every step, what He did for you. See His baptism, standing as a sinner in your place. When He saw you full of filth, He goes down into the waters of baptism so that He might prepare a way for the cleansing of your polluted soul. When He saw the devil ready to swallow you up by the power of temptation, He Himself enters into a battle. He allows Himself to be tempted. See the God of heaven’s blessedness forever, in whom dwells all fullness, emptying Himself, fasting for 40 days to know the height of the temptations you and I face, and then overcame the devil so we can overcome our temptations through Him.

His outward and inward ministry is to meet all our spiritual needs. He knows that you and I are stubborn like a donkey, how many times we are taught, we don’t learn, whatever we learn we forget, not having understanding. See Him as the final prophet. How He gave teaching upon teaching, adding line unto line, and precept on precept, repeating the same truths in different forms and examples, teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Then He doesn’t stop with external teaching; by His spirit He inwardly illuminates and teaches your hearts so you may understand the truth and believe, and in believing might have life through His name.

When He saw you as a sinner of the Gentiles, without God in the world, He even appointed apostles and sent them to all the nations. Even though we were like gentile dogs, He sent them, commanding them to make them disciples, and teach them all I taught you. “Go to Murali, Dass, Robert, wherever corner of the world they are… tell such a soul that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom he is one.” When He saw that you will perish in unbelief, He condescends so far to help your unbelief. So many ways He manifested His power on earth to thousands and thousands; “the world could not contain the books that should be written.” All those things were done to make you believe in Him and trust His truths, and you receive spiritual illumination through faith. When He saw you discouraged and refusing to believe the gospel, He knew you would ask, “What! Is it possible that Jesus Christ should send a message to such a dead dog as I am?” He then appeared spiritually, and even then spread His arms wide and effectually called you by a divine voice. “Come unto me, you that are weary and heavy laden with sin, and I will give you rest.”

See His nature: not only God-man, a man born without original sin, but fully equipped by the anointing of the Holy Spirit without measure. All this for you. And His works, all for you. See, O my soul, if there is one word for all this, the sum of all this is: Christ loves you, and Christ is infinitely lovely; His heart is set upon you. This double engine should push our hearts to love Christ. His history is nothing but the greatest love story. It is a history of love for you, not an atom of self-interest from beginning to end. All for love. How hardened must we be not to be all on a flame? Come, read again!

If Christ loved me with such earnest and burning love, how chill and cold is our love for Christ? May all these things make us burn in our love for Christ. “O Christ, I am ashamed that I love you so little. I perceive your love in every step of your life… all those actions in your life are a form of love. Come, Lord, blow upon my heart… kindle the fire of love by the Spirit, that I may love you. Many sins are forgiven me; O that I may love you much!”

Become Like Him

Finally, we saw that every Christian’s goal should be to become like Christ. That should be our pursuit. All this looking should result in that. When we intently look, we are transformed to His image. Scripture says Christ’s life is a pattern, an example for our lives. Christ is the best and most perfect, highest exemplar of holiness in human form. We must look at His life as people at sea look at a compass to go in the right direction. Christ repeatedly commanded us to follow Him. Paul and even the Hebrew writer say that in the race that is set before us, we must have our eye on Jesus, our blessed pattern. This must be our constant query in life situations: “Is this the way Jesus would have taken?” “What would Jesus do?” The “WWJD” movement. We should take that seriously if we want to become like Jesus.

Yes, there are a few areas we don’t have to follow Jesus, in those works of His Godhead, as in working miracles, His unique work as redeemer—in some things He had to do to redeem us, such as His voluntary poverty, not marrying, and voluntarily suffering infinitely as an atoning sacrifice. But we must conform to Christ’s life in every way; He is our example. Even in thoughts, feelings, and actions, we should be like Christ. “Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ,” Philippians 2:5. “Learn of me,” says Christ, “for I am meek and lowly in heart.” In all other graces we should follow Him; for He had them all in fullness: “And of his fullness have we all received, grace for grace.” We should in our lives and conversations express those graces and virtues which were so eminent in Jesus Christ; that you should not only have them, but that you should hold them forth, as if our lives were so many sermons of the life of Christ.

How must we become like Christ? We saw this is the great goal of redemption: that we should become like Christ. We should, like Paul, stir ourselves to pursue this in our life. Remember DDIS.

When we study the life of Christ, oh, how much dissatisfaction increases!

1. If anything, this study has made me so dissatisfied and made me seek more of Christ. What an excellent original example is here before us; and how far, how infinitely, do we come short! When I come to examine my own heart according to this original, I am as opposite to Christ as hell is to heaven. O woe is me! What a vast disproportion there is between Christ’s life and mine! We should regularly make it a practice to compare our life with Christ’s and humble ourselves every day by self-examination, by meditation, and by prayer. This is the first step. God fills empty vessels. We should empty ourselves. He gives grace to the humble; we should ourselves. This dissatisfaction should create a vehement desire to become like Christ.
2. Desire Christ. Do you have a desire for Christ? See His nature: He is a treasure house stored with all fullness, so you can receive grace upon grace. We are all challenged by Paul’s desire to pursue Christ. He sees all things as dung compared to Christ. Christ is pure gold. If we know the value of something like gold, we will desire even the dust of the gold. We see in the Gospel a woman who desired earnestly to wash Christ’s feet, to kiss, and to wipe with her hair; her eyes were opened to see such value in Christ. One woman had the desire, “If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be whole.” John the Baptist thinks it an honor to untie His sandals; Moses considered the reproach of Christ more precious than the treasures of Egypt. If all the saints earnestly desire Him, if the angels yearn and melt before Him, if Christ is adored by the highest heaven, how blind we are if we don’t develop a growing desire for Him.

See his love, his patience. Are you like him? See his peace, his holiness, his heavenliness, his tender pity, his constant efforts, his unwearied pains, and his self-denial. Look at his continual love for God, living every second for the Father’s glory, and his compassion for precious and immortal souls. See how graciously he talks. What a sweet temper and mood he always has, with not the slightest bitterness or irritation. Oh, the sweet countenance, the ravishing demeanor of Jesus Christ!

Now see yourself. Oh, the wide disproportion! I should follow this Christ and become more and more like him. In this pursuit, all my roughness, my sinful moods and behaviors, my uneven attitudes, my sensuality, my brutishness, my deformity should be thrown out. Oh, when I compare myself to the blessed life of Jesus, all my great faults are so clearly seen.

2. We should make intense efforts to quicken our sluggish souls to become like Christ. If this was one of the ends of Christ’s coming—if he lived a life and set an example for me—if this is the goal for which Christ saved me, it is not only to justify me but to sanctify me and make me like him. Thus, let us provoke our souls to become like this. We have to excite our faint, drooping, languishing affections, desires, and endeavors. Let us with intense efforts engage and encourage our backward spirits to move forward in this duty.

Like Paul, remember, I press on to hold what is ahead, toward a higher life, to be more like Christ. I should have the same mind, the same mouth, and the same life that was in Jesus Christ. So we follow his footsteps in our life and continually aspire toward him and grow up to him, even to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

4. We should do this with a single-minded focus. “One thing I do,” forgetting all past things and moving forward. The one priority in life is to become like Jesus.

Let us regulate ourselves by the life of Christ. Whatever action we go about, let us do it by this rule: Would Christ have done this? We do this in two ways:

1. We must avoid all sinful actions like Christ. When I am tempted to sin, I must seek his help and ask, “Would Christ have sinned if he were on earth? If he were to live again, would he live in this manner? Would this be his language? Would such speech drop from his lips?”
2. He is our pattern not only in avoiding sins but also in all moral duties. Did Christ frequently pray with his disciples and alone? And shall I never pray in my family or in my closet? Did Christ know so much of the Bible, and yet I continue to live in ignorance? Did Christ love his enemies, and shall I hate my brothers? He is the original pattern for all duties. Start measuring your life by the holiness of Christ!

If we had these thoughts every day, in our morning and evening prayers, if we would look unto Jesus and keep Christ continually before our eyes, the Holy Spirit will transform us into becoming more like Christ.

Do not be discouraged; just understand that our conformity must be gradual. “We all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” That is, from grace to grace, or step by step.

This is to follow Christ’s steps. This is a gospel command. Let me charge, in God’s name, with this gospel duty and responsibility all those who partake in communion: to become more like Christ. He descended from heaven to earth for your sake. We have to rise from earthly things to follow him, to “seek after the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Just as he said to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, he says to you and me, “Come, follow me.” Let us follow him.

Let us look fixedly at the life of Jesus Christ. Let us keep our spiritual eyes on the pattern until we feel ourselves becoming more like him. Let us set the copy of Christ’s life in our view and look upon it with the eye of reason and the eye of faith. But how should we keep the eye of our faith on this blessed object until we feel this conformity in us? I answer:

1. Let us set apart some time on purpose. When the day begins to close, if together with our closet prayer we would fall on this duty of looking unto Jesus by lively faith, what a blessed season this might be!
2. Let us remove hindrances. Satan labors to hinder the soul from beholding Christ with the dust of the world. The god of this world blinds the eyes of men. Oh, take heed of fixing our eyes on this world! Our own corruptions are also great hindrances to this view of Christ. Away with all carnal passions and sinful desires; unless the soul is spiritual, it can never behold spiritual things.
3. Let us fix our eyes only on this blessed object. A moving eye sees nothing clearly. When the angels are said to look into these things, the word signifies that they look into them narrowly, as they who, bowing or stooping down, look into a thing. So should we look narrowly into the life of Christ. Our eye of faith should be set upon it in a steady manner, as if we forgot all the things behind and had no other business in the world.
4. Let us look on Christ with a craving eye, with a humble expectation to receive a supply of grace. Lord, you are not only anointed with the oil of gladness above your fellows, but for your fellows. I am earthly-minded, but you are heavenly. I am full of lusts, but the image of God is perfect in you. You are the fountain of all grace, a head of all influence, as well as of eminence. You are not only above me, but you have all grace for me. Oh, give me some portion of your meekness, lowliness, heavenly-mindedness, and of all the other graces of your Spirit. Surely you are a heaven of grace, full of bright shining stars. Oh, that of that fullness you would give me to receive grace for grace.
5. Be assured that our prayer (if it is in faith) is even now heard. Never has anyone who came to Christ with strong expectations to receive grace, or any benefit prayed for, been turned away empty. Besides, Christ has engaged himself by promise to make us like himself. “As he which hath called us is holy, so should” (yes, and so shall) “we be holy in all manner of conversation.” Oh, let us build on his gracious promise. Heaven and earth shall pass away before one tittle of his word shall fail. Only understand that our conformity must be gradual. “We all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being changed into the same image from one degree of glory to another,” that is, from grace to grace; or from glory that begins in obedience, to glory that is complete in heaven.
6. If, notwithstanding all this, we do not feel this conformity in us, at least in such a degree, let us act over the same particulars again. The gifts of grace are therefore communicated by degrees, so that we might be taken off from living on a received stock of grace and so that we might still be running to the spring. We have continual need of Christ’s letting grace into our hearts, and therefore we must wait at the well-head, Christ. We must look on Christ as appointed on purpose by his Father to be the beginner and finisher of our holiness, and we must believe that he will never leave that work imperfect whereunto he is ordained of the Father. Oh then, do not be weary of this work until he accomplishes the desires of your soul.

I have now finished with this subject; only, before I finish, one word more. I do not deny other helps, but among them all, if I would make a choice to call upon that I may become more and more holy, I would set before me this glass: Christ’s holy life, the great exemplar of holiness. And this image we lost through our sin, and to this image we should endeavor to be restored by imitation. And how should this be done but by looking on Christ as our pattern? In this respect, I charge you, O my soul (for to what purpose should I charge others, if I begin not at home?), that you make a conscience of this evangelical duty. Oh, be much in the exercise of it! Not only in the day, but when night comes and you lie down on your bed, let your pillow be as Christ’s bosom, in which John the beloved disciple was said to lean. There lean you with John. Thus may you lie down in peace, and the Lord only will make you to dwell in safety. And when day returns again, have this in mind, yes, in all your thoughts, words, and deeds—even look unto Jesus as your holy exemplar. Say to yourself, “If Christ my Savior were now on earth, would these be his thoughts, words, and deeds? Would he be thus disposed as I now feel myself? Would he speak these words that I am now uttering? Would he do this that I am now putting my hand to?” Oh, let me not yield myself to any thought, word, or action which Jesus would be ashamed to own. Yes, if it were possible, going and standing, sitting and lying, eating and drinking, speaking and holding your peace, by yourself or in company, cast an eye upon Jesus. By this means you cannot help but love him more, and joy in him more, and trust in him more, and be more and more familiar with him, and draw more and more grace, virtue, and sweetness from him. Oh, let this be your wisdom, to think much of Christ so as to provoke you to imitation. Then you shall learn to despise the world, to do good to all, to injure no man, to suffer wrong patiently, yes, to pray for those that spitefully use and persecute you. Then you shall learn to “bear about in your body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in your body.”

This is to follow Christ’s steps. He descended from heaven to earth for your sake. Do you trample on earthly things, “seek after the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” for your own sake. Though the world is sweet, yet Christ is sweeter. Though the world proves bitter, yet Christ sustained the bitterness of it for you. And now he speaks to you, as he did to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, “Come, follow me.” Oh, do not faint in the way, lest you lose your place in your country, that kingdom of glory.

All our minds are constantly thinking about and trying to understand countless things in our surroundings. But what is the effect of all that thought and knowledge on our souls? We become tired and often disappointed, wondering what the use of knowing all this is. The Apostle Paul, who was like us—running after the tradition and religion he was born into, chasing after worldly fame and wealth—made a life-changing decision when God opened his eyes. He was determined to “not know anything but Jesus Christ.” To know Jesus Christ deeply and experientially, in every part of His being. Why, Paul? “Because I have attained a wisdom and realized that everything I know and spend my thoughts on in this world is all vain, garbage, and dung; none of it will bring any true joy and peace to the soul.” The study of Christ is the study of studies; he calls it the “surpassing infinite value of knowing Christ.” Not only is it valuable for a man’s happiness in this life, but it is the only knowledge that can bring eternal happiness. He saw so much value that he was willing to sell everything he had, knowing he could never overbuy it. You and I, sitting here restless and sad this morning, if we were to ask Paul what our greatest need is, he would say we need to grow in the surpassing value of knowing Christ.

In our communion meditation, that is what we are trying to do with our study “Looking to Jesus.” It’s not just about historical knowledge of Christ, but about focusing all our attention, our strong, deep thoughts on Christ. We muse, meditate, and ponder until virtue, divine strength, grace, and light flow from Him to us. The more we do this, the more we will experience it; thus, it is an inward, experimental look. This meditation brings Christ closer to the soul, opens our spiritual eyes to see His value and glory, and makes Him very attractive and desirable to us. We are so weak and superficial in our meditations and don’t know what a deep looking unto Christ is. So we have started this series as a practice.

We have looked at Christ pre-creation, and Christ in the Old Testament. Now today, we come to look deeply at Christ’s birth. This is the mysterious and universal wonder of God becoming a man. Generally, this is taught during Christmas, and I’ve noticed that with all the festive mood, people hardly deeply think about and grasp the depth of His birth at that time. It’s good to see it calmly without any December festival sentimental feelings.

Regarding the birth of Christ, the angels said, “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people.” The birth of Christ has a mighty connection to us: “unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” When we grasp this, it will bring great joy. So let us try to experience that joy today.

Looking at Jesus at His Birth

We will look at four headings:

1. The announcement of Christ’s birth.
2. The conception of Christ.
3. The two natures in Christ.
4. The birth of Christ.

There is virtue and grace in every aspect of His life. Let us look at these events to experience it.

1. The Announcement of Christ’s Birth

In Luke 1:26-28, it says, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God.” Imagine all the Old Testament expectations of the coming One that we saw last time: from Adam and Eve, a seed; from Abraham, a promise through a nation to bless all families of the earth; from Moses, the law revealing that all mankind stands condemned, but He will come and fulfill the entire law and purchase perfect righteousness; from David, a promise for all mankind dying with a transient life that He will come and establish an eternal kingdom; from the prophets, all burdened with the ceremonial law of the Old Testament that He will come and establish a new covenant. Oh, how they that lived before Christ desired this coming of Christ! Abraham desired to see that day, two thousand years and more before it came. He was the expectation of all the patriarchs: “Oh, when will that day come!” He was the desire of all nations. The nations were repeatedly disappointed. “A king is coming! A politician is coming! A movie actor is coming!”—all selfish men coming to disappoint. But this One is coming for our greatest good with not even a tiny bit of self-interest, leaving all the glory of His deity for our greatest good.

Behold, the announcement of His birth is so amazing that no man is worthy to announce the news of the conception of the God of heaven in a womb of earth. A great angel, Gabriel, from God’s presence, came to make the announcement to a small girl. When that girl was scared, he said powerful words that not only removed her fear but also the fear of every believer. “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.”

Again, the angel tells us to behold this—look deeply into this. Mary will conceive and bring forth a son, the object that you are to look at. The first title that the angel gives is Jesus, meaning Savior. Oh, come! Let us dwell a little here. This name Jesus is better to us than all the titles of God. Without the name Jesus, God with all His attributes was our greatest enemy. A name is a revelation of God’s attribute. God had revealed Himself in different names, showing His power, majesty, and justice, but if there is one name He chose to reveal the height and depth of His mercy and grace, it is the name of Jesus. This name is exalted above all names. Oh, it is a useful name! What a sweet name this has become for me! In all our depths, distresses, miseries, perplexities, and guilt, when we beseech God by the name of Jesus, we shall find grace, mercy, and a miracle for whatever situation we are in. Just go in the name of Jesus; heaven opens.

The reason for this name was given by the angel to Joseph: “Thou shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.” But why from their sins?

A blind world might say, “Ah, what big news.” They would say, “Tell us if He will save us from poverty, disease, shame, death, and hell.” This is because the Devil has blinded people. They are all worrying about the symptoms but not the root cause. The root cause of all man’s problems is sin, the very worst of all evils. If there is no sin, there will be no poverty, no disease, no shame, no death, and no hell. If we are delivered from sin, we are delivered from all that. All evil ceases to be evil when sin is taken away by Jesus. In fact, if we are delivered from sin, poverty is not an evil, there is no shame, no sting in death, there would be no hell, and there would be eternal paradise. What an abundance of benefits are here in one word: “He shall save his people from their sins”!

Do you know the wonder of what Jesus does? Once you are saved, you can look at your life and say all that happened was for good. There is no evil incident in life. All past, present, and future suffering, shame, and disease amazingly become blessings. Jesus truly turns our sorrows into joy. If Jesus takes away sin, He blesses us with true, eternal blessings and sanctifies our worldly afflictions. He increases peace out of trouble, shows what true riches are out of temporary poverty, and brings honor out of contempt. He pulls out the sting of death and puts out the fire of hell. As all evils are wrapped up in sin, so He who saves us from sin, saves us from all evils whatsoever. What good news this should be for the world cursed with sin from birth—that He will save us from sins. It is so sweet for us that as long as God remembers that blessed name, He will forget all our sins. It is the highest, the dearest, the sweetest name to us of all the names of God.

So truly, the news is good news. After the fall, when we were in Adam’s loins, we were cursed with the curse, “you shall surely die.” What a sad condition you and I were born into, that after a little life on earth, we should have been thrown into eternal torments, where there would have been nothing but weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth!

O my soul, ponder on these words, as if an angel, seeing you stand on the brink of hell, should speak to your soul, “Hey, hell-deserving sinner. Here is the great good news God sends through an angel. Go tell everyone, ‘Hear ye, Adam’s fallen children. You shall not die. Why? Lo, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,’ and He shall be your Jesus. He shall save you from all sins, all the consequences of sins, death, and the horror of hell. He shall save to the utmost. His name is Jesus; believe in Him, and you shall live with Him in glory.” Oh, blessed news!

If healing from a disease is good news, this is healing from the greatest disease. If escaping from danger is good news, this is escape from the greatest danger of hell. If a free or discount offer is good news, this is the greatest free offer of heaven, a blessing of eternal heaven. Is not the birth of such a Savior who will accomplish this for us good news? We are undone without His birth.

The Conception of Christ

Next, let’s look at the conception of Christ. As soon as the Virgin said, “Be it to me according to thy word,” it was according to that word. Immediately, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and formed the seed of our Savior in her womb. What a wonder it must be! On one side, there is the wonder of God’s infinite grace. Instead of pushing sinners to the lowest hell, God, who dwells in unapproachable light—an invisible God—should be made visible to our senses. That God should take our nature, dwell in it with all His fullness, the nature which had sinned against Him, and use it as a great way of reconciling us to Himself; through that flesh, He opened all His rich discoveries of love and free grace to the sons of men.

That free grace came down from heaven to earth, saying, “Peace be to you. I will live with you in this world, and you shall live with me in the world to come.” Here was blessed news. This is the Gospel. Jesus is made up, as it were, of all free grace. What eternal thanks do we owe to the eternal God!

Though blind men didn’t recognize that grace of God—they are even blind now—at that time, an infinite number of angels, who received no benefit for their tribe, just seeing God’s grace, couldn’t control themselves. They suddenly appeared with a standing ovation. They praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, peace upon earth, good will toward men.” How can we say with the angels, “Glory to God for Jesus Christ!” Have you deeply thought about this truth of God becoming man? Paul stood amazed and says, “Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God manifest in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

It is not just a mystery, but a great mystery, that the Son of God, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, should confine Himself as an invisible seed in a woman’s womb, which He Himself voluntarily humbled. If we knew the height of the deity, even a little bit, with all His attributes, we would stand awestruck at this stooping condescension. Yes, these things are mysterious beyond our minds, but we should allow our minds to think and deeply stand in awful worship of what God has done for us. We shall find the joy and sweetness of this mystery. To what extent God went to save you and me!

How did this happen? The angel explains, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The process of conception would be that the Holy Ghost would come upon her and overshadow her, and she would conceive. The product of that will be so holy; the verse says “holy thing.” This conception is so clean, so sanctified, with no spot nor stain of original pollution. That is why the agent who formed the seed in the virgin’s womb was the Holy Spirit Himself, the source of holiness. He is the one who overshadowed this universe before creation. This is a mystery. If the course of ordinary generation is a secret, how past all comprehension is this extraordinary operation!

O my soul, looking at this Jesus, He started saving me even in His conception. Like David, we all beat our breasts and say, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” This was my case from the very first moment of my being: born in sin, born with original guilt, and a depraved nature. If I had died in that condition, scripture says, “nothing undefiled nor unclean should enter into the kingdom of glory.” So even if I had been aborted, I would have gone to hell.

Look at my Savior! To sanctify my deeply sinful conception, He is born with a holy conception. My sin-stained conception is sanctified by Christ’s holy conception. His holy conception hides my original pollutions from the eye of God. Oh! Look at this Jesus’s conception.

The Holy Spirit who could create the universe from nothing—how many other miraculous ways could He have formed Christ? But even in His birth, He took our place. In one way, He was born like you and me, of a woman, but He was born without sin. What! That the great God of heaven should condescend so far as to take our nature upon Him and to take it in the same way as we do? Again, we should not give this work to our minds. This is a work of the heart. Though we cannot grasp this in our minds, we can be awed in our hearts at the humiliation of His grace. We shall find the joy and sweetness of this mystery. To what extent God went to save you and me!

Not only the announcement and conception, but the one conceived in the womb is the greatest miracle of the universe: a baby with two natures but one person.

The Two Natures in Christ

3. Look deeply at the two natures of Christ. He was truly God and truly man. How foolish people are today, arguing whether Christ is God. They say, “Then why was He born like that?” Many scriptures support this. Isaiah 9:6 says, “To us a child is born,” which is a human nature, “and he shall be called the mighty God,” which is a divine nature. Galatians 4:4 says, “God sent his Son,” so He is truly God, and that Son was “made of a woman,” therefore He is truly man. Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord, and my God!” In Acts 20, Paul said, “Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

The incommunicable properties of the Deity are ascribed to Him. He is eternal as God (Revelation 1:17). He is infinite as God (Matthew 28:20). He is omniscient as God (Matthew 9:4). He is omnipotent as God; “He hath the keys of hell and death.” His divine acts are ascribed to Him, which are only agreeable to the divine nature; for example, to hear the prayers of the people (John 14:14). He accepts worship. To judge the living and the dead (John 5:22). And thus, He creates as God (John 1:3). He forgives as God (Matthew 9:6). He sanctifies as God (John 1:16).

How foolishly people damage their souls if they deny Jesus is not God. If Jesus is not God, you and I do not have salvation. Why should He be born as God?

1. Because the sins you and I have committed have brought eternal and infinite wrath on us. No finite human can bear that burden of God’s infinite wrath and fully atone for their sins. That is why all men suffer for eternity. Christ, therefore, must be God so that He might be able to bear the burden by His divine power. The satisfaction made for sin must be infinitely meritorious, and infinite wrath cannot be appeased but by an infinite merit. Hence, our Savior must needs be God, to the end that His obedience and sufferings might be of infinite worth.

As Christ is God, so He is also true man. He was born as a man, grew, ate as a man, slept as a man, wept as a man, sorrowed as a man, suffered as a man, and died as a man. Christ had all the properties that belong to the soul or body of a man, all the infirmities of our nature, sin only excepted. I say the infirmities of our nature, as cold, and heat, and hunger, and thirst, and weariness, and weakness, and pain. But why should our Savior be man?

1. Because our Savior must take our place as man and suffer and die for our sins, which the Godhead could not do.
2. Because our Savior must perform obedience to the law as man.
3. Because our Savior must satisfy the justice of God in the same nature in which it was offended. So it is essential that He be both man and God.

These two natures were distinct. Godhead cannot be the manhood, nor can the manhood be the Godhead. His divine attributes cannot mix with His human nature. They were distinct. He was conceived as others and so He was man, but He was conceived by the Holy Ghost as never man was, and so He is God. In His manhood, He did some things to save us, and in His deity, He did some things. The very actions in the work of redemption are inseparable, and yet distinguishable. “I lay down my life, and take it up again.” To lay it down was the action of man, not of God; and to take it up was the action of God, not of man. He was crucified, died, and was buried, and so He was man; but He rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven, so He is God. So our confession says these two natures remain in themselves entire, without any conversion, mixture, or confusion.

Though there are two natures, He was one person. It was not the divine nature that assumed a human person, but the divine person that assumed a human nature. Many wonders have existed since the beginning of the world, but all the wonders that ever were must give place to this as the top wonder. Neither the creation of everything from nothing nor the restoration of all things into their perfect being can match this wonder. The union of two natures of Christ in one and the self-same person is that great wonder. It is a great mystery, a secret, a wonder. The greatest mystery next to the Trinity—three persons, one God—is Christ, two natures and one person.

Why should we have a deep grasp of this? Think of the wonderful benefits flowing from this person with two natures.

1. This made Him completely holy, without any sin. Though Christ took the place of a sinner and was numbered among the wicked, yet in truth, personally, He was immaculately holy. Because of this union, He was conceived, born, and lived without sin. He was man, but was born without any stain of even the original sin. The apostle tells us He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.
2. It made Him equipped for a great work. When He suffered the infinite wrath of God as a man, just as a man, He would have been shattered to pieces, but what supported Him was His divinity.
3. It is because of this union of man with God that His birth, life, suffering, and death have infinite value. Because of the communication of the properties, though He suffered as man, the value of His suffering is valued as the suffering of God and satisfied the infinite wrath of God. He obeyed as man, and His obedience is seen as the obedience of God with infinite merit. It has purchased eternal righteousness and satisfies the justice of God and makes sinners stand before Him as righteous. Thus, we say God suffered and God was crucified; God shed His blood.
4. All divine graces and riches are brought to the humanity of Christ by reason of His union. God revealed something of Himself in all creation; the heavens declare His glory, power, and goodness. In providence, we see His wisdom. In redemption, He makes His people reflect His attributes and graces as the moon reflects the sun. But when talking about Christ alone, scripture says, “In him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily”; meaning Christ is a full revelation of all the attributes of God. It does not just reflect as the moon reflects the sun’s light, but divine fullness dwells in Christ. Not seemingly, not figuratively, and not in a shadow or reflection, but inherently, essentially, substantially, and personally, “it dwelleth in him bodily.” In Him are stored all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. His humanity is an inherent treasury and storehouse for all graces.
5. The good news is that all this storehouse is communicative. The reason for this unlimited grace bestowed on the nature of man in Christ was so He could bestow all needed grace to His people. He was made the fountain of grace, of which John says, “of His fullness we have received grace for grace.”
6. The marvelous thing is how He communicates this to us. It is this union of human nature with the Son of God that was able to create a spiritual union between a believer and Christ. Oh, the wonder of these two blessed unions! There is a personal union and a spiritual or mystical union. Because Christ took human nature into His divine nature, we as humans can be united to Him now. We have a connection and a flow of all His divine graces. This union is mystical, and yet our very persons, natures, bodies, and souls are in a spiritual way conjoined to the body and soul of Christ, so that we are members of the body of Christ. This conjunction is immediately made with His human nature, so thereby we are also united to the divine connection. Yes, the person of the believer is united to the glorious person of the Son of God. This is not some imaginative, theoretical union. There is a deep, real connection between Christ and the believer, and life and virtues flow from Christ to the believer, just like life flows to the branches from the vine, and from the head to the body members. “I live, yet not I,” says Paul, “but Christ liveth in me.” As if he had said, as the soul is to the body, so is Jesus Christ to my body. This union is the reason why a believer continues to live in Christ despite many struggles. “Because I live, you shall also live.”
7. It is a total union; that is, the whole Christ is united to the whole believer, soul and body. This makes Christ my portion that can never be taken away. If you are united to Christ, you have all of Christ; you are one with Him in His nature and in His name. You have the same image, grace, and spirit in you. This is an unbelievable truth! God shows us the same love He has for Christ because He sees us in Christ. All that Christ has is ours. We have the same identity. This is the reason why we, depraved sinners, can call a holy God “Father,” because He is the Father of Christ. We can go in His name. We are seen in Him and pleased. We become co-heirs, children of God. You have the same love of the Father. All that He did or suffered, you have a share in it; you have His life and death. All is yours. The whole Christ is mine.

Looking unto Jesus, think deeply of His two natures. No sooner was He conceived, He took on your nature and united Himself to you, and identified Himself with you. Admire, O my soul, at this! All this was for us and for our salvation. He became a man and took a body not to enjoy bodily pleasures, but to suffer and feel pain for our sins, that He might die for us. He was God, so that His suffering and death might be sufficient to atone for us and have eternal merit to save us. Had He been man alone, not God, He might have suffered, but He could never have satisfied for sin. Had He been God alone, not man, He had not been related to our offending nature, and so He could not have satisfied the justice of God in the same nature in which it was offended. O my soul, look to save you. Jesus became God-man, so He might be able and fit to finish the work of your salvation. As God, He is able to bear the punishment of sin, and as man, He is fit to suffer for sin. Oh, the wisdom of God in this! Man’s nature can suffer death, but not overcome it. The divine nature can overcome death and all things, but He cannot suffer it. Hence, He came with two natures. O, muse on this; it is worthy of your serious consideration.

Consider the blessed effects of this union in reference to yourself. As our nature in the person of Christ is united to the Godhead, so our persons in and by this union of Christ are brought near to God.

The Birth of Christ

So we have seen the announcement, the conception, and that the one conceived in the womb had two natures but was one person. Now, lastly, let us look at His birth.

A thing so wonderful, a sign was given 700 years ago, by Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” But come a little nearer; let us go to Bethlehem, as the shepherds said, and “see this thing which is come to pass!” If we step but one step into His manger, heaven’s wonder is before our eyes. Now look upon Jesus! Look on Him—a baby. Behold the desire of nations. Adam and Eve’s seed, Abraham’s promise to bless all families of the earth, Moses’s revelation of one who will fulfill the entire law and purchase perfect righteousness, David’s son who will establish an eternal kingdom, the prophets’ one who will establish a new covenant. These were all but shadows and veils, but now we shall draw aside the curtains. Come, take a view of the truth itself. What a strange birth this is! And a strange place.

Look at the babe. There is no cradle to rock Him, no relatives around, no palace, no linens to swaddle Him. Look at the mother. There are no midwives to help, no downy pillows, no bed, and scarcely a little straw where she is brought to bed. Look at Joseph, His supposed father, a poor carpenter who made a chamber out of an ox-stall. The angel’s announcement was fulfilled: the Holy Ghost overshadowed her; she would deliver a son, a holy thing who is the Son of God. Oh, many human eyes in the world may not have seen that baby, but we can be sure every eye in the whole heaven looked at the baby with wonder and sang a choir song.

All the gracious attributes of God met in Christ. What an attractive sight that must have been for heaven. It is like a man who was disappointed for many, many years who then sees something so satisfying. God’s attributes were so fed up with seeing man for years.

The righteousness of God, which was frustrated and angry with all mankind, was fed up and had never looked at heaven. It cried to God to destroy unrighteous humans. Now it looks down with wide-open eyes. For what could righteousness desire to see and satisfy herself in that was not to be seen in Jesus Christ? He was all-righteous; there was not the least spot of sin in Him. His birth was clean. Both His soul and body were without all sin. Whatever satisfaction righteousness would have, she might have it in Him.

Looking at Jesus, the historical birth of Jesus is great good news. But how can we draw virtue from it? Do you know the same Holy Spirit comes upon you to form and fashion you in Jesus Christ? (Thus, Paul speaks to the Galatians, “My little children, of whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.”) Would not this affect you? In faith and love, may we go with the shepherds to Bethlehem and there find our Savior lying in a stable, that we would bring Him from there and make our hearts His cradle!

Come, receive Christ into your soul, or if that work is done, if Christ is formed in you, oh, cherish Him! (I speak of the spiritual birth.) Oh, keep Him in your heart! Let Him there bud, and blossom, and bear fruit; let Him fill your soul with His divine graces. When we are born again, Christ is born in us.

After His birth:

1. See Him when He was but eight days old. He was circumcised and named Jesus. In this early humiliation, He plainly discovered the riches of His grace. Now He sheds His blood in drops, and thereby gives a foretaste of those rivers which He afterwards poured out for the cleansing of our nature and extinguishing the wrath of God. If Christ had never been circumcised, you and I would not have the spiritual heart circumcision of a new birth. Oh, the unspeakable mercies of our Jesus, that He provides a salvation remedy as early as our sin! First, He is conceived; and then He is born holy, to sanctify our sinful conceptions and our births. And after His birth, He is circumcised so we can have heart circumcision.
2. When He was yet under one or two years old, He fled into Egypt because Herod was looking to kill the child. Then, after Herod died, maybe when He was five years old, He came and lived in Nazareth. How difficult it must have been to travel with a child! Could not Christ have avoided this from Herod in a thousand ways? What could an arm of flesh have done against the God of spirits? Why was His infancy so difficult and humble, running away? By this, He taught that we are no sooner born again than we are persecuted. He identifies Himself with us. He taught us to bear the yoke even in our small age; thus, He would suffer, that He might sanctify to us our earthly afflictions.
3. When He was twelve years old, He went up to Jerusalem with His parents, according to the custom of the feast, “sitting in the midst of the temple, both hearing them and asking them questions.” Surely these rabbis had never heard the voice of such a tutor. They could not but see the very wisdom of God in this child; and therefore, the text says, “they all wonder.” “In him were hid,” says the apostle, “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Those treasures appeared very early; His wisdom in His very infancy is admired.
4. After this, from the twelfth to the thirtieth year of His age, we read nothing of the acts of Christ, but that He “went down with His parents unto Nazareth, and was subject to them.” Christ’s subjection to His parents extends to the profession and exercise of His life. Certainly Christ was not idle all that time, from twelve to thirty years. As He was educated by His parents, so of His father He learned to be a carpenter. People said, “Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary?” Oh, the poverty and humility of Jesus! It appears at this time especially, in His laboring and working, hewing of wood, or the like. Here is a sharp reproof to all those who spend their time in idleness and say, “I will not do this work and that.” What! Are they wiser than Christ? Our Jesus would not by any means thus spend His time. There is so deep a silence from twelve to thirty, so I shall therefore pass it by.

We are not just to see the bare history of things and pass on. We need to look deeply until we see how it relates to us and how virtue flows to us. All this should be very interesting to us because everything that Christ did had you in mind. He was incarnate for you; He was conceived and born for you. He was circumcised, went to the temple, worked, and grew as a man for you. He is our identity in God’s sight; He is our righteousness. Is it possible that the great God of heaven and earth should so infinitely condescend to be born and live on earth all for us? We aren’t interested because we are so occupied with our selfish, sinful lives. Oh, ungrateful creatures! Jesus said, “When you come to communion, remember me.”

Application: How to Approach Communion

Hearing all this, how should we come to communion? In four ways, we should desire Christ, believe in Christ, love Christ, and rejoice in Christ.

Desire Christ

If Christ is all we have studied—born God-man, with all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Him, with all the graces you and I need in Him, a hidden treasure, all wisdom and knowledge in Him—shouldn’t our greatest desire be for Christ? This Christ wants a place in our hearts. Just like that day in Bethlehem, today there is no place in many hearts for Him. How about your heart? Can I ask you how much you desire Christ? Is there a place for Him in your heart? Millions of souls stand at a distance from Christ and know nothing of Christ. Why? They have no desire for Him. But Scripture says to hunger and thirst because Christ is the true bread and living water that satisfies us, as a deer pants for rivers of water. Oh, why are our desires so narrow and almost dry? Isn’t it because our hearts are filled with useless desires, leaving no room for Christ?

Oh, that my soul, and your soul, would desire Christ. Everything in life depends on our desire. Once spiritual desire starts, we taste it, and it makes us desire more and enlarges our heart. Who was closer to Christ than Paul, yet Paul had a great desire: “Oh, I want to know Him more.”

Will not the desires of the patriarchs witness against you? How they cried after Christ’s coming in the flesh! They saw Christ afar off, and their sight was very dim, “but we all with open face, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord.”

O my soul, either you are more ignorant of Christ than the patriarchs of old, or your heart is full of vanity that blinds you. Blame your heart. It may be that your sluggish nature has laid your desires asleep. Oh, stir up and awake your desires.

Present before your heart the glorious object, the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It is an object that the very angels desire to look into. All saints in history desire it. Is not the fruit of the incarnation yours, more especially yours? Oh, my soul, let not such a treasury be unlooked into. Put faith to work with a redoubled strength.

View all those excellencies of His conception, of His two natures, and apply it to yourself. See the fruit of all: He was conceived that our conceptions might be sanctified; He was the Son of man that He might suffer for us; and the Son of God that He might satisfy divine justice; He was God and man in one person that we might be one with Him, “members of His body.” He was born in a womb, so that there might be a spiritual birth of Christ in our hearts.

Are not these things desirable? Union with Christ and communion with Christ are the most desirable things, the effects of His personal union. Oh, may God increase our desire for Christ.

People celebrate the birth of Christ, but of greater importance is, “Is Christ born in you?” Are you born again? The new birth is the effect of Christ’s birth and a sure sign that Christ is born in us. The apostles cry, “We saw his glory, as of the only begotten Son of God.” We can see Christ’s glory when He is born in us through a new birth.

Believe in Christ

Don’t stay with the excuse, “How am I unworthy? God should do such a thing for such a sinful, abominable wretch as I am?” Ah! Poor soul, that is all the language of unbelief. Faith marvelously makes us look away from whatever we are, whatever our condition is. The point is not what we are and what we have done, but to look away and look intently to Christ. God made Christ to come in our nature, knowing all your depravity.

Why do you stand afar off? God is not come down in fire, justice, and everlasting burnings. No, He is clothed with your nature so you can boldly come to Him in faith. He desires to converse with you after your own form.

Oh, the wonder of heaven! Oh, the infinite condescension of God in Christ! God takes up our nature and joins it to Himself as one person, and lays that before our faith, so that here is God, and God suited to the particular state of the sinner. Now with what boldness may our souls draw near to God!

It is the cry of some poor souls, “Oh, that I might see God!” Behold, here God is come down in the likeness of man. He walks in our own shape amongst us. Surely God has left all the world without excuse. Why will you now stand off? Tell me, what would you have God do more? Can He manifest Himself in a more suitable way to your condition? Is there anything below flesh wherein the great God can humble Himself for your good?

Faith must directly go to Christ. Christ says, “Come unto me,” not all righteous, but “heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We should come with faith, not loose, superficial faith, but with an intense, solemn, and serious spirit. We should look on Jesus piercingly until we see Him as God is in Him. We should labor to apprehend the riches of this glorious mystery of Christ’s incarnation. We should dive into the depths of His glorious actions. We should study this mystery above all other studies.

Yes, we usually think of Christ’s death and resurrection for communion. Christ’s incarnation holds forth Christ in His fullness, and so is the complete subject of our faith.

Come, poor soul, your eyes are running to and fro the world, to find comfort and happiness on earth. Oh, cast your eyes back, and see heaven and earth in one object! Look fixedly on Christ incarnate! What, O my soul, is God come down so low to you? And do you now stand questioning whether you should go or come to Him?

Love and Rejoice in Christ

Believers, may this make you love Christ. The very sight of Christ’s incarnate, humble form is enough to ravish you with the apprehension of His infinite goodness. See to what extent the eternal God came down and united you to Himself, soul to soul, in union and participation of His glory! Oh, love Him, not with a divided heart, but with all your heart. But to excite this love, let me point out a few things.

It is sad to see believers shy in their approaches to God, or doubtful of their acceptance with God, when God Himself stoops first and is so in love with our acquaintance that He will be of the same nature that we are. Oh! Let not such a rock of strength be slighted, but every day entertain precious thoughts of Christ being incarnate.

It was a greater love of God to take our nature than simply to save our souls. For a king to dispense with the law and by his own prerogative to save a murderer from the gallows is not such an act of love and mercy as to take the murderer’s clothes and take the punishment of the murderer himself. What strange love! Why, God, in taking our nature, has done this and more than this. He would not save us by His mere prerogative, but He takes our clothes—our flesh—and in that flesh He personifies us, and in that flesh He will suffer and die for us, so that we might not die, but live through Him forevermore.

Think of the union that God’s love did. God takes the flesh of those poor sinners which He had so loved, and joins it to Himself, and calls it Christ, a Savior. Now it was that God descended and lay in the womb of a virgin; now it was that He is born as we are born; now it was that He joined our flesh so near to Himself, as that there is a communication of properties between them both. That is attributed to God which is proper to flesh, such as to be born and to suffer, and that is attributed to flesh which is proper to God, such as to create and to redeem. Who can choose but wonder, that God should be made flesh and dwell amongst us? That flesh should infinitely provoke God, and yet God, in the same flesh, should be infinitely pleased? That God should veil Himself and darken His glory with our flesh, and yet unveil at the same time the deepest and darkest of His designs in a comfortable way to our souls? O my soul! How should you contain yourself within yourself? How should you but leap out of yourself, if I may so speak, as one that is lost in the admiration of this love? Surely God never manifested Himself in such a strain of love as this before.

If anything will beget our love for God, surely Christ incarnate will do it. Come then, O my soul, I cannot but call on you to love your Jesus. And to provoke your love, fix your eye on this lovely object. Draw yet a little nearer; consider what a heart of love is in this design. God is in your own nature to take upon Him all the miseries of your nature. Oh! My heart, are you yet cold in your love for Jesus Christ? Can you love Him but a little, who has loved you so much? How should I then but complain of you to Christ and for your sake beg hard of God: “O you sweet Jesus, that clothest yourself with the clouds as with a garment, and now clothest yourself with the nature of a man; Oh! that nothing but yourself might be dear to me, because it so pleased you to vilify yourself for my sake.”

Rejoice in Christ

Rejoice that you are eternally united to the human nature of Christ. The angel said, “behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” You are one with Christ; all that Christ is, is yours. “Rejoice in the Lord; and again I say, rejoice.” Is there not cause? “O my soul, what ails thee? Why are you cast down and disquieted within me? Is it because you are a sinner? Why, to you is born a Savior; His name is Savior, and therefore Savior, because He will save His people from their sins.”

He has laid aside, as it were, His own glory, while He converses with you. There is not in this regard the least distance between Him and us. Surely this is fuel for joy to feed upon. Oh, why should God come down so suitably and so lowly, as in our nature, if He would have your poor soul be afraid of Him? Oh, gather up your spirit, anoint your heart with the oil of gladness. See, God Himself is come down in flesh to live amongst us! See what a sweet way of familiarity and intercourse is made between God and us. God has taken on Him our nature, that His Godhead may flow out in all manner of sweetness upon our hearts.

“If I have found favor in thy eyes,” said Moses, “show me the way that I may know thee.” But to come down in flesh, not only to be seen, but to dispatch the great business of our soul’s salvation—here is comfort indeed! With what joy should we draw water out of this well of salvation? O my soul, you are daily busy in eyeing this and that, but above all, know that the fullness of God lies in Christ incarnate.

2. We must praise. This was the special duty practiced by all saints and angels at Christ’s birth. “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” said Zacharias. And, “Glory to God in the highest,” said the heavenly host; only one angel had before brought the news. “My soul doth magnify the Lord,” said Mary, “and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour.” There is cause that every soul and every spirit should rejoice, that has any interest in this birth of Christ.