Jesus is more than a teacher who gives wise advice. He is the eternal Son of God who came near to us. The more clearly we see who He is, the more deeply we learn to trust, love, worship, and follow Him.
The Bible calls the greatness and beauty of God His glory. God's glory includes His holiness, power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and majesty. We cannot see God in all His infinite splendor and survive, yet God has made His glory known in a way we can receive: through Jesus Christ.
God's Glory Has Come Near
The apostle John lived with Jesus, heard Him teach, watched Him welcome sinners, and saw His mighty works. John later wrote:
The eternal Son truly became human without ceasing to be God. He entered the weakness and sorrow of our world. In Jesus, God's glory was not merely announced from a distance. It walked among ordinary people.
Jesus showed compassion to the suffering, authority over creation, purity in the presence of temptation, and mercy toward repentant sinners. Every part of His life revealed the character of the Father.
Jesus does not mean that He is the Father. The Father and the Son are distinct Persons, yet the Son perfectly reveals what God is like. If you want to know the heart of God, look to Jesus.
The Son Is Greater Than We Imagine
People often reduce Jesus to someone who can improve their circumstances. Scripture gives us a much larger vision.
“Firstborn” here does not mean that Jesus was created. It describes His supreme position and authority over creation. The next verses explain that all things were created through Him and for Him, and that He holds all things together (Colossians 1:16–17).
The One who welcomed children is the One who made the stars. The One who grew tired beside a well is the One who sustains every breath. The One who allowed soldiers to arrest Him possessed all authority in heaven and on earth.
Jesus is worthy of more than casual interest. He deserves our confidence, obedience, and worship.
Glory Revealed Through the Cross
We might expect glory to appear only through visible power and victory. Jesus revealed God's glory most clearly through humble, sacrificial love.
As the cross drew near, Jesus said that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified (John 12:23). He was speaking about His death. On the cross, Jesus bore the judgment sinners deserved and displayed the holy love of God.
The cross shows that God does not ignore evil. Sin is so serious that the Son of God gave His life to save us from it. The cross also shows that God's mercy is greater than we imagined. Christ willingly died for His enemies so that everyone who trusts Him may be forgiven and brought near.
What looked like defeat became the path to resurrection victory. The risen Jesus is now exalted, and every knee will one day bow before Him (Philippians 2:8–11).
Seeing Christ Changes Us
We do not see Jesus physically today, but the Holy Spirit opens our understanding through Scripture. As we read the Bible, we should look for more than information. We should ask God to help us see the worth of His Son.
Seeing Christ's glory changes what we treasure. His holiness exposes the ugliness of sin. His mercy makes us willing to confess. His humility confronts our pride. His faithfulness steadies our fears. His love moves us to love others.
Christian growth is not produced by staring endlessly at ourselves. We grow as we look to Christ in faith and respond to what we see. Scripture says that believers are being transformed as they behold the Lord's glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This transformation is gradual. We still struggle with distraction and sin. Yet the Spirit patiently teaches us to admire Christ more and to reflect His character in ordinary life.
We Will See Him as He Is
For now, we know Jesus through faith. One day, everyone who belongs to Him will see Him face to face.
The final book of the Bible pictures heaven worshiping Jesus as the Lamb who was slain and who reigns forever (Revelation 5:9–13). His scars will forever testify that our glorious King loved us and purchased us for God.
When Christ appears, His people will be made like Him because they will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). Our future is not merely a better place. Our greatest hope is to be with Jesus, free from sin, delighting in His glory forever.
What We Have Learned
- Jesus Christ is the eternal Son who perfectly reveals the Father.
- All creation was made through Him, for Him, and is sustained by Him.
- The cross reveals God's holiness, justice, mercy, and sacrificial love.
- The Holy Spirit helps us see Christ's glory through Scripture.
- As we behold Christ in faith, God gradually transforms us to reflect His character.
- Believers will one day see Jesus face to face and rejoice in His glory forever.
What We Are Called to Do
- Read Scripture with the desire to know and admire Jesus.
- Worship Christ as Lord rather than treating Him merely as a helpful teacher.
- Bring sin into the light when His holiness exposes it.
- Trust His mercy when the cross shows the depth of His love.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to make us more like the Savior we behold.
- Live with hope as we wait for the day when we will see Christ as He is.