Look and be like Him

We would see Jesus

“Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 2:21). These words were spoken by certain Greeks, who had come to Jerusalem to worship Jehovah at the time of the Passover Feast. This feast was a foreshadow of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and it was ordained to help people to understand how the Messiah must die for their sins. They had kept this feast for centuries, but they never knew it’s meaning, just like socalled Christians who observe Christmas and Easter, but do not know their spiritual meaning. These men who had heard about the Lord Jesus Christ, longed to see Him, and when they found the multitude around Him, they sent their request through Philip. “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Please help us so that we may see Him for a few minutes.” Philip went to Andrew, and they both came to the Lord Jesus. The Lord gave a most unusual answer. He said, “ Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone” (John 12:24).

Every word spoken by the Lord was full of grace and truth and of deep spiritual meaning. There have been many great teachers who spoke wonderful things but the words of the Lord Jesus are unique; they can never be forgotten. The words and saying of the Lord Jesus Christ have been written and explained in many books by great writers, but they have not yet exhausted their meaning.

Every word, which He spoke, was for a purpose. Why then did He utter those words, “Except a corn of wheat fall in to the ground and die it abideth alone?” These men had come from a very for country and were eager to see the Lord Jesus. Naturally both Philip and Andrew recommended their case to the Lord. By His reply it appears as if the Lord were ignoring them altogether. Why then did our Lord utter these words?

According to God’s word in Ephesians 3:20, “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” For instance, a sinner may come trembling to the Lord Jesus Christ and say, “Lord forgives me, I am sorry for my sins.” And the Lord says, “My child, I will not forgive your sins, I will give you My whole kingdom. Whatever you need, you ask and receive from My hands.” Our difficulty is we do not know how to ask. Even the disciples of the Lord did not know, though they had been with Him for three years. The Lord said to them, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). They had been thinking that they had asked many things from Him. Once they had returned so happy, bubbling with joy saying to Him, “See what we have been bale to do in thy Name.” Even then the Lord said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name.” In other words they had been asking only for those things, which could not make their joy full. So our Lord was saying, “Ask now, and learn to go on asking. We also need to learn the same lesson. We do not yet know hoe to ask God. When we do learn to ask, our Lord will give us more than we can ask or think or imagine.

“If I be lifted up… I will draw all men”

The Lord knew the hearts of the Greeks and with what desire they came to find fault, or like others who came for healing or to receive some favor. These only wanted to see Him. They thought just by seeing His face they would be happy and they could tell others that they had seen this wonderful man. So our Lord said, “Just by seeing Me in this way nothing will happen. That will not give you true joy. Learn to see me and over come”. He wants us to see Him not only for a few minutes but always and be with Him forever. Only then can you know His true greatness and glory.

But how to see Him in such a way? Our Lord had just said, “The hour is come, that the son of Man should be glorified” (John 12:23). This he said referring to His death. Then He continued, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will drew all men unto Me.” This He said, explaining what way He should die. When the Lord spoke these words to His disciples, the whole time His mind was upon His death and how He was going to be glorified by dying. He was saying to the people, “That is way I have come into the world that men may see the glory of the great God in Me. If you truly want to see Me, then for that very purpose I must die, like a corn of wheat. Then you will not only see Me, but you will become like Me.”

Suppose you are like a filthy, dirty beggar and you go to see a king. Imagine you are in filthy, dirty garments, which have not been changed for twenty-five years; and you have had no bath for many years. I such a condition you go before the great king. You say, “Your majesty, I want to see your face for one minute.” And the king says to you, “Come inside.” First he calls for the barber and asks him to give you a nice haircut. He brings you a new garment and makes you to put it on. Then he brings you outside and says, “Go now as my prince.” How would you feel at such a time? You came in as a dirty filthy beggar, to see the king for a few minutes, and you go out as a prince. With the very same desire our Lord was saying, “You only want to see Me for a few moments, but I want you to see Me and become like Me.” But could that be possible? To show this He was saying, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.” Now, we know one tiny grain brings forth hundreds of other grains. In the same way the Lord was teaching, “I must die so that not only these Greeks, but the whole world may be able to see Me forever, and whoever sees Me may become like Me.” Thus our Lord taught plainly and clearly that He was not drawing men by miracles, signs and wonders, or by other worldly means, but by His being Lifted upon the cross.

Some years ago many Indians thought that by putting on western clothes they would become Christians. They adopted western names like “George,” “Henry,” “Charles” and so on. They thought by having western names they would give jobs. But the time has come when preference is no longer given to these names. So George now becomes Munuswamy or Muthuswamy. Change of name, or change of garments cannot make you a Christian. The Lord said “I will change you and make you like Myself.” When a grain of wheat dies, it brings forth the same kind of grain in the whole stalk. Christ died that we all might become like Him.

For many centuries men blindly worshiped a figure of the cross and burned incense before it. See what God says, “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. But unto them, which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1Cor. 1:18,24). Because of sin all men have become foolish before God and extremely weak. We work so hard to earn money, and then waste is afterwards. We use our hands and feet to bring sin and shame. Our lives are a misery. But God has planned to restore us, and to make us all wise and strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. That wisdom and power can come only from the cross.

The Lord says, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.” But how foolish men are! They think they can draw others by their worldly wisdom. Works and money. That is why you see so much barrenness in Christian work in many parts of the world. But those who have received the cross and have come into the experience of the cross are completely transformed and they go on being transformed till they became like Christ.

There is an example how a life was transformed by looking at the cross. A certain artist painted a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. The artist was a Jew, and had no faith in Christ. Some time after ha begun to paint a portrait of a young girl. Whenever the girl came to his studio, she would sea the painting and questions the artist. “Who is that on the cross?” This question embarrassed him, and he would reply, “Do not disturb me about that. I now want to draw your picture”. As she had to go to him every day for the portrait, she would constantly ask him the question. Who is that on the cross?” In the end the artist had to tell her the story of the cross. He told it to her in just a few words: how Christ died, how He was buried and how He rose again. One day the artist received a message from the girl, “Please come and see me, I am dying.” So he went. He saw the shining face of the girl on her deathbed, and she said to him, “Sir, I want to thank you with all my heart because you have showed me the way of salvation. I have been a great sinner. My time has come to die. But I know my Lord has forgive my sin.” “How did He forgive your sins?” enquired the artist. Then she told him: “From the time I saw the picture in your studio and you told me its story, I became restless. I began to see my sins and than I realized that Christ died for my sins, and confessed my sins. Now I know He has forgiven me.” She continued, “It is because of you I met my savior and that is why I want to thank you before I die.” After she had said this, she peacefully passed away. Then the artist said to himself, “This painting of the cross has been in my studio for many years. I never knew its mystery. But now I know the power of the cross.” He repented of his sins and cried, “O Lord, I thank thee for dying for my sins.” Later he spent many years in painting a new portrait of the Lord Jesus on the cross. When he had finished, he wrote these words below. “All this have I done for thee, what hast thou done for Me?” The artist also died soon after. The painting found its way into a Berlin Art Museum. Many went to see the paintings in this Museum. One day a very wealthy count came to see the painting in order to buy a good painting for his palace. He went round looking at them all until he came to the painting of the cross and the words at the bottom drew his attention. “All this have I done for thee, what hast thou done for Me?” The count could not draw his eyes away from the picture and the words penetrate deep into his heart. The painting drew him nearer to the Lord. The picture was so living that he felt the presence of God. He felt as if the Lord Himself were standing by his side saying these words, “All this have I done for thee what hast thou done for me? I gave My hands to nailed for thee I gave My feet to be pierced for thee. I gave My back to be scourged for thee. I gave My face to be spat on for thee I gave My head to be crowned with thorns for thee, but what hast thou done for Me?” The count could not leave the place. He repeated within himself, ‘For me, for me!’ He saw his sins one by one, and cried, “He died for my sins.” Tears began to roll down his cheeks; he went on weeping for hours in the same sport, until the watchman came and said, “Sir, I must go home, it is very late”. The count bought that painting and took it to his home. Eventually he sold all he had used the money for the Gospel’s sake. He said, “Lord, you have done so much for me, now I give you my all.” Thus he became the founder of the Moravian Mission. It was from that time that the Gospel began to be taken in great power to many lands and millions have been drawn to the cross.

The Meaning of the Cross

This work of the cross in your life cannot be done easily. It can be done only by the Holy Spirit. It may happen in your life now or sometime later. But one thing is certain, once you will never be the same person again. There will be new power in your life. Christ died that you may die to your old nature. He rose again that you may rise with Him and become a new creation.

There is much to be said about the cross. Why did Christ die such a death? He did not die for Himself. He did for me; whether you know it or not, He died for you. Why then did He die for sinful men though He did no sin Himself. Why was He mocked by wicked men, and why did such a sinless person die? I wish to answer these questions by giving you seven points about the cross. Firstly, He died for my sins to free me from me from judgment and from the condemnation of sin. Secondly, He died that I may die to my wretched sinful nature. Thirdly, He died that I may die to the world and its deception. Fourthly, He died to put an end to old creation. When you cut the trunk of a tree the whole tree falls down. Similarly when God who is our Creator died, He died to put an end to the old creation. Fifthly, He died to become my living bread. Sixthly, He died to make us one entirely new like Himself. When these truths are clear to us, and by faith we look to the cross of the Lord Jesus, we receive new life.

Look and be Like Him

I have only one request, learn to look at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Greeks said, “we would see Jesus,” Our Lord was saying, “My dear friends, do you want to see Me? Then first of all be partakers of my death, like the grain of wheat dying in ground.” No man can save himself. He can try many means He can fast. Weep, say long prayers or suffer hardship; yet he cannot save himself. It is by faith we become partakers in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, some may have the tobacco habit for many years. They may promise, “From tomorrow I will not smoke,” but after one week they being to smoke secretly. They have become slaves to that habit. They struggle and get no relief. But when we understand the cross, every sin and vice vanishes away in a second. By the power and the working of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are given victory over sin.

As we continue to behold to behold the cross we become like our Lord Jesus. For example take those who are married. Before their marriage they were carried away by outward appearances. But after their marriage they are more concerned with inward virtues. They go on seeing some new virtue in each other. After many years they look like brother and sister, whereas before marriage there was a great difference between them. It is the some when the life of the Lord Jesus comes into you. As the work of the cross goes on, you become more and more like Him.

You may see miracles and dream dreams; but you will not see the Lord till you come to the cross and know by faith and revelation what He did for you. Then you can see Him always, you can see Him every day and everywhere; you can see His heavenly glory. O what a joy! When you learn to see the cross you will become more and more like Him. If you do not have that experience yet, come and have it now.