Introduction

1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: ...

There are people who are deeply fascinated and obsessed with gemstones. As I have mentioned last Sunday, people are willing to spend 83 million dollars for a diamond as small as a quail egg. So, what makes diamond precious? What makes an object precious? For an object to be rightly called precious, it should have at least three qualities: rarity, beauty and usability. Diamonds are precious because they are rare, beautiful and somewhat useful. But without a doubt these three qualities are all found in Christ. These qualities are what makes Christ precious, His uniqueness, His beauty and His value. These qualities are found in Him unto perfection. Last Sunday I talked about the uniqueness of Christ, but today I want to speak about the beauty of Jesus Christ.

Now, "Beauty" or "Beautiful" is not a word we generally use to describe men, but the Scriptures use it to describe our LORD. The Scripture speaks much of the beauty of our LORD.

Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; 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 enquire in his temple.

To gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.

Zechariah 9:17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

Isaiah 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Song of Solomon 5:16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Lovely

Lovely is another word that we would not normally use to describe men, but here Solomon used it. This description is full of meaning. That is what I want to speak to you this morning. Again my prayer, as we contemplate the beauty of Christ, is that God will so work in each and everyone's heart that we would all fall in love with Christ all over again.

First of all, this description "Altogether Lovely", cannot be said of any ordinary being. He alone deserves this description because He alone is truly altogether lovely.

Psalm 45:2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Jesus Christ is beautiful above the children of men. He is the most beautiful person you and I will ever set our eyes upon.

If you compare Christ and other things, no matter how lovely, no matter how beautiful and desirable these other things are, they are nothing compared to Christ's beauty!

He's the Lily of the Valley,

The Bright and Morning Star,

He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

Altogether

I like how Solomon describes our Lord - He is altogether lovely, not just lovely, but altogether lovely. He is altogether lovely, altogether beautiful, altogether desirable, altogether pleasant.  There is nothing undesirable in Him, there is nothing unpleasant in Him, there is nothing lovely without Him. Consider His person, His offices, His nature, His works, His ways, His sacrifice, His words, His promises, or any other things belonging to Him; you will find Him altogether lovely. Everything about Him is lovely!

What is the beauty of the Lord?

What does the beauty of the LORD consist? Men's general idea of beauty is physical. But the idea of beauty in the Scripture means much more than what our physical eyes can see.

When Christ came to earth, sinners were attracted to Him not because of His physical stature or appearance. In fact, we read in ...

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2: For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

When He came and appeared on earth, He had no form nor comeliness, that is, He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. Jesus Christ, most likely, looked like just an average Jewish man.

What then is the beauty of the Lord?

The beauty of the Lord is not in His physical appearance but in His perfect nature. The beauty of the Lord is His perfect character.

1. His Goodness

What is God's goodness? His goodness includes His love, grace and mercy. It includes His patience, long-suffering, lovingkindness, tender-mercies. It includes all His attributes which inclines Him to benefit and to bless His creation.

Love is beautiful; mercy is beautiful; grace is beautiful, truth is beautiful. The beauty of the Lord consists in His goodness.

The most beautiful, pleasant, attractive people in the world are not the Hollywood celebrities, but ordinary people who are good-hearted, kindhearted and tenderhearted people. Oh, they may never win the Miss America beauty contest or Mister America physique contest, but oh, how beautiful they are, because they exhibit goodness of character. On the other hand, the ugliest and most unpleasant people you will ever meet, no matter how beautiful they are outwardly, are the selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-promoting people who cares nothing but themselves.

2. His Holiness

The beauty of the Lord is in His holiness. The beauty of the Lord is His holy character. The beauty of the Lord lies in God possessing everything in His character that is holy. 

2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

There is nothing lovely about sin. Sin is not beautiful. Sin is ugly. Sin deceives. Sin corrupts. Sin destroys. Sin kills. There is really nothing beautiful about sin. But there is beauty in holiness.

Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Goodness is beautiful. Holiness is beautiful. The Lord's beauty is seen in His goodness and holiness. But over and above, the Lord's beauty is seen in the combination of His various attributes in one harmonious whole. All His attributes are in perfect harmony with all His other attributes.

Psalm 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Psalm 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 6: Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

What is unique about His Beauty?

1. His beauty endures

Man's beauty fades. It is temporary. It is passing. That is why we are not to boast on our beauty and our form (if we do have them) because time and age will take it away. Sickness and diseases often deforms and destroys it. Death will ultimately change of our appearance and form.

Psalm 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

Job 4:21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

The beauty of all other things are fading and perishing, but the beauty of Jesus Christ endures for all eternity. Though the worldly beauty be fading, yet the beauty of the Lord shall endure forever.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

2. His beauty transforms

There is nothing that changes one's character more powerfully than beholding the beauty of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

You are what you eat. You are what you behold. You become what you behold. What you behold, you become and as you behold, you become.

As children of God, what is really our goal in life? What really is our purpose in life? What's God's purpose for saving us?

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

To be conformed to the image His Son Jesus Christ. To be like Jesus in moral character. That's the goal. That's the purpose of salvation. And how is this going to take place? By beholding the beauty of Jesus.

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

David understands that death to a child of God is like sleeping and so he says, when I awake I shall be satisfied in God's likeness. A glimpse of the beauty of Christ, a contemplation of the glory of Christ's character will change us into His likeness.

3. His beauty satisfies.

All other beauty cannot satisfy the soul of man. There is nothing in this world can satisfy. Power, popularity, possessions, prosperity, people, prestige, position? Satan deceives people into thinking that to pursue these things will bring happiness and fulfillment. None of these will give true joy and satisfaction, and don't let Satan deceive you into believing that godly men and women who seek the face of Jesus are the most miserable people in the world. 

Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

I believe the most satisfied people are those who have seen the beauty of Christ. The most satisfied people are those who are most overwhelmed with a sense of the greatness, goodness, and preciousness of Christ. They are not satisfied where they are in their knowledge of Christ for they want more. This is the great paradox in the Christian experience. Satisfied yet wanting more.

Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; 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 enquire in his temple.

Application.

I would like to close with three important and practical questions:

Do you want to posses a lasting beauty? Do you want to experience a real transformation? Do you want to enjoy a deep satisfaction?

I don't know where you are this morning. There may be some here this morning who lack motivation, who are lukewarm, who are backslidden, who are not growing spiritual as they should, who are struggling with sin and temptation, who are losing hope, who are full of doubts and worries. 

Wherever you are, what is my word of advise to you? Seek His face! Seek His face! Catch a greater glimpse of the beauty of Jesus Christ. Just one glimpse of the glory and beauty of Christ will change everything.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There's light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Seek His face. Set your affection on Him. Seek His beauty. If you could catch a glimpse of how beautiful He truly is, I believe you will never be the same person. You will be forever changed. 

Let me speak to those who do not esteem Jesus Christ as precious. To those who look at Jesus but do not see preciousness, do not see beauty - why do you not esteem Christ as precious? You see beauty in a thousand things but not in Jesus. Why?

7: Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And you won't see and desire the beauty and preciousness of Christ unless you believe.

Come to Jesus! Don't be afraid to come to Jesus, for "He is altogether lovely." It does not say "He is altogether angry", although He is angry with sin. It does not say "He is altogether judgment" although He will judge sins and sinners. But "He is altogether lovely," and therefore He is always ready to welcome to Himself the worst of sinners. Come and believe! Come to Jesus and entrust your soul to Him. Come and place your complete trust in Him and in His sacrifice on the cross. Come and see! Come and taste that the Lord is good! Come and see that the Lord is gracious!

AMEN!