Message from the Monthly Flyer December 2016

The Glory of God revealed

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5

When we talk about the glory of the Lord, what comes to mind? Moses and the Lord on Mount Sinai? Or maybe Isaiah's vision in chapter six? He describes the throne room of God and the angels crying "Holy, Holy" in poetic and moving detail. This vision, or something like it, is what I picture when I see this scripture in Isaiah 40:5. I'm sure I'm not the first to think this. All the way back to the time that this prophecy was first written, men reasoned that this was a description of the coming of the messiah to conquer and reign forever.

As you look at chapter forty, however, you find another set of very recognizable scriptures. The voice of one crying in the wilderness was first mentioned here. It was the scriptures leading up to verse five that John the Baptist quoted while describing himself. Could it be that the "glory" mentioned here isn't the majesty of God's Spirit, but the humility of His humanity? In fact, in the Gospel of John 1:14, the word "glory" is used to describe the manifestation of God in the flesh.

However, this begs the question, where was the glory in the Son of Man? Not in the look of His person, nor in the status or place of His birth. Even His words and teachings, though profound, were very simple. With this in mind, we must consider another vision of glory. The whole purpose of the Almighty God coming to this earth wasn't to be a conquering hero, but to be a suffering servant. Could it be that God's definition of glory is best depicted by an old bloody cross and the salvation it symbolizes?

If that is true, then our human definition of glory is truly wrong. The glory of the Lord isn't in the angels crying holy; no, it's found in the seeking and saving of that which was lost.

We read Isaiah 40:5 and long for that day, when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and this world will be changed. But could it be that the Lord has the same prayer? That His glory would be revealed today, as it was before, by His body being broken so the world might be saved? We, as the church, are the body of Christ. How might we change our world? If we show the glory of God according to His definition? ah