#169 BEHOLD THE CHRIST 9-21-26
“Behold the Lamb of God!” John the Baptist cried when he saw Jesus coming toward him (John 1:29). He did not say, “Consider the Lamb.” He did not say, “Study the Lamb.” He said, “Behold.”
Look.
See.
Fix your eyes upon Him.
There is something about Jesus that demands more than a passing glance. He cannot be reduced to a name on a page, a figure in history, or an idea preserved by religious tradition. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). He is the One through whom all things were created (John 1:3). He is the One who came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).
Behold the Christ in His glory.
John opened his Gospel by taking us beyond Bethlehem and back into eternity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Then came the astonishing announcement: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
The eternal entered time.
The Creator entered His creation.
The One whom angels worshiped became the One whom men could touch.
Behold the Christ.
Behold Him in His compassion. He saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them (Matthew 9:36). He healed the sick. He welcomed children. He stopped for Bartimaeus. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). He looked upon people others had overlooked and saw souls made in the image of God.
His holiness never made Him cold.
His truth never made Him cruel.
His purity never kept Him from reaching toward the broken.
Behold the Christ in His authority. He spoke and demons fled. He spoke and diseases disappeared. He spoke and the winds and waves obeyed Him (Mark 4:39-41). He forgave sins, something that caused the religious leaders to ask, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).
They were asking the right question.
The answer was standing in front of them.
Behold the Christ.
But most of all, behold Him at the cross.
There we see the love of God displayed without ornament or exaggeration. “He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The One who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, “that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Behold Him crowned with thorns.
Behold Him carrying the cross.
Behold the nails.
Behold the blood.
Behold the Savior giving Himself for sinners.
Isaiah had looked forward through the centuries and declared, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). At Calvary, prophecy became history. Love took flesh and walked into death.
But do not stop at the cross.
Behold the risen Christ.
The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. Death had done its worst and Christ had conquered it. Paul declared that Christ “was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25).
This is the Christ we behold.
The Christ who came.
The Christ who died.
The Christ who rose.
The Christ who reigns.
The Christ who intercedes.
The Christ who will come again.
Hebrews tells us to look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). When we behold Him, the world grows strangely small. Our troubles find their proper size. Our pride loses its throne. Our fears lose their voice. Our hearts remember what they were made for.
So behold Him.
Not merely on Sunday.
Not merely in suffering.
Not merely when you need something.
Behold the Christ every day.
Look long enough to love Him.
Look closely enough to trust Him.
Look steadily enough to follow Him.
And when your eyes are fixed upon Jesus, you will discover that the greatest need of your soul was never merely to know more about Him.
It was to behold Him.
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Lord Jesus, turn our eyes toward You. Help us to behold Your glory, trust Your grace, remember Your cross, rejoice in Your resurrection, and follow You faithfully each day. When the world distracts us, draw our hearts back to Christ until He becomes the center of our thoughts, the object of our love, and the hope of our souls. Amen.
BDD
