Seeing and Savoring the Glory of Christ

In today's reflection, we explored the profound reality of Jesus Christ's presence and glory. Jesus is not just a historical figure but a living, active presence in our lives, more real and alive than we can imagine. He is always with us, never sleeping, always ready to meet our needs and speak to us through His Word. This morning, as I sought His guidance, I was reminded of the story in Mark where the disciples worried about not having bread. Jesus reminded them of His past miracles, emphasizing that He is sufficient for all our needs. This encounter underscores that Jesus is alive and actively involved in our lives, inviting us to see and savor His glory.

We then turned to John 12, where some Greeks expressed a desire to see Jesus. Jesus responded by speaking of His impending glorification through His death and resurrection. This passage highlights that to truly see Jesus, we must understand His sacrifice and follow Him, even to the cross. Seeing Jesus is not just about physical sight but involves the eyes of our hearts being enlightened to His glory. This spiritual sight transforms us, as Paul describes in Ephesians and 2 Corinthians, where beholding the glory of the Lord changes us into His likeness.

The essence of our journey is to see and savor Jesus Christ, which involves both recognizing His infinite worth and treasuring Him above all else. This is not merely an intellectual exercise but a deep, heart-level experience of His divine glory. Jonathan Edwards speaks of this as an intuitive knowledge of the gospel's divine nature, a direct apprehension of its glory. This seeing and savoring are crucial because they are integral to saving faith, which includes receiving Christ as supremely valuable.

In conclusion, to see and savor Jesus is to engage with the gospel deeply, allowing the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts to His glory. This spiritual sight is cultivated through the Word, particularly the gospels, which lead us to the cross where Jesus' glory is most fully displayed. As we behold Him, we are transformed, and God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Present Help:** Jesus is always with us, never sleeping, and ready to meet our needs. His presence is more real and alive than we can imagine, and He invites us to rely on Him in every situation. This assurance of His constant presence should encourage us to seek Him daily and trust in His sufficiency. [00:09]
  2. Seeing with the Heart: True sight involves the eyes of our hearts being enlightened to the glory of Christ. This spiritual sight is not about physical vision but about perceiving His divine nature and worth. It is through this heart-level seeing that we are transformed into His likeness.
  
  3. The Glory of the Cross: Jesus' glory is most fully displayed in His death and resurrection. The cross is where His divine attributes shine brightest, and it is through understanding and embracing this sacrifice that we truly see Him. This understanding calls us to follow Him, even to the point of self-denial.
  
  4. Savoring Christ's Supremacy: Saving faith involves receiving Christ as supremely valuable, not just as a means to an end. This means treasuring Him above all else and finding our deepest satisfaction in Him. Such faith requires a new nature, one that delights in His glory.
  
  5. Transformation through Beholding: As we behold the glory of Christ, we are transformed into His image. This transformation is a process that requires lingering in His Word, meditating on His truths, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts. Our growth in Christlikeness is directly linked to our vision of Him.
  
  ** [00:09]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:09] - Jesus' Ever-Present Help
• [00:57] - The Disciples' Lesson on Bread
• [03:10] - Jesus' Magnificence and Glory
• [04:06] - Greeks Seeking Jesus
• [05:14] - The Path to Glory
• [06:41] - The Grain of Wheat
• [07:48] - Following Jesus to the Cross
• [09:02] - Prayer for Spiritual Sight
• [10:22] - Seeing and Savoring Jesus
• [11:14] - Two Kinds of Seeing
• [12:17] - Eyes of the Heart
• [14:10] - Dimensions of Glory
• [16:02] - Transformation through Beholding
• [18:09] - Jonathan Edwards on Divine Glory
• [20:50] - The Direct Evidence of the Gospel
• [22:46] - The Cross: Wisdom and Power
• [24:10] - Taste and See
• [26:03] - How to Pursue Spiritual Sight
• [29:58] - The Gospel's Role in Seeing
• [33:04] - Engaging with the Gospels
• [37:30] - The Cross: Center of Glory
• [38:15] - The Glory of the Cross
• [51:15] - Savoring Christ's Supremacy
• [56:05] - Receiving Christ as Supremely Valuable
• [59:27] - Christ Above All Else

1. Mark 8:14-21
2. John 12:20-26
3. Ephesians 1:17-18

1. In Mark 8:14-21, why were the disciples concerned about not having bread, and how did Jesus respond to their concern? What does this reveal about their understanding of Jesus' past miracles? [01:40]
2. According to John 12:20-26, what was Jesus' response to the Greeks who wanted to see Him, and what did He mean by "the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified"? [05:14]
3. In Ephesians 1:17-18, what does Paul pray for regarding the eyes of the believers' hearts, and why is this significant for understanding spiritual sight? [12:17]
4. How does the sermon describe the concept of "seeing with the heart," and what role does this play in our transformation into Christ's likeness? [16:02]

1. What does Jesus' reminder to the disciples about the leftover baskets of bread teach us about His sufficiency and our tendency to forget His past provisions? [02:42]
2. How does Jesus' explanation of His glorification through death and resurrection in John 12:20-26 challenge our understanding of what it means to truly see Him? [06:41]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual sight, as described in Ephesians 1:17-18, is essential for experiencing the fullness of our inheritance in Christ? [14:10]
4. How does the sermon connect the concept of savoring Christ's supremacy with the nature of saving faith, and why is this distinction important for believers? [51:15]

1. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt anxious or worried. How can you remind yourself of Jesus' sufficiency and past faithfulness in similar situations? [00:09]
2. Jesus calls us to follow Him to the cross, which involves self-denial. What is one area of your life where you struggle with self-denial, and how can you take a step towards embracing this call? [08:03]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of seeing with the heart. What practical steps can you take to cultivate spiritual sight in your daily life, such as through prayer or Bible study? [12:17]
4. Consider how you currently value Jesus in your life. Are there things you treasure more than Him? How can you begin to shift your focus to savoring Christ's supremacy? [51:15]
5. Transformation through beholding is a process. What specific practice can you incorporate into your routine to spend more time beholding the glory of Christ? [16:02]
6. The sermon mentions the importance of engaging with the gospels to see Jesus. How can you make reading the gospels a regular part of your spiritual discipline? [33:04]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt insignificant yet alive, as described in the sermon. How can this experience help you understand your place in God's majesty and glory? [01:03:04]