Behold The Man
The consideration I had respecting this message this morning is related to that of the father, but more importantly the father as a man.
My desire is to give consideration to what that means and to analyze ourselves in light of what it is to be a man. It’s not an easy subject to address, many people have their own idea of what a man is, what their picture of a man should look like.
In a world that is making it fashionable to denigrate men, to make boys even ashamed of being male in school, to create television commercials showing men as bumbling fools who need women to lead them, its not surprising that we have such a lack of real men willing to stand up for what is right, willing to be the men they need to be for their families and to lead them.
There are standards in the world by which we learn to measure almost everything today. We are able to calibrate electronic devices using these standards. Weight, length, volume, area, levels, angles and even time have standards by which we can compare a true line, but what is the measure of a man?
More than any time in history before, we need men to be men today, but where is the standard we can look to?
In my sermon today there is only ONE man to behold as the true measure of a man and that is Jesus Christ.
We have in the bible “the first man Adam, who was made a living soul”, but we have for our life the last Adam, that is Christ, who was made a quickening spirit” 1 Cor 15:45.
HE is our standard, and HE it is who we are evaluated against.
Scripture teaches;
Husbands are likened unto Christ when it comes to how they are to love their wives;
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Eph 5:25)
Christ is our example when it comes to humble service;
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (Jn 13:14-15)
Jesus is our example when it comes to loving one another
Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us (Eph 5:2)
He is our example even of suffering;
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: (1 Pet 2:21)
He is our example of selflessness;
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. [3] For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Rom 15:2-3)
In fact, There really is no part of our lives that we are not to do so in the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk, even as he walked (1 Jn 2:6)
So then, when it comes to recognizing the full measure of a man, Jesus Christ is the example to “BEHOLD”.
Turn to John 19:1-5
[1] Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. [2] And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, [3] And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. [4] Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. [5] Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! (Jn 19:1-5)
At the end of his account of the Gospel, the apostle john wrote this final sentence;
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. Jn 21:25
Such is the impossible challenge to speak of the fullness of the nature of the man we will behold this morning. I intend therefore to limit myself to that which I can see only in the passage, and I would think it challenge enough for every man to replicate.
Firstly we see him as;
Man of Integrity
Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
“NO FAULT”
Charges were laid against Christ, the evidence of which were so inept that even a provincial pagan governor could find no fault in him. The testimony of the Roman Governor was simple, he found no fault in Jesus Christ.
Pilot found Jesus innocent of all the charges laid against him by the pharisees of the Jews. Pilot knew that it was for envy they had delivered him[1], further to this his wife had warned him of a dream she had the previous night concerning Christ, telling him to have “nothing to do with that just man” (Mat 27:19).
Perhaps that’s what it was for Pilot, perhaps those things alone was enough for him to set him free, but it would not be.
Jesus would give his life for the sins of the world, as the scriptures foretold.
I wonder if Pilot was curious to know how it is that only a few days earlier many people worshipped Jesus. They ushered him as a KING into the city just as the scriptures prophesied,
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zech 8:9)
He would have seen the people who cried out saying Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (Mat 21:9), in fulfillment of Psalm 118:26.
Jesus ministered for three years doing innumerable works according to John, certainly Pilot heard of him. Yet now a multitude are calling for his execution.
But he finds no fault in Jesus Christ.
Think about this for a moment.
A Pagan man, who’s religion included watching bird behavior, something known as ‘Augury’, to see if certain actions would be favourable.
Words such as ‘auspicious’ which always refers to favor, has its origin in Augury, just as ‘inauspicious’ refers to that which is NOT favorable.
The Italian word ‘auguri’, is for well wishes, and we would often say ‘tanti auguri’, meaning ‘many blessings’ for both hello and good bye for people we have not seen for a long time.
Anyway, the point is Pilot was a Pagan, what did Pilot know of Christ?
Did he know that he is referred to as The spotless lamb of God? Jesus demanded saying, Which of you convinceth me of sin? In Jn 8:46, could Pilot have known Jesus was sinless when he said he could find no fault in him?
Could Pilot have surly known Isaiah’s testimony of Christ saying “because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” Isa 53:8?
We know Jesus was sinless, and need not go into all the scriptures that testify of it, but we are intrigued that a Pagan man, who knew not Christ, a gentile and not a Jew, recognized him as having NO FAULT.
Is it ever of interest to you that people who know nothing about Christianity automatically charge you with hypocrisy when they observe you to sin?
You tell them you are a Christian and they naturally assume you are to be without fault.
They don’t expect this of ANY PAGAN RELIGION, any religion that worships a false God or other religious practices, Buddhists or Hindu, Moslems or Roman Catholics, none of them are expected to live as FAULTLESS. But the moment a foul word passes from the mouth of a Christian, unbelievers charge him with hypocrisy even though he knows nothing of this faith.
Men, in this we get the distinct impression that if Christ was without fault, those who claim to identify with him are expected to emulate him, AND TO BE “blameless”.
Paul himself was “blameless” before the law.
When both Timothy and Titus were charged to find a man to pastor Churches, they were told to look for those who were “blameless”.
We, who belong to Christ, are also charged to be blameless;
“that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 1:8)
“… be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet 3:14)
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” (Phil 2:15)
Are you men of integrity? In the eyes of the world around you, are you seen as “Blameless” or “blameworthy”?
When you open your mouth, does it testify of Christ without hypocrisy?
Do your actions confess Christ, or by your actions to you blaspheme Christ?
If a Pagan man found Jesus to have “no fault”, barely knowing him, should we be surprised if that is the general expectation of the world toward his disciples?
“Behold The Man”
I can think of no better man to emulate Integrity than Jesus Christ.
- Be honest in ALL your dealings.
- Be consistent in your speech
- Live life blameless in the eyes of the world.
- Let the light of Christ shine in you in these days.
Secondly we see Christ as;
Man of Suffering
[4] Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. [5] Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! (Jn 19:1-5)
Pilate told the people that he found no fault in Jesus in verse 4, in verse one it tells us “Then Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him”. In Luke 23:14, Pilate in this same account tells the Jews “…I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him”
The method of examination of the barbaric Romans was via the method of Scourging, in other words, the method of a public lashing with a cord, or series of cords with interwoven metal or bone fragments. It was a form of torture that was designed specifically to tear the flesh.
The manner of enquiry of Christ was not one that was limited to words alone.
Consider Acts 22:
In Acts 21, Paul made a request of the chief captain who bound him that he might have a moment to formally address the Jews and to testify to of his conversion. In Chapter 22Paul does so and speaks to them in the Hebrew Tongue, by verse 22 they refused his witness and demanded his death, and so in verse 24 we have this record;
Acts 22:24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. And it goes on to say 25, And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
The “examination” of Christ was one of the torture of scourging.
Sadly, unlike Paul, Jesus could not claim the Roman legal protections of Citizenship. The Jews were a subjugated people and no such legal and human rights were afforded them.
Authorities could simply do as they would in their “examination” of Christ.
It’s not JUST PHYSICAL SUFFERING THAT TAKES OUR ATTENTION;
The famous chapter of the book of Isaiah speaks of the messiah in a detail that only the revelation of the New Testament brings to the surface.
Isaiah 53:3 takes our attention.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
This “man of sorrows” is to be the one who would be afflicted for us.
Verses 4 and 5 give the reasonings, saying Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Jesus was a Man of Suffering and in this he sets the example for all men.
What sorrow it is in the days that we live that we think our life is to be defined by leisure?
But this is the state of most men today in the West, we think the purpose of our life is to be one of leisure and continuing prosperity without a single hint of suffering.
But this is NOT what it means to be a man!
True men are EXPECTED TO ENDURE SUFFERING, and that from time to time. It was not a constant state of Christ, nor shall it be for us, but suffering is that which we are to endure and not faint.
What sort of man is it that melts under trials and afflictions? This is not a man that emulates Christ, he is not an example of the one he claims to follow!
Paul wrote as if “sufferings” are to be EXPECTED, FOR THE BELEIVER, Yet THEY ARE incomparable to that which is to come;
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18)
But the majority of today’s “men” melt with the slightest of trial, the slightest of difficulty.
Their wives are looking for a strong shoulder to cry on and they look to their husbands who pitifully are crying on their wives shoulder.
Where are the real men today that can endure ANY suffering?
What will come of you when times get tougher?
Jeremiah 12:5 “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?”
If you whimper over current trials, how might you contend with the sufferings of Christ?
What sort of a father is it who will not gird up his loins like a man should, and get up and do what he is charged to do?
How will Christian men deal with things in the west when real persecution comes?
Paul touched on his persecutions and sufferings and counted it a blessed thing TO SUFFER FOR CHRISTS SAKE.
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6, And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7, ¶ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. (2 Cor 1:3-7)
I read Richard Warmbrands book called “Tortured For Christ” this week and there was a passage in it I thought suitable for those who do the work of Christ and both endure and feel blessed to suffer for him through persecutions.
He writes about his experience in a communist prison for 14 years.
It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners, as it is in captive nations today. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms. It was a deal: we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us—so everyone was happy.
The following scene happened more times than I can remember.
A brother was preaching to the other prisoners when the guards suddenly burst in, surprising him halfway through a phrase. They hauled him down the corridor to their “beating room.” After what seemed an endless beating, they brought him back and threw him—bloody and bruised—on the prison floor. Slowly, he picked up his battered body, painfully straightened his clothing and said, “Now, brethren, where did I leave off when I was interrupted?” He continued his gospel message! [2]
Paul wrote in Romans 8:29 that we are to be conformed to the image of his son, we are being conformed to Christ, he was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” and he was this way for our benefit. We are to be like him, he is our example, he is who we are to behold and when we suffer, we do so for the joy set before us.
We have current trials, and they are difficult. Evil is being perpetrated on people and we suffer, but we MUST NOT FAINT, but take every opportunity to strengthen our faith and hope in Christ.
Men, fathers, grandfathers, it is incumbent upon you to be strong and to endure, to be MEN and when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
To do so well and not faint, we are….To Behold The Man!
Thirdly Jesus was a;
Man of Sacrifice
[5] Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! (Jn 19:1-5)
A king with a crown that would go down in history to tell the world he is The Man of Sacrifice.
The crown of Thorns is an incredible image. One that began in mockery and would end up as the greatest symbol of sacrifice that would have its completion ONLY with a cross.
It was a sacrifice for you and me.
This man of suffering, this man of sorrows that Isaiah spoke of, is also The Man of Sacrifice, it is through “His stripes that we are healed”
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7, He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8, He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. (Isa 53:6-8).
It was love that compelled him.
It was love that had Christ leave his throne, be born as a man, suffer for the sins of the world and for the first time in eternity past feel forsaken of the father.
Hebrews 9:26-28 says
….but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28, So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Jesus Christ was a man of sacrifice, he gave his life for the salvation of the world. It was all that Love could do.
Beloved it’s not just the fact of Christ being a Man of Sacrifice that we behold him, but what it was that compelled him, and that is love.
It intrigues me today that the world belittles love in men. Typical of Satan’s devices that try to picture men as carnal, physical creatures, and women only as those who demonstrate love.
Men love, and men have as their example the man they are to behold in Christ.
There can be no sacrifice without love.
Jesus said “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jn 15:13
Now what of you dear father?
You have a child, you have children, you have older children, you are a grandfather, how can you better show your love to your children but by sacrifice?
Are you willing to give up some time of work to spend in the rearing of your children, or are you one of those selfish men who think this is the roll of mothers only?
- Have you not read that it is the fathers who are to teach the children?
- Have you not read that the fathers are the instructors of teaching a child in the way he should go?
- Correcting the child is also our role.
It is interesting because the Bible says more of the role of fathers to the children than it seems to do of mothers.
Do you sacrifice time in this endeavor?
You, old men who have lost that opportunity to sacrifice for your children and who today see that loss, do you now endeavor to rebuild that relationship?
You know, children have a unique way of spelling some words and one word in particular has a very telling form that you would do very well to know.
Now, its not the mind that respells the word, but the heart that does so and it is the word LOVE.
The word LOVE, in the heart of a child is spelt T.I.M.E.
It may seem as a small sacrifice in comparison to that of Christ, and I am sure that as we grow to emulate Jesus in all things, we will find a multitude of areas through which we are to sacrifice, but for that of Children, TIME is a sacrifice through which many blessings flow and will continue to flow.
It has been said that there are no men who come to the end of their lives and say, “My only regret is that I did not spend more time on my career”.
- If you are a young father, you do well to learn this now.
- If you are a middle aged father, you do well to turn to bless your children with your time now.
- If you are a grandfather, and have finally come to see your loss, it is not too late.
There is one other Sacrifice that I need to put before you that is the most valuable of all, and it is found in Romans 12:1-5
1, ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,1 according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4, For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5, So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
The context here is vital, we are called to give our entire lives as a living sacrifice to Christ for his will as a part of his body, the Church.
We are not to be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds and that to prove the perfect work of God in us for all to see.
You are not your own, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor 6:20
Lastly in our passage we see Christ as a;
Man of Purpose
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
We have Beheld the Man as The Man of Integrity, The Man of Suffering, The Man of Sacrifice, and now we will come to see him as The Man of Purpose.
They did not know what they were doing when the platted the crown of thorns, when the dressed him with a purple robe and when they said “hail King of the Jews”.
But Jesus knew, and he never waivered from his purpose.
Go back one chapter to John 18:33-37
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34, Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35, Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36, Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37, Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
The Man we Behold is a Man of Purpose, he had a focus in for his life in which he did not waiver.
In Luke 19:10 he said For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
That which was lost was you and I, that which is still lost are all those who have not heard of Christ.
You and I were lost (past tense) and are now found because someone saw it as their purpose to share Christ with us or to pray for us and now we have a treasure in heaven that far exceeds anything we could ever have here on earth.
It is a treasure that cannot be stolen, a treasure that cannot rust, a treasure that can never be taken away from us and all because someone sacrificed their pride, their time, their effort to love us enough to reveal Christ.
Jesus had one purpose, a purpose through which he sweated blood in fear of, but was faithful unto death, even the death of the cross and you and I are called into this privilege.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
In Australia we have all heard the phrase “Jack of all trades but master of none”, Ben Franklin misquote that “Every man ought to be a jack of all trades, but a master of ONE”
There is no greater calling that this, there is no greater privilege than this.
If you are a Christian and sacrifice your time on a career that promises fortune, you are settling for that which will pass away.
If you are a Christian and the director of a multi-national enterprise and have your focus to build the greatest company in the world, you are settling for crumbs.
If you are called to preach the Gospel, don’t stop along the way to be a King!
You have been entrusted with the most eternally fulfilling priveleiedge of all history, And what a prize it is!
Imagine it just for a moment, imagine standing there and witnessing to a lost man or woman, no matter who they are, they may be a parent or a persecutor, but imagine sharing Christ and then watching them turn from death to eternal life before your eyes!!! Imagine it!
No, this does not happen to us all, we don’t all have the blessing of seeing this often, but it should spur you on, it should excite you that you have had a hand in the transformation of a person who is “dead in trespasses and sins” and “inherited eternal life”.
This, this is the prize, this is the pursuit, this is the purpose that should be mastered and sought after above ALL ELSE.
Learn how to share the gospel, Father share it with your children!
I don’t know a single man who loves Christ who does not think that his life be fulfilled ONLY when each of his Children come to Christ, when the Lost are finally sought and found.
That is Gospel training 101.
Become a master by sharing the hope of Christ.
Do you need to learn science? NO!
Do you need to learn philosophy? NO!
Beloved, YOU NEED to ONLY to be honest, with what Jesus has done for you in saving you from your sin, You must be willing to suffercontempt and even ridicule, you must have enough love in your heart to sacrifice your pride and your time, and you must have a single minded purpose to know WHY YOU ARE STILL HERE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!
THERE YOU HAVE IT;
- Integrity
- Suffering
- Sacrifice
- Purpose
Men, these are what we Behold In The Man Jesus.
This is what he created you to become!
THIS IS A MAN!
Men, we are living in the most unique time of history.
There is a legend that accompanies the fall of Constantinople on 1453 to the Ottoman Empire, and it may very well be true.
While Sultan Mahomet II surrounded Constantinople on 1453, making decisions on how to divide the Bulkans and Greece to either retain Christian dominance or force complete subjugation to Islamic dominance for centuries, “a local church council in the besieged city discussed the following problems: What color were the eyes of the virgin Mary? What gender do the angels have? If a fly falls into sanctified water, is the fly sanctified or the water defiled?”[3]
So it is today!
While the United Nations, the World Economic Forum and several other global entities including billionaire individuals and families, decided on the type of phoenix that they desire to rise from the ashes of this collapsing civilization, the philosophers are arguing over the definition of “White Priveliege”, the government is deciding on ruling against pronouns, and councils are determining to place limits on Cow
We are charged to “Occupy till he comes”.
Maranatha!
[1] Mat 27:18
[2] Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ (p. 56). Living Sacrifice Book Company. Kindle Edition.
[3] Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ (pp. 115-116). Living Sacrifice Book Company. Kindle Edition.
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