The Glory Of Heaven Unveiled Series

The Glory of Heaven Unveiled

December 7, 2025

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Luke 2:8-14

INTRODUCTION — KNOWING ABOUT JESUS VS. KNOWING JESUS

There is a profound difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. You can study a person, memorize facts about them, read their biography, admire their work, and still have no relationship with them. Our world is flooded with information. We have documentaries, interviews, podcasts, opinion pieces, and endless commentary. You can know everything about a person, a leader, or a historical figure, and yet not know them at all.

Sadly, this is the case for how many treat Jesus. Many people know facts, Scriptures, and doctrine, but have little understanding of who Jesus really is. Same thing for Christmas. People know about Christmas. They know about the manger. They know about the star, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men. They know about the cross and the resurrection. But they haven’t connected the dots in their lives personally of the significance of all these. There is a world of difference between knowing the facts of Christianity and knowing the Christ of Christianity.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:19)

When you do not truly know Him, meaning when you do not behold His glory., Christmas becomes sentimental instead of supernatural. It becomes nostalgic instead of transformative. It becomes a tradition instead of a revelation. Don’t misunderstand me, there’s nothing inherently wrong with traditions and nostalgia, but they cannot replace the person of Messiah. The manger was the first step toward the cross & the resurrection and ultimately to the coming Kingdom.

Everything changes the moment you behold the glory of Jesus. Everything changes the moment, as John writes,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Everything changes the moment—as the angels declared—that “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace” (Luke 2:14). But only looking back fails to understand that the King is coming and when he does, will he say that he knows you? Because those whom he says he never knew he also says, depart from me.

This second Sunday of Advent, on this communion Sunday, God invites us not just to learn about Jesus, but to know Him. I want to challenge you to draw near to Him and to behold His glory and to respond to Him the way the shepherds did—with urgency, worship, and joy. When you encounter the living God, Messiah Jesus, you will never be the same.

In C. S. Lewis's novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, of The Chronicles of Narnia series, four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, pass through the wardrobe's portal to find the kingdom of Narnia imprisoned under the spell of the White Witch. Aslan the lion, who is the king of Narnia, is nowhere to be found. Although rumor has it "He is on the move," he appears to have abandoned his kingdom to the White Witch, who spends her leisure time turning the inhabitants into lawn statuary.

The four children set out to explore this strange and somewhat frightening new country that is locked under evil's spell. They come upon Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, a husband and wife still faithful to Aslan. The Beavers assure the children that Aslan is about to return to set things right and that prophecy suggests that they have a very important, even central part to play in the drama about to unfold. Indeed, they learn they are to actually rule with Aslan from Cair Paravel itself, Aslan's royal city.

Faced with all this fearful yet exciting news, Lucy and Susan's thoughts go to what Aslan is actually like. If he is a king who is safe, they reason, that will certainly be of great comfort in light of the battle being all but lost.

"Is—is he a man?" asked Lucy.

"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the lion, the great Lion."

"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."