We have just entered the season of Advent when we focus on the coming of Jesus into our world. For me one of the stand out lines in the carols we sing comes from Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Hark! The herald angels sing”. In verse two we sing out, "veiled in flesh, the Godhead see.”
This statement becomes more poignant when it is viewed against the entire revelation of Scripture. Way back in the book of Exodus we discover an encounter between Moses and the Lord. One of Moses’ main requests of God on that occasion was, “show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18). Moses was informed that were that to happen he would die…such is the awesome glory of God! However, in the gospel of John we read that, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). Charles Wesley did not write, “veiled in flesh the Godhead hidden” but “veiled in flesh, the Godhead see.” Perhaps the significance of that truth can be more fully appreciated as I recount the following incident from some years back.
In August 1999 the country experienced its last total eclipse of the sun. We happened to be visiting Liz’s parents in Dalry at the time. At just after 11am on August 11th the moon passed in front of the sun causing an incredible natural phenomenon. The air felt distinctly cooler and the birds immediately stopped singing. It felt like we were entering a strange twilight zone. On the days leading up to the eclipse the press warned against the danger of looking at the sun with the naked eye and special glasses were made available for the purpose. As this event unfolded I recall standing out on the street and a gentleman from the estate handed me an old welding mask to observe this rare occurrence. To this day I have a very distinct memory of what took place and what I would otherwise not have been able to see were it not for that shield in front of my eyes.
In a similar way, it is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we see the glory of God. The God who revealed himself in all his brilliance to the ancient people of Israel comes near to us in Jesus Christ. We see his love, his humility, his wisdom, his compassion and…his glory. In Eugene Peterson’s famous translation of John 1:14, God moved into the neighbourhood in the person of Jesus. He becomes all personal, someone we can know in the everyday experience of life.
May we experience much of that reality this Advent season.
(picture - winter walk above Crieff)
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