HIS GLORY AND GRACE
“And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of Grace (God’s willingness, power, and ability that has done those things for us that we can not or will not do for ourselves, like, being saved) and Truth. And from His fullness, we (every living being) have all received Grace upon Grace. Because the law was given through Moses, but Grace and Truth came from Jesus!”
(John 1:16-17)
Here is an example of His Glory:
John saw Jesus in His glorified state twice. Both times, he died, and Jesus had to bring Him back to life because no human can withstand the power of His glory:
After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, with Him and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And pay attention, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him.
And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ Peter was still speaking when, pay attention, A BRIGHT CLOUD OVERSHADOWED THEM, AND A VOICE FROM THE CLOUD SAID, ‘THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED; LISTEN TO HIM.’
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying ‘Rise and have no fear.’ And when they lifted their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus.”
(Matthew 17:1-8)
This report is known as the Transfiguration. Some churches are named “Mount of Transfiguration” in memory of it.
Check this out! Jesus is about to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead because his sisters had unbelieved him to death. He commanded the people to roll away the stone in front of the tomb:
“So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted His eyes and said, ‘Father, thank you for hearing me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe you sent me.‘ When He said these things, He cried loudly, ‘Lazarus, come out.‘ The man who died came out, his hands and feet wrapped with a cloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unbind him. and let him go.’
(John 11:41-44)
John was punished by being exiled to an abandoned Island near Ephesus for teaching the Gospel. While he prayed in and was overcome by Holy Spirit, this happened:
” I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands, one like a Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
In His right hand, he held seven stars; from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw Him, I fell dead at His feet. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I AM the first and the Last, and the living one. I died, and pay attention, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and hades.”
(Revelation 1:10-17)
The Glory of God is beyond our capacity in our earth suits to withstand. We can’t even imagine how stunningly beautiful and marvelous it is.
Here is an example of Grace:
“God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us!”
(Romans 5:8)
So right now, I am hearing an old Gospel Hymn that I love very much:
“Cast Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look Straight In His Beautiful Face, And The Cares Of This World Will Grow Strangely Dim In The Light Of His Glory And Grace!”
There is much turmoil in the world today that the evil one and our flesh want us to be focused on and mesmerized by. Bad things happen every day, and sometimes they happen to us.
When they do, we can find comfort and peace in this promise from Jesus:
“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace (a state of complete undisturbedness). In the world, you will have tribulations (problems, scary things, challenges, illnesses, loss of loved ones, financial challenges, relationship problems, etc.) BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER! BECAUSE I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.“
(John 16:33)
