I Am the Rose of Sharon
Jesus Christ is the ultimate embodiment of spiritual beauty, exceeding all earthly charms and delights the senses in a way that fulfills the highest taste.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the unparalleled beauty of Jesus Christ, referring to Him as the 'rose of Sharon,' which signifies His supreme loveliness and spiritual richness compared to the finest things in the material world. He illustrates that while the rose is the sweetest flower, Christ surpasses it in beauty and charm, captivating all senses of the soul. Spurgeon highlights that even the memories of Christ's love are fragrant and satisfying, making Him the ultimate fulfillment for the highest spiritual desires. He concludes that no earthly beauty can adequately express the preciousness of Christ, urging believers to cherish Him in their hearts forever.
Text
Whatever there may be of beauty in the material world, Jesus Christ possesses all that in the spiritual world in a tenfold degree. Amongst flowers the rose is deemed the sweetest, but Jesus is infinitely more beautiful in the garden of the soul than the rose can in the gardens of earth. He takes the first place as the fairest among ten thousand. He is the sun, and all others are the stars; the heavens and the day are dark in comparison with Him, for the King in His beauty transcends all.
"I am the rose of Sharon." This was the best and rarest of roses. Jesus is not "the rose" alone, He is "the rose of Sharon," just as He calls His righteousness "gold," and then adds, "the gold of Ophir"--the best of the best. He is positively lovely, and superlatively the loveliest. There is variety in His charms. The rose is delightful to the eye, and its scent is pleasant and refreshing; so each of the senses of the soul, whether it be the taste or feeling, the hearing, the sight, or the spiritual smell, finds appropriate gratification in Jesus.
Even the recollection of His love is sweet. Take the rose of Sharon, and pull it leaf from leaf, and lay by the leaves in the jar of memory, and you shall find each leaf fragrant long afterwards, filling the house with perfume. Christ satisfies the highest taste of the most educated spirit to the very full. The greatest amateur in perfumes is quite satisfied with the rose: and when the soul has arrived at her highest pitch of true taste, she shall still be content with Christ, nay, she shall be the better able to appreciate Him.
Heaven itself possesses nothing which excels the rose of Sharon. What emblem can fully set forth His beauty? Human speech and earth-born things fail to tell of Him. Earth's choicest charms commingled, feebly picture His abounding preciousness. Blessed rose, bloom in my heart for ever!
Sermon Outline
- I. Jesus Christ's Spiritual Beauty
- A. Exceeds material beauty
- B. Unique and incomparable
- II. Jesus Christ's Loveliness
- A. Positively lovely
- B. Superlatively the loveliest
- III. Variety in Jesus' Charming
- A. Delights the senses
- B. Fulfills the highest taste
- IV. Jesus Christ's Unparalleled Beauty
- A. Exceeds earthly charms
- B. Fails to be fully described
Key Quotes
“Whatever there may be of beauty in the material world, Jesus Christ possesses all that in the spiritual world in a tenfold degree.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“He is the sun, and all others are the stars; the heavens and the day are dark in comparison with Him, for the King in His beauty transcends all.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Blessed rose, bloom in my heart for ever!” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Allow Jesus Christ to bloom in your heart forever, and you will find His beauty and love to be the greatest delight.
- Appreciate Jesus Christ's beauty by recognizing that He exceeds all earthly charms and delights the senses in a way that fulfills the highest taste.
- Let the recollection of Jesus Christ's love be sweet and fragrant, filling your heart with perfume.