Can you imagine what it would be like to see the glory of God? That was Moses request in Exodus 33:18. But God told him, “No man can see Me (My glory) and live!” (v 20) Our mortality cannot handle seeing God’s full glory. Jesus knew that. Though His glory was equal to that of the Father’s, Jesus set aside His glory for our sake so He could accomplish the work the Father gave Him to do. Through it all, despite who He was, He never sought His own glory (John 8:50), but consistently glorified the Father in everything He said or did.
It is hard to imagine glory getting in the way. But what if Jesus had come the first time in full glory? Humanity would have responded as it will when He comes again. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is God. (Philippians 2:9-11) He would have been reverenced and made King of kings. However, His mission would not have been completed and the Father’s glory ultimately thwarted. Instead, He emptied Himself of His glory and came as a man (Philippians 2:6,7). He walked where we walk, spoke of the issues that define our lives, demonstrated life in partnership with God and gave Himself up as the ultimate sacrifice for our sinful choices. In the process, Jesus revealed to us a greater glory – “glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
Jesus wants us to see His glory. That was His request in John 17:24: “that they may see My glory which You have given Me.” Someday we will. But for now, we can see His glory the same way Moses was able to see God’s. “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before You; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)
God’s glory is evident in four ways: His goodness, the declaring of His character, His grace, and His compassion. When we see and experience these in and through Jesus, we come face-to-face, heart-to-heart with the glory of God. Once we identify what that glory “looks like” we get a glimpse of it everywhere. The angels around the throne declare, “The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)
Just as the Father’s glory was entrusted to Jesus, “The glory which You have given Me, I have given to them.” (John 17:22) His glory is now entrusted to us! The glory of God is a very serious stewardship. (2 Timothy 1:14) It isn’t just something we sing about, but must be prioritized in all we say and do. (1 Corinthians 10:31) We have been given His goodness, an experiential understanding of who He is, His grace and His love, so that united as one we glorify the Father by directing others to Jesus, who reconnects them with God. Through us, His glory is proclaimed throughout the world. Others too behold His glory and He is glorified. (Psalm 96:3,4)
“To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 25
Making It Personal
How can glory get in your way (John 5:44)?
How does the mission the Father sent Jesus on compare with your life’s mission?
What does being given an entrustment mean to you?
What does it mean that today – here and now - you have been entrusted with the glory of God?
Throughout the Day
Focus on declaring through word and deed the four evidences of God’s glory. How did you experience God being glorified in the process?
