Bible Portraits of Christ 05 His Eyes — James Booker

I'd like to open this evening by turning to two passages of Scripture to introduce our subject this evening, and both the passages are found in the Psalms. Psalm, please, chapter 94. Psalm, chapter 94.

One verse in this particular psalm, verse 9,. He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? And then, please, Psalm 139. Psalm 139. O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.

Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it. Verse 15. My substance was not hidden from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lower parts or lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect. In my book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Just a brief word of prayer. Gracious Father, once again we lift our hearts to Thee.

We praise Thee that Thou dost never tire of our coming to Thee. It is Thy delight for Thy people to lean hard upon Thee, and thus we do so again this evening. We desire for the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit of God that our hearts will be challenged and touched, and that we might be very conscious both now and through the meeting and following the meeting.

The Watchfulness of the Savior’s Eye

But Thine eye indeed is upon us. For this we pray in our Savior's worthy and precious name. Amen. We've been thinking of the works of the Savior's hands. We've been thinking of the walk of the Savior's speech.

We've been thinking of that wonderful face, and last night we were thinking of the wonder of His touch. And now tonight we want to consider a few verses, the watchfulness of His eye. That eye that ever is upon us.

I'm sure you've had that experience, particularly if you drive, that you look out the rear-view mirror or the side mirror and you notice a police cruiser behind you, and that is rather disconcerting, isn't it?

Whether you're going at the proper speed or not, it makes no difference. It might be 55 miles an hour. You might be going 45 miles an hour, but as soon as you sense that policeman behind you watching, you're inclined to go from 45, perhaps down to 35 for a while.

Somehow or other, the knowledge that he is watching affects us, or most of us, and I assume all of us, to a great extent. And immediately we check things and make sure that everything is in order, we're going the right speed, and so on.

It's rather interesting what happens when we know certain people are watching us, and our attitudes change according to the knowledge that someone is watching, particularly if that someone is someone that is in authority or we respect very highly.

I remember as a young believer, I was only saved, I believe, about a year at the most, and a man came to our assembly in Toronto, whom I'm sure a number of you know and have met in years gone by, a man by the name of Mr. John Blewer, and I had heard reports about him, about his knowledge of the Word of God, about his godly life, and so I was very anxious to listen to him and hear him, and on this particular evening I remember very clearly and vividly him getting up and taking the Word of God, and he opened up to Psalm 139.

And he began to read the psalm, and I must confess as he started to read the psalm and got down through the psalm, I was just a little bit disappointed, because he seemed to be stumbling along a bit and hesitating, and almost gave the impression he was not too sure of himself.

But when he got through, he looked up and there were tears in his eyes, and he made an apology for the way in which he read that psalm, and he made the statement that really drove home to my heart, and I've never forgotten it.

He said, I can never read that psalm without trembling. So when I think that the Lord watches every time I sit down and I stand up, he's acquainted with all my ways. He said, I find it very difficult in public to read the psalm.

I wonder if we're affected that way when we read a psalm like that. I wonder if we're affected that way when we stop and think that each day, each hour, each moment, the Lord has his eye upon us. He's watching all our ways.

He knows all our thoughts. He understands our thoughts afar off. Even before we can see what we're going to think, he knows the thoughts that are going to be formed in these minds of ours. No wonder he said, such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

It is high, I cannot obtain unto it. Now when we come to the eyes, again, like with the face, and like with the hands, eyes reveal many things, don't they? And when we look at a person and we look at their eyes, often we think certain things about those eyes.

For example, you often hear the expression, someone says to you, well, I want to tell you something, one thing, they've got starry eyes. And you know by that expression that this person apparently has fallen madly in love with somebody, and they just have starry eyes.

And there's just that sort of look that indicates starry eyes. Or perhaps you look at someone and you hear them saying later on, someone says, did you notice how shifty their eyes are? And of course, immediately you realize that they've sensed in that person a rather nervous type of eye, and they can't look you right in the eye to eye, and so they have shifty eyes, we think of it that way.

Or perhaps you look at another person and say, my, they've got dreamy eyes. They're sort of staring at you, I find this often in meetings when I'm speaking, people kind of staring at you, but they've got dreamy eyes, you know that their mind is far, far away.

Dreamy eyes. Or perhaps you look at, I'm sure most grandparents, when they look at their grandchildren, they say, oh, they've got very mischievous eyes. And they think of them as very mischievous and their eyes are just sharp with that mischief.

Or oftentimes you look at your mate, perhaps, and you say, I've got to be careful because they've got fire in their eyes. Fiery eyes. And so that's another concept that we see when we look at each other's eyes.

And so when we go on and on, there's such things as sparkling eyes. Eyes that seem to glitter and sparkle. You say, my, they always have a sparkle in their eyes. And sometimes you look at a person and say, my, you're awful weary tonight, and your eyes look very weary.

And so we do reveal many things by the eyes. And so it's no wonder that when the eyes of the Savior are brought before us in the scriptures, it reveals many characteristics that are of our Savior that challenge our heart.

And that's what I want to consider with you. Some of those characteristics of Christ relating to his eyes. Now, the first thing I want to think about is we have the time we're going to look at a number of characteristics as we see in his eyes.

Christ’s Perceptive Eyes

And the first thing is, when you read scriptures regarding the Lord's eyes, there's one thing that stands out in my mind, and that is he has perceptive eyes. His eyes are very perceptive. Turn with me, please, to Hebrews chapter four, Hebrews chapter four, and verse 13.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

And one of the things you notice as you go through the gospels is that so often the Savior is in company with a group of people, and we read statements like this, he perceived. He perceived their thoughts.

He perceived what was in their heart. He has very perceptive eyes. Listen to some of these verses. Proverbs chapter five, don't need to turn to it, but verse 21. The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord.

He ponders all his going. He never misses one. He ponders all his going. Listen to this verse, Proverbs 15 and three. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. They're in every place.

There's no way you can hide from him. Perceptive eyes. In Job chapter 34 and verse two, we read, his eye is upon the ways of man. He sees all his doing. He never misses a thing. Very, very perceptive.

In Psalm 14 and verse two, we read, the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if any understand and seek God. He's looking, longing for people to respond and say, Lord, I'm seeking for this.

He's looking for that. In Psalm 66, a very interesting verse along this line in verse seven says, that the Lord, his eye beholds the nation. Is he interested in what's going on in this world? Is he interested concerning Russia, China, the Middle East, North America?

Of course he is. His eye is upon all nations. Very perceptive. In Matthew chapter six, it says, he seeeth in secret. He seeeth in secret. And I remember those verses over in Revelation chapter two and chapter three.

Such heart-searching passages. And you remember to the seven churches, there was one comment he made to the seven churches, and that comment was, I know. I know. I know thy works. I know thy labor. I know thy patience.

And to every one of those churches, he knew. He knew all things. Our Lord is most perceptive. We try so desperately, oftentimes, to try to cover up and to perhaps make a show of things in front of others.

Maybe on Sunday at the service, we try to be a little different than other times, or when we come to meetings. But beloved, the Lord knows what goes on in your home. He knows what you do in your spare time, and the times when you're away from the eyes of other Christians.

His eyes are most perceptive, and he ponders all our ways. Everything is naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. You remember back in the Old Testament, there's that little statement concerning a certain king, and it speaks about this king, and he did that which was evil in the sight or the eyes of the Lord.

And then it would mention another king. He did that which was right in the sight or the eyes of the Lord. Do you know that expression, he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, is mentioned 30 times?

One king after another comes on the throne, the Lord watched him, observed him, and he made a commentary about it. He did that which was evil in my eyes, or he did that which was good in my eyes. 18 times we read, he did that which was good in the sight of the Lord.

All things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Over in the book of Judges, it's rather interesting that seven times through the book of Judges, that book of failure, as far as Israel was concerned, we read that Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

So he does not miss a thing. And when we come to the New Testament, beloved, we have such expressions as the Lord looked up at least six times, the Lord looked around at least seven times, and the Lord looked on or upon at least three times.

He was always looking, he was always observing. At least eight times his eyes are mentioned specifically. Three times it says he lifted up his eye. He lifted up his eye. On four occasions it speaks about his eyes being as flames of fire.

And often throughout the Gospels, and I'm sure you've noticed that, that throughout the Gospels, verse after verse speaks about the Lord saw or seen. He was always observing, he always saw things, and he responded according to what he saw.

Christ’s Loving Eyes

Very, very perceptive eyes. But not only are his eyes perceptive, I want to suggest to you his eyes are loving. He's got loving eyes. Turn to Song of Solomon, please, chapter 5. Song of Solomon, chapter 5.

Here in this beautiful description of the Lord that the bride gives, she speaks about his eyes in verse 12. This is what she says, His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set.

If you were to describe the Lord's eyes, how would you do it? Well, this is the way the bride describes them. His eyes are like the eyes of doves. Now, time forbids looking in detail at the dove and what it all means, but apparently these eastern doves, there was one particular thing about them, so we're told, that these doves would mate.

And they only had eyes for each other once they mated. And apparently they would sit on a branch, and the many moments and minutes would fly by, and they would just sort of look into each other's eyes.

And the thought of dove's eyes is the thought of eyes that are just eyes that are just taken up in love with the other. You've seen people in that situation with each other, and they do not recognize that you're there.

They only have eyes for one another. Our Savior has eyes for you, and they're eyes of love. They're like dove's eyes. You are relieved to Him. You're going to be married to Him in the glory, and His eyes are upon you in love.

His eyes are like dove's eyes. But it goes on to say, they are by the rivers of water. So not only were they dove's eyes, which suggest true, faithful eyes, they were tender eyes. The thought of rivers of water suggests tenderness.

You remember when Mary wept, and He saw her weeping? In the next two verses we read, and Jesus wept. Remember He looked over the city of Jerusalem? O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often will I gather you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but ye would not.

And He wept. His eyes are tender. They're like rivers of water. They're loving. They're like doves. Not only that, they are washed with milk. That is pure. Pure. His eyes are pure. And not only that, it says they are thickly set.

In other words, they never change. They're not fifteen eyes. They're eyes that are set thickly so. And our Lord's love never changes. He's the same yesterday, today, forever. He loves us with an everlasting love.

So this blessed one, whose eyes are upon us and perceives all that we do, finds God's eyes that are eyes of love to warn us. He wants the best for us. And if His hand of chastening is upon us, it's because He wants to bring us into that relationship with Himself that will bring not only glory to Him, will be tremendous blessing to our own lives.

Dove's eyes. Now let's think of that as we follow the Savior through His life down here. We won't bother to turn to many of these scriptures because it would take too long. But in Matthew chapter 9, if you care to turn to it sometime in your free time, Matthew chapter 9 and verse 36, it says,.

And he saw the multitude, and he saw the multitude, they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he had compassion. Now the disciples weren't interested in that multitude. But the Savior turned, he saw that multitude, and his heart went out with compassion.

Dove's eyes. Eyes of love. I think again in the scriptures of, you remember we were noticing last night, he came into the home of Peter, and immediately the Lord saw Peter's wife, mother, sick of a fever.

He saw her, and he was concerned. Immediately he went over to do something about it. You remember how it tells us concerning Lazarus, He whom thou lovest is sick. He whom thou lovest. We've been hearing about sickness this evening, and one who is in the hospital and so on.

The love of the Lord's eye is there upon him, and their eyes of compassion, their eyes of tenderness, eyes of concern. When we go through trial on this type of sickness, what a comfort it is to realize that his eyes are Dove's eyes.

Their eyes of love. You remember in Matthew chapter 6, or Mark chapter 6 rather, we have the story, that beautiful story of the Savior sending the disciples across the waters. And having sent them across the waters of Galilee, he goes up onto the mountainside and communes with the Father.

And you remember they were toiling and ruling, and it says the wind was contrary, and they were just in tremendous strength there. And you remember what the scripture says? And this is just, this is an indication of his omnipotence, his omnipresence, and so on.

Because there he was on the hillside over Galilee. They were halfway across, and it was dark, and it was stormy, but he saw them toiling and ruling. What's that? He saw them toiling and ruling, and he went out to them upon the water.

Beloved, perhaps someone here tonight, you're going through a time of toiling. It seems that things are contrary to you at the moment. The winds of adversity seem to be going against you. There is one with Dove's eye, eyes of love, and he sees you toiling.

And he desires to come to you and to comfort as you look up to him. Eyes of love. You remember the widow woman in Luke chapter 7? She was just broken-hearted. She had lost her husband. Now she had lost her only child.

And as they were carrying that child, that young man, out of the city, you remember what the Bible says? Luke chapter 7, and Jesus saw her. Oh, he was always watching. Eyes of love. Immediately he goes over and comforts her.

I'm sure many of you can express publicly if you have the opportunity of how the Lord has come in and comforted you through trials, through suffering, through death of loved ones, and so on. He has a way of coming in, because his eyes are eyes of Dove's.

Fifthly said, he never changes. You remember as he stands, or at least as he's hanging on the cross of Calvary, and it's just amazing. Just in reading these verses over again today, it just searched my heart, as I thought of the Savior on the cross, dying for our sins.

And it says in John's gospel, chapter 19, that he saw his mother. And he saw his mother and John standing with her. You see, he was concerned about others, and his eyes were eyes of love and concern, even in those circumstances.

When normally one would be thinking of self, his thoughts were on others. He saw her. And immediately, woman behold thy son, son behold thy mother. And he sought to bring comfort to her, in the midst of his own suffering and sorrow.

The Searching Eyes of Christ

What wonderful eyes. Eyes of love. Well, notice please, Revelation. We must hurry. Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1. 14. His head and hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire.

Chapter 2, verse 18. Under the age of the church of Thyatira right, these things saith the Son of God, who hath eyes like unto a flame of fire. And when he comes back, you remember in Revelation chapter 19, verse 12, it says his eyes were as a flame of fire.

Not only has he perceptive eye, not only has he loving eye, but beloved, he has searching eye. The thought of flaming fire suggests a number of things, does it not? It suggests burning. It suggests penetrating.

It suggests purifying. It suggests revealing. Fire does all those things. Fire purifies. Fire reveals all the things around. Fire penetrates. Fire warms. And here's our Savior in the midst of his church, and his eyes are like flames of fire.

He's just piercing through and looking at all the things that are going on. You remember, for example, when the man brought the man with the palsy to the Lord. When he saw their faith, eyes just like fire.

He just saw through everything. When he saw their faith, he said to the man, the palsy, thy sins be forgiven thee. Do you remember it again? Well, we haven't time to turn to these verses, but in Luke chapter 6, they were critical.

That is, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, were gathered around and they were criticizing and complaining and speak about the Lord looking around upon them. And he searched into their hearts and brought a message and brought the power of God to bear on that Sabbath day.

He sees critical attitudes. Just turn very quickly, if you will, please, over to Numbers chapter 11. Numbers chapter 11. It's hard searching to realize, beloved, that this one who has eyes like eyes of fire, he sees all that we do.

He listens to all that we have to say. And we read here in verse 1 of chapter 11 of Numbers, and when the people complained, it displeased the Lord. He was watching, and the Lord burned it. And his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

So the next time, beloved, we get into a complaining mood, remember, it displeases the Lord. It displeases Him. But remember there are eyes of fire that we're going to have to stand before at the judgment seat of Christ as believers.

And those eyes are going to penetrate, I believe, into these areas of ours, judge nothing before the time, said Paul. He said, it doesn't disturb me that I'm being judged of you. He said, there's one that judges me, and I'm waiting for that day.

And he knew at that time, when the eye on the Lord who would search even the deep things, the secret things, and bring out all the hidden things, everything would be made right. Eyes searching. That should challenge us, beloved, as to the way we live day by day down here.

The Angry Eyes of Christ

We read over in Mark's gospel chapter three, and just very quickly let's turn to that. Mark's gospel chapter three, another characteristic of his eyes, Mark chapter three, verse two,. And they watched him, whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, stand forth. He saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, or to do evil, to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their heart, angry eyes.

Angry eyes. I'm sure they were angry eyes as he dealt with the Laodiceans. And they said that they were rich and increased with goods, had he no need of nothing. He said, I'm about to spew thee out of my mouth.

His anger toward them. Over in Isaiah chapter five, it tells us there that they have been despising his word, and the Lord was angry with them. We begin to negate the word of God, beloved. Neglect your time of communion with him.

The Suffering and Sad Eyes of Christ

Seek to go contrary to his will, and then walk in disobedience to him. There are angry eyes. Then there are suffering eyes. Turn please to Psalm 69. Psalm 69, this prophetic messianic psalm of the Savior, referred to as the psalm of the trespass offering.

Our Savior buried our sins in his own body on the tree. And we're told in verse three, I am weary of my crying. My throat is dried and mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. Mine eyes fail. Suffering eyes.

Oh, the eyes of suffering. But in closing, I want to think of just one more look at those blessed eyes. And we might suggest that they are sad eyes. Rather not a good note to close on, but those sad eyes led to blessing in the end.

Please turn to Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22, verse 61. Perhaps 60 to get the connection. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately while he yet spake, the cup grew, and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter.

Peter remembered the word of the Lord and how he had said unto him, Before the cup grew, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. What a sad look that must have been. Notice please what it says.

Rather striking to me. It was rather an unexpected look. I don't think Peter thought the Lord was going to look at him at that moment. That he was hanging on the cross of Calvary in all the sufferings of what Calvary meant.

Why would he be thinking of Peter over there? But the Lord knew. And there was an unexpected look from the Sager as the cup grew. Not only was it unexpected for Peter, it was a deliberate look. Notice what it says, please.

It says, And the Lord turned. And the Lord turned. He made a deliberate, even in the agonies of hanging there, he turned his head deliberately and fastened his eyes upon Peter. And the Lord turned. If the Lord turned under those circumstances, I'm sure he turns often when we fall out by the way, when we get into situations that dishonor him.

O beloved sense that the Lord turns and takes a look. And notice what it says here again. It says, And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. Now that word look is a very interesting word. And in the Greek language, it means to look straight at him.

In fact, I believe most revised versions translated that way. And the word over in Acts chapter one and verse eleven, which says, Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? The same Jesus who was taken from you into heaven shall so come in like manners.

You see, you see him go. The word gazing is the very same word as this word. Look in the Hebrew language, or at least in the Greek language. In other words, they just saw the Savior ascending and you can just imagine their eyes up there and they just look and beheld and gazed, didn't want their eyes to go astray one moment.

And that was the type of look the Savior got to Peter. He looked and he just gazed at him. No wonder Peter's heart broke. I think it was a look of knowledge. I think it was. He knew everything to the Lord that Peter had done.

It was a look of faith. I know Peter, you've gone over this and you knew I told you it was a look of knowledge. It was a look of grief, of hurt. It was a look of pity. It was a look of concern. It was a look of love.

Living Under the Lord’s Watchful Eye

And I believe it was also a look that stirred Peter's heart. Well, the Savior is looking at us tonight. The Savior knows everything, beloved, that we have done since we've come to know Christ as Savior.

He knows the things we've done for our own glory, the things we've done for the glory of the Lord and for his honor. And yet his eyes are upon us tonight with love. Searching, concerned, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, but always loving.

We can always turn to him and we can turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full of his wonderful faith, knowing of the things of earth that just continue to grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and his grace.

Shall we pray? Gracious Father, we would that thou would impress our hearts, and we need this so much, with the realization that thine eye is always upon us. Their eyes of love, tenderness, concern, but we know, our Father, their eyes that seize all that we do.

Help us to live daily in the light of thy presence, in the light of realizing all is naked and open before the eyes of thee with whom we have to do. For this we pray in our Savior's worthy and precious name.

Amen.