HOW TO SEE JESUS

TEXT- HEBREWS 2:9-18

INTRODUCTION

HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU NEEDED BUT COULDN'T FIND IT UNTIL YOU DIDN'T NEED IT ANYMORE?

LAST WEEK I PREACHED ON THE TOPIC OF JACOB'S LADDER AND SEARCHED AND SEARCHED FOR AN ILLUSTRATION THAT WOULD GO ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE.

WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ILLUSTRATION FOR THIS WEEK'S MESSAGE I CAME ACROSS ONE THAT NOT ONLY IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS WEEK BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECT FOR LAST WEEK AS WELL.

A MINISTER HAD PREACHED ON THE SUBJECT OF JACOB'S LADDER, AND HIS SON WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE MESSAGE. A FEW DAYS LATER HE TOLD HIS FATHER THAT HE HAD DREAMED ABOUT THE STORY. "AND WHAT DID YOU SEE"? ASKED THE FATHER. "I DREAMED," REPLIED THE BOY "THAT I SAW A LADDER REACHING UP INTO THE CLOUDS. AT THE FOOT OF THE LADDER WERE MANY PIECES OF CHALK, AND NO ONE WAS ALLOWED TO CLIMB UP THE LADDER WITHOUT TAKING A PIECE OF CHALK AND MAKING A MARK ON EACH RUNG FOR EVERY SIN THEY COMMITTED." "VERY INTERESTING, WHAT ELSE DID YOU SEE." ASKED THE FATHER. "WELL, I STARTED TO CLIMB UP, BUT I DIDN'T GET VERY FAR BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE WAS COMING DOWN." "WHO WAS THAT?" ASKED THE FATHER. "IT WAS YOU," REPLIED THE BOY. "ME? WHAT WAS I COMING DOWN FOR?" "MORE CHALK!" SAID THE BOY.

THIS MORNING MY TEXT IS FOUND IN HEBREWS 2:9-18 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "HOW TO SEE JESUS."

DURING THE LAST FEW MONTHS THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PUBLICITY GIVEN TO THE MOVIE, "THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST", IN WHICH JESUS IS DEPICTED AS A LESS THAN PERFECT SAVIOR.

AT ONE POINT IN THE MOVIE JESUS EVEN SAYS THAT HE HAS THE DEVIL IN HIM.

THROUGHOUT HISTORY THE WORLD HAS ALWAYS ATTEMPTED TO BRING JESUS DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL OF IMPERFECTION BY TRYING TO MAKE JESUS APPEAR AS THOUGH HE WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING.

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT PERFECTION IS A WOMAN WHO FINDS WHAT SHE WANTS THE FIRST TIME SHE PUTS HER HAND IN HER PURSE.

SOMEONE ONCE ASKED A MAN TO GIVE A DEFINITION OF PERFECTION. "THAT'S EASY," HE SAID, "MY WIFE'S FIRST HUSBAND."

AS HUMAN BEINGS, NONE OF US ARE PERFECT, BUT JESUS IS PERFECT.

HOW DO WE KNOW HE IS PERFECT?  IT’S BY LOOKING AT WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US.

THIS MORNING I’D LIKE US TO SEE FIVE THINGS ABOUT JESUS.