Who Is Jesus To Us By Thomas Vincent

Who Is Jesus To Us?

1. What He is in Himself;
2. What He is to the Father;
3. What He is unto true Christians.

#1 What Christ Is In HIMSELF

The most agreeable Person and the best Object for your adoration. You will never find, nor will there ever be, a person as charming, gorgeous, and deserving of your love as the Lord Jesus Christ. His beauty and excellency are unmatched, transcendent, and unequaled!

How much some ignorant guys like the superficial beauty of some women! They adore the affable features and gorgeous color combinations of the face, the elegance of the eyes and features, their elegant gestures, and amorous glances. That the most beautiful lady in the world is nothing more than a mixture of clay, dirt, and corruption wrapped in a lovely skin, which sickness will make pale and wane—and death will utterly damage and spoil! But Christ’s amiability and beauty are more transcendent and permanent, and hence more worthy of your affection. Christ is fairer than men. He is flawless—without blemish or defect!

I’ve already mentioned Christ’s glorified body, which is the most magnificent visible thing God has created, and his glorified spirit, which is virtually divine. How nice would it be if all the loveliness seen or found in the most lovely persons ever lived met in one person? But such splendor would pale in comparison to the radiance of our most precious Christ! Can you appreciate the imperfections of beings and not love the perfection of Christ? So, why not love Christ, whose beauty never fades, but always remains more youthful than a flower’s attractiveness? Can you be impacted by beautiful things that are in front of your senses, but not by the far more attractive item, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is so clearly apparent by faith? You couldn’t help but love Christ if your faith’s eye was open and clear. If you could only see His beautiful eyes and gentle smiles, your hearts would be flooded with love, pleasure, and inexpressible delight! “Yes! He’s a cutie! Hello, dear friend!” 5:16

More specifically, Christ’s person has the most likable qualities to captivate and draw your love. I shall instance in these six: 

1. His greatness and authority; 
2. His holiness and purity;
3. His wisdom and omniscience; 
4. His truth and faithfulness;
5. His fullness and all-sufficiency; 
6. His kindness and mercy.

Consider Christ’s GREATNESS and AUTHORITY. 

An eagle does not chase flies. Tremendous spirits are unaffected by great goods. None is greater than Jesus Christ! He is the greatest in honor, dignity, strength, and authority.

Majesty excels in commanding the hearts and minds of subjects. The people adore the princes who wield the most power and authority without abusing it via injustice, cruelty, usurpation, or tyranny. Princes gain so much in the admiration and love of their people if they manage power and authority with mercy and kindness towards those under their command!

Christ is the Prince of Kings. He is adorned with the highest glory, grandeur, power, and authority. He is the glory’s King! He is more powerful than the greatest potentate who ever existed! Yes, He is above all heavenly thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers! He has all power in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). In heaven, He does as He pleases—the angels obey His every whim. And He rules on earth. He is the church’s Head and Head above everything. He can restrict, conquer, and subdue His foes at will. And despite His severity in delivering His judgments and wrath on the guilty, He never abuses His power unjustly. He is kindest to the worst and punishes them less than their crimes warrant. Will you not have a tremendous love—to such a great person? Shouldn’t the thought of your Lord’s exalted dignity increase your love for Him? Shouldn’t Christ have such power to dominate your hearts? Will you not much appreciate such a generous person, as well as confidently trust beneath the shade of His administration, if Christ is endowed with such power?

Consider Christ’s HOLINESS and PURITY.

Some great people who abound in wealth and honor, who have some kind of amiable natural qualities, and acquired accomplishments which might render them very useful in their countries—yet through their wickedness and debauchery, their filthiness and impurity, their impious and wicked lives—they stain all other excellencies and render themselves the objects of contempt and scorn—unto those who, otherwise, would bear great respect and love to them.

The most charming Christ is holy and pure. He was born without sin, despite being born to a sinful woman. When He dwelt amid unclean sinners, He kept His clothes spotless. His heart and life were pure, and He never acted or inclined in any way that would be a violation. What a great man Christ was on earth! How heavenly! What dazzling beams of flawless purity and pristine innocence did Christ diffuse among the dark and sullied sinners with whom He conversed! How can Christ shine in holiness now that He has entered the Holy of Holies above and only converses with the holy?

Because of Christ’s holiness and purity, the wicked and ungodly hate and enmity Him. Because Christ is a threat to their beloved lusts, they hate His holiness. “The world hates Me—because I testify that what it does is evil!” He told His brethren in John 7:7. And the world’s enmity for Christ remains unchanged.

The world cannot bear Christ’s reproach of sin. The rays of Christ’s holiness pierced their eyes! His holy precepts irritate their flesh! Despite this, His holiness makes Him an ideal object for saints’ adoration. The wisest will love them the most, and the holiest will be the best men and women in the world. Can you love the imperfect holiness found in God’s people, and not love Christ, who is absolutely, endlessly holy, and the source of all that holiness found in any of God’s children? What a magnificent transcendent luster there is in the original holiness which is in Christ! “Your Word is very pure, therefore Your servant loves it.” Psalm 119:140. It’s not the written Word, but the basic Word, and He’s pure. So love Him!

Consider Christ’s WISDOM and OMNISCIENCE. 

Wisdom brightens the face. People who know the most—especially if spiritual understanding is combined with natural and acquired knowledge—are most admired by those who comprehend what true worth is. How deserving are those who have grace in their hearts and knowledge in their heads to be loved?

Daniel was a man of immense understanding and knowledge, proficient in all Chaldean learning that was not wicked or diabolical, and endowed with heavenly insight by the Holy Spirit’s teachings. The angel said Daniel was a beloved guy. His monarch and people adored him, except a few who envied his wealth and popularity. If Daniel’s insight made him widely likable, how much more so should Christ be appreciated for His wisdom? The intelligence of Christ surpasses that of Daniel and Solomon, who was smarter than Daniel. These individuals possessed wisdom that made them famous and esteemed—but Christ is wisdom—the Father’s wisdom. They were wise children, but Christ is the source of wisdom. They have some wisdom, but the ultimate riches are hidden in Christ! 2:3

They had understanding and information—but it was ignorance compared to Christ’s knowledge. In fact, they knew a lot about nature, but Christ understands the secrets of heaven, God’s thinking, and nothing is concealed from Him. So cherished should Christ be! If you want to be wise, you must love Christ, who is exceedingly wise and who alone can make you truly wise!

Consider Christ’s TRUTH and FAITHFULNESS. 

Truth and faithfulness are rare in today’s world of lies and deceit. “truth fails and falls in the street,” Isaiah 59:14, and those who are faithful and without falsehood are worthy of high admiration and love. Not only is Christ true, but He is truth itself; He is faithful in all He undertakes and promises, and never betrays those who rely on Him; He is often better than His Word! And who doesn’t love a real and faithful friend—Christ, man’s best friend? Christ’s steadfastness should strengthen your faith in Him and deepen your love for Him.

Consider Christ’s FULLNESS and ALL-SUFFICIENCY. 

The poor and needy like those who have huge and ample estates—if they also have enormous hearts and open hands willing to distribute their needs. “It has pleased the Father, that in Him all fullness should dwell!” says Colossians 1:19. Not just some fullness for some things—but all fullness for all things good; not just some fullness for a while—but all fullness dwells in Him and abides for all time. This has delighted the Father and depends on the Father’s pleasure, who is always the same, and whose good will to His people is unchangeable.

Aside from His eternal glory, Christ has a dual fullness for His people on earth. There is value and spirit in abundance:

(1) There is a fullness of merit in the entire and perfect righteousness that He has worked out for them and imputes to them for justification.

(2) Christ has a fullness of Spirit, which He transmits and conveys to them for their sanctification and comfort.

Christians, Christ fills you! You are poor—Christ is rich! You are indigent—Christ is all-sufficient! Will you not love Christ, who can do for you more than you can ask or dream, and who is eager to meet all your spiritual needs? Isn’t it wonderful to know that Christ is a never-ending fountain of goodness, that He has inexhaustible treasures of graces and comforts in Him, that you may freely come and take from this treasury those gems that are worth more than earthly riches, and that is used more than earthly riches, in the greatest abundance?

Consider Christ’s KINDNESS and MERCY. 

All human love pales in comparison to Christ’s kindness! All human mercies pale in comparison to Christ’s. It’s all love, pity, grace, and mercy for the sad lost humans. I won’t elaborate because this falls under the second category of reasoning derived from Christ’s love. To those who do not have a heavy veil of unbelief to obscure Him from view, Christ’s kindness and mercy will appear incomparable to His other excellencies and perfections!

#2 What Christ Is To The FATHER:

1. He is most nearly related to Him
2. He is most dearly beloved by Him.

Christ Is Most Nearly Related, And Most Perfectly Like, Unto The Father 

God created all beings, but God’s offspring are more closely related. The saints are God’s adopted and regenerate children. Angels are closer to God because they were created as His offspring and never divided by sin. But God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the closest relative of all. So Christ is God’s only begotten Son, completely reflecting His Father’s glory and expressing His person. This closeness of Christ to the Father necessitates your utmost love.

You should love the Son. Will you love princes’ sons and not God’s Son? Will you not love your own children, who bear your image, and Christ, who is God’s express image? Philippians 2:6 says of Christ, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery, to be equal with God.” Because Christ is equal to God in all wonderful excellencies and perfections, your highest and strongest love is due to Him, and you cannot keep it from Him.

Christ Is Most Dearly Beloved By The Father

2 Peter 1:17, In the excellent glory, He heard, “For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory—This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In other words, he who is worthy of the Father’s love should be worthy of yours.

#3 What Christ Is Unto All True CHRISTIANS. 

Christ is the sincere believer’s shepherd. Will you not love a Shepherd who feeds you in green pastures and gives His life for His sheep? Will you not love a Captain who has conquered all your enemies for you and leads you on to collect the spoils? Will you not appreciate a Teacher who opens your understandings as well as His truths; who gives you light and an eye to distinguish this light?

Christ is your High Priest who atoned for your sins to bring you back to God. He now continually intercedes for you. Will you not adore him? Will you not love a King who rules you so strongly, righteously, wisely, and graciously? Will you not love such a Friend as Christ, your most loving and generous Benefactor?

Christ is your Brother; will it not be a shame if you restrict your hearts from Him?

Christ is your Husband, and you are bound to Him by the Spirit and faith in unbreakable bonds—will you not embrace Him in your dearest love’s arms?

Christ is your Deliverer from sin, Satan, death, and wrath! He redeemed you with His blood. Has He not paid the ultimate price for your love? He redeemed you by conquest, so why not conquest your hearts?

You are unworthy of these affections if you do not give your love to Christ.

This article is edited from “The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ” by Thomas Vincent. Check our collection of articles on this topic in the related posts, alternatively, you can get a copy of the book from Amazon.