"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Glory
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. John 1:14If you have been a Christian for a number of years and are very familiar with much of the Bible, it is so easy to read a passage and miss the amazing things that it contains. Take this verse and the statement “We have seen his glory”. What an amazing claim John is making!
The basic truth of the Christmas story is God becoming man in the form of a baby. John, in his gospel, does not tell the story of the first Christmas but reflects on its significance: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” – another monumental claim.
Of course there is a sense in which John has seen Jesus (literally) and we have not. But remember too the special promise of Jesus in what he said to Thomas: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
Tim Chester* suggests that as we read the read the Bible with an attitude of seeing the glory of Jesus in each passage, incident or story. “Think how what you’re reading reveals the character of Jesus or how it reveals the work of Jesus. Imagine that the passage is placing Jesus on a stand for you to admire. What do you see? What is it that’s admirable? How does Jesus reveal the glory of God?” 2016 is the Olympic year. For many of us it will begin to dominate our thoughts and be the focus of our training. At the same time let us give some thought to our spiritual training – the simple technique of reading the Bible and seeking to learn more about Jesus from each passage will strength us for the challenges of 2016.
*The one true light, Tim Chester, The Good Book Company, 2015