Thinking about the glory of the Lord today!

How might one define the glory of God – seems impossible. Maybe it is the sum of His holiness, His beauty, His greatness, His perfection! Let’s ask God to open our eyes to His glory! On this day, the heavens are declaring His glory …

Can you imagine being present the day that God’s glory filled the tabernacle or Solomon’s temple? We know from Scripture that when God’s glory filled the temple, no one could enter at first. All the Israelites knelt in worship, giving thanks to God!

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”

2 Chronicles 7:1 – 3

God’s glory is manifest in Jesus!

Jesus was God in the flesh. I’m reminded of the Christmas hymn, “veiled in flesh the Godhead see.” In human flesh the glory that was inherent in Jesus was veiled. Even with that John writes we beheld His glory!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

We know that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. God was pleased to have all His fulness dwell in His son. And yet, Jesus set aside His glory, taking on the nature of a servant, being made in human flesh to be our kinsman redeemer, to procure our salvation!

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴

Hebrews 1:3

Interestingly, in His high priestly prayer, Jesus asks for the glory He had before creation! He was not asking for self-promotion. Instead Jesus would honor the Father through His obedience; the joy of accomplishing the goal set before Him enduring the cross, disregarding the shame! The cross became a place of honor.

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 17:4-5

While Jesus’ glory is veiled in His earthly ministry, His glory will be revealed in the last days! He had no where to lay his head. He was the suffering servant. But in the last days, He will reign with power and majesty! His return will be glorious!

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven,
with power and great glory. 

Matthew 24:30

We share His glory!

God’s glory left the mountain where Moses met with God. It filled the tabernacle, then the temple – a tangible representation – for the purpose of worship. In Jesus’ coming, He was the place of glory, He was the embodiment of the temple. AND now! His glory is in us because He dwells in us, He shares His glory with us!

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:22 – 23

God reveals His glory through His people! We reflect His glory in our UNITY! Unity is possible because we have been gifted with the same glory given to Jesus by the Father. Unity is not uniformity, it is not organizational, it is not about “religion.” Our unity is based on our shared life in Christ! It is all about our common love, loving God and our neighbors! Unity is about our common purpose – doing all things for the glory of God!

Love, you see again, proves the unity of the Son with the Father; and here again [in John 13:34-35] it is the love of the Father to the chosen which is to be the sign unto the world. Therefore, let love abound. Let it be all the weapons of our war.

Charles H. Spurgeon