September 11, 2025 • 22 mins
The mystery of incarnation—God wrapping Himself in human flesh—stands as Christianity's most profound paradox. When John writes that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us," he uses language deliberately echoing the ancient tabernacle, where God's presence once dwelled among Israel. But this dwelling was different. Not a sacred tent but a sacred person. Not a temporary visitation but an eternal union of divine and human.
Pastor Harry takes us deep into the meaning of "glory" throughout scripture—not just splendor or radiance, but the full weight and significance of God's character made visible. While Moses could only glimpse God's back from the cleft of the rock, Jesus reveals God face-to-face. The tabernacle once separated humanity from God's overwhelming presence; Jesus bridges that separation. What was once veiled is now revealed.
Perhaps most movingly, Pastor Harry shares how a child's simple question—"Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?"—led him to profound insight: the cross wasn't merely the means of our salvation but the stage where God displayed every aspect of His glory simultaneously. Justice, wrath, love, mercy, wisdom, and faithfulness all converged in a single moment, revealing God's beauty in its fullness. This "grace upon grace" doesn't just replace the Law that Moses brought; it fulfills it, bringing not merely diagnosis of our condition but its cure.
As we walk away from this message, we're challenged to consider how we might live as reflections of this glory—not through perfect performance but through surrendered faith. When we truly grasp that the eternal God has made His dwelling with us, we discover the purpose we were created for and the joy that comes from living for His glory rather than our own. Join us on this journey to behold the God who has come near.
Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
What does it mean that the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us?
In this episode of the TakeLight, pastor Harry invites us
to slow down and reflect on theprofound mystery of John 1,
verses 14-18.
The eternal Word, god Himself,entered our world not with
overwhelming might, but in thehumility of human form.
When John writes that Jesusdwelt among us, he echoes the
(00:34):
ancient imagery of thetabernacle, a place where God
met with his people, and pointsus to the deeper truth that in
Christ, god has come to dwellwith us permanently.
This isn't a fleetingvisitation.
It is the glorious unveiling ofGod's heart to be near his
people, to be known and to pourout grace upon grace.
(00:55):
In this message, pastor Harrycalls us to behold the glory of
God wrapped in flesh, the graceof God extended to sinners and
the intimacy of a God who wantsto be seen, known and loved.
Here's Pastor Harry Behrens,with today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens.
Before we dive in, let's take amoment to briefly recap where
we've been so far in our journeythrough the gospel of John.
In our last three episodes wesaw that Jesus is the eternal
word through whom all thingswere made, that he is the life
and light of men shining in thedarkness, and that John the
Baptist came as a witness toprepare hearts to receive the
(01:40):
true light who gives the rightto become children of God.
These first 18 verses of John'sgospel are the foundation for
everything that follows.
John is establishing theidentity of Jesus as the eternal
word made flesh so that wewould believe he is who he says.
He is the Son of God, full ofgrace and truth.
As we continue through thisgospel, we will consistently
(02:02):
refer back to these verses togain deeper understanding of
John's message and how itreveals Jesus as both fully God
and fully man, and as the onlyway to know the Father.
Now, in today's message, wereflect on the mystery of the
incarnation, when the eternalword became flesh and dwelt
among us.
It's one of the most powerfultruths in all scripture that the
(02:23):
eternal, glorious God took onhuman form and made his dwelling
among us.
So let's look at John, chapter1, verses 14 to 15.
The apostle John writes and theword became flesh and dwelt
among us and we have seen hisglory Glory is of the only son
from the father full of graceand truth.
(02:43):
His glory glory is of the onlyson from the father full of
grace and truth.
The word dwelt in the Greekliterally means to pitch a tent
or, more deeply, to tabernacle.
It pulls us back to the days ofMoses, when God's presence
filled a tent in the wildernessand led his people step by step.
Exodus 25, 8 says and let themmake me a sanctuary that I may
dwell in their midst.
Let them make me a sanctuarythat I may dwell in their midst.
(03:04):
Exodus, chapter 40, 34, 35 saysThen the cloud covered the tent
of meeting and the glory of theLord filled the tabernacle.
And Moses was not able to enterthe tent because the cloud
settled on it and the glory ofthe Lord filled the tabernacle.
Now, back then God's glory wasreal, but it was veiled.
It was majestic but distant.
(03:25):
Now John proclaims that thesame glory has come again, not
in a cloud, not in a sacred tent, but in a person.
He says we have seen his glory.
Jesus is not just the messengerof God's presence, he is the
presence.
He is the true and bettertabernacle.
(03:46):
What once was temporary is noweternal.
What once was symbolic is nowpersonal.
In Christ, the divine and thehuman meet perfectly.
He is the ultimate meetingplace between heaven and earth.
Just as the Israelitesapproached the tabernacle to
draw near to God, we now drawnear to God through Christ.
John 2, verses 18-22, makes thiseven clearer Destroy this
(04:10):
temple, and in three days I willraise it up.
But he was speaking about thetemple of his body.
This points us forward toRevelation 21-3, where he says
Behold, the dwelling place ofGod is with man.
He will dwell with them andthey will be his people, and God
himself will be with them astheir God.
As John chapter 114 tells us,the word became flesh, a real
(04:34):
historical incarnation, anddwelt.
This is pitched his tent amongus, echoing the tabernacle of
old.
We saw his glory, not a distantsplendor, but the divine beauty
revealed in his person.
He was the only son, full ofgrace and truth, a phrase that
echoes God's covenant characterin Exodus 34, 6-7, which says
(04:59):
the Lord passed before him andproclaimed the Lord.
The Lord, a God merciful andgracious, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love andfaithfulness, keeping steadfast
love for thousands, forgivinginiquity and transgression and
sin, but who will by no meansclear the guilty.
Jesus is the temple, jesus isthe glory, jesus is the presence
(05:24):
of God.
Come near Now.
This idea of dwelling in glorystretches back even further than
John's gospel.
In Exodus, 31, 21 to 23, weread and the Lord said Behold,
there is a place by me where youshall stand on the rock, and
while my glory passes by, I willput you in the cleft of the
rock and I will cover you withmy hand until I have passed by.
Then I will take away my handand you shall see my back, but
(05:47):
my face shall not be seen.
Moses longed to see God's glory.
He didn't want merely direction, he wanted encounter.
And God, in his mercy, hidMoses in the cleft of the rock,
shielding him from the fullnessof his holiness while allowing
him a glimpse of his glory.
That moment was a shadow ofsomething greater.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians10.4,.
(06:09):
For they drank from thespiritual rock that followed
them, and that rock was Christ.
Moses was hidden in the rockand in the safety he beheld the
passing glory of God, but we arehidden in Christ, and in him we
behold the fullness.
Hebrews 1.3 says Jesus is theradiance of the glory of God and
the exact imprint of his nature.
(06:30):
We don't just see his back, wesee his face, as 2 Corinthians
4.6 declares.
For God, who said Let lightshine out of darkness, has shone
in our hearts to give the lightof the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of JesusChrist.
Let that sink in.
In Jesus.
We see what Moses longed to see.
(06:52):
And just as Moses was placed inthe rock by God's initiative,
we are placed in Christ by grace.
You didn't climb into the cleft.
You didn't earn that access.
God placed you there.
He hid you in the rock so thatyou wouldn't be into the cleft.
You didn't earn that access.
God placed you there.
He hid you in the rock so thatyou wouldn't be destroyed by his
holiness.
Instead, you are drawn into hispresence.
(07:14):
Now let's pause here and talkabout this word glory.
We read it all throughout theBible In the Psalms, in the
prophets, in the gospels, in theletters of Paul.
We sing about it in worship, wepray it, we quote it.
But here's the truth.
Most people read the word glorywithout ever stopping to think
about what it actually means,and if you ask them to define it
(07:36):
, many couldn't.
In the Old Testament the wordtranslated glory, carries the
idea of weight, heaviness orsignificance.
It means something of greatvalue and worth, something that
is solid and unshakable.
In the New Testament the wordfor glory points to radiance,
splendor and honor, the beautyand majesty of someone or
something revealed for all tosee.
(07:58):
So when the Bible speaks of theglory of God, it's talking
about the display of everythingGod is his holiness.
It's his power, his wisdom, hismercy, his justice, his love,
all his perfect attributesshining out for creation to see
(08:18):
and respond to.
Think of it this way Glory isGod's holiness made visible.
Holiness is who he is, in hisperfection.
Glory is that perfection put ondisplay, the seraphim crying
(08:48):
out holy, holy, holy is the Lordof hosts.
The whole earth is full of hisglory.
They don't say the whole earthis full of his holiness, because
holiness is God's innerperfection.
Glory is that holiness goingpublic, and this is why God says
in Isaiah 42, 8, I am the Lord.
That is my name.
My glory I give to no other.
God will not share his glorybecause there is no one else who
(09:10):
is what he is.
His glory is the public displayof his unique, infinite worth,
and here's where it becomespersonal.
Romans, chapter 3, verse 23,says for all have sinned and
fall short of Of the glory ofGod.
That means we were created toreflect his glory in the world,
(09:30):
but sin, it, causes us to fallshort Not just from obeying him
but of displaying him.
Sin doesn't just break God'srules, it robs God of the glory
he has due through our lives,and this is why Jesus came.
John 1.14 says do through ourlives, and this is why Jesus
(09:53):
came.
John 1 14 says we have seen hisglory, glory as of the only son
from the father, full of graceand truth.
In Jesus, the invisible Godbecomes visible.
The word takes on flesh.
So we could behold the holinessof God on display In his
compassion towards sinners, hisauthority over creation, his
obedience to the father and,ultimately, in his compassion
towards sinners, his authorityover creation, his obedience to
the Father and, ultimately, inhis sacrifice on the cross.
(10:13):
When we talk about the glory ofGod, we're talking about the
most real and weighty reality inexistence the beauty, power and
worth of God displayed, andthat glory is not just something
we will see one day in eternity.
It is something we are calledto live for and reflect right
(10:37):
now.
And this is where the rest ofJohn's prologue becomes even
more stunning, because when weunderstand what glory truly
means, glory truly means everyphrase in these verses becomes
deeper, heavier and morepersonal.
Now, before we move on, I wantto give you a picture of this
from a recent personalexperience.
(10:57):
Not long ago, I was talkingwith a group of kids, and I love
conversations with children,not because I think I can
convince them of deep truths,but because children have a way
of asking questions that cutright to the heart.
They often ask what adultsdon't dare to ask, and they do
it with a simplicity thatexposes how much we take for
granted.
(11:17):
I walked up to them and Istarted talking to them about
God and our purpose in thisworld.
To strike up a conversation,and one boy he couldn't have
been more than seven or eightlooked up and asked why did
Jesus have to die on the cross?
Now I could give the standardanswer he died for our sins.
And in fact, the boy quicklysaid before I could say anything
(11:38):
, I know he died for my sins,but why did he have to die on
the cross?
Now that's a different questionand honestly, in that moment I
didn't have the simple answer Ifelt he was looking for.
For weeks afterward, I thoughtabout it, I prayed, I went back
to scripture and here's where Ilanded.
(12:00):
Jesus had to die on the crossbecause in that one moment, god
put the fullness of his glory ondisplay.
God put the fullness of hisglory on display.
Every attribute of God hisjustice, his wrath, his love,
his mercy, his grace, his wisdom, his faithfulness was revealed
at the same time, in the sameplace, through the same act.
The cross wasn't just the meansof our salvation.
(12:24):
It was the stage where Godshowed us who he truly is and
all his beauty.
Everything before the crosspoints forward to it and
everything after the crosspoints back to it.
So if I could answer that boyright now, I would say this
(12:44):
Jesus had to die on the crossbecause God wanted to show us
how beautiful he is.
His glory is his beauty.
It's not simply what he does,it's who he is.
And on the cross he didn'treveal just part of himself, he
(13:05):
revealed all of himself.
This is why Paul can say, theglory of God is seen in the face
of Jesus Christ, because at thecross we behold the full
display of God's glory.
Nowhere else in history do wesee it all at once.
So now that we've seen whatglory truly is, we can begin to
(13:33):
recognize it.
When we see it, it changes whatwe treasure and it changes what
we pursue.
So with that fresh in our minds, let's hear how John continues
his thoughts in verses 16 to 17.
For from his fullness we haveall received grace upon grace,
(13:53):
for the law was given throughMoses.
Grace and truth came throughJesus Christ.
The phrase here, grace upongrace, paints the picture of
waves rolling onto the shore,one after another, without end.
This is the kind of graceChrist gives, not just a
momentary relief, but anabundant, overflowing mercy that
(14:20):
comes fresh every single day.
Let this settle in your heart.
You are not living onyesterday's grace, you are
walking today in today's grace.
The law given through Moses washoly and righteous, it revealed
God's standards, but it couldnot change the heart.
As Paul reminds us in Romans 7,12, the law is holy and the
commandment is holy andrighteous and good, but the law
(14:42):
could only point out our need.
Grace through Jesus Christmeets that need.
The law exposed the sickness.
Christ brings the cure.
Exodus 34 6 tells us that Godis abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness.
That same description now walksthe earth in flesh and blood.
Jesus did not come to modifyGod's character, he came to
(15:05):
reveal it.
What the law foreshadowed Jesusfulfills.
As Moses brought the law ontablets of stone, jesus brings
the fullness of grace in aliving, breathing body.
He is the better Moses, thebetter mediator and the better
covenant.
Lamentations 3, 22-23 says thesteadfast love of the Lord never
ceases.
(15:25):
His mercies never come to anend.
They are new every morning.
(15:47):
Now, verse 18 says this is thecrescendo of John's prologue.
Throughout the Old Testament,glimpses of God's glory were
seen, but never his full essence.
Not Moses, not Isaiah, not eventhe prophets, but Jesus, the
one.
Scripture calls the unique andonly God, the one-of-a-kind God
who eternally dwells in theheart of the Father he has made
(16:09):
himself known.
The phrase at the Father's sideimplies not just nearness but
deep eternal intimacy.
Jesus does not merely speak forGod, he is God.
He does not represent divinetruth, he embodies it.
Hebrews 1.3 declares he is theradiance of the glory of God, in
the exact imprint of his nature.
To see Jesus is to see theFather, to know the radiance of
the glory of God in the exactimprint of his nature.
To see Jesus is to see theFather.
(16:31):
To know Jesus is to know theheart of God.
Moses once pleaded Lord, showme your glory.
And in Jesus that longing isfinally answered.
God has not remained hidden.
He has come near.
He has wrapped himself in theflesh so that we might behold
him, know him and walk with him.
And that means we don't have tostand at a distance, like Moses
(16:53):
did, shielded from the fullnessof God's presence.
In Christ, the veil is torn,the way is open and the glory of
God is no longer a sight tofear but a savior to follow.
We behold his glory today everytime we see his grace at work
in our lives, every time hisword renews our minds and every
(17:16):
time his spirit shapes us tolook more like him.
The glory Moses longed for isthe glory you and I are invited
to see and reflect right now.
So, as we close this section ofJohn's Gospel from verses 1
through 18, we're left with morethan theology.
We're left with a call torespond.
(17:36):
How do we apply these truths.
How can we, who were createdfor his glory, live in a way
that reflects his presence andexperiences his joy?
First, we must walk by faith,not by sight.
That doesn't mean blind belief.
It means a trust that is rootedin what God has already
(17:57):
revealed.
We believe because he has madeus alive.
In him and in that believing webehold To experience his joy.
We must live for his glory, notthrough perfect performance, but
through surrendered faith.
We don't need to get everythingright.
We need to let everything go.
We must trust him to work in usand through us.
(18:20):
Only then will we experiencethe reality that the eternal God
, the one who spoke galaxiesinto existence, now lives in us.
He wasn't just a man who lived2,000 years ago.
He lives today.
He has made his dwelling withus and he invites us to come
(18:44):
near, to approach him, tosurrender to him so that he
might manifest his glory in andthrough our lives.
And when he does, we receivethe greatest gift of all, not
just a blessing from God, butGod himself.
The takeaway is this you aremade for his glory, and when you
live for his glory, you'll findhis joy.
(19:06):
John 15, 8-11.
By this my Father is glorified,that you bear much fruit and so
prove to be my disciples.
And the Father has loved me, sohave I loved you.
Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments,you will abide in my love, just
(19:27):
as I have kept my Father'scommandments and abide in his
love.
These things I have spoken toyou that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be full.
Let's pray, father God, thankyou again for your word, thank
you for the power and theauthority of it that we can look
to it for a foundation of truth.
(19:48):
This is a deep theological.
For the power and the authorityof it that we can look to it
for a foundation of truth.
This is a deep theologicaltruth that your glory was fully
on display on the cross.
We miss this so often asbelievers.
We read that word glory sooften and never stop to reflect
what it means.
You have desired to put yourbeauty on display throughout all
(20:10):
eternity and you accomplishedthat and did that on the cross
through your son, jesus Christ,who is the radiance of your
glory.
He radiates your beauty outward.
We can look to him and say God,you displayed all of yourself
on the cross and the result ofthat is our salvation.
(20:33):
It's not the why.
The why was to show yourself.
We're the result, and for thatyou get the praise To the praise
of your glorious grace that youso lovingly poured out on us.
You are amazing, god.
We thank you for your love, wethank you for your grace and we
(20:56):
behold your glory and are in allof you.
Oh God, I pray that you wouldopen the eyes and ears of our
listeners, that they would seethat for themselves, that when
they open up the scriptures andread it, that this will be set
in their minds forever.
We love you and we thank you InJesus' name.
Amen.
(21:16):
Now as always, I want to thankyou for joining us today, and I
hope this episode has helped youtake a step closer in your
relationship with Jesus and thatyou now have a deeper
understanding of just how muchGod loves you, and we really
want you to know Him.
Before we go, I want toencourage you to send us any
questions or comments you mayhave using the text us link in
the episode description.
Your input helps us shapefuture episodes that speak
(21:38):
directly to your needs and helpyou grow in your faith.
It's our desire that thisministry be a tool to reach the
lost and equip the saints for alife that brings glory to God.
Now, in our next episode, we'llmove into John, chapter 1,
verses 19 to 28, with a messagetitled who Are you?
In this passage, we see Johnthe Baptist questioned by the
religious leaders about hisidentity and his mission.
(21:59):
His answer will challenge us toexamine how we see ourselves,
how we point others to Christ,and whether our lives make much
of Him or much of ourselves.
You will not want to miss it,god bless, and we'll see you
next time.
On the Takeaway.
What does it mean that the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us?
In this episode of the TakeLight, pastor Harry invites us
to slow down and reflect on theprofound mystery of John 1,
verses 14-18.
The eternal Word, god Himself,entered our world not with
overwhelming might, but in thehumility of human form.
When John writes that Jesusdwelt among us, he echoes the
(00:34):
ancient imagery of thetabernacle, a place where God
met with his people, and pointsus to the deeper truth that in
Christ, god has come to dwellwith us permanently.
This isn't a fleetingvisitation.
It is the glorious unveiling ofGod's heart to be near his
people, to be known and to pourout grace upon grace.
(00:55):
In this message, pastor Harrycalls us to behold the glory of
God wrapped in flesh, the graceof God extended to sinners and
the intimacy of a God who wantsto be seen, known and loved.
Here's Pastor Harry Behrens,with today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens.
Before we dive in, let's take amoment to briefly recap where
we've been so far in our journeythrough the gospel of John.
In our last three episodes wesaw that Jesus is the eternal
word through whom all thingswere made, that he is the life
and light of men shining in thedarkness, and that John the
Baptist came as a witness toprepare hearts to receive the
(01:40):
true light who gives the rightto become children of God.
These first 18 verses of John'sgospel are the foundation for
everything that follows.
John is establishing theidentity of Jesus as the eternal
word made flesh so that wewould believe he is who he says.
He is the Son of God, full ofgrace and truth.
As we continue through thisgospel, we will consistently
(02:02):
refer back to these verses togain deeper understanding of
John's message and how itreveals Jesus as both fully God
and fully man, and as the onlyway to know the Father.
Now, in today's message, wereflect on the mystery of the
incarnation, when the eternalword became flesh and dwelt
among us.
It's one of the most powerfultruths in all scripture that the
(02:23):
eternal, glorious God took onhuman form and made his dwelling
among us.
So let's look at John, chapter1, verses 14 to 15.
The apostle John writes and theword became flesh and dwelt
among us and we have seen hisglory Glory is of the only son
from the father full of graceand truth.
(02:43):
His glory glory is of the onlyson from the father full of
grace and truth.
The word dwelt in the Greekliterally means to pitch a tent
or, more deeply, to tabernacle.
It pulls us back to the days ofMoses, when God's presence
filled a tent in the wildernessand led his people step by step.
Exodus 25, 8 says and let themmake me a sanctuary that I may
dwell in their midst.
Let them make me a sanctuarythat I may dwell in their midst.
(03:04):
Exodus, chapter 40, 34, 35 saysThen the cloud covered the tent
of meeting and the glory of theLord filled the tabernacle.
And Moses was not able to enterthe tent because the cloud
settled on it and the glory ofthe Lord filled the tabernacle.
Now, back then God's glory wasreal, but it was veiled.
It was majestic but distant.
(03:25):
Now John proclaims that thesame glory has come again, not
in a cloud, not in a sacred tent, but in a person.
He says we have seen his glory.
Jesus is not just the messengerof God's presence, he is the
presence.
He is the true and bettertabernacle.
(03:46):
What once was temporary is noweternal.
What once was symbolic is nowpersonal.
In Christ, the divine and thehuman meet perfectly.
He is the ultimate meetingplace between heaven and earth.
Just as the Israelitesapproached the tabernacle to
draw near to God, we now drawnear to God through Christ.
John 2, verses 18-22, makes thiseven clearer Destroy this
(04:10):
temple, and in three days I willraise it up.
But he was speaking about thetemple of his body.
This points us forward toRevelation 21-3, where he says
Behold, the dwelling place ofGod is with man.
He will dwell with them andthey will be his people, and God
himself will be with them astheir God.
As John chapter 114 tells us,the word became flesh, a real
(04:34):
historical incarnation, anddwelt.
This is pitched his tent amongus, echoing the tabernacle of
old.
We saw his glory, not a distantsplendor, but the divine beauty
revealed in his person.
He was the only son, full ofgrace and truth, a phrase that
echoes God's covenant characterin Exodus 34, 6-7, which says
(04:59):
the Lord passed before him andproclaimed the Lord.
The Lord, a God merciful andgracious, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love andfaithfulness, keeping steadfast
love for thousands, forgivinginiquity and transgression and
sin, but who will by no meansclear the guilty.
Jesus is the temple, jesus isthe glory, jesus is the presence
(05:24):
of God.
Come near Now.
This idea of dwelling in glorystretches back even further than
John's gospel.
In Exodus, 31, 21 to 23, weread and the Lord said Behold,
there is a place by me where youshall stand on the rock, and
while my glory passes by, I willput you in the cleft of the
rock and I will cover you withmy hand until I have passed by.
Then I will take away my handand you shall see my back, but
(05:47):
my face shall not be seen.
Moses longed to see God's glory.
He didn't want merely direction, he wanted encounter.
And God, in his mercy, hidMoses in the cleft of the rock,
shielding him from the fullnessof his holiness while allowing
him a glimpse of his glory.
That moment was a shadow ofsomething greater.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians10.4,.
(06:09):
For they drank from thespiritual rock that followed
them, and that rock was Christ.
Moses was hidden in the rockand in the safety he beheld the
passing glory of God, but we arehidden in Christ, and in him we
behold the fullness.
Hebrews 1.3 says Jesus is theradiance of the glory of God and
the exact imprint of his nature.
(06:30):
We don't just see his back, wesee his face, as 2 Corinthians
4.6 declares.
For God, who said Let lightshine out of darkness, has shone
in our hearts to give the lightof the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of JesusChrist.
Let that sink in.
In Jesus.
We see what Moses longed to see.
(06:52):
And just as Moses was placed inthe rock by God's initiative,
we are placed in Christ by grace.
You didn't climb into the cleft.
You didn't earn that access.
God placed you there.
He hid you in the rock so thatyou wouldn't be into the cleft.
You didn't earn that access.
God placed you there.
He hid you in the rock so thatyou wouldn't be destroyed by his
holiness.
Instead, you are drawn into hispresence.
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Now let's pause here and talkabout this word glory.
We read it all throughout theBible In the Psalms, in the
prophets, in the gospels, in theletters of Paul.
We sing about it in worship, wepray it, we quote it.
But here's the truth.
Most people read the word glorywithout ever stopping to think
about what it actually means,and if you ask them to define it
(07:36):
, many couldn't.
In the Old Testament the wordtranslated glory, carries the
idea of weight, heaviness orsignificance.
It means something of greatvalue and worth, something that
is solid and unshakable.
In the New Testament the wordfor glory points to radiance,
splendor and honor, the beautyand majesty of someone or
something revealed for all tosee.
(07:58):
So when the Bible speaks of theglory of God, it's talking
about the display of everythingGod is his holiness.
It's his power, his wisdom, hismercy, his justice, his love,
all his perfect attributesshining out for creation to see
(08:18):
and respond to.
Think of it this way Glory isGod's holiness made visible.
Holiness is who he is, in hisperfection.
Glory is that perfection put ondisplay, the seraphim crying
(08:48):
out holy, holy, holy is the Lordof hosts.
The whole earth is full of hisglory.
They don't say the whole earthis full of his holiness, because
holiness is God's innerperfection.
Glory is that holiness goingpublic, and this is why God says
in Isaiah 42, 8, I am the Lord.
That is my name.
My glory I give to no other.
God will not share his glorybecause there is no one else who
(09:10):
is what he is.
His glory is the public displayof his unique, infinite worth,
and here's where it becomespersonal.
Romans, chapter 3, verse 23,says for all have sinned and
fall short of Of the glory ofGod.
That means we were created toreflect his glory in the world,
(09:30):
but sin, it, causes us to fallshort Not just from obeying him
but of displaying him.
Sin doesn't just break God'srules, it robs God of the glory
he has due through our lives,and this is why Jesus came.
John 1.14 says do through ourlives, and this is why Jesus
(09:53):
came.
John 1 14 says we have seen hisglory, glory as of the only son
from the father, full of graceand truth.
In Jesus, the invisible Godbecomes visible.
The word takes on flesh.
So we could behold the holinessof God on display In his
compassion towards sinners, hisauthority over creation, his
obedience to the father and,ultimately, in his compassion
towards sinners, his authorityover creation, his obedience to
the Father and, ultimately, inhis sacrifice on the cross.
(10:13):
When we talk about the glory ofGod, we're talking about the
most real and weighty reality inexistence the beauty, power and
worth of God displayed, andthat glory is not just something
we will see one day in eternity.
It is something we are calledto live for and reflect right
(10:37):
now.
And this is where the rest ofJohn's prologue becomes even
more stunning, because when weunderstand what glory truly
means, glory truly means everyphrase in these verses becomes
deeper, heavier and morepersonal.
Now, before we move on, I wantto give you a picture of this
from a recent personalexperience.
(10:57):
Not long ago, I was talkingwith a group of kids, and I love
conversations with children,not because I think I can
convince them of deep truths,but because children have a way
of asking questions that cutright to the heart.
They often ask what adultsdon't dare to ask, and they do
it with a simplicity thatexposes how much we take for
granted.
(11:17):
I walked up to them and Istarted talking to them about
God and our purpose in thisworld.
To strike up a conversation,and one boy he couldn't have
been more than seven or eightlooked up and asked why did
Jesus have to die on the cross?
Now I could give the standardanswer he died for our sins.
And in fact, the boy quicklysaid before I could say anything
(11:38):
, I know he died for my sins,but why did he have to die on
the cross?
Now that's a different questionand honestly, in that moment I
didn't have the simple answer Ifelt he was looking for.
For weeks afterward, I thoughtabout it, I prayed, I went back
to scripture and here's where Ilanded.
(12:00):
Jesus had to die on the crossbecause in that one moment, god
put the fullness of his glory ondisplay.
God put the fullness of hisglory on display.
Every attribute of God hisjustice, his wrath, his love,
his mercy, his grace, his wisdom, his faithfulness was revealed
at the same time, in the sameplace, through the same act.
The cross wasn't just the meansof our salvation.
(12:24):
It was the stage where Godshowed us who he truly is and
all his beauty.
Everything before the crosspoints forward to it and
everything after the crosspoints back to it.
So if I could answer that boyright now, I would say this
(12:44):
Jesus had to die on the crossbecause God wanted to show us
how beautiful he is.
His glory is his beauty.
It's not simply what he does,it's who he is.
And on the cross he didn'treveal just part of himself, he
(13:05):
revealed all of himself.
This is why Paul can say, theglory of God is seen in the face
of Jesus Christ, because at thecross we behold the full
display of God's glory.
Nowhere else in history do wesee it all at once.
So now that we've seen whatglory truly is, we can begin to
(13:33):
recognize it.
When we see it, it changes whatwe treasure and it changes what
we pursue.
So with that fresh in our minds, let's hear how John continues
his thoughts in verses 16 to 17.
For from his fullness we haveall received grace upon grace,
(13:53):
for the law was given throughMoses.
Grace and truth came throughJesus Christ.
The phrase here, grace upongrace, paints the picture of
waves rolling onto the shore,one after another, without end.
This is the kind of graceChrist gives, not just a
momentary relief, but anabundant, overflowing mercy that
(14:20):
comes fresh every single day.
Let this settle in your heart.
You are not living onyesterday's grace, you are
walking today in today's grace.
The law given through Moses washoly and righteous, it revealed
God's standards, but it couldnot change the heart.
As Paul reminds us in Romans 7,12, the law is holy and the
commandment is holy andrighteous and good, but the law
(14:42):
could only point out our need.
Grace through Jesus Christmeets that need.
The law exposed the sickness.
Christ brings the cure.
Exodus 34 6 tells us that Godis abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness.
That same description now walksthe earth in flesh and blood.
Jesus did not come to modifyGod's character, he came to
(15:05):
reveal it.
What the law foreshadowed Jesusfulfills.
As Moses brought the law ontablets of stone, jesus brings
the fullness of grace in aliving, breathing body.
He is the better Moses, thebetter mediator and the better
covenant.
Lamentations 3, 22-23 says thesteadfast love of the Lord never
ceases.
(15:25):
His mercies never come to anend.
They are new every morning.
(15:47):
Now, verse 18 says this is thecrescendo of John's prologue.
Throughout the Old Testament,glimpses of God's glory were
seen, but never his full essence.
Not Moses, not Isaiah, not eventhe prophets, but Jesus, the
one.
Scripture calls the unique andonly God, the one-of-a-kind God
who eternally dwells in theheart of the Father he has made
(16:09):
himself known.
The phrase at the Father's sideimplies not just nearness but
deep eternal intimacy.
Jesus does not merely speak forGod, he is God.
He does not represent divinetruth, he embodies it.
Hebrews 1.3 declares he is theradiance of the glory of God, in
the exact imprint of his nature.
To see Jesus is to see theFather, to know the radiance of
the glory of God in the exactimprint of his nature.
To see Jesus is to see theFather.
(16:31):
To know Jesus is to know theheart of God.
Moses once pleaded Lord, showme your glory.
And in Jesus that longing isfinally answered.
God has not remained hidden.
He has come near.
He has wrapped himself in theflesh so that we might behold
him, know him and walk with him.
And that means we don't have tostand at a distance, like Moses
(16:53):
did, shielded from the fullnessof God's presence.
In Christ, the veil is torn,the way is open and the glory of
God is no longer a sight tofear but a savior to follow.
We behold his glory today everytime we see his grace at work
in our lives, every time hisword renews our minds and every
(17:16):
time his spirit shapes us tolook more like him.
The glory Moses longed for isthe glory you and I are invited
to see and reflect right now.
So, as we close this section ofJohn's Gospel from verses 1
through 18, we're left with morethan theology.
We're left with a call torespond.
(17:36):
How do we apply these truths.
How can we, who were createdfor his glory, live in a way
that reflects his presence andexperiences his joy?
First, we must walk by faith,not by sight.
That doesn't mean blind belief.
It means a trust that is rootedin what God has already
(17:57):
revealed.
We believe because he has madeus alive.
In him and in that believing webehold To experience his joy.
We must live for his glory, notthrough perfect performance, but
through surrendered faith.
We don't need to get everythingright.
We need to let everything go.
We must trust him to work in usand through us.
(18:20):
Only then will we experiencethe reality that the eternal God
, the one who spoke galaxiesinto existence, now lives in us.
He wasn't just a man who lived2,000 years ago.
He lives today.
He has made his dwelling withus and he invites us to come
(18:44):
near, to approach him, tosurrender to him so that he
might manifest his glory in andthrough our lives.
And when he does, we receivethe greatest gift of all, not
just a blessing from God, butGod himself.
The takeaway is this you aremade for his glory, and when you
live for his glory, you'll findhis joy.
(19:06):
John 15, 8-11.
By this my Father is glorified,that you bear much fruit and so
prove to be my disciples.
And the Father has loved me, sohave I loved you.
Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments,you will abide in my love, just
(19:27):
as I have kept my Father'scommandments and abide in his
love.
These things I have spoken toyou that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be full.
Let's pray, father God, thankyou again for your word, thank
you for the power and theauthority of it that we can look
to it for a foundation of truth.
(19:48):
This is a deep theological.
For the power and the authorityof it that we can look to it
for a foundation of truth.
This is a deep theologicaltruth that your glory was fully
on display on the cross.
We miss this so often asbelievers.
We read that word glory sooften and never stop to reflect
what it means.
You have desired to put yourbeauty on display throughout all
(20:10):
eternity and you accomplishedthat and did that on the cross
through your son, jesus Christ,who is the radiance of your
glory.
He radiates your beauty outward.
We can look to him and say God,you displayed all of yourself
on the cross and the result ofthat is our salvation.
(20:33):
It's not the why.
The why was to show yourself.
We're the result, and for thatyou get the praise To the praise
of your glorious grace that youso lovingly poured out on us.
You are amazing, god.
We thank you for your love, wethank you for your grace and we
(20:56):
behold your glory and are in allof you.
Oh God, I pray that you wouldopen the eyes and ears of our
listeners, that they would seethat for themselves, that when
they open up the scriptures andread it, that this will be set
in their minds forever.
We love you and we thank you InJesus' name.
Amen.
(21:16):
Now as always, I want to thankyou for joining us today, and I
hope this episode has helped youtake a step closer in your
relationship with Jesus and thatyou now have a deeper
understanding of just how muchGod loves you, and we really
want you to know Him.
Before we go, I want toencourage you to send us any
questions or comments you mayhave using the text us link in
the episode description.
Your input helps us shapefuture episodes that speak
(21:38):
directly to your needs and helpyou grow in your faith.
It's our desire that thisministry be a tool to reach the
lost and equip the saints for alife that brings glory to God.
Now, in our next episode, we'llmove into John, chapter 1,
verses 19 to 28, with a messagetitled who Are you?
In this passage, we see Johnthe Baptist questioned by the
religious leaders about hisidentity and his mission.
(21:59):
His answer will challenge us toexamine how we see ourselves,
how we point others to Christ,and whether our lives make much
of Him or much of ourselves.
You will not want to miss it,god bless, and we'll see you
next time.
On the Takeaway.
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