Jesus is Greater
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” – John 1:14, 16, NIV
“All the ways of tabernacling of God in Israel had been transitory or incomplete: all are fulfilled and superseded by the Word-made-flesh and dwelling among us.” -A. M. Ramsey
“That is the great point. What had been hinted at and even realized in a dim, imperfect fashion earlier was perfectly fulfilled in the Word made flesh.” – Leon Morris
“The ‘love and faithfulness’ that constituted the glory of God proclaimed to Moses is now found in the Word incarnate. What was proclaimed to Moses is now found in the Word incarnate. What was proclaimed to Moses by the Lord as he passed by has now been seen, embodied in the incarnate Word, by the eye-witnesses.”- Colin G. Kruse
“If the prologue is the supreme example of the communication and commendation of the gospel to the world, it also provides immense encouragement to believers who read the story again. For the Lord they serve and adore is the ultimate revelation of the Father, sharing with him the sovereignty of the ages and bringing into reality the divine purpose for the ages. They have learned from bitter experience that the darkness still rejects the light, and threatens life itself. But does that matter? The Light shines on, more brightly than on the day of creation, and the life is bestowed which gives entrance to the new creation. Expectation of future glory is not a theme of the prologue; rather the emphasis lies on the revelation of the glory awaited from the future made in the present. The glory of the Second Exodus has been revealed as infinite grace. It follows that the grace that has been established as divine reality through the incarnation, cross and resurrection is a continuing reality for all who know him. The Resurrection is nothing if it is not the triumph of love with power. In the knowledge and experience of that reality, through the presence of the Spirit of the risen Lord, the believing reader anticipates with eagerness the
“exegesis” of that boundless grace in the flesh and blood of Jesus, the Christ and the Son of God.” – George Beasley-Murray
One thing we must protect as children of God (John 1:12-13) is wonderment. John’s prologue (1:1-18) is of great help in this endeavor. When we read it, it should fascinate us each time. “The Word became flesh…” What a moment! What an honor to be on this side of that moment in redemptive history! How can it be that you and I get to gaze upon the glory of God in the person and work of His one and only Son? It really is wild to think about. It is worth pondering long and hard. You and I can see and know God better than Moses could. Not because Moses was distant from God but because, in Jesus, God came close to us in a way that Moses couldn’t imagine. To borrow from Eugune Peterson’s paraphrase, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” And so, it is and ought to be that each time we call to mind this fact, we are awestruck. God made known to us. God made human. God making a way that children of dust can become His children. So, let me urge you to pause in the business and busyness of life this week to be amazed. Ponder anew the marvelous pinnacle of redemptive history in the Person and work of Jesus. Be gob smacked by the wonder of it all! Thank God for giving you this moment in redemptive history on which to reflect and build your life. My prayer for you this week is wonderment that doesn’t fade.
“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, NIV