Face of Jesus

By Dean Collins

Old men and dads tell the worst jokes. It is just part of our job. And usually our kids, our grandkids, and everyone who knows us at work or church knows most of our jokes.

Most of the time, when I have members of my team in a zoom meeting with a new business or donor contact, everyone on the call is younger than I am which means most of the zoom cubicles are filled with faces that have fewer wrinkles, more hair, and I will just stop there. You get the picture. After everyone has introduced themselves, I usually say that I am here because I am just the good-looking face of the organization. Everyone then smiles and gives a polite laugh. While I am never the best looking one on a zoom call or in a meeting, as president and CEO, I am considered the face of the organization.

As followers of Christ and frequent readers of scripture, we all know that Jesus is the head of the church; and as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians, we are the members of the body of Christ. You have probably all heard many sermons and lessons on being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today. You may have heard other sermons about the different roles in the body of Christ and how none of them is better than the other and how we all need to work together to fulfill the mission we have been given.

As I read Luke chapter 9 this morning, I was struck by three references that mention not just the head but the face of Jesus.

When Jesus took Peter, John, and James up the mountain to pray, they had a remarkable experience. While on the mountain, Moses and Elijah appeared and were in a conversation with Jesus. None of the gospel writers tells us anything about the conversation, but all reveal that Jesus looked different after the encounter that we know as the transfiguration. Luke says that the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothes became dazzling white.

Imagine being a sleepy-eyed disciple who was on the fringes of the conversation and, suddenly, to look at Jesus and see him in a glorious state! The three disciples were moved to action wanting to build temporary structures for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Before the disciples could start construction, God spoke from heaven and said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

After God spoke, neither Moses nor Elijah was visible on the mountain; and Jesus and his disciples walked down the mountain together. I wish Luke or the other gospel writers would have recorded the questions they must have asked Jesus after that divine moment. Instead, Luke tells of another crowd who came to Jesus and another father in desperate need for Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son.

The second reference to the face of Jesus comes in Luke 9:51. Luke tells us that it was close to the time for Jesus to lay down his life for our sins. Luke said this about Jesus:
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. Can you imagine the determination and intensity Luke described with that statement? We have all seen the look of determination. Maybe it was in a championship game and the determination on an athlete’s face as they focus on the goal or the finish line. Maybe it was the look of a soldier who took the vow to protect their country even in the face of the real possibility of losing their life or risking permanent injury. Maybe it was the look on the face of someone facing a life-threatening illness, but they knew that they must face the pain and the treatment plans ahead if their life was to be extended.

Jesus was resolute in his focus to endure his suffering with all of its mental and physical pain along with the pain of separation from his father in heaven who would not be there to rescue him. But Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem for you, for me, for the world.

In Luke 9:55, we see the face of Jesus again. This time it was after the disciples were angry and worked up because of a group of people in a Samaritan village that would not allow Jesus lodging or food because they knew he was headed to Jerusalem. Their hatred of the Jewish people was so strong that they rejected the very one who would die for their sins as well in just a few weeks. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven. Verse 55 says:

“But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.”

Jesus turned and looked at James and John. Luke doesn’t describe the look, but it was at least a look of disappointment in their lack of love and compassion. But it was likely also a look of frustration and even anger at their lack of understanding and spiritual growth since they had walked with Jesus and been taught by him for three years.

There is one other face we should note in Luke 9. It is found in verse 62:

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

This time it is not the face of Jesus being referenced. It is the face of one who says they love Jesus. They believe; they want to follow. But instead of setting their face on Jesus, instead they turn their heads away from the call of Jesus and toward their personal preferences and obligations. Jesus calls for his followers to lay down their lives for him and for his kingdom just as he has laid down his life for us.

Father, increase our faith that we might set our face on Jesus. Give us the courage to follow you on the easy days and on the hard days knowing that you will never turn your head on us in our time of need. Thank you for enduring the cross so that our sins might be forgiven and our lives could be transformed. Thank you for allowing us to show your love and mercy on our faces. May the light of Christ be visible in us as we point others to you.

Today we turn our eyes to you, Jesus, in love and obedience. Thank you for loving us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Luke 9:28-36 ; Luke 9:51-56; Luke 9:57-62 ESV

Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash
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