THE WORD BECAME FLESH!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . 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 1:1,14, KJV).

Devotion 7 of 10

WE BEHELD HIS GLORY

"And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." There have been times when the presence of Deity was undetected. When Jacob wrestled with an angel through the night, he awakened to say, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it" (Gen 28:16). Earlier in this very Gospel, John affirmed, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him" (John 1:10). Prior to baptizing Jesus, John the Baptist confessed, "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water" (John 1:31,33). Christ's true identity was generally hidden from men during his term in the flesh. As Isaiah prophesied, "And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isa 53:2). When Jesus was among men, He was not perceived with the clarity now possible. One time, however, Peter caught a glimpse of the Son of God. Because the Father revealed it to him, Peter saw Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16). There were times when the disciples "marveled" at His power (Matt 21:20; Mark 6:51; Luke 8:25; Luke 24:41). But after Christ was exalted, they beheld Him in a fuller and more productive way. Toward the very end of Christ's ministry, the disciples still did not have a clear view of Christ. Even after His resurrection, it is said of the chiefest of them, "For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead" (John 20:9). The testimony of the disciples concerning the glory of Christ did not come until AFTER His resurrection. Even though they were subjected to remarkable evidence, their hearts were not yet able to receive it. Our text, however, speaks of beholding His "GLORY." The "beholding" of which he speaks is a discerning look. Even though there was a time when His true Person was not recognized, the text speaks of the occasion of its clarity--when they saw Him in a different and invigorating manner. There are at least two ways in which His glory was "beheld," or discerned.

They Saw His Glory In The Transfiguration

Three of the Apostles were granted the privilege of beholding the glory of Christ prior to His death. He took them apart for prayer, into "an high mountain apart." There, the Spirit apprizes us, "As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening" (Luke 9:29). We are told "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matt 17:2). His inner Person burst through the shell of His body, affecting even His clothing. It was like a miniature resurrection! In that state, He was more harmonious with the unseen world than with the seen one. We know this, because of what occurred while He was in the transfigured state. From the unseen world two spiritual giants (Moses and Elijah) from centuries before, "appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31). Years after Jesus had ascended into glory, and shortly before His own death, Peter recalled this event. Hear his marvelous testimony. "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain" (2 Pet 1:16- 8). Compare this to Peter's response during the actual event. "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Matt 17:4). What is the difference between the two responses? On the mountain, Peter had beheld the glory of the Word becoming flesh, but did not comprehend it. When he wrote his epistle, the magnitude of that glory had burst upon his soul. Like Jacob, he appreciated the vision AFTER it had occurred more than during it.

-- TOMORROW: THEY SAW HIS GLORY #2 --