“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.”
John 1:14
Into the Text
God’s glory is often mentioned in the Bible and refers to the visible demonstration of His own excellence, His holiness. Through the birth of Jesus, the angels could see the glory of God clearly. They realized that this plan of salvation demonstrated God’s glory more than anything He had ever done before.
Each one of God’s attributes is perfectly portrayed and glorified in the life of Jesus. We can see God’s power on full display because He perfectly united Jesus’ divine and human nature in one person. He also shows us that He – and He alone – is able to save people and change their sinful nature. We can see God’s justice, that He would not let any sin (no matter how small) go unpunished. He demonstrated to us how much He hates sin when He put His beloved Son through a horrible death. And we can see His words never fail. Everything Jesus did was in fulfillment of God’s promises.
But most of all, by sending Jesus, God demonstrated His love and mercy. God showed to the angels and the whole human race that He has a heart of love even towards those who sin against Him. By doing so, He has given us the greatest gift possible. He has given us Himself. The angels rejoiced to serve such a loving and merciful God.
God delights to show us His glory. Just like the angels, the extent to which we see His glory will be the measure by which we are filled with joy ourselves. It’s what God made us for, to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever. When God glorifies Himself, it is for our greatest joy and benefit. The angels’ happiness – as well as our own – comes from seeing the glory of God.
Prayer
Lord, let me see your glory more and more. May my whole life glorify your name. Amen.