The Joy of Glory

John 2:1-12 (click here)
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (John 2:11)

Reflection
Glory.

John’s chief concern in his Gospel is that we see the glory of Jesus! This is why he writes. He has beheld the glory of Jesus (John 1:14) and he wants us to do the same… to behold and believe (John 20:30-31)!

Why? What’s so great about glory?

This doesn’t seem very practical. I mean, honestly, isn’t Christianity just about how I should live? Where are the practical tips for how to be a moral person, have a good marriage, live as a faithful single, raise kids correctly, etc?

It’s true, the Bible does contain a lot of ethical instruction, but the question is what empowers us to fulfill those instructions? I believe it is seeing glory.

Think of it like this… when I was younger, I had various phases of life in which I used a lot of language my parents did not approve of. Yet, anytime I was around my parents, I somehow managed to clean all that up! Their presence had a sanctifying effect on my life! In reality, I just was afraid of punishment and didn’t want to disappoint them.

However…as I grew older something changed. I began to respect my parents (I am blessed with great parents). I began to see them role-models… people I wanted to imitate! You could say that I began to see the “glory” of the kind of people they were and it empowered me to pursue being the person they had taught me to be.

While this is not a perfect illustration, I think it somewhat helps us see why it is so important to John (and all the Biblical authors) that we see the glory of Jesus! We are not meant to follow ethical instruction just for the sake of being moral people… no! We behold the glory of Jesus…his beauty, his greatness, his goodness, and as we behold this glory changes us!

We are being transformed to look like that which we are beholding!

2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

This is how the Lord changes us and empowers us to be the people he created us to be! We behold his glory and are transformed!

Perhaps the reason I don’t experience much transformation is not because I don’t “try” hard enough, but because I don’t fix my eyes upon his glory.

Are you beholding the glory of Jesus?

*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.