Radiance of God’s Glory (Lent 24, 2023)

There is something about God’s Image that hints at radiating or reflecting.  Kind of like the moon reflects the light of the sun.  When we display God’s Image, we radiate it back to Him, and He receives it as glory. Why do I say that?

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Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

While He walked the earth, He had earthly glory as the radiance of God’s glory.  When He had ascended, He had glory restored to Him such as He had before the world.  He had the full glory of God back then and now, beyond just reflecting it while He walked the earth.

When Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17, He prayed, John 17:1 “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. 2 For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4 I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.”

Focus for Lent: The connection between Jesus’ being the very Image of God and radiating His glory and how that applies to us as His Image-bearers.

Questions for further thought:

When Jesus returns “in His glory” He will sit on His glorious throne to judge (Matthew 25:31).  How will this differ from the glory He had while He walked the earth?

What does this mean for our future as Christians and God’s Image-bearers? Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-57 (pay particular attention to verse 49): 

1 Corinthians 15: 45 “So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.”

Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, that at Your return, we will bear Your Image as Christians.  We thank You for the life-giving spirit—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Forgive us for trying so hard to blend in with the world and its ways, for not making waves or challenging the evils of our times.  Forgive us for being afraid to acknowledge You in the public square and our private thoughts.  We repent of these things and ask for Your boldness in the days to come so we will be found faithful at Your return.  We love You, Lord Jesus.  Amen.