Beholding the Beauty of Christ: A Blessed Paradox :: essays research papers

Beholding the Beauty of Christ: A Blessed Paradox I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Central verse Psalms 27:4 â€Å"One thing have I desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.† B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word â€Å"Beauty† as used here by David is the word â€Å"noam† which means splendor or agreeableness. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What makes Jesus Christ so admirable, precious, so beautiful, and so glorious is what Jonathan Edwards calls â€Å"an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies.† The beauty and excellence of Christ is not a simple thing. It is a unique coming together in one person of extremely diverse qualities. Jesus has a glory in Himself that has a combing of attributes that would seem impossible in one person. He is unique, one of a kind. There is no one and nothing we could compare Him to. He is â€Å"Incomparable because in Him meet infinite glory and lowest humility, infinite majesty and transcendent meekness, deepest reverence toward God and equality with God, infinite worthiness of good and greatest patience to suffer evil, supreme dominion and exceeding obedience, divine self-sufficiency and childlike trust.† The Beauty and Excellency of Jesus is a coming together in one person of the perfect balance and proportion of extremely diverse qualities. He is a blessed paradox. I would like to explore 3 paradoxes of Jesus. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paradox 1: Infinite Glory and Lowest Humility A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phil 2:5-7 â€Å"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation taking on the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.† B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, let us consider the infinite glory of Jesus. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John 1:1,14 â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.† Vs. 14 â€Å"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.† 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jesus was as much God as the Father and Holy Spirit. He testified of this in John 8:58 when He was being questioned by the Jews, He states â€Å"Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.† He is the word of God made Flesh. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Romans 8:34 Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.