This sermon focuses on the significance of beholding Jesus as the central focus of our lives, highlighting how Jesus, as the perfect man, represents both God's character on earth and humanity's representation in heaven. It emphasizes the importance of surrendering to Jesus, acknowledging His power to save, transform, and bring freedom in our lives.

This morning I want to begin from the book of john the gospel of john chapter 19 Father we just thank you for your awesome presence in this house This is your house that you've raised up. You are pleased to dwell here our spirit joins with your spirit and just worship this morning Of your greatness and awesomeness and we thank you lord jesus for already doing wonderful things in our lives As we focused upon you in worship We continue lord jesus to yield our lives to you have your way Holy spirit do as you want to do through your word We just absolutely surrender Our lives to you in jesus name amen so beginning in gospel of john chapter 19 verse 1 So then pilate took jesus and scourged him And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns Put it on his head and they put on him a purple robe Then they said hail king of the jews And they struck him with their hands Pilate then went out again and said to them behold i'm bringing him out to you That you may know that I find no fault in him verse 5 Then jesus came out Wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe and pilate said to them Behold the man Therefore when the chief priests and officers saw him they cried out saying crucify him crucify him Pilate said to them You take him and crucify him For I find no fault in him The jews answered him We have a law And according to our law He ought to die Because he made himself The son of god Back in the month of june when I was doing my own devotions reading from this particular passage The words behold the man Just leap from the page It just grabbed my heart And from that moment, I knew that there was something more than just What pilot was saying when he said? Behold the man And that's the title of the message this morning behold the man And so questions began to come to my mind As I saw lord, what is it that you want me to see? What does it really mean Why is it so important that we behold the man? And what are the benefits what are the things that are derived when I live my life by beholding this man So I began to study Realizing that this represented pilot's final effort to have jesus released From his accusers and from the sentence of death. He didn't want to kill him Pilate had hoped that by presenting jesus before the people wearing the crown of thorns his head and face beaten and bloodied beyond recognition that Possibly this would be enough to satisfy the Enraged people that was yelling crucify him crucify him Now the primary charge that was brought against him against jesus by the religious leaders and you saw it and you read it Was that a blasphemy? Jesus was a mere man in their minds who claimed to be the son of god And for this crime and this crime alone Only his death Would serve to satisfy their outrage But pilot Kept seeking to present jesus in a way that would release him That he's just a contemptible man one who was sufficiently publicly shamed and disgraced and humiliated Brought him out and said behold this man Look at him How could he possibly? be considered dangerous to society Is it worth it But there was There was nothing ordinary about this man Who had the power and the authority to heal the sick and open blind eyes and cast out devils and raise the dead and Miraculously, he fed thousands of people with just a handful of bread and fishes Quieted to storms just by the word of his mouth walked on water But there this man stood face bloodied Before pilot Not offering one word In his defense Pilot and even his wife knew they knew that this was not an ordinary man who's And they wanted to free him When later when he went to golgotha the centurion and those who were with him They witnessed the earthquake and the things that happened on calvary They knew that this man nailed to the cross Was not ordinary And yes the sanhedrin who saw him they saw him perform the miracles They knew he was not ordinary And for that reason they wanted him crucified They believed that jesus was more dangerous to society than barabbas Who was a convicted murderer? But both pilot And the pharisees were totally clueless and oblivious to the truth that day That the destiny and the fate of all mankind Was being determined in a higher court the courtroom of heaven The case being decided was not about just about this man who claimed to be god It was about god who became a man And the extraordinary life that he lived and the incredible works that he performed To redeem us The world Pilate's words behold the man was far greater has far greater meaning than what pilot intended Behold a man Who was a total man? He experienced human growth from childhood to manhood. He shared fully in all human experience But he was misunderstood More than any other man He suffered more than any other man. He was tempted more than any other man. He died a death that was worse Than any other man Which made him the perfect man Yes, this man Was a perfect man He was the perfection of manhood There was no fault or there was no weakness in him first peter chapter 2 verse 22 Says he never sinned Nor ever deceived anyone He did not retaliate when he was insulted Nor threatened revenge when he suffered He left his case in the hands of god Who always judged fairly? Yes behold a man Who represents god's original pattern? For all of mankind You watch this man Behold this man and so I believe That the words behold the man were written by the inspiration of the holy spirit to call our attention today To a man who's meant to be the very focus the very center not only of the church, but our lives Behold this man In the book of hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 It says that we should fix our eyes upon jesus Who is the author? And the finisher of our faith to fix our eyes upon jesus Some translations use the words looking steadfastly on jesus Another translation says fixing our gaze we gaze upon jesus And all these words they emphasize the importance of keeping our eyes upon this man Just explaining it further Behold the man is making jesus the primary focus of my mind He's the center of my affections He's the reference point for all of my thoughts for all of my actions for all of my words Colossians chapter 3 verse 17 says whatever you do whether in word or deed Do it all in the name of the lord jesus That everything you do and everything you say he needs to be so much part of our lives that everything we think about He is the primary reference point that determines the value and the worth of what we say and what we think He is the man He is the man our time of meditating and focusing attention upon jesus Should never be limited to Just once or twice a week when we come to church or Just when we're in trouble Or we're in crisis jesus He is that person in our lives That we should receive that should receive more attention than wife Than husband than mother Than father than children than girlfriend than boyfriend Than Jesus said in matthew chapter 10 verse 37 If you love your father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of mine Or if you love your son or your daughter more than me, you are not worthy of mine Matthew chapter 10 verse 37 if you don't believe it And How can we love jesus more than even our family members if we give little time to building a relationship with him? Through prayer through study the word through worship Through focusing our mind upon him You see when the bible says in psalms 34 verse 1 I will bless the lord at all times his praise Shall continually be in my mouth That statement is based on the premise that our relationship with christ involves keeping him Foremost in our lives and at the very center of our minds and at the very center of our affections. How else can we? Continually praise him How else can we continually bless the lord? Now this is all important This is important for these reasons that we there's just a few reasons that it's important to to behold this man number one That our faith will always be rooted and grounded not in superficial religion That our faith will never be grounded in position Or program Or title or office, but our faith will always be rooted in a man hear me now Not in a building not in a denomination that our faith will always be rooted in a man And these times that we live in When life is becoming more difficult challenging and uncertain We must be certain about who we are And who's we are Christianity is not a religion of rules and regulations. It's a relationship with a person It's a relationship with the son of god who made himself known to us not only as being fully god But he is fully man folks. That man is one of us He's one of us Paul said in colossians chapter 2 verse 6 and now just as you accepted christ Jesus as your lord you must continue to follow him Let your roots grow down into him. Let your lives be built on him Then your faith then your faith will grow in the truth You were taught and you were oh and you will overflow with thankfulness Why do we have to behold the man? Because it's the only faith way our faith will grow It's the only way It's where faith comes from. He's the author and he's the finisher. He initiates faith in us I know our lives are so busy Our lives are so challenging It's easy for us to be distracted with all the busy business of our lives And to find our faith slipping and losing strength. I know that those happen But it's like the disciples Who were in the boat when there was a storm? And there came jesus walking on the water Peter asked if he could step out of the boat And meet jesus walking on the water And as long as peter kept his eyes on jesus he could do what jesus was doing But when he took his eyes off jesus When he focused on the circumstances surrounding him when he looked at the winds and the storm he sees peter began to sink That's why hebrews 12 verse 1 and 2 tells us let us run with endurance the race that is set before us Fixing our eyes on jesus. That's why it's so important because in the storms of life where there is so many When there's so much uncertainty in life where when there is so much There has to be some reference point that will keep us steady In the storms of life our faith hinges Our faith hinges on our willingness to stay focused on jesus No matter what may arise in our lives And i'm going to hear to tell you that he may never he may not always remove the storms from your life But I assure you that if you keep your eyes on him In the midst of the storm just keep looking at him. Keep looking at him fix your eyes upon him He will cause your faith to rise up And that faith will get you through Now i'm talking to somebody here to this morning that storm could be on your job right now And people you're working with keep your eyes on the lord No matter who you work just fix your eyes on him It could be in your marriage that storm could be in your marriage right now You may be going through a crisis in your marriage. You just fix your eyes Upon the one who walks on the water and he will see you all the way through The second reason why we must behold this man Is so that our lives will be conformed And shaped into his image See that's what makes us christian What makes us christian it's because we are we look like christ That's what makes us christian Not because we it's wonderful We need to go to church and we need to be here and and and do all the things that we're doing in the church But if we're not becoming christ-like Conformed and shaped into his image Someone said you become what you behold right You become What you behold whatever you fix your eyes. That is what you become And so we grow into the likeness and the character of christ as we set our minds on him first corinthians chapter 15 verse 45 Says the first adam became a living soul But the last adam who's jesus Became a listen to the words a life giving spirit Now that that by itself is worthy of a weeks of study That when he rose up from the grave And ascended he became a life giving spirit He is a source of all spiritual life Of divine life of eternal life at the moment his spirit comes into our lives We are that's what makes us born again It is his spirit coming into our lives and suddenly we are a new creation Why because this man is a life-giving spirit We don't look the same we don't act the same we don't talk the same as we did before But we are continually being shaped and molded and conformed into this man's image it doesn't stop This man's life-giving spirit which is being dispensed and parted and infused into our lives As we stay focused upon him So our very our very christianity depends on staying focused on him so that flow of life Could always be filling us I love the song that we sang earlier There is a fountain Who is the king? There is a fountain of life that flows from this man That changes us day by day And moment by moment He is a life giving spirit You stay focused on this man The apostle paul describes it best in second corinthians chapter 3 verse 17 Now the lord is a spirit And where the spirit of the lord is there is freedom and we all With unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory To another For this comes from the lord Who is the spirit? You see this this is what happens in true worship i'm talking about true worship When you really stand before the lord as we did this morning As we look at him There is a transference. There's an impartation. There's a this he dispenses life into us. That's why we feel so much better After worship service this thing folks is real this man. He sends life into us This thing is real And when god when jesus told the woman at the well that god is looking for worshipers He's looking he's always looking for worshipers. Well, this is the source of worship looking at jesus This is where this it inspires worship the revelation of who the lord is inspires us to say Oh glory to god I had to get that out. It was in me the whole morning So Now I know some people are saying Before we go any further in this topic. Some people are saying can't you be too spiritually minded and you're no earthly good Come on I mean, you know, can you can you just think about something else and come on get a life. Come on get a life I But beloved there is no such warning like that in the bible No No There is no such warning like that you can't get enough of jesus you can't you can't Oh Oh You see on the contrary we are more earthly good When we keep our minds stayed on jesus I want to look at some aspects of his life What is it that we we really need to be focused upon because there's so many dimensions of jesus Is wonderful one you can't even there's not enough books that could be written about his character his his nature his Who he's like? But I want to just highlight just a couple of things That I believe that the holy spirit puts some special focus and special emphasis on And as we talk about the holy spirit, it's important that all that we're talking about today this whole subject matter of beholding the man No one is a champion of that like the holy spirit no one John chapter 15 verse 26 It says but when the helper comes Whom I shall send to you from the father the spirit of truth Who proceeds from the father? He will testify Of me So that what do we know is that one of the primary works of the holy spirit Is that of exalting jesus? That is one of the primary works of the holy spirit to exalt him to lift him up I get a little bit frustrated with people who want to show How much of the spirit that they have and the only thing they do is draw attention to themselves I'm not frustrated with that Because if you're really full of the spirit that whatever you do whether it's singing or preaching or teaching or ushering whatever you do Is there something in your life that's drawing attention? to jesus You see and that's what the holy spirit focuses on He he focuses that I want you to draw attention to jesus. I want to lift him up in your life I want to exalt him in your life. And that's the real evidence of a spiritual man or a spiritual woman There's a full there's a there's an element of jesus And there's these two pictures the holy spirit wants us to see Number one that jesus was god's perfect representative in the earth And number two that jesus was man's perfect representation representative in heaven. Let me say that again That jesus was god's perfect representative in the earth And jesus was man's perfect representative In heaven One of the disciples asked jesus in john chapter 14 lord Show us the father And we will be satisfied And I believe that's a big question around the world all the different religions different cults and sects Are seeking to find god to know god to know what he's like How can we know god how can we know that he exists what is his relationship to the world and what is his relationship to me But the answer to those questions are all answered in this man jesus philip's question to jesus We want to see the father just show us the father It's answered when jesus said Have I been with you all this time philip? And yet you still don't know who know who I am anyone who has seen me Has seen the father it's a profound statement This Omnipotent god who created the heavens and created the earth Who holds all things together by his power Is invisible invisible to us But made known to us through this man So that jesus said if you know me, you know the father That's a profound that's a profound revelation Christ the man Provides the answers to the questions about god He says that god is a father who loves us with an unfailing love How do we know that god loves us because jesus loves us with an unfailing love? The father knows what things we need of before we ask him the father will withhold no good thing from us God is a god who will forgive no matter how undeserving we are How do we know that because that's what jesus did? And his ministry well i'm going to show you what your god is like I'm going to show you his character. Just look at me And that all may become god's children through faith in his son Now it's important to emphasize something That this man jesus is the only I say the only doorway to knowing the father He's the only one that way you can experience relationship with the father John 14 verse 6 jesus said this I am the way And the truth and the life No one comes to the father But through me i'm going to break this down a little bit because it's so important Jesus is the only way to having relationship with god You cannot bypass jesus christ And expect to have relationship with god, I don't care how long you meditate cross-legged I don't care He's the only way you can't bypass jesus You can't climb the biggest mountain or go into the deepest valley. You cannot meet god without jesus. He's the only way You can't know him God Jesus is the only one who has the truth about god God reveals himself what he really is like only through his son Jesus said to Said to us that no one knows the father, but the son Now that you gotta hear that You can't know the father unless you know the son There's no way around it you can't say well, I don't believe in jesus, but I love god you can't love god You can't even know god You can't even know him if you don't acknowledge and accept his son Jesus is the eternal bread of life given by god Jesus said in john 6 51 I am the living bread That came down out of heaven If anyone eats of this bread He will live forever And the bread also which I will give for the life of the world Just like we did communion. It's such a wonderful sacred moment to take communion Because it is represents it symbolizes That he is the one that nourishes me He is the one that sustains me. He is the one that ensures that I have life in me He is life To sum that part of it up Is jesus is the only way it means to the knowledge of god the salvation of god the grace of god the provision of god The power of god the forgiveness of god And yes Even the prayers that god answered or answers are only answer when we ask in the name of that man Of that man The number second thing that the picture we want to focus on is that jesus was man's representative in heaven This is profound He's one of us folks Though he's fully god. He became fully man He is one of us I remember pastor tim Was preaching from this pulpit a couple of weeks ago He made a statement that I wrote down because I did not want to forget it Pastor tim said what god so passionately hates Which is sin Is in those he so passionately loves Which is all of mankind What a statement What a statement And so it was necessary it says in hebrews chapter 2 verse 17 to resolve what seemed to be Irresolvable this conflict that god loves us so much, but he hates the sin that's in us That's the only pathway to resolving that conflict Was sending the man Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17 Is this it says therefore it was necessary for him Jesus christ to be made in every respect like us His brothers and sisters so that he could be our merciful and faithful high priest before god Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people It's a powerful statement it's found in hebrews chapter 2 verse 17 You see the case against mankind That's in heaven being argued in the courtroom of heaven Had to be decided by a man Not by an angel or cherubim or a seraphim The case was against the man mankind It had to be decided not an angel And it had to be a man Who could satisfy? God's divine justice And a man who could justify god's divine mercy Hear that a man who could satisfy god's divine justice And could justify god's divine mercy And so this man identified with our humanity He identified with our sufferings and our sorrows And our weaknesses even as he was being baptized by john the baptist and john said no no No, i'm not gonna I don't need to you need to baptize me And jesus says to fulfill all righteousness That he was not being baptized for his own sins for jesus had no sin But he submitted to baptism in order to identify himself with all of us All of us who were in need All of us who lived under the constant pressure of the law of sin and death he identified with the pressures of life and was baptized Isaiah chapter 53 verse 4 says surely he has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows But the ultimate identification was on the cross When the bible says that he who knew no sin Became sin For us I'm going to say to you because of this man Whatever weight or burn you're carrying today This man can identify with whatever you're going through right now All the way He's one of us Whatever problems you have it's not beyond this man to understand And to provide you with an answer Which will change your life He took away our sin. He took away our shame That in him we might become the righteousness of god There was a divine exchange that day on the cross A divine exchange He took our sin And gave us his righteousness He took our shame And gave us his glory He is the glory and the lifter of our heads He took our sorrow And gave us his joy That divine exchange on the cross Was the ultimate identification that resulted in the change in us The good news today is that no matter what you or I have done in life This man, he paid the price on calvary He removed all the guilt. He removed all the shame so that in the courtroom of heaven There is a man That no matter what the accusation may come against you. There is a man that says not guilty Not guilty Not guilty For this reason we can rejoice Because there's someone who represents us in the highest courts in the highest courts The bible declares that this man who is christ Is able to save forever Whatever your situation he is able not only to identify with whatever you're going through But he has the power to save you because he is now seated at the right hand of god He the bible says he ever lives to make intercession for you He's praying for us this morning The house This house times square church is indeed a house of prayer because the lord over this house Is himself a man of prayer In closing We can be absolutely certain today That the presence of this man jesus christ is with us today It's not just a historical figure. He is with us today According to revelations chapter one. He is the one walking in the midst of the church His presence is here in this house He's walking in the midst of the church He shows up in every meeting Whenever there's just two or three gathered together. He's always there This man is always there He stands at the door of every heart Knocking and if you open up your heart to him, he comes in and he hangs out in fellowships with you That man is here Behold behold this man And the holy spirit is asking today Will you make jesus the primary focus of your mind? the center of your affections And the very center of your life could I ask the musicians to come? I felt the lord Word the lord gave me before I even preached this morning That i'm going to deal a blow against the devil this morning I'm a i'm a strike a blow against the devil those who right now who are living below Below the level That god intended for you to live you you're you're till you are more than conquers through this man Jesus has made us more He he's he's gone through it all for us. He's conquered sin and death for us And the lord wants to strike a blow against everything against anything that's keeping you in bondage Because this man has fought on your behalf and he's won the victory He's won the victory I want you to bow your heads right now. We're going to give an altar call right now Because this man is standing this is his house We are his people He is madly in love with every one of us And he will not let anything to separate us from his love And he wants to work as he's been working in this church sunday after sunday after sunday To declare that in christ there is freedom and there is liberty and there is victory And he wants to manifest his glory in your life Bow your heads right now Now lord, I pray right now in the name of jesus you're speaking to men and women all over this house right now These are the ones that you love so much We are betrothed to you Not only are you a man who died for us, but you're the man who we are engaged to That one day as a church, we will be married to forever What a man And lord through your word this morning we have been able to cast our eyes afresh and anew upon this remarkable man What a man Lord we pray right now even this morning That we would just completely surrender Everything that hinders that fetters love and relationship That binds us to you So that we are one with you This morning we're going to open up the altar right now And simply this As we said in the book of revelation he stands at the door and he's knocking That word was not just for unbelievers that word was for believers That word was for believers and sometimes because Of the difficulties of life. We just kind of our minds just kind of drift away from the only source Of freedom the only source of victory over whatever it is that we have to face sometimes we just kind of Drift away and he's there but he's not there that That door right now. He's knocking at the door of your heart. He said just let me back in Let me be the foremost person in your life and Let me show you what I can do in your life And so as whatever song that you lead in Just feel free to come to the altar right now to simply jesus I'm coming this morning to jesus Would you pray with me heavenly father I thank you That you've revealed yourself Through your son You've shown us How important we are And how much you love us By sending to us your son Thank you lord That we are here today Because you have drawn us You have made us to come today And we receive your son into our lives today jesus We welcome you into our lives come Live your life Live your life inside of me I want to know the love of god I want to have a relationship with the father I need him in my life Come jesus Establish your throne Establish your will in my life I am your child I am your child Live your life in me In jesus name Father I thank you right now for those that are here at the altar And by the name of jesus We broke break every yoke and bondage in the lives of your people right now in jesus name Now if you believe that whatever it is just raise your hand and receive this if there's a yoke in your life We're gonna break it right now from your life right now. He's here. We have his authority. We have his power So if there's anything in your life that needs to be broken just raise up your hand father in the name of jesus We break every yoke we break everything that restrains your people From experiencing the love of god We command it to lose your hold right now in the name of jesus. We command right now That life come to you right now We command life to come to every area where there is death where there in the area there is barrenness And wherever the area there is a void we speak the life of jesus Spirit of jesus flow right now just receive it right now Just say lord. I receive your life right now Just speak it say it out loud. Lord. I receive I receive your life I receive you are a life-giving spirit I receive your life right now. I receive your life Now the bible says he who the son sets free Is free indeed Yes Yes Say i'm free Say i'm free Free to live free to love Free to serve the lord I am free Now i'ma say to you That this life-giving spirit is transferable It's not just for you alone What god has done for you he wants you to do for other people Hallelujah We're to be conduits conduits of his love Conduits of his forgiveness conduits of his grace What you've received not just sunday but every sunday It's meant to be shared with others Some of you may need to get on the phone call Get up on a phone call after the service and call them said I don't care what happened between us. I forgive you You need to make a phone call just get on the phone and say no matter what I know what happened But I want to tell you right now. I forgive you And then be humble enough to say will you forgive me That is the character of this man Now father I pray right now that the same anointing that's upon us Will stay with your people Stay with your people. Let your grace and your anointing stay with your people And let them be divinely infectious That wherever they go People will receive that grace that we've received today That people will be set free people will be still loved Because of that man that we have renewed our relationship to We thank you In jesus name Let everybody say amen