We Have Seen His Glory

We Have Seen His Glory

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. –John 1:14 (NIV)

The day Gabe was born, Sylvia, a reporter from the Tennessean, came to see us in the hospital to ask us if she could follow Gabe’s life for a story that would run following his death. Knowing his life would be brief, we didn’t want it to feel like an event for the cameras. But as we discussed the story possibility with Sylvia over lunch, she looked at me and said, “I don’t understand this peace you have, but I want it.” And that sealed the deal. I wanted her to see up close and personal the difference Jesus makes. So for six months Sylvia and Eric, the Tennessean’s photographer, were in and out of our home, at our special celebrations, and hanging out on ordinary days. Even in the heart-rending moments during which we said good-bye to Gabe’s body, they were there, getting an up close view. We wanted them to see the difference Jesus makes even in the lowest moments of life.

Up close and personal. That is what God offered the world when Jesus became flesh and pitched his tent in our backyard. He came to show us what God looks like, the difference he makes. What did those who saw God up close and personal see? Rules? Rituals? No, most pronounced were truth and grace. Those with eyes to see saw that Jesus is true and real—ultimate reality and absolute truth. Jesus is grace, free and overflowing and lavished upon us. If you’ve seen God as harsh and stingy, if you’ve viewed his promises as untrustworthy or his claims as untrue, then you haven’t really seen him. The most notable and noticeable aspects of God’s character are grace and truth. Amazing grace and absolute truth.

Jesus came to show us the glory of God, but some of us simply can’t see it because the eyes of our souls have been darkened by difficulty, constricted by bitterness, slanted by cynicism. If that is you, won’t you ask God to restore your spiritual sight so you can not only see his glory but also receive it and experience it?

Word Made Flesh, thank you for choosing to make your home among us. You didn’t have to show us what glory looks like. Allow me to see your unmistakable and unimaginable glory so I can receive your grace and believe your truth.

DIGGING DEEPER