The Glory of God

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. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1:14, 17-18 NIV

God’s glory is a visible expression of who God is—His absolute reality. In the Old Testament, God’s presence among His people was in the very specifically constructed Tabernacle. No one could fully see God’s glory and live, but sometimes God would give veiled glimpses of His glory.

Moses specifically asked God to see His glory. God agreed, but Moses could not see God’s face and live.

Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Exodus 33:21-23 NIV

God protected Moses while allowing him to witness His glory.

Where in the Old Testament, God’s presence dwelled in the Tabernacle, in the New Testament, God’s glory was now in Jesus Christ. The Word—Jesus—became human so He could live on earth with us. {Tweet this}

Isn’t that incredible?

God Himself came to this dark and sinful world so He could make His home among us.

Amazing!

With the birth of Christ—Son of God and Son of man, God allowed his people to see His glory and still live.

Jesus is our Light and new life. In Him, we can see the glory of God—the absolute reality of who God is—and live in Him. {Tweet this}

In God’s grace, the birth of a Baby Boy brought us life, light, and hope for all nations, for all of our days.

Lord God, You allowed Moses to see glimpses of You while protecting Him in the cleft in the rock. Thank you for allowing us to see You through Your Son Jesus, not only protecting us, but giving us new life. Through Jesus, full of grace and truth, we see the reality of who You are and how much You love us. May we fix our minds on Your glory and Your love for us during this blessed Christmas season. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

In Christ,

Laura 

[Photo credit: Unsplash.com]

Linking up with: Give Me Grace, #DreamTogether, Purposeful Faith, #SmallWonder, #glimpsesofhisbeauty, Coffee for Your Heart, Thought Provoking Thursday