John 1:14b
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Glory Story
No-one has seen God’s glory and lived to tell us about it. Moses got pretty close, but God only let him catch a glimpse of His back.
We remember Moses at the burning bush, the thunder and lightning, the smoke at Mount Sinai, the cloud pillars by day and the fire by night, and asking God to see His Glory. God grants Moses this request telling him that He will let His goodness pass right in front of him but it won’t be possible to see His face:
“No one can see me and live” says God.
The way God lets Moses experience His glory and live is to wrap Moses inside a rock cleft, covering him with His hand until the last second, and after He’s passed by give Moses a glimpse of His back! Apparently even the back of God made Moses’ whole head glow golden - Moses had to wear a cloth over his face because it was so brilliant and bright that people couldn’t look at it.
So what is glory? Is it magnificence or great beauty? Is it high renown? Is it honour won by doing amazing things? Is it a kind of heaviness or weighty experience? Is it grave, serious or holy?
We can’t see God’s glory and live, but God tells us that the earth is like a mirror reflecting the ‘glory story’ in the clouds that dance through the pastel shades of sky; in the deep expanse of the rich, blue, sparkling seas; He shows His glory with the gold thread stitched along the horizon; He etches galaxies and stars with a silver pen, illuminating them in the inky heavens above. In creation He shouts:
“I’m glorious - open your eyes! I’m like this, but it’s better if you know me!”
And the glorious truth is that we can know Him. The baby present at creation is born into the middle of the story. He grows into a man who shows us His Father’s glory that we might have life and live eternally. We can experience God’s glory because the baby is both fully God and fully man - He’s God in human flesh, living among us.
What Jesus shows us through His birth, life, death and resurrection reveals the glory of God for everyone to see, expressed in a person.
Just before His death, Jesus prays to the Father to be glorified:
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:1-5
PROMPT: Pray this prayer today:
Lord, give me a glimpse, however fleeting, of Your glory. Like Moses, I’m willing never to be the same again. Show me Your Glory, I want to be filled with that sweet fragrance that comes from being in Your holy presence. Reveal to me Your great mysteries.
The LORD bless me and keep me: “The Lord make His face to shine upon me, and be gracious to me: The Lord lift up His countenance upon me, and give me peace” (Numbers 6:24-26 ESV - The Aaronic Blessing)