Pictures of Jesus: eXquisite

Jesus is excellent and exceptional and extraordinary. But He is also extremely exquisite. “Extremely exquisite” may sound redundant, but the Lord of Lords merits the emphasis.

The beauty of the Lord is beyond our comprehension. When we perceive Him face to face, we will undoubtedly be dumbfounded by His appearance in glory.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? (Malachi 3:2a, NIV)

Peter and John caught a glimpse of His glory at the Transfiguration. (See Matthew 17:1–9; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28–36; and 2 Peter 1:16–18.)

I wonder how that must have felt and how the experience changed those two men forever.

Angels know Jesus’ exquisite beauty.

The angels who encouraged Him during His 40-day solo trek of fasting, prayer, and temptation in the wilderness clearly saw it as well. Plus, they were familiar with His heavenly appearance, having known Him before He took on lowly human flesh for His earthly ministry of sacrifice and salvation.

American painter Thomas Cole (1801-1848) caught this moment on canvas for his work titled Angels Ministering to Christ in the Wilderness. It’s a beautiful scene, shedding light on the lovely Lord, contrasted against the barren countryside.

How wonderful will it be when we are able to behold Him in His glory. Only through His grace may we look forward to such a sight.

Your eyes will see the king in His beauty and view a land that stretches afar. (Isaiah 33:17, NIV)

Angels Ministering to Christ in the Wilderness

 by Thomas Cole

 c1843

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The Scripture memory tips series is ongoing, but the April A to Z Blogging Challenge has started, and Heart of a Ready Writer is participating again this year. Watch for the Bible memory series posts, which may be interspersed with the Pictures of Jesus series during the month of April.

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