Jesus was lovely

JESUS WAS LOVELY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Lord Jesus, You’re lovely
Lord Jesus, You’re lovely.
You’re more to be desired,
Than any earthly pleasure.
You’re fine, beyond compare.
Lord Jesus, Your beauty
Does far exceedall others.
You’re comelyand You’re tender.
You’re radiant and You’re fair.
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When I behold You Jesus,
You draw my heart completely.
I cannot turn awayLord,
I rest in Your embrace;
And time is gone there’s only
Your holy, matchless presence

Abiding in You, gazing
Upon Your glorious face.
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I give my life to You Lord,
For You alone are worthy.
There’s nothing and there’s no one
That I desire but You.
May all my days be Yours, Lord,
My heart be given to love You,
To treasure and to serve You
By Your sufficient grace.
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/ns/78
Dave Bolton
Jesus, How Lovely You Are
You Are So Gentle, So Pure And Kind
You Shine As The Morning Star
Hallelujah, Jesus Is My Lord And King
Hallelujah, Jesus Is My Everything

Hallelujah, Jesus Died And Rose Again
Hallelujah, Jesus Forgave All My Sin
Hallelujah, Jesus Is Meek And Lowly
Hallelujah, Jesus Is Pure And Holy
Hallelujah, Jesus Is The Bridegroom
Hallelujah, Jesus Will Take His Bride Soon

THE LOVELY NAME OF JESUS
Lyrics
Print-Friendly Lyrics
Oh how sweetthe name of Jesus
How it calms my doubts and fears
How it fills my soul with glory
When that lovely name I hear
Clouds roll back; the sun is shining
Pain and heartaches justdisappear
My burden’s lighter
The day is brighter

At the very thought of Jesus
Early treasures grow strangelydim
All my longings and all my searchings
I found them all when I found Him
Seein’the clouds roll back;the sun is shining
Pain and heartaches justdisappear
My burden’s lighter
The day is brighter
Written by: Squire Parsons Published by: Kingsmen Publishing Company
Jesus Is the SweetestName I Know | Lela B. Long
Jesus/Savior
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Jesus Is the SweetestName I Know
Lela B. Long, bef.1925

Public Domain
Subjects:Jesus/Savior, Praise
Scripture: Philippians 2:9; Song of Solomon1:3
Jesus Is the SweetestName I Know [.xml]
Lela B. Long, bef.1925
Public Domain
There have been names that I have loved to hear,
But never has there been a name so dear
To this heart of mine, as the name divine,
The precious, precious name of Jesus.
Refrain:
Jesus is the sweetestname I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name,
And that’s the reasonwhy I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetestname I know.
There is no name in earth or Heav’n above,
That we should give such honor and such love
As the blessedname, let us all acclaim,

That wondrous, glorious name of Jesus.
And somedayI shall see Him face to face
To thank and praise Him for His wondrous grace,
Which He gave to me, when He made me free,
The blessedSonof Godcalled Jesus.
The Loveliness of Jesus
by Dr. J. Vernon McGee
Published and distributed by
Thru the Bible Radio Network
P.O. Box 7100
Pasadena,California 91109-7100
(800)65-BIBLE
www.ttb.org
Unless noted otherwise, allScripture references are from the King James
Bible.
(This message is also included in the hardback book, The Bestof J. Vernon
McGee, Vol. 1
Copyright © 1988 by Thru the Bible Radio.)
2
Although the book of Leviticus may seemto be a musty recordof empty ritual
and

meaningless ceremonies, may I sayto you that Christ is in Leviticus!
He is, I believe, on every page of Scripture. It is due to our blindness that we
cannot always
see Him there. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said, ―Moses wrote ofme.‖
And then after His
resurrection, there on the Emmaus road, He took His disciples through the
prophecies. ―And
beginning at Moses andall the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the
scriptures the things
concerning himself‖ (Luke 24:27). Probably the oldestbook in the Bible is the
book of Job, out
of which comes the heart–cryof humanity, ―Oh, that I knew where I might
find him.‖ And then
the answercomes downover the centuries when Philip, the quiet man, goes to
the comedian,
Nathanael, and declares, ―We have found him, of whom Mosesin the law,
and the prophets, did
write, Jesus ofNazareth‖ (John 1:45). Moses wrote ofHim, and we find Him
here in the book of
Leviticus.
Actually, we have only four gospels in the New Testament, but we have five
―gospels‖in the
book of Leviticus. There are five offerings in Leviticus, and eachone of these
offerings speaks of
Christ and sets Him forth in a way found nowhere else in the Bible.
SweetSavorOfferings

These five offerings divide into what is knownas sweetsavorofferings and
non–sweet(or
bitter) offerings. The first three are sweetsavorofferings, and they speak of
the personof
Christ—who He is. The last two (non–sweet)offerings speak ofthe work of
Christ, what He did
for us on the cross whenHe bore the sins of the world. The burnt offering, the
meal offering, and
the peace offering are all sweetsavorofferings. Thenthe two non–sweetsavor
offerings are the
trespass offering and the sin offering.
Now let me lift out the secondofthe sweetsavorofferings, the meal offering.
In the King
James Versionmeal is translatedmeat, but when we read it carefully, we
notice that there is no
meat (as we understand the word) in it at all. If you have a Bible with good
notes, you will see
that meat offering is better translated meal offering. But even better than
that, it is the food
offering. And when you read the secondchapter of Leviticus, it actually reads
like a recipe of
Betty Crocker. This is a recipe for bread, plain bread, unleavened bread—not
very tasty, not like
the hot biscuits you getdown South. In fact, this kind of bread doesn’tappeal
to the natural taste
whatsoever, but it pictures Christ in a remarkable way.

The meal offering speaks ofthe perfect humanity of Jesus. Ihope I make that
clear. It does
not refer to His being perfectas God, for this offering does not setforth His
deity. It sets forth
His humanity, His perfect humanity and the fact that He was perfectly
human. The man Christ
Jesus is here. We’re going to look at Him in probably a new way, not as Deity
now (which we
find in other offerings), but we see in this offering the thing that God had in
mind for mankind.
God’s goalfor man was fulfilled in Jesus. Thatis the reasonHe is calledthe
―lastAdam‖—
the first Adam failed so miserably. The Lord Jesus is also calledthe ―second
man,‖ not the last
man. You see, God sentHim into the world to become a man, and He is the
secondone, because
after Adam it says, ―And Adam begota son in his likeness.‖PoorAdam, he
was a sinner; and
ever since, Adams have been sinners. All of us are Adams. No matter what
your name is now, it
was Adam; and somewhere along the line it was changed. Theysay that the
McGeesin Scotland
took that name to disguise their identity. That’s the way most of us got our
names, but it was
Adam in the beginning. Although there have been many of them, there has
been only the second
man so far. But God has in mind a third and a fourth and a fifth—in fact
there are going to be

3
millions of them, millions of the redeemed. Adam and his family failed so
miserably. But Christ
is the lastAdam because, my beloved, after Christ, God has no other
arrangementto improve the
human family. That’s His final effort. If you miss Christ, God has no
emergencymeasure
workedout for you. Christ is the lastAdam, but He is the secondman. God
has in mind a great
improvement for the human race. And this meal offering pictures the perfect
man.
What is Man?
You may think I’m a pessimistwhen I say that man is the most colossalfailure
in God’s
universe. But have you consideredthis? Man is farther off the track than any
creature God has.
Scripture says this: ―They are all gone out of the way‖ (Romans 3:12), and
that means they’re a
wreck. All, not just some, but all of mankind is a wreck. You see a train that
has been wrecked,
cars derailed, lying there twisted and shattered. You think, How tragic! It was
made to run on
those tracks. It would have been at its destinationin the morning, but it didn’t
get there. That’s
man. God createdman and put him on the track. But he’s gone out of the
way. Man is wrecked.

God has more to say about man: ―All have sinned, and come short‖ (Romans
3:23). ―There is
none righteous, no, not one‖ (Romans 3:10). All are ―deadin trespasses and
sins‖ (Ephesians
2:1). And notice this, ―And the way of peace have they not known‖ (Romans
3:17). That’s man.
Reports are seldominteresting to me, but here is one that is. It is the
RockefellerReport, put
out by one of the biggestfunds in America today. No expense was spared;
experts in every field
were employed to produce it. These are some of its findings:
The world is living through a period of swift and far–reaching upheavals.
Standards and
institutions which have remained unchanged for centuries are breaking down.
Millions who have
hitherto passivelyendured their place in life are clamoring for a new and
more worthy existence.
WesternEurope, the fountainhead of our civilization, has lostits position of
prominence in world
affairs. Across the great land mass of Eurasia and on the continent of Africa
new nations are
rising in the place of colonialempires. Mankind is yearning to realize its
aspirations in peace.
Well, why doesn’tman have peace if he wants it? Notice—―Butit is facedby
two somber
threats: the Communist thrust to achieve world domination which seeksto
exploit all

dissatisfactionsand to magnify all tensions.‖That’s one. Notice the second:
―And the new
weapons oftechnologycapable of obliterating civilization.‖ The wayof peace,
this report says,
man does not know.
Although down deep in his heart man would love to have peace, he cannot
have peace. And
God’s Word has been saying that all along. With feverish energy man is
trying to perfect
fiendish instruments of frightful destruction today. Why? Becausemankind is
the most colossal
failure in God’s universe.
But don’t be discouraged, don’t be disappointed. Look at Jesus today and
take hope. His
person and life down here among men is a revelationof God’s goal for
humanity.
Let us look at Him now, not as God, but as man—the beauty of Jesus, His
winsome
personality, the kingliness of His manner, the glory of His manhood, the
loveliness of Jesus. His
coming was a doxology;His presence was a blessing;His departure was a
benediction. See Him
now as He is depicted in this meal offering.
There are two important aspects ofthis offering: ingredients that were
included and
ingredients that were excluded. There were certain ingredients in this offering
that were

demanded; they had to be there. There were other ingredients that were
forbidden and could
never be there.
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Ingredients Included
First of all, let’s look at what was in the offering.
And when any will offer a meal offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be
of fine
flour, and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon. (Leviticus
2:1)
Fine Flour
The first ingredient is fine flour, and that illustrates the perfecthumanity of
Christ as
probably nothing else does. The grain in Moses’daywas ground by hand, and
it was often very
coarse anduneven if the grinder was carelessorin a hurry. The flour for the
meal offering must
be a specialgrind. It had to be ground very fine. You see, sin has made all of
the race lumpy.
You and I are lumpy—one part of our personality is overdevelopedat the
expense of other areas.
Psychologyhas come up with an expressionthat is saying in technicalterms
what God is saying
in simple terms to the entire human race. We hear today a great dealabout a
well–integrated
personality. However, we never see those folk. That’s a species thatthe human
race does not

produce. But here is One who is perfect in thought, perfect in word, and
perfect in deed. The fact
of the matter is, He is the only perfect man who has ever been on this earth.
The Lord Jesus
Christ is the only perfect man.
A lecturer was once talking about man’s imperfection. He wanted to enforce
his point, so he
askedrhetoricallyfor anybody in his audience who ever had seena perfect
man to lift his hand.
No hand went up. Encouragedby this fact, he askedthe question the second
time, ―Has anyone
here ever seena perfectman?‖
Still no hand was raised. After he had askedit a third time, way back in the
rear a little timid
fellow lifted his hand. Surprised, the lecturer asked, ―Have you seena perfect
man?‖ ―I haven’t
exactly seenhim, but I’ve certainly heard about him,‖ the little fellow replied.
―Who in the world is he?‖
―He’s my wife’s first husband.‖
No doubt he had heard a great dealabout him! But if he had met him, I think
he would have
found out that he was not perfect.
The only perfectman who ever lived on this earth is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And Jesus was
normal, the only normal personwho ever walkedthis earth. You see, today
psychologists arrive

at what they call a normality by drawing a line where the majority is, and
they call that normal.
But who told them it was normal? If you are different, you are considered
abnormal. And that is
the reasonboth Peterand Paul said to Christians, ―You are a peculiar
people‖—different from
those who are in the world. But folk today are afraid of being different.
Especiallyis this true
among the dissenters who pride themselves in being different. If you take a
secondlook at them,
you will see that they all dress alike, act alike, talk alike, think alike. Notone
dares to be
different from his crowdwhich he considers normal. But when our Lord was
here upon this
earth, they said to Him, ―Thou hast a demon.‖ Do you know why they said
that? BecauseHe was
different. Even those who were His loved ones came to take Him away, saying,
―He is beside
himself.‖ Why? BecauseHe was not like they were. He was different, my
beloved. Oh, the
smoothness and the evenness of His person. I do not know why more people
are not attractedto
Him. He was even, He was temperate, He was normal.
5
Mentally, physically, emotionally, volitionally there was equipoise. None of us
holds those in

balance at all. We today have no smoothness—we’re lumpy. One attribute is
overbalancedand
out of proportion to other attributes. Jesus was not a religious genius,
although at twelve years of
age, when He stoodyonder in the temple, ―hearing them and asking them
questions,‖the
religious rulers marveled at Him. Had He continued like that, I might agree
with you that He was
a religious genius, but He went back to Nazarethto the carpentry shop and
became a carpenter.
He was not out of proportion.
Notice what He was physically. He could go into the temple and drive out the
money
changers, and that crowdgot out because they were afraid of Him. He was
man, a physically
powerful man. But this same one tenderly took the children into His arms. He
was in balance.
See what He was mentally. They marveled at His teaching. My, how
wonderful He was!As
they marveled at His teachings, they said, ―How is it that this man knows
these things and He
hasn’t even been to our schools?‖YetHe never appealedto His mind. You
can’t find anywhere
in the gospels thatthe Lord Jesus said, ―I’ve thought it through, and this is
the bestcourse of
action.‖His mind was never the criterion. He did not appeal to His mentality
as the basis for any

judgment.
Emotionally He was in balance—andHe had emotion. Yonder at the tomb of
His friend
Lazarus, He wept. But I tell you, when this fellow Simon Peter gotemotional
and said, ―I will
lay down my life for thy sake‖(as we would say, ―I want to put all on the
altar for Jesus‖), the
Lord Jesus was not carriedaway by that kind of cheapemotion. He said,
―Simon Peter, you’re
sincere but you don’t know yourself. You’ll deny Me this night.‖ Jesus was
never swayedor
guided by His emotions. He could get angry, angry againstevil. When the
scribes and Pharisees
came to Him, He called them hypocrites. But when a woman takenin adultery
was brought to
Him, He forgave her. He was firm but tender; He was strong but not brutal;
He was gentle but
not weak. He was benevolent, saying to His disciples, ―You give them to eat,‖
but He was
economicalalso forHe said, ―Gather up the fragments that remain, that
nothing be lost.‖
He was not motivated by His volitional life. Although it is said of Him that He
steadfastlyset
His face to go to Jerusalem, that His will was set, it was because He was
responding to the
Father’s will. He said, ―Not my will, but thine be done.‖ His volitional nature
was not the

guideline for His action.
He was even; all of us are lumpy. Oh, the smoothness and evenness ofHis
person.
With what humility He fell down before God yonder in the Gardenof
Gethsemane, but with
what dignity He stood as they came to arrestHim. He was in perfectbalance.
If you are at this time discouragedwith yourself and you’re disappointed in
others, look at
Jesus. He was a perfect person. There has been none like Him, none like Him.
Oil
Then notice the secondingredient that went into the meal offering. It was
oil—―he shall pour
oil upon it‖ Oil is olive oil, and it speaks ofthe Holy Spirit. The flour was to be
mixed with oil,
and oil was to be poured upon it. The offering was drenched with oil. The
prominence of the
Holy Spirit in the human life of Jesus is very noticeable:He was born of the
Spirit; baptized of
the Spirit; led of the Spirit; He taught, performed miracles, and offered
Himself in the powerof
the Spirit. If the Lord Jesus in His perfecthumanity neededthe Holy Spirit,
surely you and I need
Him to an even greaterextent. May I say to you that the expressionof the
Christ-like life is never
in the flesh; it is only as the Spirit of Godmoves through us by our yielding
ourselves to Him.
6

Frankincense
Now notice the third ingredient—―he shall … put frankincense thereon.‖The
frankincense
was made from a secretformula using probably a resinous gum takenfrom a
tree. It could exude
its fragrance only under pressure and fire. This is a beautiful picture of our
Lord as He manifests
the fragrance ofHis life under the fires of tension, pressures, and persecution.
He is never more
lovely than yonder upon the cross. His life has given out a fragrance that has
filled this world so
that even the enemies of Jesus have to stand in the presence ofthe cross, and
though they reject
all the redemptive value that is there, they have to say, ―He was lovely in
death as He was lovely
in life.‖ The fragrance of His person.
Salt
The final ingredient included in the meal offering was salt.
And every oblation of thy meal offering shalt thou seasonwith salt. (Leviticus
2:13)
Salt was required. Ordinarily salt is a preservative, but I think it has another
value here. It is
what Paul expressedto the Christians at Colosse, ―Letyour speechbe always
with grace,
seasonedwith salt‖ (Colossians4.6). Some folk have misread that and think
that they’re to have

a ―salty‖ conversation. Unfortunately many Christians are very salty when
you listen to them!
But Paul had something entirely different in mind when he used the
expression, ―seasonedwith
salt.‖My, a believer’s conversationought to betray him. Just as Peter’s tongue
betrayed him, our
tongue ought to betray the fact that we are Christ’s.
A Chinese young lady, who had come to this country to study in one of our
universities, was
with a group of girls one Sunday afternoon as they were talking about this
matter of salt—that
we are said to be the salt of the earth. She contributed this, ―One of the
characteristicsofsalt is
that it makes you thirsty.‖ Do you ever make anyone thirsty for God? You’re
salt in the world.
One of the loveliestcompliments I have heard was about a woman who taught
the mothers’
Bible class in a church I pastored. Long before I evermet her, I heard a lady
say of her, ―When I
listen to her, it makes me want to know God.‖ You can’t say anything better
about a teacherthan
that. Do you ever make anybody thirsty for God? What about the people with
whom you work?
Are they thirsty because you made them thirsty? You’re salt. The Lord Jesus
was salt, and
everywhere He went people got thirsty for God.
Excluded Ingredients

The ingredients excluded from this offering are as prominent as the
ingredients included.
Leaven
The first one is leaven.
No meal offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with
leaven.
(Leviticus 2:11)
7
Leaven is to be excluded. Leaven throughout the Scriptures is used as a
principle of evil and
corruption. It is said of the Lord Jesus, relative to His humanity, that even in
death His body did
not see corruption. Certainly during His life there was no evil found within
Him. He could say
something that you and I could never say, ―the prince of this world cometh,
and hath nothing in
me‖ (John 14:30). Also He challengedHis critics with this, ―Which of you
convicteth me of
sin?‖ (John 8:46). You and I wouldn’t dare put out such a challenge because
we are sinners. He
was not. For over 1900 years they have lookedat Him, and so far nobody has
been able to point
a finger and say that there was sin in His life. There was no evil in Him, no
leaven. He was holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. It is said of us, ―We are all as an
unclean thing, and

all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags‖(Isaiah 64:6). But, my friend, this is
not saidof Him.
He is different in His humanity. There was no sin in Him.
Honey
The secondingredient to be left out of the meal offering is, to me, almost
amusing:
Nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire. (Leviticus 2:11)
This offering was not to be sweet—itwas not cake. Honeywas excluded. Why
was honey
explicitly forbidden? Becausehoney speaksofnatural sweetness, the
sweetness ofthe natural
man. Do you ever meet people like that—affected, having a pious facade?
They weara makeup
that Revlon has nothing to do with, but the devil made it. They are trying to
improve the natural
man. As Paul said, ―Theydesire to make a fair show in the flesh.‖ You see
them at church on
Sunday, smiling with sweetness. Theycalleveryone ―dear‖ or ―brother.‖
You would think that
their halo had been shined with silver polish, it is so bright on Sunday! But
Monday morning
when they get on the telephone, you have never heard such vicious slander,
such malicious
gossip!Hell never spewedforth so much venom as comes from their lips. They
are more
dangerous than any killer with a gun. They are spiritual delinquents. Their
halo is now gone, and

the horns appear (the devil doesn’t have horns, but they do). A man said to me
the other day,
―McGee,it’s getting so you don’t know who to believe even in a church.‖ Oh,
I want to say this
to you: You can believe Jesus. He has no natural sweetness;there was no
―put–on‖ with Him. He
never deceivedanyone. Some gullible people today believe every religious
charlatanthat comes
along. My friend, let me sayit with all the strength I can muster: Jesus is the
only one you can
believe, the only one. Paul said to believers, ―Let love be without
dissimulation,‖ which means
let love be genuine. That’s what Paul is saying. Don’t back–slapif you don’t
mean it. Don’t
smile when it’s not genuine. Don’t pretend to be something that you’re not.
Our Lord was
genuine. How wonderful He was!
Fire
Lastly the meal offering was put on fire. Seven times we read here that it was
burned or put
on fire. The fire is symbolic of the suffering that Christ endured at the hands
of men. It is not the
suffering He endured for sin but, rather, because ofsinful men. You see, the
sufferings of the
Lord Jesus canbe divided into two categories:His suffering for our sin on the
cross as our

substitute, and also His suffering at the hands of men, which has nothing to do
with our sins
today. This meal offering being subjected to the fire speaks ofthat suffering
which He endured
8
all His life on earth—hunger, thirst, weariness, loneliness, misunderstandings,
revilings, hatred,
persecution, humiliation, ridicule, scorn. He was sensitive as no other person
ever has been
sensitive, as they broke His heart long before He went to the cross. Then
yonder on the cross He
hung there for six hours. The first three hours He suffered at the hands of
men. At high noon God
put a mantle of darkness downon the cross, and in the last three hours He
went through hell as
He paid for the sins of the human family.
But the meal offering representedthe suffering that Jesus endured at the
hands of men.
And he [son of Aaron] shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meal
offering,
and the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meal offering,
and
shall burn it upon the altar for a sweetsavour, eventhe memorial of it, unto
the
LORD. (Leviticus 6:15)
My friend, are you discouragedwith yourself? Are you disappointed in
others? Are you

wearyand heartbroken? Then turn your eyes upon Jesus. He is wonderful.
You’re not, and I’m
not, but He is wonderful.
He is altogetherlovely.
The Loveliness he Loveliness
of Christ f Christ
C.I. Scofield(1843-1921)
All other greatnesshas been marred by littleness;all other wisdom has been
flawed by
folly; all other goodnesshas been tainted by imperfection.
PERFECTHUMANITY
First of all, as it seems to me, this loveliness of Christ consists in His perfect
humanity.
In everything but our sins, and our evil nature, He is one with us. He grew in
stature and in
grace. He labored, and wept, and prayed and loved. He was tempted in all
points as we are
– sin apart.
Beloved, there is no other who establishes with us such intimacy, who comes
so close to these
human hearts of ours … He enters simply and naturally into our lives as if He
had been reared

on the same streetwith us. He is not one of the ancients;He is one of us.
How wholesomelyand genuinely human He is! Martha scolds Him. John, who
had seen
Him raise the dead, still the tempest, and talk with Mosesand Elijah on the
Mount, does not
hesitate to make a pillow on His breastat supper.
They ask Him foolishquestions, and rebuke Him, and venerate and adore
Him in one breath.
And He calls them by their first names, and tells them to fear not, and assures
them of His
love. In all of this He is to me altogetherlovely.
His perfectiondoes not glitter; it glows. The saintliness of Jesus is so warm
and human that it
attracts and inspires. We find in it nothing austere and inaccessible. The
beauty of His holiness
reminds one rather of a rose, or a bank of violets, which warmly beckonto all
who see it.
Jesus receivessinners and eats with them – all kinds of sinners such as
Nicodemus, the moral, religious sinner, and Mary Magdalene, “outof whom
went sevendevils” – the shocking kind of sinner.
He comes into sinful lives as a bright, clearstream enters a stagnant pool. The
stream is not
afraid of contaminationbut its sweetenergycleanses the pool.
D 2 E
PERFECTCOMPASSION
Moreover, Christ’s sympathy is altogetherlovely. He is always being touched
with compassion.

The multitude without a shepherd, the sorrowing widow of Nain, the little
dead child of the
ruler, the demoniac of Gadara, the hungry five thousand – all these
representing suffering
– whateversuffers touches Jesus’heart. His very wrath againstthe scribes
and Pharisees is but
the excessofHis sympathy for those who suffered under their hard self-
righteousness.
Why did He touch that poor leper? He could have healedhim with a word as
He did the
nobleman’s son. Why, for years the wretch had been an outcast, cut off from
kin, dehumanized.
He lost the sense ofbeing a man. It was defilement to approachhim. Well, the
touch of Jesus
made him human again.
PERFECTGENTLENESS
Further, Christ’s gentleness is altogetherlovely. It is in His way with sinners
that the supreme
loveliness of Jesus is most sweetlyshown. How gentle He is, how faithful; how
considerate,
how respectful. His gentleness is never weak. His courage is never brutal.
When He speaks to that silent despairing woman, after her accusers hadgone
out one by one,
He uses for “woman” the same word that He used when addressing His own
dear mother
from the cross.

Follow Him to Jacob’s solitarywelland hear His conversationwith the
woman of Samaria.
How patiently He unfolds the deepesttruths. He could not be more respectful
to Mary of
Bethany.
Even in the agonies ofdeath, He could hear the cry of despairing faith.
PERFECTPOISE
My friends, you may study these things for yourselves. Follow Him through
all the scenes of
outrage and insult on the night and morning of His arrestand trial. Behold
Him before the
high priest, before Pilate, before Herod. See Him brow-beaten, bullied,
scourged, smitten
upon the face, spit upon, mocked. How His inherent greatness comesout: not
once does He
lose His poise.
Let me ask you to follow Him still further to His crucifixion. Go with the
jeering crowdwithout
the gates;see Him stretched upon the great, rough cross and hearthe
dreadful sound of the
sledge as the spikes are forced through His hands and feet. See, as the yelling
mob falls back,
the cross, bearing this gentlest, sweetest, bravest, loveliestman, upreared until
it falls into the
socketin the rock.
“And sitting down, they watchedHim there” (Matthew 27:36).

Listen too. Hear Him ask the Father to forgive His murderers, hearall His
cries from the cross.
D 3 E
“When they were come to the place, which is calledCalvary, there they
crucified Him.
... Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”
(Luke 23:33-
34).
Is He not altogetherlovely?
The Loveliness of Christ
(abridged)
Adore Christ’s Loveliness
LHC: Message Twenty-One (980628AM)
Week 21:Adore Christ’s Loveliness
(Revelation4)
As the end of days approaches, youcan find hope as you adore Christ’s
loveliness!
SUNDAY: Adoring the Loveliness of Jesus
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see the land that is very
far off.
—Isaiah33:17, emphasis added

Revelationis one of the few books that has a divinely inspired outline. Look at
God’s outline in 1:19: “Write the things which you have seen[chapter 1], and
the things
which are [chapters 2–3], and the things which will take place after this
[chapters 4–
22]” (emphasis added).
Revelation4 marks the beginning of our Lord Jesus Christ’s re-conquestof
the
cosmos. As this chapteropens, we step into the worship center of the universe.
By faith,
gaze at the One seatedonthe eternal throne. Exalt God in your spirit for the
endless
praise ascending around His throne. Be still and know who it is before whom
you stand.
Adore the loveliness of Jesus as the centerand focus of your worship. See
Christ in all
His resplendent beauty, for He alone is worthy of all worship and all praise!
To worship Jesus is our duty and purpose for existence. In fact, the amount of
time we spend worshiping Christ reveals His true “worthship” to us. True
worship is to
ascribe to Him the honor, praise, glory, and majesty of which He is worthy.
This day,
stand with me in the vestibule and peerthrough the door into the chambers of
the Most
High God!
Adoring the loveliness ofJesus fills the entire fourth chapterof Revelation in

which we see the awesomeSovereignLord on the throne (vv. 1–3, 5);the
awesome
scene around the throne (vv. 4, 6–7);and the awesome song before the throne
(vv. 8–
11).
That faithful and true disciple of love, the lone heir of the apostolic band, tried
to
voice with his pen that which, when Paul saw it, was inexpressible. Listen to
the choirs
of angels in numberless circles about the glassysea and its throne as they
speak His
worthy praise. Listen to those eternalcreatures chant, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God
Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” (v. 8b). Let us see with John that
band
which no man could number and listen to their songs of adorationand praise.
Do you
know Him, Christ the Lord, who merits such praise? See Him now as the
Lamb that was
slain! For He is to be praised by we who owe Him our all!
My Prayerfor You This Week:Oh Father, we thank You for Your Word that
transports us to that place of inexhaustible peace, that quiet haven, our
eternal
refuge! Yet, Lord, we are reminded of what is aheadin the book of the
Revelation. How our hearts break when we think about the carnage, the
bloodshed, the din of warfare, the dreadfulness of the pestilence, the scorching

sun, the demonic hoards screeching from the pit causing havoc and horror
upon
the earth, and the malignant sores of oozing blackness that will destroy half
the
population of our planet. Nevertheless, we praise You that while all that is
going
on, above it all You are seatedupon the throne. And before You rises endless
adorationas You, the awesomeSovereignofthe universe, sit upon the throne.
Before You the breathtaking scene of thunder, lightning, and the colors ofthe
rainbow mingle with the brilliantly awesomesong ofthe redeemedbefore
Your
throne as the bowls of prayer are poured out as the voices of the saints rise
before You. We long to join that day, that scene, thatmoment, that wonder.
Sometimes it seems so far away. . . I pray that Your Spirit would minister to
our hearts;help us to realize that we are only a heartbeat awayfrom eternity,
and we should getready. Perhaps today You may gloriously come for Your
saints, or call for us through the door of death. We don’t know for sure if we
are
going to be alive tomorrow, no matter how many plans we have made, or how
many commitments we have set up. We pray that this moment would be a
time
of preparation. Stir our hearts to worship; prepare our souls for that awesome
scene before Your throne. Oh, worthy Lamb, Creator, and Redeemer, fill our
hearts with praise and adorationthat overflows for You! Open our eyes to

behold wonderful things from Your Law! Thank You for letting us join in
Your
worship! In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
MONDAY: The Awesome Sovereignonthe Throne
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And
the first voice . . . was like a trumpet . . . saying, “Come up here, and I will
show
you things which must take place after this.”
—Revelation4:1, emphasis added
The phrase “after these things” is a key: by the inspiration of God’s Spirit,
you are
now looking into the future. All that Godsays is going to happen in chapters
4–22 of
Revelationwill come to pass exactlyas predicted. Now step with me into the
worship
centerof the universe to hear heavenrejoicing in our Lord Jesus Christ as He
prepares
to take back what Satan has usurped.
Worship of God and His loveliness is at His invitation. Because Godis
the One who invites us into His presence, worshipis not to be takenlightly.
Worship is
not a right—it is a privilege. God will invite us to worship when we are going
through
cave times (like David); He will also invite us when we are enraptured with
joy (perhaps

by inspirational music). No matter where we are on the spectrum, Godinvites
us to
come into His presence. We canthus worship the Lord anywhere, anytime,
and
anyhow—just as the apostle Johndid while imprisoned on Patmos.
In his classic booklet, MyHeart—Christ’s Home, Robert Boyd Munger
compares
being saved to Jesus taking overour “body house” by moving in and
systematically
cleaning out eachroom. My favorite chapter is the “Dining Room” where
Jesus sits
every morning, noon, and night inviting us to come and eat with Him
(Revelation3:20).
He wants us to dine with Him daily, and linger lovingly in His presence.1
Worship of God must acknowledgethat He is in charge:Immediately I
was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne setin heaven, and One saton the
throne
(Revelation4:2). Worship is Spirit-energized; it is a spiritual activity. It is not
carnal, or
something we can pump up. All true worship will focus on God, not on the
human level.
Worship lifts us out of the mundane and into God’s presence.
We cannotfully worship God, however, if we are trying to run our own lives.
Anything that is out of control is not under His control. All the areas of our
lives must be
under God’s control: emotions, appetites, family, and finances. Jesus Christ,
the Sonof

God and Sonof Man, sits on the throne, and He wants us to acknowledgethat
truth
anywhere, anytime, and anyhow.
Worship of God is utterly beautiful: He who satthere was like a jasper and
a sardius stone in appearance;and there was a rainbow around the throne, in
appearance like an emerald (Revelation4:3). Jasperis a cleargem, and
sardius is red.
Like Saturn, the throne of God is ringed: vertically, like a 360-degreearch, a
rainbow
surrounds God’s throne; horizontally, like a vast plain, the saints gather at
the footof
God’s throne.
Do you want to see the emerald rainbow, the jasper, and the sardius Ancient
of
Days sitting on His throne? Then pursue peace with all people, and holiness,
without
which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14;see also Matthew 5:8).
Worship of God unites the redeemed of all the ages atthe feetof
Jesus:Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw
twentyfour elders sitting, clothed in white robes;and they had crowns ofgold
on their heads
(Revelation4:4). The number 24 suggests many biblical ideas. There were
twenty-four
courses ofpriests in the service of the tabernacle and temple (1 Chronicles
24:3–5).
There were also two groups of twelve that represent God’s saints:the twelve
tribes of

Israeland the twelve apostles ofChrist’s church. God says, “Iwant an
everlasting
constantpriesthood before My worship in the tabernacle.” The number
twenty-four also
speaks of:priests offering ceaselessworship;the gates andthe foundation
stones of
heaven; the old and new people of God, the redeemedof all time; and the Old
and New
Testamentsaints merging togetherinto the people of God who offer worship
to Him.
Will you be among these worshiping saints? I hear a lot of people say they are
going to heaven. In some locales, it seems that everyone is a Christian, or at
leastthey
think they are. So I ask them, “Have you made your reservations? Are you
‘registeredin
heaven’?” (See Hebrews 12:23a.)Have you ever gone to a hotel and been told
that your
reservationhad been lost, that no one knew you were coming, and that all the
rooms
were full? A lot of people who are in churches every Sunday are going to have
that
horrible experience when they face Jesus (Matthew 7:21–23).I therefore
exhort you to
serve God acceptablywith reverence and godly fear. Forour God is a
consuming fire
(Hebrews 12:28–29).
TUESDAY: The Awesome Scene aroundthe Throne

And from the throne proceededlightnings, thunderings, and voices.
The writers of Scripture, seeking to describe the indescribable, have
portrayed the
presence ofGod as an unbelievable display of power filled with thunder and
lightning,
blinding light, and a sparkling, dazzling array of colors and rainbows. That
very thought
of Him should make you want to burst forth in worship exclaiming: Give unto
the LORD
the glory due His name: Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness (Psalm
29:2)!
Worship of God flows when we heed His holiness. In his visions, Ezekiel
saw what Moses sawatMount Sinai (Ezekiel1–2);when God came down to
give the law,
thunder and lightning accompaniedHim (Exodus 19:16;see also Hebrews
12:18–23).
God’s voice was so powerful that it frightened them; they thought that they
were going
to disintegrate! Godtold them, “I am so holy and you are so unholy that if
even your
animals getnear Me, kill them.” His theme of all the Old Testament
legislationwas thus:
“Stayawayfrom Me;you are unholy!”
Worship of God is unceasingly offeredin His presence:Before the
throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne,
and around

the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back
(Revelation4:6).
This verse hearkens back to Ezekieland what he saw. The “four living
creatures” seem
to be a hybrid of the cherubim (living ones)of Ezekieland the seraphim
(burning ones)
of Isaiah. In verse 7, below, they are the living-burning ones with four faces.
Note that
even though Scripture writers usually used terms that no human fully
understands, they
always did so with a view of magnifying the Lord.
Worship of God is to reflectJesus’attributes of kingship,
servanthood, humanity, and deity: The first living creature was like a lion
[royalty], the secondliving creature like a calf [servanthood], the third living
creature
had a face like a man [image of God], and the fourth living creature was like a
flying
eagle [divinity] (Revelation4:7). True worship will always reflectGod’s
attributes.
When God came down and expressedhimself in an image, what did He look
like?
Jesus Christ. He lookedlike us because we are createdin the image of God. In
the Old
Testamentthere are four prophecies of Christ calledthe Branch Prophecies.
Jesus was
prophesied to be: King—the Rootof David (Isaiah 11:1); My Servant—
denoted by the calf

(Zechariah 3:8); my perfect man (Zechariah 6:12); and God—the eagle
(Isaiah 4:2).
The New Testamentbegins with the four Gospels which have corresponding
themes: Matthew—the PerfectKing; Mark—the PerfectServant;Luke—the
PerfectMan;
and John—the Divine One, Godin human flesh.
These “four living creatures” in 4:7 seemto be connectedwith the whole
revelation of God, and thus reflect His attributes. As a child of the King, what
attributes
of His life do you reflect?
WEDNESDAY:The Awesome Song Before the Throne
The four living creatures, eachhaving six wings, were full of eyes around and
within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:“Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Night and day “the four living creatures” focus solelyonGod’s holiness. In
Hebrew, when something is repeatedthree times (as in “Holy, holy, holy!”) it
indicates
an utter and complete emphasis. “Almighty” is used nine times in Revelation;
the only
other time in the New Testamentis in 2 Corinthians 6:17–18 where our utterly
holy
“LORD God Almighty” tells us that if we will separate ourselves fromfalse
religion and

sinful practices, He promises:“I will be a Fatherto you, and you shall be My
sons and
daughters.” Oh, how getting to experience the full richness of being His child
should
prompt us to worship and adore our almighty God!
Worship of God is to be centeredon Him. Isaiah told us that with two
wings the living creatures coveredtheir feet, with two they coveredtheir face,
and with
two they flew. This speaks oftotal submission before God—utter humility
seeking
holiness and utmost service to God.
If you want to enjoy God’s presence by lifting your heart and voice in worship
to
Him, avoid anything that will detractfrom your relationship with Him and
His holiness.
Instead, expose yourself daily to His Word. For if you hunger and thirst for
God and His
righteousness, andseparate yourselffrom the world, He shall give you the
desires of
your heart (Psalm 37:4b). If you do not want God’s presence on earth,
however, you will
not have it in eternity. The Lord will give you what you want.
Worship of God is to always honor and glorify Him: Whenever the living
creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, . . .
the
twenty-four elders fall down before Him . . . and worship Him . . . , and cast
their

crowns before the throne (4:9–10). In verse 10, the twenty-four elders are
saying to the
Lord, “I don’t want the crowns;I am not in charge of my life any more. God,
You are the
One who deserves allthat I have!”
A popular notion is that “casttheir crowns” refers to giving our rewards to
the
Lord, but that is not all that the Apostle John meant. To understand that
verse, we need
to apply the first law of interpretation: What did the author mean, and what
did the
primary audience understand it to mean?
In the first century, the Roman Empire was approaching its zenith. When a
kingdom was conquered, the Romans had triumphal processions thatbegan
with all the
conquered citizens, soldiers, and the spoils; then the conquering general
followedin his
chariot. When the Roman generalgotto the center of the Forum before the
emperor, the
conquered king was brought in and, on his knees, wouldcasthis crownat the
feet of the
general, who then put his hobnail-sandaled foot on the defeatedking’s neck.
Afterward,
the king was executed.
It will be a far different scene forus when we appear before the Lord God
Almighty. We won’t be marched in with chains;we will come before Him
saying, “You

don’t have to put Your chastening foot on our necks ordrag us with chains.
We willingly
and lovingly want to serve You!” Worship demands our total submission to
God, which
says to Him: King of my life I crownThee now—Thine shall the glory be; Lest
I forget
Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.
THURSDAY: Worship Fills Revelation
“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You
createdall things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
At this point in God’s plan for the ages, we will have already arrived in
heaven by
way of “the snatching away,” the Rapture. Thus, we will be part of the
redeemedof all
the ages who will worship in this celestialatmosphere around the throne.
Worship—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever—is our main purpose for
existence. And true worship will always centertotally on God, as is seenin the
fourth
stanza of this glorifying old hymn: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! All
Thy works
shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea;Holy, holy, holy! merciful
and
mighty! God in Three persons, blessedTrinity!
Let us now look in chronologicalorderat chapters 4–22 and see Christ, the

Lamb, being exalted by the faithful angelic hosts and the redeemedsaints.
You see,
worship is the backgroundmusic of God’s kingdom. Songs ofworship and
triumph,
which occur in elevenchapters of Revelation(4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21,
and 22),
make up the backgroundmusic to the story.
Chapter 4—Jesus is worthy of worship as the Creator. God, as Creator, is
on the throne. Salvation starts with the acknowledgmentofJesus as Creator:
For by
Him all things were createdthat are in heaven and that are on earth, visible
and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things
were
createdthrough Him and for Him (Colossians1:16;see also Acts 14:15;
17:24).
Jesus is worthy of worship because He is the God who commanded light to
shine
out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
All the angelic hosts worship Him: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
who
was and is and is to come!” (Revelation4:8). By this point we will get to join in
the
worship of heaven! At last, we will blend our voices with all of the angels and
all of

Creationand start our eternal, sacrificialservice to our King.
The twenty-four elders worship Him: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory
and honor and power; for You createdall things, and by Your will they exist
and were
created” (Revelation4:11;see also Ezekiel36:26;2 Corinthians 4:6).
Chapter 5—Jesus is worthy of worship as the Redeeming Savior. In this
chapter, the focus turns to Jesus the Redeemer, God’s Son, who is before the
throne.
And the twenty-four elders worship Him: “You are worthy to take the scroll,
and to
open its seals;for You were slain, and have redeemedus to Godby Your
blood out of
every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and
priests to
our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation5:9–10;see also Titus
2:14).
In Revelation5:13 the worship goes to Fatherand Son, which affirms Christ’s
deity: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slainto receive powerand riches and
wisdom,
and strength and honor and glory and blessing!. . . Blessing and honor and
glory and
powerbe to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
(5:12, 14).
The innumerable angelic hosts and all Creationworship Him, for He is our
blessed
Savior for all eternity!

Chapter 7—Jesus is worthy of worship as the Giver of Life. The
innumerable multitude cries out in worship: “Salvationbelongs to our God
who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation7:10). This is salvationfrom
death’s power.
Eternal life liberates us to see that we are only temporarily in this body. All
the angels
and creatures fall and say, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
thanksgiving and
honor and power and might, be to our God foreverand ever. Amen”
(Revelation7:12).
He is worthy of all praise, for He is the giver of life (John 14:6; Acts 5:20)!
The heartbeatof God’s Word is worship. In fact, Jesus defines believers as
worshipers because the driving messageofsalvation is to worship the Godof
heaven.
The Scriptures open in Genesis with God walking and talking with Adam and
Eve, His
worshipers. Exodus contains elaborate plans for a tent—its sole purpose being
to bring
worshipers to God. Psalms, the longestbook at the heart of God’s Word, is a
manual on
ways to worship the God of the universe. The rest of the Old Testamentis a
series of
prophets lamenting the neglectand abandonment of worship by God’s people
who were
to be a kingdom of worshipers (priests).
The New Testamentopens with the introduction in the Gospels of the God of

heaven, on earth, seeking creatureswho would be willing to be worshipers.
The book of
Acts records what happens when average people from every walk of life, every
strata of
society, and every depth of sin, are bound togetherwith a common passionfor
being
lifelong worshipers. The Epistles are a manual on how to grow as worshipers.
God’s
Word then closes in Revelationwith all of God’s worshipers home at last with
their
Creator—andjoyfully worshiping Him!
Is your heart the heart of a worshiper? The word “worship” is full of
meaning; it
expresses the idea of “falling down, prostrating oneself, and kissing the feet or
the hem
of the garment of the one honored.” We should ponder William Temple’s
wonderful
definition of worship, which is “to quicken the conscienceby the holiness of
God, to feed
the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of
God, to open
up the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”2
FRIDAY: The Essence ofTrue Worship
For we . . . worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh.
—Philippians 3:3, emphasis added

Worship that focuses onGod and God alone is true spiritual worship—
worship
that is energizedby the Spirit of God. How do we know when we are
operating in the
powerof the Holy Spirit? Here is a test: where God’s Spirit reigns, believers
relate to the
Word—this is Spirit-filled teaching; where God’s Spirit reigns, believers
relate to each
other—this is Spirit-filled fellowship; where God’s Spirit reigns, believers
relate to the
Lord—this is Spirit-filled worship; where God’s Spirit reigns, believers relate
to the
world—this is Spirit-filled evangelism.3
God is the cause ofall things, the fountain of all perfection, without parts or
dimensions, for He is eternal. He is an infinite Spirit—filling the heavens and
the earth—
pervading, governing, and upholding all things!
God can be pleasedonly with that which resembles himself. Therefore, He
must
hate sin and sinfulness; He can delight only in those who are made partakers
of His own
divine nature. Since all creatures were made by Him, all owe Him obedience
and
reverence;but, to be acceptable to this infinite Spirit, the worship must be of a
spiritual
nature—springing from the heart, through the influence of the Holy Ghost. It
must be in

truth, not only in sincerity, but performed according to that divine revelation
which He
has given men of himself.
God is worshiped in spirit when, under the influence of the Holy Spirit,
“believers
bring all their affections, appetites, anddesires to the throne of God; and God
is
worshiped in truth, when God’s Word guides every purpose and passionof a
believer’s
heart, and regulates everyact of a believer’s worship.”4
The essenceofworship is spiritual. In John 4, Jesus told the woman at the
well, “The locationof worship is no longer the main concern. The issue is not
where you
worship, but rather whom you worship and how you worship.” God is an
immortal,
invisible, and omnipresent Spirit. He cannot be seenor touched, and He
cannot be
representedby an idol or any kind of likeness. Yet, just as an earthly son looks
like his
dad, so Jesus came to give us the image of the invisible God. And so Father
was Jesus’
favorite title for God.
The Gospels recordabout seventytimes when Jesus spoke to God, and every
time
He called Him Father, except when He was on the cross bearing the judgment
for man’s

sin. Then He said, “My God, My God, why have You forsakenMe?”
(Matthew 27:46).
Jesus spoke three times in John 4 of worshiping “the Father.” But only once
does
Jesus referto God as “our Father,” and that was not a direct address to God.
It was a
sample prayer, as the content shows, forJesus would not have askedfor
forgiveness
(Matthew 6:9).
The woman at the well needed a lessonin what realworship was all about.
She
was looking for the proper method of worship, but saw only two options—the
Samaritan
method and the Jewishmethod. Look at how John MacArthur compares the
differences
betweenman’s worship and God’s:
Samaritan Worship JewishWorship True Worship
Done in ignorance. Done strictly. Flows from God’s Spirit
within us.
Samaritan spiritual
knowledge was limited
because they rejectedall of
the Old Testamentexcept the
Pentateuch.
Jews were full of

knowledge and accepted
all the books of the Old
Testament.
When God’s Word is
honored, and God’s Spirit is
honored, God is pleased
with the worship.
Warm heresyis enthusiastic
worship without proper
information.
Cold orthodoxy is dead
worship with the right
information.
Eager, excited, enthusiastic
heartfelt devotion to the
truth of God is worship that
flows from the inside out.
They worshiped in spirit, but
not in truth. That is why
Jesus said, “You worship that
which you do not know” (v.
22).
They worshiped in truth

but lackedthe spirit.
God seeksthose who will
worship in spirit and in
truth.
Enthusiastic heresy is heat
without light.
Barren orthodoxy is light
without heat.
Worship is not an external
activity for which an
environment must be
created.
Sincerity, enthusiasm, and
aggressivenessare important,
but they must be basedon
truth.
Truth is foundational,
but if it doesn’t result in
an eager, excited,
enthusiastic heart, it is
deficient.
It takes place on the inside,
in the spirit. Psalm45:1 is

the expressionofDavid’s
worshiping heart: “My heart
overflows with a good
theme.”
Worship that occurredon
Mount Gerazim was
enthusiastic heresy.
Worship offered at
Jerusalemwas barren,
lifeless orthodoxy.
The same two extremes are
still with us today.
Gerazim had the spirit but
not the truth.
Jerusalemhad the truth
but not the spirit.
Jesus rebukedboth styles of
worship when He said, “God
is spirit, and those who
worship Him must worship
in spirit and in truth” (John
4:24)5

Spiritual worship is an evidence of salvation. One who is not savedcannot
truly
worship; One who is truly savedwill be motivated by the indwelling Holy
Spirit to
worship. It is fair, then, to examine ourselves on the basis of our worship. If
you have
trouble worshiping, maybe you are not saved. If you getbored in church, or if
you do not
mind missing church altogether, it may be because the Holy Spirit is not in
you
prompting your heart. If He is there, you must yield your will to His power.
SATURDAY: Adoring Your King
“The kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and His
Christ, and He shall reign foreverand ever!”
In Wednesday’s devotional, we saw that in the first century the Roman
Empire
held triumphal processions andvictory ceremonies to honor conquering
generals. The
apostle Paul had that imagery in mind when he wrote: God . . . always leads
us in
triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus is the conqueror of all
kingdoms!
Chapter 11—Jesus is worthy of worship as the conquering warrior.
When it is announcedin heaventhat “the kingdoms of this world have become
the

kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation11:15), the twenty-four
elders “fell
on their faces and worshiped God, saying:‘We give You thanks, O Lord God
Almighty,
the One who is and who was and who is to come, because Youhave taken
Your great
powerand reigned” (11:17). At this point, Jesus is reigning over all!
Chapters 12, 15, 16, 17—Jesusis worthy of worship as the crusher of
Satan. First John 3:8 tells us that the person who practices sin is “ofthe devil,
for the
devil has sinned from the beginning,” but Jesus came to “destroythe works of
the
devil.” BecauseSatanwas defeatedby Christ at Calvary, we can have victory
over our
adversary’s attempts “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10) us
here, and in
heaven we will never face his hatred again.
In Revelation12:10–12,Satanand his angels are castout of heaven—to
nevermore have accessto God: “Now salvation, and strength, and the
kingdom of our
God, and the powerof His Christ have come, for the accuserofour brethren,
who
accusedthem before our God day and night, has been castdown. And they
overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they
did not love

their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in
them! Woe
to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!For the devil has come down to
you, having
greatwrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” That is cause for
great
rejoicing and worship—foreverand ever!
In Revelation15:3–4, the victorious Tribulation warriors sing the song of
Moses
. . . and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Greatand marvelous are Your works,
Lord God
Almighty! Justand true are Your ways, O King of the saints!Who shall not
fear You, O
Lord, and glorify Your name? for You alone are holy. Forall nations shall
come and
worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.” His saints
sing songs
of victory!
In chapters 16 and 17, the angels of the altar, the waters, and the earth all say,
“You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be,
because You
have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
and You
have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due. . . . These will make
war with
the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and
King of

kings;and those who are with Him are called chosen, and faithful” (16:5–6;
17:14).
Chapter 19—Jesus is worthy of worship as our just judge. Creation
echoes the majesty of His worthy judgment and sacrifice!In Revelation19:1–
5, the
redeemedmultitude and the twenty-four elders proclaim: “Allelujah!
Salvationand
glory and powerbelong to the Lord our God! Fortrue and righteous are His
judgments, because He has judged the greatharlot who corrupted the earth
with her
fornication; and He has avengedon her the blood of His servants shed by
her.” Again
they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up foreverand ever!” And the twenty-
four elders
and the four living creatures felldown and worshiped God who saton the
throne,
saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise
our God,
all you His servants and those who fearHim, both small and great!”
They then fall before their just judge, to whom they submit. In unison, the
multitude cries out to the Lord in exultation: “Alleluia! Forthe Lord God
Omnipotent
reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the
Lamb
has come” (19:6–7). This is the shout of anticipation for unbroken union with
the King
of the universe!

Chapters 21–22—Jesusis worthy of worship for coming as the
Bridegroom, our Emmanuel. All praise Emmanuel! God is now with us as He
promised (Matthew 1:22). Look at what is in store for His children: “Behold,
the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
His
people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe
awayevery
tear from their eyes;there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall
be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (21:3–4).
At the end of Revelation, the voice of Jesus is calling all who are thirsty to
come
to Him: “I, Jesus, have sent My angelto testify to you these things in the
churches. I am
the Rootand the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the
Spirit and
the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, Come!” And let him who
thirsts
come. Whoeverdesires, let him take the waterof life freely (22:16–17).
Make a choice to live in hope: To live in hope, it is vital that you understand
three aspects ofthe nature of true worship: (1) true worship of God must be
founded on
God’s Word (Colossians 3:15–17);(2) true worship of God must be clearof
sin (Psalm
66:18); and (3) true worship of God must be Spirit-energized.

All true worship is a spiritual activity that centers on God, not on the human
level. As you yield to Him, the Holy Spirit will energize you to adore Christ in
all His
loveliness—the One who is a multi-faceted diamond in eternalcascading
glory. Jesus
Christ is our eternal Creator, our Redeeming Savior, our giver of life, our
conquering
warrior, our crusher of Satan, our just judge, and our Bridegroom,
Emmanuel.
A God-honoring way to conclude this wonderful week’s visitto the worship
center
of the universe is to adore Christ’s loveliness by worshipfully singing this
beautiful song
to your King!
O Worship the King
O worship the King all glorious above,
And gratefully sing His wonderful love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.
O tell of His might and sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopyspace;
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.
Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetlydistills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, RedeemerandFriend. Amen.
—RobertGrant (1779–1838)
1
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986.
2 William Temple, Readings in St. John’s Gospel, FirstSeries. (London:
Macmillan and Company,
1940), p. 68.
3 R. Kent Hughes, Acts: The Church Afire (Wheaton: CrosswayBooks, 1996),
p. 50.
4 Adam Clark, Clarke’s Commentary: John (Albany, OR: Ages Software,
1999), electronic edition,
in loc.
5 John MacArthur Jr., The Ultimate Priority (Chicago:Moody Press, 1998),
electronic edition, in
loc

The PerfectLoveliness ofChrist
John Bramhall
The Work of Christ is the perfectresting place for the conscience. The Word
of Christ is the perfect guide for the path; but THE PERSON OF CHRIST is
the perfectobject for the heart! Do we find this true in our experience today?
Our greatneed is for an experimental and constantdelight in the Personof
Christ in the midst of the confusion and spiritual decline. Are we enraptured
with HIM? If so, we shall say with joy and delight, “YEA, HE IS
ALTOGETHER LOVELY!” (Song of Solomon5:16). The perfect loveliness of
Christ is fully concentratedin these words!
His PerfectLoveliness
There is nothing unlovely in HIM. There is nothing to be removed; nothing to
be altered; nothing to concealordisguise, nor to excuse. He canstand the
utmost, penetrating scrutiny and analysis of character!The world hates
Christ (John 7:7; 15:18)and would remove as much as it possibly could from
His character(John8:46). BUT IT CANNOT!
ALL that is lovely is found in HIM. (a) ALL that is lovely of God is found in
HIM. (John 1:14; Colossians1:15;2:9). (b) ALL that is lovely of humanity is

found in HIM—He is perfect as MAN! Neveron earth has there been so
manly and noble a characteras Jesus Christ, in His love, compassion,
kindness, gentleness,purity and truthfulness, etc. Every human virtue was
resident in Him with perfection!
“What manner of man is this?” (c) ALL that is lovely of earth is found in
HIM!—In typology God reaches outto every part of His creationfor figures
by which He can bring home to us the glories ofHis Son. The human
kingdom; the animal kingdom; the vegetable kingdom, etc. are used to
describe the beauty of the Beloved. Note it in Song of Solomon 5:9-16 in
particular. (d) ALL that is lovely in the universe is found in HIM! Even the
celestialkingdoms are drawn upon by God to describe the beauty of the
Belovedto us as we read God’s Word. “The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament showethHis handiwork…” (Psalm19:1-6). He is “the SUN
of righteousness”and “the Bright Morning Star” to His own!
Perfectand utmost loveliness is found in HIM. (a) Every part and every
feature of Jesus is “ALTOGETHER LOVELY” —both in the greatness ofHis
Godheadand the perfectionof His humanity. Not just “lovely” but
“ALTOGETHER LOVELY”. (b) His characterand personis composedof
elements that are faultless and most lovely. All the elements of His character
and personcombine to produce the greatestloveliness in ONE PERSON!Note
some of His features:(c) He was lovely in His birth (Luke 2:42-52). Lovely in
His manhood (Mark 4:41; Luke 3:22; John 7:45, 46). Lovely in His mourning
(John 11:35). Lovely in His rejoicing (Luke 10:21,22). Lovely in His speech
(Luke 4:22; Psalm45:2; John 7:46). Lovely in His silence (Isaiah 53:7;
Matthew 27:14; Mark 14:60, 61). Lovely as prophet, priest, king, shepherd,
Saviour and servant.

His saints share HIS loveliness. (a) We are to be like HIM!—See John 15:1-12;
Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 4:24:Philippians 2:5; Colossians2:10;1 Peter
1:14-16;1 John 3:1-3. (b) However, the saints are not ALTOGETHER
LOVELY! Some day we shall be “like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”—
this we anticipate. Yet defects are so visible today and many saints, even the
best, have failed in their most prominent characteristics. Note some examples:
1. NOAH - he did not fail before the flood, but failed after the flood.
2. ABRAHAM - called“father of the faithful,” yet he distrusted God in Egypt.
3. MOSES - calledthe meekestmanin all the earth, but he slew an Egyptian
and later was provokedby Israel.
4. JOB - a most patient man for an example, yet cursed the day of birth.
5. DAVID - the man “afterGod’s heart,” but committed the terrible sins of
adultery and murder.

6. PETER -noted for his boldness and courage;but he sinned by cowardice
and later fearedthe circumstances.
7. JOHN - the apostle of love and famed for it; but once desired that fire
would fall from heaven upon others for their destruction.
Now WHY does God record these failures of some of His greatestsaints? (c)
The most outstanding sins of eminent saints have been contrary to their
generalcharacter. Theyfailed in the very qualities for which they were
distinguished! But WHY does God revealthese facts? It would seemas if God
reveals the unloveliness of the loveliestof men to keepus from looking at any
other person on earth or in heaven, but TO LOOK TO HIS SON ALONE
WHO IS THE CHIEFEST OF TEN THOUSAND AND ALTOGETHER
LOVELY!
“He suffers me to love Him - I so unlovely!
I have ONE so glorious to love!
He loveth me and will love me for ever!
Befriended me when I was friendless -
Will never leave nor forsake me -
He calls me His friend - and will confess

My name before His Father and His holy angels in heaven!
ALL ever glorious is my Lord,
Must be beloved, and yet adored!
His worth, if all the nations knew
Sure the whole earth would love HIM too!
May God enable us all to enjoy THE BEAUTY OF THE BELOVED!
The Loveliness of Christ
by Thomas Watson
"Yes!He is altogetherlovely! This is my Beloved, this my Friend!" Song of
Solomon5:16
In this book, which is a divine marriage song, are all the strains of holy love
setforth in the purest allegories andmetaphors, such as representthat dear
affectionand union betweenChrist and His people. The text is nothing but the

breathing forth of the spouse's love to Christ: "He is altogetherlovely!" In the
preceding verses, she had made her sacredpaeans, and had been setting
Christ forth in His spiritual embroidery.
"He is dark and dazzling" (verse 10). This denotes excellencyofcomplexion;
in Him is a mixture of the purest colors. He is of unspotted beauty.
"The chief among ten thousand." The Hebrew word signifies "the standard-
bearer among ten thousand." The standard is a warlike ensign—and he who
bore the standard in ancient times was the most eminent person in the army.
Just so, Christ is the most glorious person of renown, the standard-bearer;
according to Isaiah11:10, "He shall stand for an ensign of the people."
"His head is as the most fine gold" (verse 11). Kings have crowns of gold;
Christ is describedwith a head of gold. The Hebrew signifies shining gold, or
sparkling gold, to set forth the infinite resplendence of Christ's beauty. It is of
such a sparkling luster that the angels must weara veil!
"His eyes are as the eyes of doves" (verse 12). Christ is described with eyes
like a flame of fire in Revelation1:14. So indeed He is to the wicked. He is a
consuming fire; but to His children He has doves' eyes, which are the emblem
of meekness. He has eyes dropping tears of love and compassion.
"His cheeks are as a bed of spices" (verse 13). There is an aromatic perfume
coming from Him to refresh a fainting soul. Some expositors understand this
bed of spices to mean the fragrancy of His virtues, which are in Scripture
compared to sweet perfumes.

Thus the spouse goes onenumerating Christ's beauty; at last being in a holy
rapture of spirit, she winds up all with this passionate strain of affection, "His
mouth is most sweet, yes, He is altogetherlovely."
"His mouth is most sweet."The Chaldeanversion paraphrases it, "The words
of His mouth are as sweetas honey." In the Hebrew it is, "His mouth is
sweetnesses."Thatmouth must be sweetwhich has the words of eternallife
(John 6:68). That mouth must be sweet, a kiss of whose lips can make death
sweetto a believer! Well might the spouse say, "LetHim kiss me with the
kisses ofHis mouth!" (Song of Solomon1:2).
"Yes, He is altogetherlovely!" It is as if the spouse had said, "What do I do to
setChrist forth in His severalparts? His head of gold, His eyes like doves eyes,
His hands as gold rings set with beryl, His belly as bright ivory overlaid with
sapphires . . . alas, what is all this that I have been speaking of Christ? How
barren is my conception, how dull are my expressions!WhateverI have said
of Him falls infinitely short of His worth; but this I affirm: He is altogether
lovely!"
The original language is, "He is all made up of loves and delights; He is all
that may excite desire." So Jerome and Ambrose render it: "He is composed
of sweetnessandamiableness."
The text contains a glorious and magnificent description of Christ, "He is
altogetherlovely!" Beholdhere a spring full of the waterof life; and whoever
brings his vesselhere—a heartfit to receive this water—may be refreshed, as
was the woman of Samaria coming to Jacob's well—forChrist is here! The
text is a sacredcabinetwhich contains in it, first, the jewel—Christ, in this
word "He;" second, the value of this jewel—"altogetherlovely."

Doctrine:Jesus Christ is infinitely and superlatively lovely.
He is the most amazing and delightful object;the very name of Jesus Christ is
as a precious ointment poured forth. It is said that the letters of this name
were found engraved on Ignatius's heart. Jesus Christis in every believer's
heart (Colossians1:27, "Christ in you"); and nothing can do better there, for
He is altogetherlovely.
This whole book of the Song of Solomonis bespangledwith the praises of
Christ. Homer might praise Achilles, and Jerome might commend Nepotian;
but who canset forth Christ's praise? All that I can saywill be no more than
the dark shadow in the picture; and yet it will be so much as may represent
him very lovely. That Christ is thus transcendently lovely, will appear in four
manner of ways—by titles, by types, by comparisons, and by demonstrations.
1. Christ appears lovely by His TITLES. These are so many jewels hung upon
His crown. He is called "The Desire of All Nations" in Haggai2:7, "The
Prince of Peace" in Isaiah9:6, "The Holy One of God" in Acts 2:27, and
"electand precious" in 1 Peter2:6. These are lovely titles.
2. Christ appears lovely by TYPES. He was prefigured by such
types as were lovely—and these types were either of persons or things.
Christ was typified by most lovely persons. I will name but three.

MOSES prefigured and typified out Christ in four things:
Moses was a type of Christ in his natural beauty. He was a lovely child
(Exodus 2:2). Josephus said, "Moses wasso lovely that he drew the eyes of all
to him; and those who had seenhim were so amazed at his beauty and fed on
it with such delight, that they were unwilling to look awayagain." And herein
he was a type of Christ, in whom are all sparkling beauties to be found, "He is
altogetherlovely!"
Moses was a type of Christ in his education. He was bred up a while at court
and, as Josephus said, Pharaoh's daughterset a crownof gold upon his head.
But leaving the court, he went and lived in the land of Midian (Exodus 2:15).
So Christ left the royal court of heaven—to come and live in the world.
Moses was a type of Christ in his office. He was a PROPHET. Deuteronomy
34:10, "There has never been another prophet like Moses, whomthe Lord
knew face to face." He acquaintedIsrael with the mind of God; he gave them
the two tables of the law. So Jesus Christ is a prophet (Luke 24:19). He reveals
to His people the mysteries of salvation. He unseals the book of God's decrees
and makes knownHis will (Revelation5:5). He is counted worthy of more
glory than Moses (Hebrews 3:3).
Moses was a type of Christ in his noble acts.
He was a deliverer of the people from the Egyptian furnace; he was a
temporal savior. So Jesus'name signifies a Savior. Matthew 1:21, "You are to
name Him Jesus, becauseHe will save His people from their sins."

Moses was anintercessorfor Israeland turned awaythe wrath of God from
them (Numbers 14). So Christ is the saints' advocate. Romans 8:34:"He also
rnakes intercessionforus."
Christ was also typified by DAVID. David was a king; so is Christ adorned
with regalpower. He is a king to govern His people (Revelation15:3), and to
conquer His enemies (Psalm110:1). David was a man after God's own heart.
This prefigured Christ, in whom Godwas well pleased(Matthew 3:17).
Christ was also typified by SOLOMON, first in his name, which signifies
"peaceable."Christis called"The Prince of Peace" in Isaiah9:6. The angels
proclaimed this at His incarnation. Luke 2:14: "Peace onearth." All his wars
tend to peace. And He gives that peace which passes allunderstanding.
Solomontypified Christ in his government. His was a most flourishing
kingdom (2 Chronicles 9:22). King Solomonsurpassedall the kings of the
earth in riches. So Christ's kingdom is very glorious;all His subjects are made
kings. He reigns in heaven and earth—and of His kingdom there is no end.
Solomontypified Christ in His wisdom. He was the oracle ofhis age (1 Kings
4:31) and was wiserthan all men. So Christ receivedthe unction from His
Father. He had a spirit of wisdom and holiness poured upon Him without
measure (John 3:34; Isaiah11:2). "Behold, one greaterthan Solomonis
here!" (Matthew 12:42). Thus Jesus Christ was prefigured by those persons
who were most lovely.
Christ was typified by most lovely things.

Type 1. Christ was typified by the pillar of cloud and fire, which was Israel's
guide and conductor in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). This typified Christ,
our pillar of cloud, who guides our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:79). The
cloud was unerring, for God was in it. Such is Christ, who is the way and the
truth (John 14:6). How lovely is this pillar to behold!
Type 2. Christ was typified by the manna. This pointed to Christ, who is like
the manna in three things.
The figure of manna was circular. Exodus 16:14: "There lay a small round
thing." The circle is a figure of perfection; this typified Christ, in whom is all
perfection.
The manna was a food prepared for Israel. The Hebrew word (from whence
manna seems to be derived) signifies "to prepare." Manna was a food cooked
and dressedin heaven. God Himself prepared it—and then served it. Thus
Jesus Christ was like manna: He was prepared and set apart by His Father to
the blessedwork of mediatorship. Hebrews 10:5: "A body have You prepared
for Me."
The JewishRabbis say that manna suited itself to everyone's taste;whatever
he desired, that he found in manna. So Jesus Christ suits Himself to every
Christian's condition. He is full of quickening, strengthening, comforting
virtue. What fools are they, who prefer the earthly mammon—before this
heavenly manna!
Type 3. Christ was typified by the mercy seat, which was a sacredemblem
representing the mercy of Godto His people. There the Lord gave forth His
oracles andanswers of peace to His people. Exodus 25:22:"There will I meet

you—and I will commune with you." This mercy seat was a type of Christ, in
and through whom God is appeasedtowards us. Therefore He is calleda
sacrifice ofatonement in Romans 3:25. Oh, how lovely is this mercy seat!We
could not speak to God in prayer, nor would He commune with us—were it
not for this blessedatoning sacrifice. The Hebrew word for mercy seat
signifies a covering—to show that in Christ the sins of believers are covered.
Type 4. Christ was prefigured by the brazen serpent (Numbers 21:9). The
brazen serpentresembled Christ in two ways:
It was made like a serpent—but it was no realserpent. Just so, Christ was
made in the likeness ofsinful flesh (Romans 8:3), but He was not a sinner. He
was made sin—but He knew no sin. Christ was as void of sin—as the brazen
serpent was of a sting!
When the people of Israelwere stung by the fiery serpents, then whoever
lookedupon the brazen serpent was cured. Thus, when sin stings the souls of
men (for it is a serpent with five stings: it stings men with guilt, shame, horror
of conscience, death, and the curse of God), then Christ, that brazen serpent,
being lookedupon with a penitent's believing eye, cures these deadly stings!
Oh, how lovely is this brazen serpent! Many of the Jews worshipedthe
serpent of brass, "He broke into pieces the brazen serpentthat Moses had
made, because the people of Israelhad begun to worship it by burning incense
to it. The brazen serpent was calledNehushtan." (2 Kings 18:4). Let us in our
hearts adore this brazen serpent—the Lord Jesus.
Type 5. Christ was typified by Noah's ark, which savedNoahand his family
from the flood. Thus when the wrath of God, as a deluge, overflows the
wicked, Christ is the Ark in which the believer sails above those bloody
waves—andis preserved from drowning!

And is not the Lord Jesus most lovely? All these types did but serve to shadow
forth the divine excellenciesofChrist and render Him lovely in our eyes!
3. That Christ is this lovely appears by those RESEMBLANCES to which the
Scripture compares Him. He is compared to things that are
most illustrious. There are seven lovely resemblances ofChrist in Scripture:
1. Christ is resembled to a ROSE. Song of Solomon2:1: "I am the Rose of
Sharon." The rose is the queen of flowers;it is most delicious for colorand
scent—to show that fragrant perfume which Christ sends forth. All roses,
though beautiful, have their prickles;only the Rose of Sharondoes not! So
sweetis this rose of paradise that it makes us become a sweetfragrance to
God (2 Corinthians 2:15). This rose never loses its colornor fragrancy! Is it
not then, very lovely?
2. Christ is resembled to a VINE in John 15:1. The vine, as Pliny says, is the
noblest of plants—and to this Christ is compared. Oh, what lovely clusters
grow upon this Vine: the fruits of justification, sanctification, and so on!
These bunches of grapes hang upon the Lord Jesus. We are indebted to this
Vine. Hosea 14:8:"From Me is your fruit found." Nay, Christ excels the vine.
For though there are many things on the vinetree besides the fruit that are
useful—the leaves, the gum, the ashes ofthe vine—yet the woodof the vine is
useless "Canwoodbe taken from it to make something useful? Or can anyone
make a peg from it to hang things on?" (Ezekiel15:3).
Now herein Christ is more lovely than the vinetree; there is nothing in Christ
which is not useful. We have need of His human nature; we have need of His

divine nature; we have need of His offices, influences, privileges—there is
nothing in this vine which we canbe without. Oh, how blessedare the
branches of this Vine! Mary was savednot by bearing the Vine—but by being
engraftedinto the Vine!
3. Christ is resembled to a CORNERSTONEin 1 Peter2:6, and that in two
respects:
First, the whole weightof the building lies upon the cornerstone. Justso, the
weight of our salvation lies upon Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-12).
Second, the cornerstone knits and unites togetherboth parts of the building.
Just so, when God and man were at variance, Christ, as the cornerstone,
united them together, yes—andcementedthem with His own blood! Oh, how
lovely and precious is this cornerstone!
4. Christ is resembled to a ROCK. 1 Corinthians 10:4: "ThatRock was
Christ." He is a Rock in a threefold sense:
First, He is a rock of offense. A rock breaks the waves. The church, being built
upon Christ—all the adversaries thatcome againsther are like a ship coming
full sailagainsta rock.
Second, He is a Rock for defense. The dove hides in the rock. Song of Solomon
2:14: "O my dove in the clefts of the rock." Christ's wounds are the clefts of
the rock where the believing soul, this dove, hides itself!

Third, He is a rock for comfort. The rock is a screento shade off the heat; so
Christ is calledin Isaiah 25:4, "a shade from the heat." He shades a poor
sinner from the scorchings ofGod's wrath! Also, honey came out of the rock
in Deuteronomy 32:13:"He made him to suck honey out of the rock—andoil
out of the flinty rock." The honey of the promises—andthe oil of gladness
come out of this blessedRock!
5. Christ is compared to a RIVER in a desert. "He will shelterIsrael from the
storm and the wind. He will refreshher as a river in the desert and as the cool
shadow of a large rock in a hot and wearyland." (Isaiah 32:2). When by
nature we are as a scorchedwilderness, dry and barren, Christ sends forth the
sacredinfluences of His blood and Spirit, making us like the fields of
Sharon—full of moisture and fertility! Are not these silver streams lovely!
6. Christ is resembled to a rich TREASURY. Riches are lovely in men's eyes.
Ephesians 3:8 speaks of"the unsearchable riches of Christ." The angels can
never dig to the bottom of this golden mine! Christ has the true monopoly,
because He has those riches which are nowhere else to be found: the riches of
His merit—and the riches of His Spirit. Christ has a partnership with His
Father. John 16:15: "All that the Father has, is Mine." He is crownedwith the
riches of the Deity. Alexander had no regardfor the kingdom of Macedonia
when he heard of the riches of India. Just so, a Christian will in a manner
despise all other riches—whenhe has Christ's riches (Philippians 3:8).
7. Christ is resembled to a beautiful ROBE. Isaiah61:10: "He has coveredme
with the robe of righteousness." Christ's righteousnessis a lovely robe; no
robe of gold or ermine, with which kings are invested, is so honorable as this
one. In this robe we shine as angels in God's eyes. The high priest's glorious
vestments (Exodus 28:2)—the miter, the robe, the ephod of gold, and the
breastplate of precious stones—didall serve to setout the beautiful garment
of Christ's righteousness, withwhich a believer is adorned. Thus Christ

appears lovely in these severalresemblances, whichcan but faintly shadow
out His beauty.
4. Christ's loveliness appears by His DEMONSTRATIONS.He is lovely in
Himself—and He is lovely in the accountof others.
A. He is lovely in HIMSELF—and that in five ways.
1. He is lovely in His person—as He is MAN. Psalm45:2: "You are the most
excellentof men." The Hebrew is emphatic, denoting excellencyof beauty; for
though it is said He had no loveliness (Isaiah 53:2), that was in regard of His
afflictions, which so disfigured Him and, as it were, drew a veil over His glory.
Yet certainly the person of Christ was incomparably fair, as Jerome and
Chrysostomobserve;and if His body on earth was so beautiful, what is it now
in heaven! The apostle calls it a glorious body in Philippians 3:21. If Christ
can make a lily of the field more beautiful than Solomonin all his glory, how
lovely is He Himself? How white is that lily which grows in paradise?
2. Christ's personis lovely—as He is GOD-man. He may not unfitly be
compared to Jacob's ladder, which reachedfrom earth to heaven. Christ's
human nature, which was the footof the ladder, stood upon the earth; and His
divine nature, which was the top of the ladder, reachedto heaven. The Arians
and Socinians deny His Godhead, as the Valentians do His manhood. If the
Godheadis in Him, He must be God; but the Godheadshines in Him.
Colossians 2:9: "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead."
To confirm us in this truth, let us consult with those Scriptures which clearly
assertHis Godhead:

1 Corinthians 8:6: "To us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all
things—and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things."
When Philippians 2:6 uses the phrase "who, being in the form of God," this is
as much, Basilsaid, as to exist in the essenceofGod.
1 Timothy 3:16: "God was manifestin the flesh."
1 John 5:20: "We are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is
the true God."
Besides these testimonies of Scripture which expresslyassertthe Godheadof
Christ, it may be clearly demonstrated by those incommunicable attributes
belonging to the Deity which are ascribed to Christ—and are the flowers of
His crown:omnipotence (Hebrews 1:3); omniscience (Mark 2:8);
omnipresence (Matthew 28:20); a powerto sealpardons (Matthew 9:6); the
giving of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7); co-equality with God the Father
(Philippians 2:6) in both power (John 5:19, 21)and dignity (John 5:23).
Thus we see His Godheadproved; and as He is God-man, He is altogether
lovely. He is the very picture of His Father's glory; therefore He is calledthe
express image and characterof His person in Hebrews 1:3. The very effigies
and print of God's face are seenin Christ; the glory of God's wisdom,
holiness, and mercy most transparently shine forth in Him—thus His person
is lovely.
3. Christ is lovely in His DISPOSITION. A goodnature is able to render
deformity itself lovely. Christ is lovely not only in his complexion—but in His

disposition. He is of a loving and merciful disposition, and in this sense may he
calledthe delight of mankind. It is reported of Marcus Aurelius, the emperor,
that he was of a most affable winning temper, given to clemency—andevery
day would set one hour apart to hear the causes ofthe poor. Thus Jesus Christ
is of a most sweetdisposition. He will not always chide (Psalm103:9). He is
inclined to show mercy to the penitent. He delights in mercy (Micah 7:18). He
invites sinners to come to Him (Matthew 11:28). He begs them to be saved(2
Corinthians 5:20). He knocks attheir hearts by His Spirit, until His head is
filled with dew and His locks with the drops of the night (Revelation3:20). If
any poor soul accepts His offer, and arises and goes to Him—how Christ
welcomes him. Christ makes the feast(Luke 15:23)and the angels make the
music (verse 7). But if men will not receive the offers of grace, Christ grieves
(Mark 3:5). He is like a judge who passes the sentence with tears in his eyes.
Luke 19:41: "And when He was come near the city, He beheld it and wept."
You can hear Christ saying, "Ah, sinners, I come to save you—but you put
awaysalvationfrom you. I come with healing under My wings—but you bolt
from your Physician. I would have you but open your hearts to receive Me
and I will open heavento receive you; but you will rather staywith your sins
and die—than come to Me and live." Psalm81:11: "My people would not
listen to me; Israelwould not submit to Me." "Well, sinners, I will weepat
your funerals." Oh, how lovely Christ is, in His disposition! He comes with
His suppling oil to pour into sinners' wounds. He would gladly break their
hearts with His mercies. He labors to overcome their evil with His good.
4. Christ is lovely in His SUFFERINGS whenHe makes expiation for our sins.
But how canHe be lovely in His sufferings? Lovely when He was buffeted,
spat upon, and smeared with blood? Oh, yes! He was most lovely upon the
cross—becausethen He showedmost love to us. He bled love from every vein!
His drops of blood were love-drops. The more bloody—the more lovely. The
more Christ endured for us—the more dear He ought to be to us. Osorius,
writing of the sufferings of Christ, said that the crownof thorns bored His
head with seventy-two wounds; and Tully, when he speaks ofthe death of the
cross, shows his rhetoric best by a silence:"Whatshall I say of His death?"
Though he was a greatorator, he lackedwords to express it.

Nor did Christ only endure pain in His body—but agony in His soul. He
conflictedwith the wrath of God, which He could never have done if He had
not been more than a man. We read that the altar of woodwas overlaid with
brass so that the fire on the altar might not consume the wood(Exodus 27:1-
2). This altar was a type of Jesus Christ. The human nature of Christ, which
was the wood, was coveredwith the divine nature, which was like brass, else
the fire of God's wrath would have consumedit.
All that Christ suffered was in our stead(Isaiah53:5). We ate the sour
grapes—-andHis teeth were set on edge. We climbed the tree, we stole the
forbidden fruit—and Christ goes up the ladder of the cross and dies! Oh, how
lovely ought a bleeding Saviorto be in our eyes!Let us wearthis blessed
crucifix always in our heart. "The cross of Christ," said Damascen, "is the
golden keythat opens paradise to us."
How beautiful Christ is upon the cross!The ruddiness of His blood—took
awaythe redness of our guilt. How lovely are those wounds which wounded
the red dragon! When this blessedRock was smitten, water came out of it to
cleanse us and blood to cheer us (1 John 5:6). "WhenChrist was on the
cross,"saidBernard, "then the vine was cut—and salvationcame to us in the
blood of the vine." Oh, how lovely is this bleeding Vine! Christ's crucifixion—
is our coronation!
5. Christ is lovely in His GRACES which, as a divine embroidery, bespangled
and setHim off in the eyes of the world. Grace was not in Christ as a
quality—but as an essence, as light is intrinsic to the sun and is of the essence
of it. Christ opened a box of precious perfume and, because ofthe fragrance
of His ointments, the virgins love Him (Song of Solomon1:3). In Christ there
was a constellationofall the graces;how He shone in wisdom, humility, zeal,

heavenly-mindedness, and, which did not adorn Him only a little little,
meekness.How lovely was Christ in His graces!
He came into the world meek. Matthew 21:5: "Beholdyour King comes
meek." He came not with a sword or scepterin His hand—but with an olive
branch of peace in His mouth. He preachedtidings of peace (Matthew 11:29).
Though He was the Lion of Judah—yet He was the Lamb of God.
When He was in the world, He was a pattern of meekness. 1 Peter2:23:
"When He was reviled, He reviled not again." He left His Father's bosom,
that hive of sweetness,to come and live here; and truly, He exchangedHis
palace for a dunghill. How often He was called a friend of sinners; nay, He
was chargedto have a devil. But. see how mildly He answered(this dove had
no gall) in John 8:49: "I have no devil—but I honor My Father." All His
words were steepedin honey.
When He was going out of the world, He showedunparalleled meekness.He
prayed for His enemies, "Fatherforgive them" (Luke 23:34). When the
soldiers came to take Him by force, one would have thought that He would
have calledfor fire from heaven, as the man of God did in 2 Kings 1:10. But,
behold, grace was poured into His lips (Psalm 45:2). See whata mild answer
He gave, enough to have made the hardest heart relent. Matthew 26:55: "Am
I some dangerous criminal, that you have come armed with swords and clubs
to arrest Me?" It is as if He had said, "What wrong, I ask, have I done to you?
What have I stolen from the world—but their sins? What have I robbed them
of—but the wrath of God?" Oh, the mildness of this Savior!Surely, had not
the soldiers'hearts been very hard (for in the whole story of Christ's passionI
do not read of one soldier converted;there was a thief indeed converted—but
no soldier), Christ's meekness wouldhave melted them into tears of
repentance.

When He was led awayto be crucified—He went as a lamb to the slaughter.
"He opened not His mouth" (Isaiah53:7). He openedHis side—but not His
mouth in repining. And was not Christ lovely in His meekness? No wonderthe
Holy Spirit descendedupon Him in the likeness ofa Dove;not a lion or
eagle—buta Dove, which is the emblem of meekness.
6. Christ is lovely in His CONDUCT. Whatwas saidof Saul and Jonathan in 2
Samuel 1:23 ("they were lovely in their lives")is much more true of Christ.
"His life," saidChrysostom, "was purer than the sunbeams." All the ethics of
Aristotle and all the wisdom of Greece, couldnever describe virtue as it was
livelily portrayed out in Christ's holy example. He is called "a Lamb without
spot" (1 Peter 1:19). His lips never spoke a word amiss. Luke 4:22: "All bore
Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceededout of His
mouth." Thus were His lips like lilies, dripping pure myrrh (Song of Solomon
5:13). His foot never tread a step awry. He who was a way to others—never
went out of the way Himself. He was so pure, that no temptation could fasten
upon Him. Temptation to Christ was like throwing a burr upon a crystal
glass, whichwill not stick—but glides off. "The prince of this world comes and
has no power overMe" (John 14:30). There was no powder for the devil's fire
to take. What was Christ's whole life—but a pattern of goodworks? "He went
about doing good" (Acts 10:38). He was either anointing the blind, healing the
sick, raising the dead, preaching, or working miracles. Thus He was
altogetherlovely.
B. And then Christ is lovely in the accountof OTHERS. He is lovely to God
His Father, lovely to the saints—andlovely to the angels.
1. He is lovely to God His Father. God is infinitely delighted with Him. Christ
is called"the Rose of Sharon," and how God delights to smell this rose!Isaiah
42:1: "My ChosenOne in whom My soul delights." Surely if there is
loveliness enoughin Christ to delight the heart of God, there may well be

enough in Him to delight us. Christ is the center, where all the lines of His
Father's love do meet.
2. Christ is lovely in the accountand esteemof His saints. 2 Thessalonians
1:10: "He shall admired by all those who have believed." He is admired
now—and He shall be more admired by them. Well may the saints admire to
see Christ sitting in the bright robe of their flesh above the angels in glory.
Well may they admire to see their nature united with the Deity. Oh, how
lovely and beautiful is this sight! Well may Christ be admired by His saints.
3. Christ is lovely in the esteemof the angels. Theyadore Him. Hebrews 1:6:
"And let all the angels ofGod worship Him." The cherubim are painted with
their faces looking upwards, to show that the angels in heaven all are still
looking upward, admiring and being ravished with the amazing beauties of
Jesus Christ.
APPLICATION
A. Information. There are three branches:
Branch 1. Behold here, as in a Scripture glass—the transcendentexcellencies
of the Lord Jesus!"He is altogetherlovely." He is a lovely prospectset before
us. I do not wonder that Paul, that seraphic saint, desired to know nothing,
but Jesus Christ(1 Corinthians 2:2). What else would He want to know? He is
altogetherlovely; no wonderthen that the apostles leftall—and followed Him
(Matthew 19:27). Had I the tongues of angels, I could never setforth Christ in
all His lively and lovely colors. Besides whathas been said, take a further view
of Christ's lovely excellenciesin three particulars:

Jesus was lovely

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