I'm going to read the first five
verses and we'll go from there. This is a sobering passage of
scripture to say the least. It begins, Then Pilate therefore
took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown
of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple
robe. and said, Hail, King of the Jews,
and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went
forth again and said unto them, that is the people that were
witnessing these acts, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that
you may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth,
wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate
said unto them, Behold the man. Now Pilate speaks two precious
truths here, though I'm sure he didn't know what he was saying.
He said, I find no fault in him. There was no fault in him. He
said a truth, but he didn't know it. But I want us to look at
these last three words in verse 5. the man as we consider and
approach such a sobering situation as is before us I ask each of
us to quite simply behold the man Christ Jesus as he is revealed
in scripture and I ask the Holy Spirit to accompany while we
will not be able to behold him now it is said here in this 19th
chapter in this fifth verse it is said here in mockery Behold
the man. But we, as those who have passed
from death to life, we behold Him in adoration and worship. And that's what I desire to do
this morning. The first point, the first thought
is let us behold Him in His incarnation and in His birth. Matthew chapter
1. Behold the man. Let us behold
this man in his birth, or that is, in his incarnation. Matthew
chapter 1, starting in verse 20, But while he, Joseph, thought
on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him
in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost, and she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins. Now all this was done, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is being
interpreted, God with us. God with us. Let us behold this
man, Christ Jesus, in his birth. Oh, hearer, I beseech you. Nay, I implore you to behold
the incarnation of the Son of God, God with us. Prophesied
many years before the event actually took place in Bethlehem, behold
your King. Behold your God comes and He
has a direct and specific purpose. That is to save or deliver His
people from their abominations. From their abominations. The
word behold in our text in John means see. Simply see, listen. Behold the man. Literally see
the bean. See the bean. Behold the man. Reverence Him. Worship Him. Plead unto Him for mercy, full
and free. He shall save. There's no question. The Lord Jesus Christ was sent
among men to call and to quicken and to redeem, buy back His people
from their sins. Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter
2. Behold the man as he grows. Behold him as he grows. Luke chapter 2 and verse 40 through
52. And the child, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Luke chapter 2 and verse 40.
And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents
went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.
And when he was 12 years old, he went up to Jerusalem after
the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the
days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem.
And Joseph and his mother knew it not. But they, supposing him
to have been in company, went a day's journey, and they sought
him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they had
found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
And it came to pass that after three days they found him in
the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing
them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished
at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were
amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus
dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have
sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is
it that ye sought me? Wished ye not that I must be
about my father's business? And they understood not the saying
which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and
they came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But his mother
kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in
wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. I ask you to behold this young
man. Behold the man. No man ever was
filled with the spirit Spirit of wisdom or grace as was this
young man. Behold him now, able to give
grace for grace is what he possesses. Able to impart the wisdom, the
knowledge of the Savior, the knowledge of God because he is
wisdom itself. Able to impart knowledge and
wisdom of our sins and how far short of God's law and God's
glory we came. able to impart wisdom to see
him only and always about his father's business. We can't say
that. The sacrifice in order to be
accepted says it must be perfect. Here we see perfection. The child
grew as a man. the God man and waxed strong
in spirit and filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon
him. There was never the grace of
God upon anyone like the Lord Jesus Christ. So behold him in
his incarnation, his birth, and behold him now as he is a young
man, no sin, not able to sin, perfect, pure, and spotless,
our substitute. As asked my poor sinful friend,
my weak brother, or even if you're a stalwart saint, wisdom and
favor are his to give. In all your seeking, in all my
seeking, may we seek wisdom and grace to love and adore our God. We will never, ever be satisfied
with human wisdom. We will never, ever be satisfied
with human grace, if I can say the term such, but trust him
wholly and find him wholly true. Only He can and has satisfied
God's justice, even at this age. Thirdly, Matthew chapter 3. Matthew chapter 3. Behold Him at the time of His
baptism. Behold the Lord Jesus Christ
at the time of His baptism. Matthew chapter 3, verse 13. Matthew 3 13 didn't come with
Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him
But John forbade him saying I have need to be baptized of thee and
cometh out of me And Jesus answering said unto him suffer it to be
so now For thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness
Then he suffered him and Jesus when he was baptized went up
straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were open
unto him and And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and lighting upon him, and lo, a voice from heaven, saying,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Behold the
man Christ Jesus. in the time of his baptism. See
him fulfilling all righteousness, all the righteousness required
of God and His holy law, of which we are incapable. See him as
the father declares, this is my beloved son, in whom, in him,
I am well pleased. This one, the man, Christ Jesus,
God is well pleased, and no other. This one, like no other. This one, trust, believe in him. God is only pleased with his
son and all those who are in him. In him. Oh, to be found in him, said
Paul, not having his own righteousness, but Christ's righteousness. Behold
the man. Behold the man. Matthew chapter
4, Behold the man as he is tempted. Matthew chapter 4, the next chapter,
verses 1 through 11, Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had
fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward of hunger. And
when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of
God, command these stones to be made bread. But he answered
and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. Then
the devil taketh him up into a holy city and set up on a pinnacle
of the temple, saying to him, if thou be the son of God, cast
thyself down, for it is written, he shall give his angels charge
concerning thee. And in their hand they shall
bear thee up, lest thou at any time thou dash thou foot against
a stone. And Jesus answered him, it is
written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And again
the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And he said unto him, All these
things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence Satan, for it is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve. Then the devil leaveth him and
behold angels came and ministered unto him. Behold the man in his
dire temptation. Now that's tested or tried. He
was to crush the serpent's head and this is he began to crush
the serpent's head here. Behold our victor. Behold one in whom Satan found
nothing. Holy, harmless, undefiled, says
Hebrews. And all this He did to glorify
God and to reconcile His dear children. He never sinned, never
faltered. This was full, undiluted trial
and temptation upon His very character. Satan found nothing
in Him, but we find everything in Him. Satan could find nothing
in Him. but we find our all in all in
him. Again, he did this to fulfill
all the Old Testament type shadows and pictures of how God in Christ
Jesus can both be just and the justifier. Fifthly, behold the
man as he calls out his very own. Mark chapter 1. Behold the man as he calls out
his people. Mark chapter one, verse 16 through
22, and chapter three, 13 and 14. Verse 16 of Mark chapter
one. Now as he walked by the Sea of
Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into
the sea, for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, come
ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
And straightway they forsook their nets and followed him.
And when he had gone a little further, hence he saw James,
the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who also were in
the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them.
And they left their father Zebedee and the ship with the hired servants
and went after Christ. And they went into Capernaum.
And straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue
and taught. And they were astonished at his
doctrine, for he taught them as one that had authority, not
as the scribes. Chapter 3, verse 13 and 14 of
Mark. Mark chapter 3, verse 13 and
14. And he goeth up into a mountain
and called unto him whom he would. And they came unto him. And Christ
ordained twelve that they should be with him and that he might
send them forth to preach and to have power to heal sickness
and to cast out devils. He goeth up into a mountain and
called unto him whom he would. So I ask you and implore you
to behold the man, Christ Jesus, as he calls out his very own.
Behold the man. calling chosen sinners unto Himself. He calls whom He wills. Do I,
do you, follow Christ, the Christ? If you do, you do so by the unsolicited,
free, sovereign grace of God. No free will here. There's no
partial salvation. There's no divine cooperation
between you and God. He has done it all. He calls, we follow. He lives,
we die daily. He dies, we live eternally. Oh, the debt to God and His grace
we surely owe. And we know it. And the believer
is thankful. The believer knows if God had
not chosen him, if this man the man in the manger, if this man
who grew and God was with him, if this man that was baptized,
this man who was tempted, this man who calls out his prayer,
and they know that if this man had not initiated the workings
of grace in our hearts, we would be of all men most miserable. Nextly, John chapter 19, our
text. Behold the man as he suffers
and dies at Calvary's tree. We read the first five verses.
Let me read through verse 18. Behold the man, the end of chapter
19, verse 5, verse 6. When the chief priest, therefore,
and officer saw him, they cried out saying, crucify him, crucify
him. Pilate said unto them, take ye him. and crucify him, for
I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, we have
a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself
the son of God. And Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the judgment
hall, and saith unto Jesus, whence art thou? But Jesus gave him
no answer. Then said Pilate unto him, speakest
thou not unto me? Knowest not that I have power
to crucify thee, and power to release thee? And Jesus answered,
thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were
given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me
unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought
to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let
this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. Whoso maketh himself
a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he brought Jesus forth, sat down in the judgment seat
in a place that is called the pavement, but in the Hebrew,
Gabbatha, and it was at the preparation of the Passover in about the
sixth hour that he said unto the Jews, behold, your king.
And they cried, away with him, away with him, crucify him. And
Pilate said unto them, shall I crucify your king? The chief
priest answered, we have no king but Caesar. then delivered he
him therefore unto them to be crucified and they took Jesus
and led him away and he bearing his cross went forth into a place
called the place of the skull which is called in the Hebrew
Golgotha where they crucified him the two other with him on
either side and Jesus in the midst. We see here a full sacrifice. We see here a full atonement
made for sin. We see here the full honoring
of God's justice. Therefore, we also see full pardon
for those for whom it was prepared. Full substitution, full reconciliation,
justification, righteousness. For we now have in this substitutionary
act the righteousness of Christ. Let me read to you what is written
about this particular verse, verse 5, Behold the man, in John
19. If there be one place where our
Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of his people,
it is where he plunged deepest into the depths of woe. Come
hither, gracious souls, and behold the man in the garden of Gethsemane.
Behold his heart so brimming with love that he cannot hold
it in, so full of sorrow that it must find a vent. Behold the
bloody sweat as it distills from every pore of his body and falls
upon the ground. Behold the man as they drive
the nails into his hands and feet. Look up, repenting sinners,
and see the sorrowful image of your suffering Lord. Mark him
as the ruby drops stand on the thorn crown and adorn with priceless
gems the diadem of the king of misery. Behold the man when all
his bones are out of joint and he is poured out like water and
brought into the dust of death. God hath forsaken him. Hell compassed
him about. Behold and see was there ever
sorrow like unto his sorrow that is done unto him. All ye that
pass by Draw near and look upon the spectacle of grief, unique,
unparalleled, a wonder to men and angels, a prodigy unmatched. Behold the emperor of woe who
had no equal or rival in his agonies. Gaze upon him, ye mourners,
for if there be not consolation in a crucified Christ, there
is no joy in earth or heaven. If in the ransom price of his
blood there be not yet hope, Ye harps of heaven, there is
no joy in you, and the right hand of God shall know no pleasures
forevermore. We have only to sit more continually
at the cross feet to be less troubled with our doubts and
woes. We have but to see his sorrows, and our sorrows we shall
be ashamed to mention. We have but to gaze into his
wounds and heal our own. If we would live aright, it must
be by the contemplation of his death. If we would rise to dignity,
it must be by considering his humiliation and his sorrow. Behold the man, Christ Jesus. And lastly, let us behold the
man resurrected and seated in heaven for us. could never hold him. He is now
seated at the right hand of His Majesty on high. Death could
never hold him, Satan could never have the victory over him, and
our sins would never sink him eternally. He must prove successful. He must achieve triumph, show
himself distinctive in the singular act of accomplished redemption.
Behold the man, having obtained eternal redemption for us, says
Hebrews. He was three days in the grave.
He rose up in total supremacy. And now he is seated by the right
hand of the majesty on high, making an open show of his enemies
and finally crushing the serpent's head. So I close and I ask you,
I ask me, can you, can I, can we look Can we behold the man,
Christ Jesus? May we forget about ourselves
and trust Him evermore. Behold the man of sorrows, acquainted
with grief. Bruce, would you close us?