Glory Revealed

Glory Revealed

The glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.

Isaiah 40:5

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.

Luke 2:9

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God.

Hebrews 1:3

Are there any wrapped packages under the Christmas tree at your house yet? Won’t it be fun to tear off the paper so that what’s inside will be revealed for everybody to see?

That night so long ago when the shepherds were guarding their sheep seemed like an ordinary night—just like so many nights before out in the fields. But then the wrapping of heaven was torn open, revealing its glory. God made his glory visible—in fact it surrounded the shepherds. It was as if God pulled back the curtain of the heavens so that it spilled out and around those simple shepherds. What they saw was a glory that has always been there but is usually hidden from human view.

What is the glory of the Lord that surrounded them? The glory of the Lord is the expression of who God is, the demonstration of his character. When the writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus “radiates” God’s own glory, he means that the glory is to God what the brightness is to the sun. The glory of God is the product of his presence, the revelation of himself. The fullness of God is seen in Jesus Christ as it has never been seen before. In Jesus’ judgment, justice, love, wisdom, power, and knowledge we see God himself. The birth of Christ was the revelation—or the unwrapping—of the glory of the Lord. Have you seen it?

DISCUSSION STARTERS

Luke wrote that the shepherds were terrified when God’s glory was revealed. Have you ever been terrified when something was uncovered or opened up?

Why do you think God’s glory is usually hidden from human view?

Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. Where is the glory of God being revealed, and what does that mean?