The Glory Of Christmas

THE GLORY OF CHRISTMAS

John 1:14-18

Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister

First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO

Glory is one of those special words. Do you notice how much of a Christmas word it is? Many, if not most of our favorite Christmas carols use the word somewhere. Most often it is in reference to the angels’ song to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Lk 2:14). Think of some of the carols we have been singing this month:

Who can forget, even if we don’t know what it means, the chorus from Angels We Have Heard on High, “Gloria in excelsius Deo.” That’s the word for glory. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing begins and ends with “Glory to the newborn king.” Vs. 2 and 3 of O Come All Ye Faithful sings, “Glory to God, all glory in the highest,” and then “Jesus, to thee be all glory given.” While Shepherds Watched speaks of the glory that shone around the angel choir and then it quotes their song. Silent Night speaks of “glories stream from heaven afar.” Joy to the World refers to the “glories of his righteousness.” Angels From the Realms of Glory includes it in the title.

We can’t help but sing about the glory of Christmas. But I wonder if we understand our songs. I want to define and explain that word today because it is so important for our text and our understanding of what we are celebrating in the Christmas season.

Let’s begin with some facts. The word in its various forms is used nearly 300 times in the Bible; 130 times in the New Testament. This makes it a pretty significant word. Generally the word is used in two different, but related ways. First, glory is used as an attribute or characteristic of something, specifically God in our context. For example, God’s glory filled the temple or his glory appeared to the Israelites in the cloud by day and fire by night. Exodus tells of the glory of the Lord settling on Mt. Sinai. This is the most basic sense of the term.

Listen to 2 Chr 7:1-3: "When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. {2} The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. {3} When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshipped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "He is good; his love endures forever.""

The Old Testament frequently speaks of God’s glory in this way, but the same word can be used to describe a quality of a person or nation. For example, (Prov 20:29) "The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old."

The original term in the Old Testament was related to a word for “heaviness” or “weight.” Something that was glorious or possessed glory was something of substance. It was a heavy weight, not a light weight. We might talk of an important business man or politician as a “heavy weight” without any reference to size. Glory was that which had such substance that it left an impression. We would speak of something that was “impressive.” Even after it was over, the memory or the reaction remained.

When I think of this word concept, I get a clear mental image from the movie Jurassic Park. Do you remember the scene early in the film, just after the dinosaur has escaped? The children are sitting in the Land Rover. Suddenly they hear something. Actually they feel it before they hear it. The camera closes in on a glass water in the cup holder. Even before you hear the steps of the huge beast, you see the water begin to quiver, more and more. Something heavy was coming. It was definitely leaving and impression even before it could be seen!

God’s Glory was his presence. When God showed up he left an impression. Things did not stay the same. Even though God could not be seen by the naked eye and he was never to be represented with physical idols, his presence still had “weight” or “glory.” Sometimes the Living God might use a physical form to show his presence---a cloud, a flame, or the wind. But even when he didn’t, he was impressive. You knew when He was there.

It is an easy step then to use the word “glory” in the second sense of giving “weight” or “praise and honor” to someone else or claiming it for oneself. The Bible often uses the word in the context of worship. When we glorify God, we proclaim with our lips that he is impressive, weighty, glorious. Listen to these biblical songs of worship: (1 Chr 16:10) "Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice." (1 Chr 16:24) "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." (1 Chr 16:28-29) "Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, {29} ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness." (1 Chr 29:11) "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." (Isa 42:8) ""I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols." (Exo 15:11) ""Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"