Radiance from Within

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.        – John 1:14

Imagine being at a campground on a brisk spring night. You step outside your tent, smell the aroma of the pines, hear the whisper of a gentle breeze in the trees, wrap your arms across your chest against a bit of chill, and see the glow of Coleman lanterns on the canvas of other nearby campers. You understand the source of that light, but you see only its effect. 

When the Apostle John wrote his gospel, his prologue was also an epilogue—he presented to you at first what he would conclude at the end. This is particularly true of having seen God’s glory in Christ. John’s gospel is his personal testimony of his life with the Lord. In it, he shares glimpses of Jesus’ status as Messiah, evidence of His deity, and His declarations of Son-ship. Along with Peter and James, John was allowed the privilege of seeing Jesus transformed on the mountaintop, where He was bathed in the light of the glory of God. Pastor and teacher R.C. Sproul says, “In the transfiguration, the radiance on the face of Jesus was not a reflection. It was not a glory from outside of Him that was refracted and bounced back by His human nature. It was the divine glory coming from the second person of the Trinity, who shares in the fullness of divine glory.” 

Those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will one day behold Him in person. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Until then, you have been called upon to reflect His light to the world. Like the tent in the campground, let Christ’s love glow in you in such a way that others will want to know the Source for themselves.