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

 ¹ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:1 – 3)

 

Context

In the New Testament, the word for glory that corresponds to the Hebrew word kabod that we looked at yesterday is the Greek word doxa.  Like kabod, doxa has a wide range of meanings.  In addition to the passages above, here are a few examples where doxa is used:

• The announcement of the birth of Jesus – Luke 2:¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
• The transfiguration of Jesus – Luke 9: ²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.  ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.  ³¹ They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.  ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
• Jesus praying in Gethsemane – John 17: 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.

As we consider God’s glory over the next few weeks we will see that Jesus is at the center of it all.  Please read the passages of scripture from John 1:14 and Hebrews 1:1 – 3 and answer the question below.

Question

What connections do you see between the description of Jesus in the passages above and the story of Moses we considered over the last two days?