A Portrait of Jesus Christ

Q: What does the Bible say about making images of Jesus?

The Bible explicitly commands against making graven images or likenesses of God (Exodus 20:4-5). The Bible teaches us through Exodus 20:4-5 that we should not make graven images or likenesses of anything in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. This commandment underscores the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth without physical representations that could lead to idolatry. As Jesus stated in John 4:24, God is Spirit, and true worship must come from a heart and spirit in alignment with Him, rather than being confined to physical form. Such representations are not only in violation of God's commandments, but they can also misrepresent His true nature and glory.

Q: How do we know that Jesus cannot be accurately depicted?

It's impossible to accurately capture Christ's indescribable glory in any physical form. The sermon emphasizes that God’s glory is so magnificent and indescribable that no artist can adequately represent Him. The preacher argues that many attempts to depict Christ—whether through paintings, statues, or crucifixes—fall short of conveying His true essence. The Bible reveals God's nature as one that cannot be contained or fully represented in physical form. For instance, John in Revelation falls at the feet of Jesus as one dead upon seeing Him, illustrating the overwhelming glory and majesty of Christ which is beyond human comprehension or representation. As such, until a person can embody this glory in a depiction, any effort should rightly be abandoned in favor of genuine worship.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to worship in spirit and truth?

Worshiping in spirit and truth is vital for honoring God's nature and escaping idolatry. Worshiping in spirit and truth ensures that our devotion to God is genuine and aligned with His nature. As stated in John 4:24, God is Spirit, and true worshipers should worship Him in spirit and truth. This concept emphasizes that external forms of worship, such as images or rituals, cannot encapsulate the holiness and majesty of God. Authentic worship arises from a heart transformed by grace and an understanding of God's true nature, free from idolatry. This approach not only honors God’s commandment against graven images but also allows believers to relate to Him in a personal and significant way, fostering a deeper relationship.

Q: What is the significance of Jesus being called 'Alpha and Omega'?

Jesus, as Alpha and Omega, signifies that He is the beginning and the end of all creation and revelation. The title 'Alpha and Omega', as presented in Revelation 1:8 and 1:11, indicates that Jesus encompasses all of creation—from its inception to its culmination. This underscores His divine sovereignty and authority over all history and existence. As the first and the last, Jesus is the source and the ultimate end to which all things are directed. This reinforces His role not only as the author of faith but also as the one who will bring all things to completion. Therefore, understanding Jesus as Alpha and Omega helps believers grasp the fullness of His role in both creation and redemption, asserting that all spiritual blessings are indeed found in Him.

I want you to take your Bibles
today and open them with me to the book of Revelations, the
revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, I'm going to be speaking
on this subject, a portrait of Jesus Christ, a portrait of Jesus
Christ. Now, I believe if you'll listen
carefully to me and hear me all the way through the message,
don't turn me off now. Stay with me through the entire
message and I believe you'll learn something. I believe this
will be a profitable time together. Now, artists, artists and sculptors
have tried for centuries to paint pictures and make statues of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there are literally millions
of these paintings and statues and crucifixes. and pictures
of Jesus Christ in homes, in churches, schools, stores all
over the country. It may be that you have one of
these pictures in your home. But I'm going to tell you something.
Now, you listen to me. I strongly, strongly dislike
these pictures and these statues of God. And I consider them,
according to the Word of God, not only to be idols, and idolatrous,
but they're dishonoring. These pictures and statues are
dishonoring to our Lord. Now, I'm going to give you two
reasons for that. I strongly dislike these pictures of God,
pictures of Christ, statues and crucifixes, and I'll tell you
why. I'll give you two reasons. The first reason is the plain
and direct commandment of our God to Israel over in the book
of Exodus, chapter 20. Verse 4 and 5. Now listen to
the Word of God. God's speaking to Israel. He
says, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, any graven
image or any likeness, that is, pictures or statues, any likeness
of anything that's in heaven above, on the earth beneath,
or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself
to these images, And these statues and these pictures, that's the
direct commandment of God. And when our Lord Jesus Christ
spoke to the woman at the well, He said this in John 4, 24, God
is spirit. God's not a statue, God's not
a picture. God is spirit. And they that
worship God, worship Him in spirit and truth. So I say these statues
and these pictures and crucifixes and all these things, are a direct,
a direct rebellion against the commandment of God Almighty when
He says, Thou shalt not do this. Thou shalt not bow down to these
things. And the second reason, now listen to this, the second
reason why I dislike all these pictures of God and statues of
God is this, is, is, here's the reason. It is utterly and totally
impossible, impossible to put on canvas or to put on paper
or in a coal marble statue anything that even remotely resembles
the unspeakable, indescribable glory of the person of our God. I ask you, how in the name of
reason can you paint one whom you've never seen? How can you
paint one whom you've never seen? How can you paint the express
image of His glorious person on a canvas? How can you paint
the brightness of His glory? How can you paint the one on
canvas upon whom Moses could not even look and still live,
the one of whom the Scripture says the heavens cannot contain? Jesus Christ is God Almighty. Now, I'll assign a task to all
would-be revelators of God, all who would paint pictures of God
and chisel statues of God. I'll assign you a task. Listen to this. Draw me a picture
or make me a statue of the Spirit of God moving on the face of
the waters when He created all things. And Jesus Christ is the
Creator. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, the Word was God, and all things were
made by Him. And without Him was not anything
made that was made. Then draw me a picture of Melchizedek,
king of peace, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God,
who appeared to Abraham and blessed him. What did he look like? Draw
me a picture of I am that I am. You remember when Moses stood
by the burning bush and God spoke to him? And he asked, who are
you, Lord? And he said, I am that I am.
Draw me a picture of him. Or draw, paint me a picture of
the Shekinah glory that dwelt on the mercy seat. That's Christ
Jesus. Or draw me a picture of the son
of man who walked with the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace.
That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Draw me a picture of Jacob's
ladder. of the rock and the wilderness that followed them, of the pillar
of fire or the cloud by day. Draw me a picture of the angel
of the Lord that wrestled with Jacob. Draw me a picture of the
glorified Christ. You remember when he appeared
on the Mount of Transfiguration with his disciples and the scripture
said he is very close, glistened with brightness? Can you get
that on canvas? Draw me a picture of the suffering
Lamb of God on the cross of Calvary. in all of His agony, enduring
all of our guilt and shame and sin, from whom even the heavenly
Father turned away. Can you put that on canvas? Draw
me a picture of the risen Lord, our great priest, as He appeared
in heaven to make atonement for His people. How He ministered,
not in the earthly tabernacle made with hands, but in heaven
itself. He entered into heaven itself. there to make an atonement
for our souls. Can you catch that on canvas? Draw me a picture of the interceding
advocate. John said, If any man sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, who is seated on the right hand
of the majesty on high, the majesty in glory, whoever liveth to make
intercession for us. Can you catch that on canvas?
Draw me a picture of the glorious Christ, whom Paul met on the
road to Damascus. When he looked into that awesome
light and was blinded, he was stricken stone blind when he
spoke to and observed the Lord of glory." Now, my friends, until
you can, until you can capture on canvas or a painting or a
picture or a statue that Lord And that glorious Redeemer, then
lay down your brush, and put up your canvas, and do what all
have done who have some revelation of his majesty, fall on your
face and worship him. Or like Moses of old, hide in
the rock when he passes by. Or like Job of old, Job said,
I've heard of your God by the hearing of the ear, now mine
eye seeth thee, wherefore I put my hand on my mouth, and I will
not speak again. Cover your face." You remember
when Isaiah saw the Lord? This is the Lord Jesus Christ.
When he saw the Lord high and lifted up, His train, His glory
filled the temple, seated on His throne, and the seraphims
around the throne of God with six wings and with two, they
covered their eyes. They covered their faces. They
covered their feet. And with two they did fly, and
they cried, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. Can you put that on a piece of
paper? Or fall at his feet with Thomas.
When he identified himself with Thomas, Thomas cried, My Lord
and my God, admit the impossibility of reporting what you have seen.
Like Paul, who was taken to the third heaven. and came back and
he said, I heard things it's not possible for me to even tell
you. We don't have the language to
express the glory of God and we don't have the picture and
we don't have the painting and we don't have the stature and
we don't have anything that these human hands and minds can bring
together to picture the glory of Christ Jesus and the glory
of God Almighty. Or like John there in that scripture
we're going to look at now in Revelation chapter 1. Or like
John on the Isle of Patmos. You know what John said when
he saw the Lord? I fell at his feet as a dead
man. As a dead man. So my friends,
I'm telling you this. These pictures and crucifixes
and statues, number one, they violate a direct commandment
of God Almighty. Thou shalt not make unto thee
any graven image, any graven image, or any likeness of anything
that's in heaven above, and thou shalt not bow down to them. God
is a spirit, and they that worship the living God worship Him in
spirit and in truth. And these things are dishonoring
to Christ, because there's no way that you can confine to a
painting, a picture, a statue, or any portrayal on paper, the
glory, the glory, the indescribable, unspeakable glory of God Almighty. Here in Revelation 1, take your
Bibles and let me show you a portrait of Christ, a portrait of Christ. That's what this is here. John
in verse 9, look at Revelation 1, verse 9. And John is writing
here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And he said,
I, John, who am also your brother. In other words, he's saying,
I'm a man just like you are. I'm a person. I'm a man. And
I'm your companion in tribulation. I've suffered like you suffered.
I've gone through trials and suffering and all of these things
like you have. I was on the Isle of Patmos for
preaching the Word of God, for preaching the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Because he preached the truth
of God. the testimony of God, he was exiled to the Isle of
Patmos. And there he lived to be an old
man and died. Someone said over 90 years of
age. But here in verse 10 he says this, Now I was in the Spirit
of God on the Lord's day. In other words, John was in exile
and John was all alone. But on the Lord's day, the day
our Lord arose from the grave, He knew that the other believers
would be meeting together to preach and to praise God and
to break bread. And so he was worshiping God
too. I was in the Spirit of the God
on the Lord's Day. I was worshiping God, meditating
upon the things of my God. And I heard a great voice. I
heard a great voice. You know, when our God speaks,
He speaks of great things. And He speaks of great things
in a great way. And John said, I heard a great
voice. I think Satan whispers. He whispers subtlety. He whispers
in craftiness. But when our God declares the
truth, He declares it in a great voice, in a great way. And John
said, I heard a voice, a great voice. What did that voice say? Well, verse 11, the voice said,
I am Alpha and Omega. the first and the last. Now alpha
is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega is the last
letter of the Greek alphabet. And our Lord is speaking here
and He's saying, I'm the first and the last and all in between. I'm the author and finisher of
faith. I am all alpha to omega. I'm the whole alphabet. I'm the
whole alphabet of the revelation of God, the whole alphabet. All
that God has to say to men is said in Christ. And all that
God has to give to men is given in Christ. And all that God has
purposed to perform in this world, in the universe, in the new heaven
and new earth is in Christ. He hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. Chose us in Christ. loved us in Christ, redeemed
us in Christ, accepted us in Christ. And one day we'll gather
together all things in Christ to the praise and glory of His
grace." So this voice said, I'm the beginning and the end, nothing
to be added there, all alpha and omega and all in between.
So verse 12, I turned to see the voice that spake. Now, wouldn't
you? Here John is on the Lord's day alone, exiled on the Isle
of Patmos, and he heard this great voice which said, I'm Alpha
and Omega, I'm beginning and the end, the first and the last.
And he said, I turned to see the voice that spake. And when
John turned, he saw, he saw the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Now, do you want to see a real
portrait of Christ? throw away those canvas idols
and those poor attempts at portraying Almighty God taken from some
man's imagination. Just throw them away and listen
to the Word of God. Here God reveals Himself. Christ reveals Himself. Here
it is. Here it is. Look to John's portrait. Here
is what Christ revealed to John that day on the Isle of Patmos.
Verse 13, John said, I turned and I saw. I saw. I saw seven golden candlesticks,
and in the middle of all those candlesticks was one likened
to the Son of Man, the Son of Man. Now remember, John with
one of the disciples who walked with Christ, the man on the earth.
He leaned on his breast at the Lord's table. He's very familiar
with the Christ of the flesh when he was here on this earth.
But here now John is seeing the risen, glorified Christ who appears
to him and speaks to him, Christ now, Christ now. And he said,
I saw one likened to the Son of Man standing in the midst
of seven golden candlesticks. What are these candlesticks?
Well, verse 20 tells us what these candlesticks are. They're
his churches. They're his churches, the seven
churches. And he's in the midst of his
church. Where is Christ? He's in the midst of his church,
in the midst of his people. Where two or three are met together,
he said, in my name, I'll be in the midst of them. So here
the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is in
the midst of his churches. Now watch him. It goes on, verse
13. And he was clothed with a garment
down to his feet, and he was girt about the pats with a golden
girdle. What is this robe with which
he's clothed down to the feet? This is the glorious robe of
our great high priest. You see, if you'll take the Old
Testament and studied the dress of the high priest who wore that
robe and who wore that breastplate and had the names of the tribes
of Israel on the breastplate when he went into the presence
of God. And here our Lord Jesus Christ wears the priestly robe. He is our great high priest.
We have a high priest, and it's Christ the Lord. And he has the
golden girdle because he's a king priest, the king priest, the
awesome king priest. verse 14, and his head and his
hair was white like wool and white as snow. Now the church
in the Song of Solomon, you remember the Song of Solomon, the church
there described the Lord Jesus Christ as having his head and
his hair bushy black as a raven. But you see there the church
is the bride, and she was rejoicing in the perpetual youth and strength
and love and care of her Redeemer. He is perpetually young, the
same yesterday, today, and forever. But John here, he's revealed
to John as the Ancient of Days, whose goings forth have been
of old, from everlasting. He's the wisdom of God. White
hair speaks of wisdom. White hair speaks of the Ancient
of Days. And that's the way it appears
to John here, with that kingly robe and that golden girdle and
his hair as white as wool, as white as snow, because he is
the wisdom of God. He's the Ancient of Days. And
his eyes were as a flame of fire, a flame of fire. Now, over in
Solomon, again, the church, the bride describing her lover, she
says his eyes were like a dove's eyes washed with milk. gentle
and loving. And that's the way she saw him
because he is compassionate, kind and loving to all of his
people. But here John sees the omniscience
of our God. His eyes is a flame of fire.
He sees things as they are, not as they claim to be. His eyes
is a flame of fire, burns away all the darkness and burns away
the hypocrisy. and burns away the sham, and
these eyes penetrate the soul and reveal the truth, the omniscience
of our God. Like Peter said, Lord, you know
all things, you know all things. You ever seen a picture like
this? And then verse 15, and his feet were like fine brass,
fine brass as if They'd been burned in a furnace. You know,
feet have to do with one's walk. And his walk, the walk of Christ,
is threefold. He walked through the furnace
of wrath, bearing the sins of his people. And then he walks
through the furnace of fire with us, just like the children of
Israel. You don't go through a trial that Christ is not there.
When they looked into the furnace, they saw four, the three children,
and one like the Son of Man. walking in the flames. And then
he'll trample upon his enemies. His feet are as fine brass burned
in a furnace. The judgment of our God. And
then listen, and his voice was as the sound of many waters.
I hear preachers talk about God speaking to them. Is this what
he sounded like? His voice as the sound of many
waters. Did you ever stand by mighty
Niagara Falls? What a great force, what a power. The sound fills the whole area. When our Lord spoke to Paul,
the people around him heard it, but they didn't know what he
said. But it was the voice of many waters. What a great force
that cannot be stopped, cannot be arrested. And His voice in
His gospel will accomplish that whereunto He sends it, and that
which He pleases, and that which He purposes. His voice will call
out His people. It's the voice of many waters. And then He had in His right
hand, verse 16, He had in His right hand seven stars. Well, you say, I know who the
seven candlesticks now are. Verse 20 says that's His church.
Who are the seven and what are the seven stars? Those are His
pastors. Read verse 20, Revelation 1,
tells you. The seven candlesticks where
He saw the Lord, the Son of God, in the midst of them, and the
seven stars in His right hand are His true, called, ordained,
sent pastors. And this shows us several things.
Number one, they're in His hand. Like stars, they're in His hand. And like stars, they're where
He puts them. His hand put them there. And
like stars, they only reflect light. They have no light of
their own. Stars have no light of their own. They reflect the
light, the light of the sun. And even so, these true preachers,
they don't have any opinion of their own or revelation of their
own. reflect the message and the love
and the grace and the gospel of their Lord gives them. And
they're in His hand. Which hand? His right hand. What
is the right hand? Authority and approval. When our Lord sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty on high, He sat down in the place
of authority and approval, acceptance. And His stars are in His right
hand. And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. Paint
that for me. What is that? That's His Word.
That's His Word. It cuts away our sin and our
righteousness, circumcises our heart, and slays His enemy. His
Word is His power. The power of God is the Word
of God. God spake and everything was created. God will speak and
everything will be destroyed. Sharp two-edged sword cuts both
ways. And then John said in verse 16,
and watch this now, And I believe if any single verse of Scripture
will cause you to see what I'm saying, this one will do it. In the first place, these portraits
and these pictures, they're idols, and they're dishonoring the Christ,
and they do not reveal His true character and glory. They're
dishonoring to it. There's no way you can put on
canvas or paper or statue the glory of our Lord. Now, listen
to this. And His countenance, what is His countenance? Well,
you're looking at my countenance now, my face, my countenance. You're looking at it, you're
seeing it, aren't you? Of course you are. Well, His
countenance, when I looked into His face, His countenance was
as the sun in its full strength. so glorious, so magnificent. Think of this, His countenance,
His face. When I looked upon Him, it was
like looking into the sun in its full strength. You can't
look upon the sun, let alone paint it. There's no way you
could look upon the sun in its full strength, let alone put
it on a piece of paper to show to others. It's blinding, it's
so magnificent, the brightness of His glory. And John said,
what happened to you then, John? I turned and I saw the voice
that spake to me and He described Him. And He said, when I looked into
His face, His countenance, it was like looking at the sun in
its full strength. And I fell at His feet as a dead
man, as a dead man. Now, if anybody could ever make
a statue likened to the risen glorified Christ or a picture,
anyone who looked at it would fall as a dead man. Well, thank God something else
happened. He laid his hand on me. Here's
the tender, compassionate, merciful Lord, our Redeemer. He laid his
hand on John and he said, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I am the first and I am the last. I am he that liveth and was dead.
Behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of hell and
death." My friends, this is our Lord. This is a portrait of Christ
Jesus. This is a revelation of the Son
of God directly from His Word as He appeared to John on the
Isle of Patmos. And this is the portrait of Christ.
Now, I have this message on a tape along with a message that I'm
going to bring next week on a portrait of His church, a portrait of
Christ and a portrait of His church. If you want it, send
$2. Now, let me say this. If you don't have the money,
write for the tape. We'll send it to you. I want
you to have it. We'll be glad to send it. If you want it, send
for it. But if you have $2, send that, and we'll appreciate it.
Here's the address now until next week. God bless you, everyone.

A Portrait of Jesus Christ

What does the Bible say about making images of Jesus?

How do we know that Jesus cannot be accurately depicted?

Why is it important for Christians to worship in spirit and truth?

What is the significance of Jesus being called 'Alpha and Omega'?

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About Henry Mahan

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A Portrait of Jesus Christ

What does the Bible say about making images of Jesus?

How do we know that Jesus cannot be accurately depicted?

Why is it important for Christians to worship in spirit and truth?

What is the significance of Jesus being called 'Alpha and Omega'?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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