The Marred Face
W. K. Bryce. Isaiah 52:14-15 As many were astonished at you; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: I. CHRIST'S FACE BEING SO BEAUTIFUL WAS EASILY MARRED. The perfect beauty of God was the reflected loveliness of Christ. Perfection is easily blemished; the more beautiful anything is, the more easily it is injured. II. CHRIST'S FACE WAS AN INDEX OF HIS LIFE AND WORK. His face told the story of His inner life. This was the chief reason for the loveliness of Jesus' face. His heart was full of pure, white thoughts, and consequently rays of beauty shot out through His gentle eyes. There burned within Him the light of tranquillity, which found expression in His calm, peaceful countenance. All the grandest virtues of this life could be seen in Jesus' face. And yet this beauty was marred, the light from His inner light suffered a black eclipse. His face was also an index of His work. When you see a man in the street you can often tell whether he is student, artist or working-man. The employment makes a certain impression upon the face. Christ s employment must have told upon His countenance. In His compassion for souls "He sighed deeply in spirit," "He groaned and was troubled." Words such as these convey some idea of the wear and tear Jesus had to endure. III. THERE ARE SPECIAL INSTANCES GIVEN OF THE MARRING OF HIS FACE. At the grave of Lazarus, when the sisters were lamenting for their dead brother, Christ joined in the sorrow and wept, His face being stained with tears. On the brow of Olivet as He stood looking at the beloved city He began to weep, and in the garden of Gethsemane as the sweat dropped from Him in drops like blood, He fell on His face and prayed; in the judgment-hall when standing in the presence of His accusers, we read, "And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say unto Him, Prophesy, and the servants did strike Him with the palms of their hands." They degraded Jesus as much as possible, directing their blows and insults to His face; such treatment would tell heavily upon His appearance. IV. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING ATTRACTIVE IN THE FACE OF JESUS. The average man could see no beauty in Jesus; still, the children were attracted by Him, and children as a rule are either repelled or won by a look. It was by a look that Jesus won Peter from a state of backsliding. In conclusion, we like to think of God as having a face the same as that of Jesus. Scientists talk of "an essence," "a great first cause," "something in the abstract," but with such definitions we wander and cannot understand God. By faith, as Dr. Saphir says, "we see the face of our dear God and seek Him as a friend" or, like one of old, we say, "Thy face, Lord, will I seek." We look forward to one day seeing the face of Jesus. (W. K. Bryce.) Parallel Verses KJV: As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: WEB: Like as many were astonished at you (his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men),