The Savior – The Person of Jesus Christ

Learning to Love Christ Supremely   

1 Corinthians 16:22

If anyone does not love the Lord — a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! NASB

Jesus is Supremely Valuable

As we have stated above, Jesus Christ is supreme in all things. He is Lord over the entire Creation, being not only the Creator Himself, but also the sustainer of everything in existence.

Acts 17:24-25 – 24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; NASB

He is the very Lord of History, directing all things to fulfill the purposes for which He made them. Everything was made by Him and for Him, and therefore exists for His own purposes, pleasure and satisfaction.

Proverbs 16:4 – 4 The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. NASB

Does not reason therefore demand that we understand Jesus Christ to be the most valuable being in existence? If He is the source of all other things, then He is infinitely more valuable than everything He has created! What thing in existence could it be said is of greater worth than the One who created it? The very thought is ridiculous. If Christ created the mountains and the valleys, are they of greater worth than He? If He made the most majestic, beautiful and powerful angels in Heaven, are they more beautiful than Him? If He made man and woman, the very pinnacles of His creative acts, and endowed them with splendor and beauty, intelligence and emotions and creative minds, are they more splendid or beautiful, more joyful and wise than the One who spoke them into existence? Of course the obvious answer is by all means NO! In Scripture the Psalmist wonders how God can be so gracious to mankind as to endow him with such gifts, and sees God the Creator as infinitely higher and exalted above mankind the creature.

Psalm 8:3-5 – 3 when I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? 5 Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty! NASB

The fact of the matter is, Jesus Christ is infinitely more valuable than everything He has created. When we see the creature, we should see in it just a glimmer of the infinite majesty of the One who created it. The earth and the heavens, in all their glorious beauty, only show us a small portion of the infinite beauty of Christ their Creator! When we look at mankind, and see the virtues in us, lovely things which are valuable, we see only a dim reflection of the infinite virtue of Jesus Christ, the very source of all virtue and goodness in the creation. In Jesus is the fullness of every grace, goodness and virtue! He is altogether lovely! He is glorious in His perfections! He is infinitely wise and powerful and loving and righteous! He is supremely valuable! This is why the greatest commandment in all the Scripture is to…..

Matthew 22:37-38 – 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.‘  38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. NASB

This loving of our Lord is expressed briefly by the great Puritan Pastor Thomas Brooks…. “There is not only fulness, but an overflowing of fulness in Jesus Christ. All wisdom, all knowledge, all light, all life, all love, all goodness, all sweetness, all blessedness, all joys, all delights, all pleasures, all beauties, all beatitudes, all excellencies, all glories are in Christ. The true lovers of Christ know that Christ loves as a head, as a king, as a father, as a husband, as a brother, as a kinsman, as a friend. The love of all relations meets in the love of Christ; and this raises up a believer to love Christ with a transcendent love. They know that Christ loves them more than they love themselves; yea, that he loves them above his very life. And magnes amoris amor, love is the magnet of love. Christ is amiable and lovely; he is famous and conspicuous; he is spotless and matchless in his names, in his natures, in his offices, in his graces, in his gifts, in his revelations, in his appearances, in his ordinances. He is full of gravity, majesty, mercy, and glory. “He is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” His mouth is sweetness; yea, all of him is desires, or all of him is delights, Song 5:10-16. Christ is wholly delectable; he is altogether desirable from top to toe; he is amiable and lovely, he is glorious and excellent. Christ is lovely, Christ is very lovely, Christ is most lovely, Christ is always lovely, Christ is altogether lovely. He is “the express image of God;” he is “the brightness of his Father’s glory.” If the soul can but discover him, it shall find in him all high perfections and supereminent excellencies. And upon these and such like considerations the saints are led forth to love Jesus Christ with a most transcendent love.” Now if these things be true, and they are, then our value system, the principles by which we value things, must come into conformity with what is truly valuable. Therefore if our affections are to be properly placed, they must be placed upon Him.