The Glory Of God In The Face Of Christ

The Glory of God in the Face of Christ

Jacob was at the end of his rope, afraid that Esau was on his way to exact long-overdue revenge. That’s when a man came to Jacob’s camp and began a wrestling match with him that lasted all night. “When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’” (Genesis 32:25-26).

The truth is, Jacob had been trying to wrestle a blessing all his life. Through trickery and deceit, he had wrestled the words of affirmation and blessing out of his father that belonged to Esau. Then he wrestled the blessing of having Rachel as his wife from her father, Laban, by working for him for fourteen years. Now he was wrestling someone new. And as the cover of darkness gave way to light, we get a clue as to who it was.

This man said he must go because light was coming. Jacob knew that no human can look at the face of God in the light of day and live. His life was in danger, yet he begged the man to stay. Jacob had come to the place where the blessing of God meant more to him than life itself. “Jacob named the place Peniel (which means ‘face of God’), for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared’” (Genesis 32:30).

Jacob recognized that his opponent was no mere man or ordinary angel. This was no less than the pre-incarnate Jesus—the One who would come to earth again one day in weakness to take the Curse upon himself so we can know the blessing of God. Paul said that we can “know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Surely this is the face of the one Jacob held in his grip as he wrestled his holy opponent.

Jesus is the promise and conduit of the blessing of God in our lives. “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Giver of the blessing I struggled to obtain, I have looked for the blessings of approval and acceptance in so many faces other than yours. But now I realize that yours is the blessing I long for. Jesus, you are the blessing of God in my life.