My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Another one of the key words in the ‘Language of Christmas’ is the word glory. You may have recently heard or seen the phrase ‘The glory of Christmas,’ or you are now remembering the refrain in the familiar Christmas hymn Angels We Have Heard on High (‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’). We simply can’t talk about Christmas without mentioning glory!

In John 1:14, the beloved Disciple writes of God’s glory, and he makes a remarkable claim about it that has everything to do with the celebration of Advent:

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.

Of course, you’ve read these inspired words perhaps thousands of times, and you’ve thought of them especially at Christmas. But let me ask you to read this verse again, and take note of the different ways we might emphasize what John is actually claiming here:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

Who saw glory and when?

Whose glory was seen?

Whose glory is this compared with?

I can’t wait to discover the answers as we worship together this Sunday!