Day #69 - The Radiance of God’s Glory

The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Photo by Mark Fletcher-Brown on Unsplash

How would you describe God in one word?

Would you say that God is holy? Or would you say that he is love? From my experience if we tried to explain God in one word, people would usually choose one of those words, holy or love. If someone had a disappointing relationship with God or didn’t have one at all they might say sad, distant or angry.

The best way to describe God in one word: JESUS.

The author of Hebrews tells us something astonishing that Jesus, the Son of God, is the radiance of God’s glory. And not only that, Jesus is also the exact representation of God’s being. We learned about God’s glory and nature through reading about Israel’s history, but in Jesus God entered into history.

How do you we behold the glory of God? By beholding who Jesus is. His radiant glory is manifested most fully in the Son of God. God’s glory or His manifest presence, is not an abstract idea but is contained in the person of Christ.

As we looked at yesterday, when you see Jesus, you see the Father. Hebrews 1:3 adds a layer that in Jesus we have the exact representation of who God is. Jesus is God. Jesus is the manifest radiance of God’s glorious presence. He sustains all things by the word of his power. He provided for our sins and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, the Majesty in heaven. Jesus did everything for us that His Father desired and He did those things as fully representing who God is for us.

Jesus is the expression of God’s glory and also made a way for us in forgiving our sins that makes entrance for us before the presence of God.

Who is God? Jesus. Who is Jesus? The radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God’s being.

Father God, thank you for the gift of Jesus. Jesus I love you! Jesus I want to behold you and marvel at the radiance of God’s presence. Who I see you are is the exact representation of God. Thank you for coming and making a way for me to enter the Divine presence. There is no one like you. I worship you. In Christ Jesus’ name, amen.