There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. His face was shining like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
(Mt. 17: 2 CEV)
The phrase “face of Jesus” makes for an interesting study. This devotion explores how the different uses of the phrase supplies us with different aspects of Jesus’ character.
Nuggets
- God doesn’t want us focusing on Jesus’ physical aspects.
- Jesus is a spirit, allowing us to focus on Jesus dwelling in us.
- Jesus kept His focus on God’s work.
- He knew the reasons behind why everything was happening.
- Jesus put a priority on the relationship with God.
- For that period of time, Jesus knew how much sin hurt us.
When I was writing a previous devotion, I ran across a phrase that struck me. It talked about the face of Jesus. So, I put the research about that in a template and saved it for another day. Today is the day.
It has been an interesting day so far. I didn’t get much sleep last night. When Adam’s first alarm went off, he opened my door to check on me. He didn’t say anything – just went down and made my coffee for me. He didn’t say anything when he set it on my nightstand.
Adam could tell Momma needed her coffee more than she needed words.
I think today I need the face of Jesus. I need to know He is right here in my heart, in my corner. Let’s see what He has to say to me – and you – today.
Let's Put It into Context
I think God sent Jesus to earth to a time before there was equipment to record His appearance for a reason. God doesn’t want us focusing on His physical aspects.
That is so worldview. How a person looks is what Satan wants us to focus.
This is especially true if that look is different that how we look. Satan wants us to focus on the differences – and let those differences divide us.
Besides, Isaiah told us that “… He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isa. 53: 2 NIV). We were not to become jealous of His physical appearance.
God wants us to remember that, normally, Jesus is a spirit. That way we can focus on Jesus dwelling in us.
When we imitate Jesus, God wants us to imitate His character, not His hairstyle or fashion sense. Jesus would much rather we follow Him than look like Him.
To read What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?, click the button below.
When we imitate Jesus, God wants us to imitate His character, not His hairstyle or fashion sense. Jesus would much rather we follow Him than look like Him.
His Set Face
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9: 51 ESV).
We talked about this before. Jesus came to earth with a mission. He didn’t chase any rabbits or go squirrelly on people. He knew where He was going and set out to get there.
Jesus kept His focus on God’s work. He knew that – this trip – He was expected to be the Savior of the world. Yes, He took care of some physical needs because people aren’t going to listen if they are hurting or hungry.
One thing Jesus knew was why He came. “But Jesus replied, ‘We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came’” (Mk. 1: 38 NLT).
Jesus knew what was coming at Jerusalem. Didn’t matter. He kept His nose pointed to where God was leading Him to carry out His Plan.
Oh, I bet Jesus had some butterflies in His stomach. We know He would have liked it if God had rewritten that part of the Plan.
To read Did Jesus Struggle with His Mission?, click the button below.
It is like Nelson Mandela said. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not the one who feels afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Jesus was committed. He was courageous because He knew the Father in Whom He could put His trust.
His Bruised Face
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53: 3 NKJV).
Oh, man. I have always thought this had to hurt. “And twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Mt. 27: 29 ESV).
I bet those thorns were long critters. I bet there were a lot of them.
We know what the soldiers probably just jammed it on Jesus’ head. If He had skin like mine, His whole head would have been a bruise. He probably had some other bruises on His face from the beating He took.
I am sure the words hurt Jesus also. All of the accusations were not true. Neither is the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.”
But Jesus didn’t say a word. “But He didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed” (Mt. 27: 14 HCSB).
This showed Jesus’ patience. He knew the reasons behind why everything was happening. He knew He had to bide His time before victory would be secured.
Jesus also had to have stamina. This would have been mental and physical stamina. To take all of the taunts in the midst of the beating would have been challenging.
His Dusty Face
“After Jesus had said these things, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it” (Jn. 18: 1 HCSB).
We need a mini geography lesson here. In order to get from where Jesus was to the Garden of Gethsemane in the Mount of Olives, they had to go through the Kidron Valley.
When we think of Gardens, we think nice, lush, green plants. The Kidron Valley was anything but. It was hot and dusty. It was also below sea level.
The way I take it is Jesus had to work to get to the Garden. That was okay by Him because, when He got where He was going, He was going to get to talk to His Father.
You see, Jesus put a priority on His relationship with God. He was faithful to His Father. Yes, He endured trials like we do, but He considered them nuisance dust, not caked-on mud.
His Marred Face
“Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men” (Isa. 53: 14 NASB).
Oh, man. My stomach rolled when I read that. That is one of those verses where you are asking yourself, “Have I ever read that one before. Surely, I would have remembered if I did.”
I knew the beating was bad. But marred. Changed. To me, it reads like He didn’t look human anymore.
Ooo, baby. Evil had a good ol’ time whaling on Him.
That is just pure love. It can’t be anything else. To have your face beaten so badly that it is unrecognizable and not fight back is just love and devotion.
Then I thought about the old hymn Crowned or Crucified. The second verse starts out, “I looked on His face so marred with tears that were shed in His agony.” Yes, we’ve been talking about the physical hurt.
Related Links
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Pianist: Chris Vieth
Think about the mental hurt. All of our sins were transferred onto Him. “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” (I Pet. 2: 24 NLT).
For that period of time, Jesus knew how much sin hurt us. He knew what the guilt felt like. What the shame felt like.
I bet Jesus wept for us. I bet He questioned how we could have stood it all these years.
That speaks to Jesus’ compassion for us. Here He was in physical agony, and He is in tears for us.
I bet that strengthened Jesus’ resolve to stay on the cross.
His Transfigured Face
“There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. His face was shining like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Mt. 17: 2 CEV).
Has this devotion gotten depressing or what?! Let’s talk about something lighter.
Let’s talk about the time that Jesus took Peter, James, and John out to a mountain and talked with Moses and Elijah. Jesus’ face got all shiny like Moses’ did when he was talking to God. “When Moses went down from Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments, his face was shining because he had been speaking with the Lord …” (Mt. 34: 29 GNT).
I think that may be more in line with what we will look like after we receive our new bodies (I Cor. 15: 52). We will be reflecting all the Light that will be coming off God and Jesus.
His Throne Face
“And I saw a great white throne and the one who sat upon it, from whose face the earth and sky fled away, but they found no place to hide” (Rev. 20: 11 LB).
Apparently, I have inherited the same drop-dead stare that my sister has. Years ago, during her first year of teaching, one of her students dubbed this look she gave as the drop-dead stare. It was a don’t-mess-with-me/do-what-I-say stare. But it wasn’t one I had inherited.
Or so I thought.
Adam and I needed hats for the mission trip. We went into this one store that had a lot of Marvel merchandise. Adam found a Thor hat. When I asked the salesperson if he had a Loki hat, he said no. So, I asked if he had any Loki merchandise.
Apparently, my face did not like his answer.
“Oh, I don’t know why we don’t have Loki merchandise. We should. Especially with the new Loki series coming. We will have to rectify that oversight. See, I’ve written it down.”
My job was done.
That is what I thought of when I read “… from whose face the earth and sky fled away, but they found no place to hide” (Rev. 20: 11 LB). But I don’t think my drop-dead stare holds a candle to Jesus’ throne face.
John tried to give us a description of it. “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Rev. 1: 14-15 ESV). And we wonder why John fainted when he saw this face?
This is the glorified face. This is the judging face.
Making the Connections
So many sides to Jesus. Why? We are all different. We need Him to be different things at different times.
Most of all, we just need Him.
Heavenly Father. Thank You for showing us the faces of Jesus. Thank You for showing us His character. May we always imitate Him. Amen.
What do you think?
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