HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH Pastor James McDowell, D.D.   Notes from a sermon preached on Sunday January 29, 2006.     THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST     Earlier this week I was listening to a message, and for some reason the thought came to my mind, ‘Oh the beauty of the Savior’. I could not get rid of those words. It is as if they embedded themselves in my mind, and heart, so as I sat in my study reading the Scriptures these notions formed into the following outline.   The dictionary explanation of the words ‘beauty’ or ‘beautiful’ includes: ‘qualities that delight the sight, or the senses, or the mind,’ and ‘excellent’.   The Scriptures use a number of words that present such ideas as: ‘good’, ‘fair’, ‘having honor’, ‘desirable’, and pleasant.   I can almost hear someone cry out, ‘but pastor doesn’t Isaiah 53, tell us that there is no beauty that we should desire Him.’ Yes, but the word that is used there has reference to the outward appearance only. How is Jesus Christ beautiful?  I will name just a few for us to consider under two main headings.   1.       THE BEAUTY OF HIS PERSON. A.     He is God manifest in the flesh... Note the words of John 1:14.                      ‘And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,’ B.     He is God the Son. In a number of places this point is made. We see in John that The Lord spoke of Himself as the Son of God. ‘For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth:’ See John 5:20. Remember also what Peter said of Christ. ’Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Matt 16:16. C.     He is the Savior.  In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 and      Verse 21 we are told; ‘And she shall bring forth a son and shalt       call His name JESUS: for he shall save His people from their      sins.’   2.       THE BEAUTY OF HIS WORK. A.     He lived a perfect life. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ                      was without sin. He lived in complete obedience to God His      Father. In Hebrews 4:15 there is a clears statement. Speaking of      Jesus Christ, the writer said: ‘For we have not an high priest                     which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but                     was in all points tempted like as we are, YET WITHOUT SIN.               B.  He died an atoning death. That means that Jesus Christ went to                     the cross to die for sinners. Since all have ‘sinned and come                     short of the glory of God’, all are under God’s judgment, and                     therefore cannot stand before Him with out their sin debt                     cleared?                     However, God in His Sovereign Mercy sent His Son to pay the                     debt. According to Eph 1:7,  ‘ we have redemption through His                     blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His                     Grace.’ C.    He had a glorious resurrection.  When some people went to      the tomb on the first day of the week, they found that it was     empty. The answer of the angels was: ‘He is not here: for He is     risen, as He said.’ Matt 28:6.     To counteract the modern denials of these events, I remind     believers that I Corinthians chapter 15 makes a clear case for the        resurrection as a real event in history. And indeed, so important     is it that Paul tells us the if it did not happen, we have no     message to preach, and even more importantly we ‘are yet in     our sins.’  See verse 17.    These are just a few thoughts for us to consider. The implications are exciting for the saints (according to the New Testament all believers are saints). Remember that in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the only hope of salvation for this generation.