‘If you believe, you will see the glory of God.’
It’s quite a promise, isn’t it?
When we talk about glory nowadays, we usually mean some great achievement, or something which merits great praise – this weekend we’ve had talk of FA Cup glory, for example, for the winning teams, especially those who registered shock victories. And that’s all well and good – but it’s missing a vital link. In biblical terms, the word ‘glory’ refers to the manifest presence of God. It literally means ‘weight’ and originally appears whenever God shows up directly in the presence of humanity.
The first biblical references all occur around the time of the Exodus, the giving of the law and the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert. So, when Moses and Aaron first begin their priestly ministry, we’re told that, ‘the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell face down.’ (Leviticus 9:23-24)
You can see the missing link: when God’s glory appears, it results in praise and awe – but that is the outcome of the glory, not the glory itself. The ‘glory’ is God’s manifest presence with his people.
Let’s fast-forward to the story of Lazarus and our passage for today – and specifically, Jesus’ extraordinary words to those gathered by the tomb: (v40) ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ How is God’s glory, God’s manifest presence, demonstrated in the age of Christ? In resurrection life! God is the author of life, and his presence brings life. ‘We have seen his glory,’ John declares at the start of the gospel (1:14), and now his friends and onlookers will see it demonstrated in the most remarkable way: God’s presence, bringing life.
Since Pentecost, one of the greatest parts of our good news is that God’s manifest presence – in other words, his glory – is available to all believers, all those who follow the Messiah who promises the Lord’s glory to those who believe. Wherever the Lord is bringing new life, there we can see his glory. God is working his ‘glory’ in us: ‘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 Cor 3:18)
We are all slowly being transformed by God’s Spirit – something which, as that wonderful verse declares, brings ‘ever-increasing glory’ to the Lord. Where is God’s glory at work in you at the moment? Where might you see God’s glory bringing life today? Pray with confidence, because those who believe, Jesus promises, will see the glory of God. Amen.