Light on the Lord’s Face                                                      1/11/42   (?)

 

Scripture:  II Corinthians 4: 1-6.

 

Text:  II Corinthians 4: 6;  “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

 

You who gather here this morning come for various reasons.  It is Sunday and you go to church habitually on Sunday morning.  Perhaps you remember the sacred commandment “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”  Possibly these consecrated walls call up memories, invite blessings, stir within your minds good resolves with which you want to begin this new year.  It may be that you want particularly to share the sense of Christian fellowship and devotion and rededication to be found in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

 

Perhaps in this service of fellowship, you remember with affection others who have worshipped here and you love this church because of them.  But I think you will love it most of all for finding the Savior here, ready to forgive, ready to restore, ready to make clean and fresh and wholesome your living purposes.

 

We sometimes speak of the light on the Lord’s face, as did Paul when writing a second time to the Christians of Corinth.  Now of course we do not know exactly how Jesus appeared to the eye.  The gospels give no description of his features or stature.  We can only guess whether he was tall or short, we can scarcely imagine the accent of his speech except to recall that it was in a tongue that differs from that which we of this locality use.  No portrait was ever made of Jesus from life.  Artists have done fairly well at interpreting to us his possible appearance.

 

But when we speak of the Lord’s face, we refer, do we not, more particularly to His character, his personality, his being, the glory of God who was there revealing himself to mankind.  Remember that it was Jesus himself who assured his questioning friends, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”  [John 14: 9].  Something of the glory of God must have been seen in the face of Jesus.

 

1)  There was there in the Lord’s face the light of a great gladness.  The description in word and art, of Jesus as a Man of Sorrows, though profoundly true, is only partially true.  For his was the face behind the oft-repeated words, “Be of good cheer.”  [John 16: 33].  Common people heard him gladly.  He spoke of himself as a bridegroom - symbolizing joy, elation, gratitude, happiness.  One of the early accounts of his actions preserved for us has to do with his presence at a wedding feast in Cana.  [John 2: 1-11].

 

John the Baptist was a sturdy reformer.  But he did not suggest gladness so much as stern severity.  Jesus paid him tribute, but drew deep distinction between himself and John.  The faith of Jesus is radiant.

 

2)  The light on the face of the Master suggests an arresting inward peace.

 

            (His bequests - only a seamless robe?  better than that:  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  [John 14: 27].)

 

The years of Jesus’ ministry (except perhaps the first year) were stirring and dangerous.  Yet inwardly he was at repose.

 

Remember one of the latest things he said to his disciples:  “These things I have said unto you that in me ye may have peace.  In the world ye have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  [John 16: 33].  (A striking statement)  He did not abolish the evils and miseries of the world.  But he lived uncontrolled by them.  He had deep wells of peace from which to draw.

 

3)  There also glows a redemptive mission upon his face.  He knew himself sent of God.  “I am come to seek and save that which was lost.”  [Luke 19: 10].

 

Human beings without a sense of mission are a sorry lot.  The lift of a far view for the world and the moving toward what is better is initiated and pressed forward by those with the urgency of mission in their souls.  The mission of goodness and joy in the face and life of the Master was a redemptive one and is salvation for us in our troubled times.

 

It is for that light of gladness, of peace and of enthusiasm on the face of our Master that we come into this place there we can be quiet and seek his face.  For that redeeming light we wait in communion together on this first day of a New Year.

 

[Peter Marshall]  [p.73]

 

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Dates and places delivered:

 

            unclear;  ?12/41;  ? 1/1/42;  ?  1/11/42, at Wisconsin      Rapids; probably 1/11/42, given the reference to the new     year.