What is the Glory of Christ

The glory of Jesus Christ is incomprehensible. His praises are unutterable. What one is able to express about Christ and what He really is are as far apart as the difference between finite and infinite wisdom. Christ’s wisdom is to be preferred above all other wisdom, understanding, or knowledge. Paul said, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:7-11 NASB).

Christ’s wisdom deserves the best of the Christian’s thoughts and meditations. Since future blessedness consists in being where Christ is and beholding His glory, there can be no better preparation now than a constant meditation of that glory revealed in the Scriptures. No wonder the Psalmist said, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:1, 2 NASB). Therefore, it can be said that the person who spends time meditating on the things of God is never less alone than when alone.

David considered the revelation of God in nature, Scripture, and human experience: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:14 NASB). Both the objective and the subjective are to be considered in material glory, historical greatness, and experiential grace. The witness of God in nature does not tell of God’s will, mercy, or grace; but it does of His wisdom, power, and Deity. God reveals Himself in Scripture, which is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous. Furthermore, God reveals Himself to some experientially restoring the soul, making wise, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes, and being desired more than fine gold. What one learns experientially, after his head is filled with objective knowledge, is the only knowledge that really counts. (Study Psalm 19.)

There are two ways of beholding Christ’s glory: (1) Christians behold Christ by faith during their existence in time (Heb. 11), and (2) they behold Him by sight in eternity (I John 3:2, 3; II Cor. 5:7, 8). One who beholds the glory of Christ by sight hereafter beheld Him by faith in this life. Beholding Christ’s glory by faith sanctifies the believer in this life: “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (I John 3:3 NASB). Beholding Christ’s glory by sight will glorify the believer in the life to come—“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is” (I John 3:2 NASB).

Christ’s glory must be considered two ways—(1) absolutely, as the eternal Son of God; and (2) incarnately, as Jesus Christ in the flesh. Concerning number one, “No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten God (“Son” in some mss.), who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18 NASB). Concerning number two, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NASB). “And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NASB). In verse 14, the eternal Word assumed a new mode of existence—flesh and blood. However, He did not cease to be the eternal Word. This new mode of existence is expressed by the world: “He was in the world, and world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10 NASB). Christ later told His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18, 19 NASB).

John developed the incarnation more fully than did the synoptic gospels. In fact, he provided the links by which both the synoptics and the Epistles can be better understood. The Godhead became manhood. The natures were preserved without confusion, and the Person remained whole without division. Christ must have two natures in order to redeem the elect. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time” (I Tim. 2:5, 6 NASB). Both the Savior and the saved are two- natured personalities. The elect gain from the One who became flesh without Christ suffering loss.

Glory is manifested presence. The greatest glory of the Jewish people was that God tabernacled in their midst. The greatest glory of the Tabernacle was the most Holy Place. The glory of the Holy Place was the Shekinah, the presence of God on earth. Jesus Christ was God’s Tabernacle on earth. He was the greatest glory among men, but only those who possessed grace beheld His glory. His glory possessed grace and truth, which provided a perfect balance. Therefore, John said, “…This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were revealed through Jesus Christ” (John 1:15-17 NASB).

Through the agency of Moses the law was given to reveal sin and to declare all men guilty before God (Rom. 3:9-20; 7:9-13). Thus, by the agency of a servant the law was given. Who gave the law to Moses? Since no man has ever seen God, how did God become known to Moses? The same God, who gave the law beforehand by the agency of His servant, Moses, also Himself became the Servant who by personal agency brought grace and truth. God granted Moses’ request for His presence—a manifestation of His glory—and for pardon (Ex. 33:13-23; 34:1-9). The covetous person is not as greedy for monetary gain as much as the Christian is for more grace and truth. Can anyone deny that Moses found grace upon grace (charin anti charitos [John 1:16], meaning one grace following on the heels of the preceding grace). The record does not state that Moses saw the face of God, but the LORD spoke to Moses face to face (Ex. 33:11). Whenever God made Himself visible, it was in the Person of the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the intermediate Agent through whom grace and truth come to the elect of God. What was the glory which the chosen ones by the Father saw? It was not the glory of earthly potentates. The Lord Jesus was in a state of humiliation. Isaiah prophesied, “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Is. 53:3 NASB). It was not the essential glory of His Divine nature. No man can see that which is invisible. It was His glory as He was “the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NASB). This glory is seen only by faith which is the gift of God in regeneration. Faith is given to the elect to sustain them as they go from glory to glory. “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (II Cor. 3:18 NASB). It is a glory that sanctifies the beholder. The glory of grace and truth holds no attraction to the unregenerate, but it is the greatest of all attractions to the regenerate.

If one does not make a clear distinction between the glory of Christ as the Redeemer of the elect and the essential glory of His Person, he will lose something of the character of both. Christ’s mediatorial glory derives its luster (quality of shining by reflecting light) from His personal glory, but to make His Mediatorial glory the full measure of His personal glory is derogatory to Deity.

Jesus Christ is glorified in the elect by the work He has done for them. Christ said, “And all things that are Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I have been glorified in them” (John 17:10 NASB). The elect are empty vessels into which Christ pours the fullness of His grace. It took only a word to create all things, but it took the incarnation, cross, and resurrection to redeem the elect.

Jesus Christ is glorified by the work He is doing in them. God has appointed that His saints will glorify Christ in time before they will be glorified in eternity. “To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thess. 1:11-12 NASB).

Jesus Christ will be glorified in His own in what He will yet do for them. “When He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed” (II Thess. 1:10 NASB). “That day” is the day to which all other days point. How many mysteries to be solved, purposes to be unfolded, and longing hopes to be at rest! Is the Kingdom the assembly? Has Christ already come? These are foolish questions to the diligent student of the Scriptures. The perfect Kingdom and perfected saints constitute the hope of Christ’s sheep.