The Glory has been revealed

God is the Source of Revealing His own Glory (, )

Explanation: God is Spirit and He lives in unapproachable light () He is Holy and totally set apart from sin. Since sin entered the world through Adam, there has been a barrier between God and man. Moses, the great servant of God, was only permitted to see the backside of God, because God told Moses that no one could see His face and live (). God is outside His creation and is separated from us in degrees of Glory that we cannot comprehend.

Illustrate: Inadequate, but imagine trying to communicate with an ant. Can an ant comprehend towering giants who come and go mysteriously?

Argument: God is the One who desires to be in Relationship with humans. He is the Creator, the One who created us in His image. He understands the consequences of sin in our life and the barrier it puts between us and Him. God also knows that we are incapable of removing the barrier on our own so He is the One who takes the initiative.

God is the One who came down and “tabernacled” among us. In the OT, God’s shekinah glory came in the form of a cloud and filled the tent of meeting (), but in the NT, God “tabernacles” with His people in the Incarnation. Jesus is the God-man who reveals His glory to us. The Creator of the Universe, the Second person of the Trinity, the Pre-existent Word entered His own creation.

Application: Those of us who live after the Incarnation are extremely blessed. We have the privilege of knowing Jesus. We have been given the Revelation of the Messiah through the pages of the NT and the Spirit of Christ.

Some will receive the Revelation of His Glory, but many will Reject it ()

Explanation: These verses are some of the saddest and most ironic in all the pages of Scripture. The One who created all things, the One who carefully crafted and breathed life into the pinnacle of His creation, He came into His own and was Rejected! The term world (kosmos) in the Gospel of John is used 78 times, and while it can refer to the physical earth, John uses it to refer to sinful humanity.

Jesus not only came to the world (people) in general, He came to His own people. During His earthly ministry Jesus restricted Himself almost exclusively to the Jewish people. These are the people of the covenant and the promises. They were told to expect a Coming One, a Messiah who would deliver them. But when He whom they had waited for did arrive, they Rejected Him.

Illustrate: A parent who has a grown child who totally turns away. The parent has provided a home, love and care but for whatever reason, the adult child will not even talk to the parent, and in some cases keeps the grandchildren from them. Now I realize that parents are capable of mistakes, but the hurt is still very real. It is impossible for us to imagine the hurt Jesus felt; He who had done no wrong, but only loved His people.

Argument: We face a similar situation today. Most of the population are in the group of those who Reject Jesus. There are multitudes who are not even concerned about the truth of the Bible, the Revelation of His glory, and they most definitely reject the idea of Jesus being more than just a man or a good teacher.

There is, however, a remnant of faithful believers. These are the ones who by the grace of God have come to receive the glory and grace that Jesus brings. God initiates the call for salvation. Lost people do not have, and will not have the desire to surrender to God on their own initiative. That is why God comes to us. This is why Jesus continues to reveal Himself to lost people. That is why we preach the Gospel. The power is in the Word as the Spirit of God convicts lost sinners of their need for a Savior

Application: Where do you find yourself this morning? Are you one of those who have responded to the Revelation of His glory with belief? Have you surrendered to the Lordship of Christ? If you haven’t, and you sense the Holy Spirit’s conviction of your need, surrender your all today!

Those who receive and believe are called to be Witnesses of His Glory ()

Explanation: John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus. He was the last of the prophets and the one who proclaimed the Messiah had indeed arrived. John fulfilled the OT promises of one who would prepare the way for the Messiah (; ). The fourth Gospel does not contain much information concerning the ministry of John the Baptist, but a look at the Synoptics reveals that John did prepare the way. Luke gives the account of John’s birth and ministry (), and both Matthew and Luke give details of his message of repentance (; ).

John the Baptist gave witness to the Light that was coming into the world. He confronted religious leaders in the spiritual complacency, and he told all of their need to repent. His message was faithful and true, and God blessed it

Illustrate: We had been preparing for our first grandchild for months and months. We bought clothes, diapers, and books. I picked up a book for Hallie at the Ark Encounter three months before she was born. She arrived in January of this year, and guess what? We’re talking about her. We share pictures & tell others, some who may not care to hear, about what she is doing and how wonderful she is.

Argument: For those of us who are believers, for those who have experienced His glory, we have a story to tell. Our lives have been changed, forgiveness has been granted, a verdict of not guilty has been entered and accepted, and we are free from the slavery of guilt and sin. If the change is genuine, we should have the desire to be about His business, and part of His business for us is shining the light of God’s Glory in the darkness.

Application: We can tell others about the goodness of God and the Glory of Jesus. We have been empowered to do so () and it is a privilege to serve as ambassadors for Him.