Jesus Is Altogether Lovely

From Solomon’s beautiful love song Jesus is described as being altogether lovely (Song 5:16). There is no greatness of character or greatness of achievement that is not marred by human frailty. Set you sights on something as perfect, and it is only a matter of time before you discover its imperfection.  What seems to us to be uncommon and flawless wisdom will one day be exposed as flawed. Though Michelangelo’s statue of David may appear to be flawless, David was not, nor was Michelangelo. Though sports figures may dazzle us with their almost superhuman talents and flawless technique in the stadiums, their real lives are flawed. We often dream of the perfect mate or the perfect job or the perfect vacation but are continually disappointed to find out that it never happens. All the disappointments are reminders that we live in a broken world where there is no perfection.

Jesus is, however, a picture of perfection. He was flawless in his authority and wisdom. No matter how many times his enemies sought to confuse or embarrass him, they never succeeded. He saw through their intentions and exposed their deception. He was perfect in his love for children and people who needed his love. He reached out to the leper and the blind and cripple. He refused to let the little children be brushed aside underscoring their importance to him.

He was perfect in his power to control the elements of this world whether it was the raging storm where he stilled the waves and spoke to the wind or when he put a coin in a fish’s mouth. Jesus refused to use his power outside of the will of his father. He chose to die on the cross restraining himself from calling thousands of powerful angels to come to his rescue. He refused to perform miracles for entertainment even when it would have produced instant results favorable to him.

He was most of all perfect in his sacrificial death on the cross. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter according to the will of his father because he was God’s lamb. Jesus’ death meant acceptable payment for our sinful flaws. He chose the cross even as Satan tempted him to take a shortcut to glory. Jesus chose to suffer and die so we could be saved from our sins and not have to face God’s wrath. He is altogether lovely.