Lk. 3:15-22 Theme: All mankind shall see the glory of the Lord
Text: Is. 40:1-5, 9-11; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Lk. 3:15-16, 21-22
Read Isaiah 40:5 “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
One important lesson we learn either in the classroom or by experience to be successful is to pay attention to what is urgent and important. Many people, however, are so busy doing what is not important that they often forget to do what is important. Even when they do know what is important they are not prepared to spend the necessary time on it because they have come to believe that they can have almost everything instantly. Some people have even described the time we live in as the age of the instant - instant coffee, instant milo, instant lotto millionaires, and even instant spirituality and instant Christian growth. Although I believe in a God who can do everything in an instant, I also know that it takes time for a person to grow. A child does not become an adult in an instant. He or she goes through a process of growth and preparation. It takes time for a fruit to grow and we cannot plant an orange seed and expect to have oranges in an instant. So in virtually every aspect of life there is a time for preparation and growth. No wise person will enter marriage without preparation – without spending a great deal of time getting to know his or her partner. Neither would an athlete enter to take part in the Olympic games without preparation - without spending many hours in training. Preparation in the spiritual realm is just as important as preparation in the physical realm, if not even more important. It is only through spiritual preparation and spiritual growth that obstacles that separate us from God can be removed to allow Him deal with the many problems we face in life – problems such as homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, broken lives, fears, family conflict and insecurity. It is often during these times of spiritual intimacy with God that He speaks to bring light and freedom, understanding and healing, to those who are miserable and are suffering, to those who have given up hope and to those who are looking for a meaning and purpose in life. It is God’s desire that all mankind shall see the glory of the Lord.
The glory of the Lord has been revealed to all men and the Apostle John says that in Jesus Christ we beheld His glory. However, for now His glory is veiled and only those who sincerely seek the Lord see His glory. A blind man will not see the light no matter how bright the light is, but at Christ’s return even they shall see the glory of the Lord. God presently reveals His glory to those He knows will act upon His Word, those He trusts. If we do not trust somebody in life, we will not reveal our secrets to that person or ask him or her to do something important for us. Why should we expect it to be different with God?
Can God trust us with something as important as His glory? You can only trust someone you have a relationship with and this is the reason why God desires a relationship with us. You cannot have a relationship with another person unless you know each other. We must relate to one another to have a relationship. A marriage is an intimate relationship and in this relationship one partner often knows what the other partner has in mind without him or her saying anything. A magnet has the ability to attract other metals and a metal near a magnet will also acquire this ability. A metal, which is not a magnet, cannot attract another metal but this same metal near a magnet is able to attract another metal and this other metal can also attract another metal. Just as a metal near a magnet acts like a magnet so our intimacy with God should make us reflect His glory. This intimate relationship should determine our thoughts, attitudes and behaviour. When we come to worship together as we are doing this morning is it to glorify God by deepening our relationship with Him and with each other or is it for another reason? Do we expect God to move in our midst and communicate with us? As individuals and as a church, we need to discern the direction God is calling us to go, and follow His directions, so that we do not go astray.
Whenever we are confronted with the glory, majesty, and holiness of God we see ourselves as we really are and are inevitably led to repentance. Repentance simply means to turn around, so that instead of walking in our own way, we begin to walk in God’s way. Walking in God’s way leads us to God’s presence. It leads us to worship Him, to spend time with Him in prayer and in Bible study, to take part in the sacraments and to love with His love forgiving one another.
Walking in God’s way requires an effort on our part. All of us, whether we are parents or not know that sometimes a child would want to behave like a parent and do what he or she wants to do. Very often the parent needs to remind the child that what he or she wants is not the right thing. Well, we are like children at times. We have a tendency to forget who God is and we too, will try to do what we want, and God has to bring us back to understanding that what we want may not be good for us. The process can be quite painful at times. Jesus illustrates this in the parable about the prodigal son. This son, the younger of two brothers, wanted to do what he wanted and not what the father wanted. To learn the lesson that what he wanted was not the right thing he had to go through much suffering. After coming to the understanding that what he wanted was not the right thing, he went back to do what his father wanted. He could have spared himself so much suffering. When we experience the glory of the Lord we are identified with Christ and this should be evident in everything we do. We must glorify Christ at all times. We must deny our selfish desires and use our time and possessions in a way that pleases and glorifies the Lord.
Experiencing God’s glory leads to a manifestation of that glory in our lives. It leads to a new life, which makes us eager to do what is good by turning away from ungodliness and worldly passions and living an upright and godly life. It is a life that turns away from self-centredness and pride and turns to a life of self-control and humility. The manifestation of God’s glory in our lives is an assurance of His forgiveness. This should put the desire in our hearts to share God’s forgiveness and love with others. We cannot keep such good news to ourselves. We would want others to also experience the forgiveness of God. The best way, however, to tell others about the glory of the Lord is to manifest that glory in the way we live.
Someone has said that if Christians would manifest the glory of the Lord many unbelievers would flock to the Churches. We cannot manifest the glory of the Lord and not live and share the new life we have received. Mahatma Ghandi, the famed leader of India, as a young man searching for answers in his life, experienced the lives of Christians. He made the statement in the latter years of his life, "I would be a Christian if it were not for other Christians." On the other hand William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, was brought to Christ by the life and influence of a fellow apprentice. Carey said about his young friend, "He could not answer my questions, but I could not answer his life." The world is observing us as Christians. We should live our lives in such a way that we manifest the glory of Christ and not hurt His cause or our ability to win others to Him. Jesus Christ glorified His Father in everything that He did. He glorified God in His birth, in His life, in His death and in His resurrection. At His baptism the Spirit of God descended on Him in the form of a dove and the Father spoke saying ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’ This was before Jesus had performed a single miracle or preached a single sermon. He glorified God by the way He had lived. He was tempted in all ways as we are but He did not sin. He always manifested the glory of God. Are we manifesting God’s glory in our lives? What do people see when they look at us? Do they see someone living a godly life or do they see someone pursuing the things of the world, just like everyone else?
Through Jesus Christ we have gained a clearer picture of God, who God is and with that, the knowledge of what He is capable of doing in our lives. When we experience the glory of God it affects our self-esteem. We might have thought we were somebody, but in the presence of God we will discover that we are not what we thought we were. But we can relate to God because of Jesus Christ. Even though Christ was perfect He also became a man to pay the price for our sin. If we could accept that and believe in Christ we also will experience the glory of God. Billy Graham once said that one of the great mysteries of redemption is that while many bad men will go to heaven, many good men will go to hell. This is because like the guilty thief, who died on the cross next to Jesus, they, the bad men, are more likely to accept they are sinners than the good men. Those who admit their sinfulness are more likely to receive a revelation of God’s glory and accept His gift of eternal life. The guilty thief in his dying moments simply prayed ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ In this he accepted Jesus as king. He believed the king would have a kingdom and he asked to be included in that kingdom. He had a revelation of who Christ is. We all need a revelation of the sovereignty and glory of God. It is only such a revelation that will make us see ourselves in the light of God’s holiness and bring us to repentance so that we can experience and manifest His glory and be ready for Christ’s returns when all mankind shall see the glory of the Lord. Amen!
