INTRODUCTION

John 1:1–13 ASV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John in his prologue speaks of the Word

Who was in the beginning with God, and was God (Jn. 1:1-2)

And through Whom all things were made (Jn. 1:3)

And Who was life, and the light of men (Jn. 1:4-5, 9)

Who came into the world, though many did not receive Him (Jn. 1:10-11)

Yet those who received Him, were given the right to become children of God (Jn. 1:12-13)

The Word was Jesus Christ…

John 1:14–18 ASV

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. 15 John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me. 16 For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The Word became flesh and lived among men

The one Who was in the beginning - thus eternal

The creator of things

Whose glory was seen by men

The word “glory” as used here...

Means “majesty, dignity, splendor”

Pertaining to Christ, it refers to His personal excellence or majesty

John writes “We beheld His glory”

What majesty, dignity, or splendor did John and others see in Jesus when He walked in the flesh among men?

DISCUSSION

THEY BEHELD HIS GLORY

The Glory of His Deity

“glory as of the only begotten from the Father” (Jn. 1:14)

The dignity which was appropriate to the only begotten Son of God

Such glory or splendor as could belong to no other - AND this glory properly expressed His rank and character.

This glory was seen eminently on the mount of transfiguration

Luke 9:28–32 ASV

28 And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling. 30 And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah; 31 who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

2 Peter 1:16–18 ASV

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a voice to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: 18 and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

This My Son!

The Majestic Glory said see the glory of My Son!

His glory was also seen in His miracles, His doctrine, His resurrection, His ascension…

John 2:11 ASV

11 This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

All of which were to illustrate His perfections, and manifest the glory that belongs only to the Son of God

They Beheld The Glory of His Grace

“full of grace...grace for grace...grace and truth came through Jesus” (Jn. 1:14b, 16-17)

The word grace means favors, gifts, acts of benevolence

He was kind, merciful, gracious, doing good to all, and seeking man’s welfare by great sacrifices and love

So much so, that it might be said to be characteristic of Him, or that He abounded in favors to mankind.

They saw the glory of His grace!

The Beheld The Glory Of His Truth

“full...of truth...truth came through Jesus Christ.” (Jn. 1:14b, 17)

Jesus was full of truth - He declared the truth - And In Him was no falsehood

He was not like the false prophets and false Messiahs, who were wholly impostors

Nor was he like the emblems and shadows of the old dispensation, which were only types of the true; but He was truth itself.

He represented things as they are, and thus became the truth as well as the way and the life…

John 14:6 ASV

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.

They Beheld The Glory of His Preeminence

“He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me” [is preferred before me – KJV] (Jn. 1:15)

His preeminence was witnessed to by John the Baptist…

John 1:27–30 ASV

27 even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me.

His superiority is recognized…

By virtue of His preexistence (“He was before me”) -

John 8:58 ASV

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.

John 17:5 ASV

5 And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

By virtue of His creative powers…

Colossians 1:16–17 ASV

16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.

They Beheld The Glory of His Revelation

“No one hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son...he hath declared him” (Jn. 1:18)

This passage is not meant to deny that men had witnessed manifestations of God, as when he appeared to Moses and the prophets (cf. Num. 12:8; Isa 6:1-13).

It means that no one has seen the essence of God, or has fully known God.

The prophets delivered what they heard God speak

Jesus delivered what He knew of God as His equal, and as understanding fully His nature.

Jesus manifested or declared the Father as no one had done before!

As Jesus told Philip…

John 14:9 ASV

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father?

As Jesus expressed in His prayer…

John 17:5 ASV

5 And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John 17:24 ASV

24 Father, I desire that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

As the apostles wrote in their epistles

Colossians 1:15 ASV

15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

Hebrews 1:1–4 ASV

1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, 2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; 3 who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.

John 1:18 proves that, Jesus had a knowledge of God above that which any of the ancient prophets had, and that the fullest revelations of His character are to be expected in the gospel.

By His Word and Spirit He can enlighten and guide us, and lead us to the true knowledge of the Father

There is no true and full knowledge of the Father which is not obtained through His Son

What a wonderful experience it must have been to behold the glory of God’s only begotten Son!

It undoubtedly transformed the life of John and others who saw Him.

By the grace of God, it also possible that...

WE CAN BEHOLD HIS GLORY

In This Life

We can behold His glory...

The glory of His deity, grace and truth!

The glory of His preeminence and revelation!

How? Through the words of His eyewitnesses!

Who made known the power and coming of our Lord

2 Peter 1:16–18 ASV

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a voice to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: 18 and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Who declared what they heard, saw, even handled, that we might share with them in their fellowship with the Father and Son

1 John 1:1–4 ASV

1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life 2 (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: 4 and these things we write, that our joy may be made full.

Through their gospel accounts, their letters, their inspired writings, we can behold His glory!

Indeed, we must behold His glory to be transformed!

Our transformation is fundamental to true discipleship

Romans 8:29 ASV

29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:

Our transformation is gradual, occurring as we behold His glory

2 Corinthians 3:18 ASV

18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Our transformation involves renewing the mind, a mind set on things above where Christ is

Romans 12:1–2 ASV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:1–2 ASV

1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.

When He Comes Again…

We will behold His glory...

When He appears

Colossians 3:4 ASV

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.

When He comes again, to be glorified in His saints

2 Thessalonians 1:10 ASV

10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.

Indeed, everyone will behold His glory...

For every eye will see Him

Revelation 1:7 ASV

7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

For every knee will bow, and every tongue confess Him

Philippians 2:9–11 ASV

9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

CONCLUSION

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory...” (Jn. 1:14)

We may not have seen Jesus in the flesh, but we can still behold His glory...

Even now, through the testimony of His apostles and the Word of God

And, when Jesus comes again to be revealed in His glory

What will we do with the glory of Jesus as declared by His apostles?

We should let it transform our lives as we behold the glory of the Lord

2 Corinthians 3:18 ASV

18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Then when Christ comes, we will be glorified together with Him!

2 Thessalonians 1:10 ASV

10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.

Here is Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians...

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 ASV

11 To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and every work of faith, with power; 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May his prayer be fulfilled in our lives, along with this prayer from Jude...

Jude 24–25 ASV

24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen.