Day 24, Read Luke 2:9, 14, 20

The glory of the Lord is the greatest theme in the entire Bible.  Thus we are not surprised to see it prominent in the story of Christmas.  The angel who appeared to the shepherds was surrounded by a brilliant light, the glory of the Lord.  The angelic choir proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest.”  The shepherds, when they had seen the Child, returned to their flocks “glorifying and praising God.”

God tells us in His word that He is invisible and dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:15-16).   

When people in Old Testament days saw God they actually saw a form of His glory.  That “glory” was often in the form of a brilliance that was an “unapproachable light.”  The people saw this at Mt. Sinai when Moses received the Law (Ex. 16:9-11; 24:9-18).  Moses saw this close-up (Ex. 33:18-23).  Both the Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38) and the Temple (2 Chron. 7:1-3) were filled with God’s glory.  Isaiah (Isa. 6) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 1) saw the glory of God in visions.  It was a sad day when Ezekiel saw a vision of God’s glory leaving the temple because of Israel’s sin (Ezek. 8-11).  God’s glory did not appear again until the shepherds saw it in fields near Bethlehem.  It is with this description of God’s glory that Jesus is described as “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3).

The angels and the shepherds glorified God by declaring His praises.  In this way they made God evident to people even as the “unapproachable light” made people understand that God was real and was near.  Our whole purpose for existence (and that of all creation) is to “glorify” God.  God will not share His glory with anyone else (Isa. 42:8).  Our failure to glorify God is the first step away from God (Rom. 1:21-23). Everything about us, our words and actions and attitudes and desires, are opportunities for us to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31).  As we are changed more and more into the likeness of Christ we bear the glory of God ourselves because Christ shines through us (2 Cor. 3:18; Matt. 5:16).

The bottom line is that we cannot glorify God without acknowledging Jesus as Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).  Hear the word of God:

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,  whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.  For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.  For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who 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. 4:3-6)

 
The gospel has the power to save us and bring us into fellowship with God who dwells in unapproachable light.  God sent His Son, commanding the light to shine out of darkness.  When we are drawn to faith in Christ it is God turning on the light in our hearts so that we know Him in Christ.