When Peter entered the tomb of the risen Jesus, he saw the linen graveclothes in the place where the body of Jesus had lain for three days. He saw also the cloth that had covered his Lord’s face, folded and laid separately. Who folded the facecloth? Angels? Jesus?
Angels folding it would have been a mark of respect, for the face cloth had covered the face of Jesus for three days and nights, and was then infused with the glory that had lit up the Lord’s face as he came back to life!
Who would not wish to have been there to witness that unique event? But who could have coped with the glorious presence of the risen Lord, as he removed the face cloth, folded it, and unwound the graveclothes from his new, immortal body? Oh, Lord Jesus!
I have flown into Australia at dawn many times, after an overnight flight — at times from Asia, and at other times from the United Kingdom. How good it was when an airline steward offered me a hot refresher towel, and how much better my face felt after rubbing it over my weary, travel-weary face!
The face is our most important feature – the sales of cosmetics and facial cleansers prove that. In Bible times, to be permitted to see the face of a king was a sign of great favour. Nehemiah was cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes, and the king saw that his face was sad. Nehemiah was frightened: the face of the king’s servant ought to have reflected the shine that came from simply being in the king’s presence! (Nehemiah 2:2)
The LORD’S promise that He would heal the land of Israel was dependent on His people seeking His face, which was a sign of His favour (2 Chronicles 7:14). When the evil Haman lost favour, the king’s servants put a bag over his head! (Esther 7:8) The disfavour on the king’s face was the last thing Haman saw before being hung.
Israel’s sins caused God to “hide His face” from them (Isaiah 59:2). But we who believe in Jesus see the face of God in the face of our Saviour. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) “Face to face” means that our countenances will fully reflect the face of our glorious Lord! They mirror it now, to a degree. “But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
If it was a grave offense to look sad in the presence of an ancient king, how offensive must it be to God when we allow condemnation, inferiority, insecurity or inadequacy, or whatever else to prevent us from looking our Lord ‘full in the face’?
In ancient times, looking into the face of a king was a favour conferred only on those subjects he deemed worthy. But Christians have the honour of beholding the glorious face of our Lord Jesus to ever-greater degrees, and seeing how much he favours us! (I Corinthians 13:12-13).
The early verses of 2 Corinthians, chapter 3, refer to the diminishing glow on the face of Moses after he had spent forty days in the presence of God. Not wishing the people to see that glory fading from his face, Moses covered it with a veil.
The faces of many people are veiled by strange religious beliefs, and entire nations are veiled by their inability to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ, much less understand it. But the faces of Christians are unveiled, and they shine with the unfading glory of the Covenant made for us by God in Jesus Christ.
Our faces are enlightened by degrees, as the image of the risen and glorified Lord Jesus is reflected in our open, upturned faces! If you are not yet saved, it is time you turned to the Lord, so the veil can be removed!
In a meeting one morning, I showed our people a veil that Lorraine had prepared, and asked those who felt unworthy or ashamed to come forward. When a number did, I placed the veil over their heads and in the authority of the Name of Jesus Christ broke the burden of unworthiness from them.
After removing the veil from each one, I pronounced the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 over that person. “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
One burly young man later told me that had he not sat down on his front row seat, he would have ended up “somewhere in the back of the church” – so greatly was he touched by the power of the Holy Spirit! All glory to God and to His splendid Son, Jesus Christ!
How refreshing it is to behold the face of God in the face of the Lord Jesus! (So much better than the most refreshing of those welcome airline face towels!) So, let’s turn away from sin and move closer to Jesus — so close that we can look him fully in the face and mirror his glory to those around us!