Glory

Day Fourteen                         

Glory                             

John 17:1-5

What is the “glory” to which John bears witness? Speaking of the Word who came and made His dwelling among us, the apostle writes, “We have seen His glory.”

Some commentators, reading this text, have come to the conclusion that John is referring to what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). We are told that Jesus went, with Peter, James, and John, to climb a high mountain. As they ascended Jesus was transfigured, or changed, before their eyes. His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light. When they reached the mountain top, the disciples were astonished to see the great leaders of Israel, Moses and Elijah, who had come to meet Jesus. Peter, in particular, was reduced to a wreck by what he witnessed. In Jesus, the glory of the Lord was revealed; as they watched Him, they knew that they were in the presence of God. In Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets acknowledged Christ.

The problem with this interpretation is that, for whatever reason, John omits any mention of the story of the Transfiguration in his Gospel. This is strange for two reasons: first, because he was there, on the mountain top; and, second, because of all the Gospel-writers, John is the one who likes to write about glory. He uses the noun “glory” eighteen times, which is more than the other Gospels. He also uses the verb “to glorify” twenty three times, whereas no other Gospel-writer uses it on more than nine occasions. One might have expected John to have made this connection; but he does not. Could it be that he did not want his readers to limit their understanding of the manifestation of glory in Christ to only one occasion, no matter how dramatic?

There can be little doubt that John was well aware of what the Old Testament writers called “shekinah” glory. When the glory of the Lord settled upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17) it appeared as a bright cloud, covering the mountain for six days. The Israelites described it as a consuming fire. They came to understand the cloud as a manifestation of the presence of the Lord, come to dwell among His people. It filled them with both wonder and fear. When the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35) the cloud was so dense that Moses could not enter.

This was the glory that came down in Christ. Just as the glory of the Lord had been seen during Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness and, later, in Solomon’s Temple, now, says John, it has come in the person of Jesus. Glory no longer dwells in a cloud but in flesh, in Jesus.

Lord Christ, I adore You, for in You I see the fullness of the Father’s glory. In awe and wonder, and in eager expectation, I draw near. Touch my heart, Lord. May the light of Your glory break into the dark corners of my life, until my face shines too. For Your love’s sake. Amen.