Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

John 17:24

What is salvation? What is eternal life? Jesus gave the answer: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Jesus expanded on this definition when He asked the Father for us to see His glory.

     Paul said something similar: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Salvation is a revelation of God’s glory in the person and work of His Son. That makes all the more sense because the Bible defines sin as exchanging “the glory of the immortal God” for something worthless (Rom. 1:23), and as a falling “short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

     Therefore, as Jesus stated in His High Priestly payer, the essence of our glorification is the eternal beholding of Christ’s glory. What does that mean? Let’s consider the following verse in order to answer this question: “But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her” (1 Sam. 1:5). Elkanah’s love for Hannah was expressed in giving her “a double portion.”

     Jesus gave us the same cause: “To see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” The glory of Christ stands in relation to the Father’s infinite love for Him. How does the Father express that love? John wrote: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand” (John 3:35), not just “a double portion.”

     Paul stated that as follows: “For God has put all things in subjection under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:27). Jesus owns everything! He rules and reigns over all! Everyone and everything is subject to Him, including sin and death. That glorious reality is the eternal beholding of Christ’s glory.

     Jesus obtained all things through His life and death, including “everlasting righteousness” (Dan. 9:24). He did so for His body: “And he [the Father] put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23). Not only will we behold Christ’s glory throughout eternity, we have also been called to “obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:14). That’s really good news!

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Jesus told His disciples: “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear with you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24). When some of the Old Testament prophets and kings foresaw and foretold the coming of the promised Messiah, they had a great desire to see and hear Him in action. Would it not have been awesome if we had been able to see and hear Jesus for ourselves? We also did not have that privilege.

     Jesus came in “the fullness of time” and manifested Himself to His disciples. We have four accounts of His earthly life. Two of them are from direct eyewitnesses—Matthew and John—while tradition teaches us that Mark received it primarily through Peter and Luke did extensive research in order to “write an orderly account” (Luke 1:3).

     In his prologue, John stated: “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” For three years John lived and walked with Jesus. He was the one who was the closest to Him. What were his impressions? What stood out?

     There wasn’t any doubt in John’s mind that Jesus is God. He displayed such a glorious life that there was only one conclusion: He is “the only Son from the Father.” John mentioned two realities that particularly stood out to him: grace and truth. Throughout His life, Jesus demonstrated a fullness of grace and truth. Let’s consider both.

     At the very core of His being, Jesus is infinitely gracious. For when John stated that He was full of grace, he thought of infinity—God has no limit! Furthermore, the One who made the heavens and the earth, upholding it “by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3), stooped down to His rebellious creation in order to redeem it. He did so by living a flawless life and by taking upon himself the wrath that our sins deserve. That is grace! He freely forgave, restored, healed, and made whole.

     He not only displayed infinite grace, but also definite truth. Every word He spoke was unadulterated truth. There was no deception or even an exaggeration. His lips were pure. In a world filled with lies and deception, John heard Him speak and they were the words of “the only Son from the Father.” Jesus stood out, amidst a fallen creation, with grace and truth, showing forth His glory.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

John 2:11

At the end of his gospel John wrote: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). John had carefully chosen the signs with a definite purpose: faith in Jesus and genuine spiritual life The signs were not an end in themselves; they were the means for faith and life.

     When Jesus had performed his first sign—turning water into wine—John stated that He “manifested his glory.” No one can miraculously change water into wine. It was a supernatural event, testifying of who Jesus truly is. It manifested Christ’s glory, testifying that He is God. As a result, “his disciples believed in him.”

     It’s so easy to read the Bible superficially, missing the richness of what it contains and conveys. Also, sometimes we’re so familiar with the gospel stories that they don’t really grip us anymore. It’s vital, when reading the Bible, to deeply mediate on Christ’s glory, especially as seen and testified by the signs, because it fosters genuine faith and true spiritual life.

     Here’s an interesting thought: while God’s goal is to glorify Himself, it’s not self-centered. It’s not without effectual fruit. His glory produces real faith for genuine spiritual life. That’s why the study of Christ’s glory is so important.

     Paul wrote: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18). True transformation is fully related to “beholding the glory of the Lord”—seeing Jesus for all He is.

     Therefore, the best thing God can do for us is to manifest His glory. We need to see a God who is infinitely great and glorious, absolutely sovereign and supreme, and “able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). We need to see a God with whom “all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). The more we see such a God, the more we believe and experience vibrant spiritual life.

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Jan Blonk
The Devotional Writer
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“