“Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” (Hebrews 1:3)
Before the foundation of the world Jesus existed eternally with God; and being One with God He shared in the glory of God. But then the Eternal Word became flesh (John 1:14). He veiled His glory for a time, for the ill repute of a sin-infected world and the rags of humanity. He willingly “made Himself of no reputation,” (Phil. 2:7). He subjected Himself to the infirmities of human nature like weariness, hunger, thirst, and even death. And yet through it all He remained intrinsically glorious as the Eternal God to be adored and worshipped.
While clothed in humanity, Scripture indicates that Christ yearned for the glory He shared with the Father from eternity – “Glorify Me with the glory I had with Thee before the world was,” (John 17:5).
Knowing His earthly ministry would soon be complete, and the time of His death was near, Jesus retreated to a high mountain to pray. On this particular day He took with Him only Peter, James, and John. While the four of them were alone on the mountain, God allowed these three disciples to experience a glimpse of the brightness of His glory. As Christ prayed, His disciples witnessed His humanity transformed into glory: “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light,” (Matt. 17:1-5).
Stephen Charnock said, “It was a manifestation of Him as the Son of God, and a discovery of that relation He had to the Father from eternity, which was not only clouded in the days of his flesh, but all the time of the Old Testament, and was not known, at least in such a measure and clearness, as in the discovery of the gospel.”
As Jesus leaves the Last Supper, headed into the darkness of the Garden of Gethsemane, He tells those disciples who are with Him: “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself…” (John 13:31-32).
God is jealous for His glory. In Isaiah 42:8 He says, “I will not give My glory to another.” Yet Jesus asked the Father to glorify His Son, and the Father affirmed that He has… and will… glorify Him. Herein lies scriptural affirmation that Jesus is God – One and the same divine essence with the Father – as God does not give His glory to another, only to Himself.
Do you desire to see the glory of God and to adore Him? Then gaze upon the One God sent. Look with eyes of faith on Christ the Lord, the “express image of His person,” so you may be able to say with the apostle: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth!” (John 1:14).
- Lord Jesus, Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, begotten of the Father from eternity (Micah 5:1), the personal image of the Father (Heb. 1:3). You are God’s anointed King over Zion, before whom every knee will bow in worship. And You are the One in whom Your chosen ones are bound to place their confidence for the promise of eternal blessedness.
- Lord Jesus, You are of the highest perfection and eminence, the radiance of God’s glory (Heb. 1:3).
- You are two natures in one being. As God, the names, attributes, works and worship which belong to the Father are equally ascribed to You. But You are also the perfect man, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 1:5). Do I adore You as the perfect, righteous man that You are – the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1), the Son of the blessed virgin Mary, of the house and lineage of David (Luke 1:27, 3:23-24, 2:4-7)? Help me adore You in the manifold perfections of Your glorious being.
Further References for Hebrews 1:3
Col. 1:17; Mark 16:19; 2 Cor. 4:4; John 1:14; John 14:9; 1 Chron. 29:11
