Where is he? The bible says in Matt.2, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, “WHERE IS HE? This one born king of the Jews, for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
The most important question we could possibly look at today is this very question, “Where is Jesus Christ?” Where is He as far as you are concerned friend? You’ve heard the phrase, “Wise men still seek Him,” and it’s true! To seek Christ diligently every day is the loftiest of all pursuits.
Today very briefly I want for us to see 7 perspectives of Jesus as we join the WISE men and look for him today.
FIRST WE SEE HIM AS THE SAVIOUR; Where is he? Born in a manger. What did the angel say to Mary, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall SAVE his people from their sins.” How many of you this morning with an upraised hand would be willing to recognize, I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I HAVE OR HAVE HAD, A SIN PROBLEM AND I’VE NEEDED A SAVIOUR? Lift your hand high. “Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall SAVE his people from their sins.”
We see here in the manger the one who was born to die? Most babies are born to live, and the whole meaning behind their existence is to live life to the full for as long as possible. Jesus on the other hand was born at just the right time, He was born for a specific time and He was born with one express purpose in mind. TO DIE FOR YOU AND ME. John the apostle, on the Isle of Patmos responds to our question, “Where is He?” in Revelation 13:8 when he declares Jesus to be the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
Do you see Him today as your Saviour? Don’t miss the view of this one born in the manger - born to die for you.
2.) The second perspective we see as we ask “Where is He?”, is that of Jesus our example, going about his mission. Hundreds of years before he walked the earth Isaiah had written of Jesus, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath appointed me to preach good news unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prisons to them who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.” Is.61:1-3
The scriptures record a plethora of stories that show how wonderfully Jesus fulfilled the vision Isaiah saw. Today this same Jesus heals the broken hearted. He sets the captives free and he ministers to those who mourn.Where is He? Do you see him today as your example, going about his mission.
3.) The third perspective from which we view the Lord Jesus is on the cross. Here we see him as our Substitute. Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Remember, He was born to die. His focus in life was his death. The singular desire of His loving heart was to be the substitute for YOU and ME on the cross of Calvary. We deserved death! He deserved life and all the wonders of His power in glory, but He set it all aside to taste death for you and me.
Dennis Hensley tells the following story in an article entitled, “To sacrifice a son”. It was the 1920’s in Oaklahoma and John Griffiths dreamt of travel to far away places with strange sounding names. He was a newly married man in his early twenties, and had just become a father of a baby boy. His dreams all crashed though with the great crash of 1929, and like countless thousands, John Griffiths packed up what little he had in an old Model T and headed east in search of work. They made their way through Missouri into Mississippi and there found a job tending one of the great rail road bridges that spanned the mighty Mississippi. It was John’s responsibility to sit day by day in the control house of the massive bridge with its huge gears to let the barges and ships go by, and then lower the bridge for the trains to roar across the Mississippi. He used to sit there and contemplate what these ships were all carrying and what far reaches of the world they were going to, or coming from.
It was in 1937 that he brought his eight year old son, Greg with him for the first time to see how the bridge worked. His son was wide-eyed as he saw dad push leavers that would raise this great bridge at his fathers will. Surely his dad was one of the most important men in the world to control this magnificent bridge.
When lunchtime came, he raised the bridge to let some ships pass through and he and his son went to a cat walk where they could better observe the passing ships. As they ate lunch, John told his son stories about the boats and their ports of call. Time passed! John was just in the midst of telling Greg about the time the river overflowed it’s banks with such tragic results when he was startled by the distant sound of a train whistle. He checked his watch and realized that it was 1:07. The “Memphis Express Train” was due in just a few minutes.
John did not panic. He quickly jumped to his feet, told his son to stay where he was and he ran back the catwalk to the steel ladder that took him into the control house. He looked up the river and was relieved to see that no ships were coming. Then according to safety custom, he looked underneath the control house to see that there was nothing there. It was then he saw what made his heart jump into his throat.
As he peered down into this massive gear-box room, there beneath the cogs of the two main gears was Greg, his son. He had sensed something was serious and had tried to follow his father back but had fallen off the catwalk and was now lying there conscious but trapped between these gears.
John realized immediately that if he lowered the bridge, his son would be crushed, but what could he do? He formed a plan: he would take the rope coiled nearby, climb down the ladder, run down the catwalk, tie off the rope, climb down, free his son, come back up, then pull his son to safety, then run back the catwalk, climb the ladder, and lower the bridge for the train. He had no sooner finished thinking his way through this when he realized with absolute terror, that he would not have time to do any of that.
What could he do? Now his mind did panic! His blood was frozen! Everything went into slow motion in his mind. There were 400 people on the train, roaring towards the raised bridge. Soon the train would break out of the trees at great speed. But this….this was his son; this was his only child. His mother was waiting at home. He was his father and this was his boy, suddenly he knew what he had to do.
He buried his head in his arm and with his other hand he pushed the leaver forward. The bridge had barely settled in place, when out of the trees roared the Memphis Express, with four hundred passengers. It raced across the bridge, oblivious to the tragedy taking place, right below them.
John Griffiths lifted up his tearstained face in time to see through the train windows a businessman reading the morning paper. There was a conductor looking at his pocket watch. There were ladies sipping coffee in the dining car and a little child pushing a long spoon into an ice cream sundae. None of these passengers looked out at John Griffiths, or at the massive gear room where John’s dreams lay crushed and broken. Griffiths hit the window with his hand, “What’s the matter with you people, don’t you realize I just sacrificed my son for you? No one answered. No one cared! No one even noticed his tears. The train just roared across the river and out of sight. Don’t be like those people this morning. Don’t get so preoccupied with life that you neglect to notice who gave it to you. Seek after the one who came after you, seeking a relationship with you.
This morning here at Rosebank will you ask with me - where is HE? The writer to the Hebrews helps us - chapter 2 vs. 9, “But we see Jesus, made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour that He by the Grace of God might taste death for every man”. (Let me say in parenthesis for any of you who are ultra Calvinists - the scriptures are clear, Jesus died for every man, woman and child, not just for the elect. We all have God’s prevenient grace for the choice.)
Where is He? Hanging on the cross as our Substitute.
4.) The forth perspective we see when looking for Jesus is that of our NEW LIFE, rising from the grave. Sir Lynol Lecoo, one of the most highly respected legal minds of the 20th century has said, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an absolute certainly. To the investigative mind that will search out the historical records, there is overwhelming evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, there is more recorded evidence for the resurrection than there is that the holocaust ever took place and we accept it as fact by the evidence.” In Matt.28:5&6 the angel of the Lord came and answered the searing question on the hearts of a group of women gathered around what appeared to be a vandalized tomb. They were saying, “WHERE IS HE?” and the angel spoke, “Fear not, for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here! He is risen as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.”
The bible says that Jesus rose from the dead as a kind of firstfruits. Listen to that great apostle, Saint Paul. “But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, (But Pastor Tim, Who does this affect here today?) BUT FRIENDS LISTEN TO THE GOOD NEWS, by man also came the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Cor.15:20&21.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever liveth and believeth in me shall NEVER die!”
Where is He? He is not in the grave! He is risen and because he did, YOU CAN!
5.) The fifth perspective of Jesus in our wise man’s quest to find Him is that of Jesus our High Priest and Intercessor. Here He is at the right hand of the Father in glory. Paul tells us in Romans 34 that the risen Christ is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.
How many of you are grateful today that someone prayed for you or is currently praying for you? ASK AROUND> Earlier, we said in answer to the ultra Calvinists among us that Jesus died or tasted death for how many men? _______ALL. And again we turn to the writer of the Hebrews in chapter 7 vs. 25 to learn, “Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost ALL that come to God, (HOW?) by Him, (friends there is no other way to God. Jesus is the way, the only way, the truth and the life.”) seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Friends this same Jesus who we see in a manger, born A SAVIOUR for you. This same Jesus we see as our example, going about his mission of doing good. This same Jesus we see as our Redeemer hanging on the cross as our substitute, This same Jesus we see as our NEW LIFE, rising from the dead, It is this very same Jesus who is at the right hand of the Father this morning and he is saying, “Father see my precious child __________. They need help. They have been blinded by the world, sin and the devil. They need more light. Holy Spirit, whisper in their ear today regarding my love. Regarding the blood I shed on the cross for their sin and guilt.
Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of the Father in these SACRED moments. He is interceding for you, gathered here at Rosebank this morning, friend. And the Holy Spirit is here – He’s in the house! He’s moving in this place. Are you listening?
The (6th) sixth perspective we see of Jesus today in answer to the question, “WHERE IS HE” is a very personal one. It is one that must be answered by each one of us here - “IS HE SEATED AS LORD ON THE THRONE OF MY LIFE?” What have you done with this one who has offered the great exchange to you.
His death for your life.
Your sinfulness for His righteousness,
Your pain for his comfort.
Your loneliness for His presence,
Your anxieties and fears for His peace.
Your sorrows for His joy.
Your bondages and sinful habit for his freedom
Your ashes for His beauty.
Where is HE? Is he seated on the throne of your heart this morning?
Whoever sits at King on the throne of your heart will direct which kingdom you are living for. The bible says this kingdom of this world is under the curse of God and it will all pass away. Until you yield the throne to the only one fit to be king, you too are doomed and condemned with no hope for the future. Can you imagine that? You live without Christ in this life and bear all the storms, inequities and injustices of this life, meaning that basically - life stinks, then you pass on and find that it gets infinitely worse because you never made the right choices in life. How awful is that? But today is the day of salvation if you’re listening. Today you can give the throne to Jesus, or as the Country song of the year in 2005 says, “Jesus – Take the Wheel.”
7.) The 7th and final perspective of Jesus is very near. What was it Paul said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you do show the Lord’s death ’til HE comes.” The 7th perspective in response to the question “Where is HE?” is, Coming to gather His children home. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also.