BEHOLDING THE SON: THE TRANSFORMING GLORY OF GOD IN CHRIST
The Revelation of God’s Glory in Christ
The glory of God, which once was hidden behind veils and shadows, has now been fully revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. This revelation marks a profound shift in how we relate to and experience God. In times past, the direct presence of God was too terrible for man to behold. Even Moses, who spoke with God face to face, could not look upon His glory lest he be consumed (Exodus 33:20). Yet now, through the incarnation of the Word, we are invited to gaze upon the very glory of God without fear of destruction.
The Incarnation of the Word
The apostle John declares, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This dwelling, or tabernacling, of God in human flesh is the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament tabernacle foreshadowed. Christ Himself has become the meeting place between God and man, the true Holy of Holies where we may now boldly enter through His blood (Hebrews 10:19-22).
The Transformation Through Beholding Christ
In Christ, we see the express image of God’s person (Hebrews 1:3). He is not merely a representation or a symbol, but the very radiance of God’s glory. When we behold Christ, we are beholding God Himself, for “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). This beholding is not a passive act, but a transformative experience. As we gaze upon Christ, particularly through the Word, we are “changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Verses Referenced:
- Exodus 33:20 – “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”
- John 1:14 – “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
- Hebrews 10:19-22 – “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
- Hebrews 1:3 – “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
- John 14:9 – “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”