Son Light

"For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." ( 2 Corinthians 4:6 )  

Not a day seems to go by out on the land that I'm not confronted with these words of Paul and also his words in Romans 1:19-20: 

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." 

In other words, man isn't going to know God unless God reveals Himself to us, and he has the Scriptures tell us in four ways. 

In creation. ( Romans 1:19-20 ) 

In our hearts where He's written His law. ( Romans 2:14-15 ) 

In his written Word. ( 2 Peter: 1:16-19 ) 

and in the life of His Son. ( John 14:9 ) 

On the mount of transfiguration Matthew explains that Jesus was transfigured in his glory before Peter, James, and John, and his face shone "like" the sun. ( 17:1-13 ) 

In other words, if we didn't have this brilliant star the perfect distance from us, not too far or we'd freeze to death, not too close or we'd burn alive, in real time though we could never exist to begin with, but not only does the sun make life a reality for humans, but it gives us a brilliant, working visual of the face of Christ! 

We scramble for words to describe such majesty and greatness, but God has helped us out. 

We see something of Christ's eternal power and divine nature in the sun. God has given us something to help us understand in our small minds of what His Son's glory is truly like. 

The creation imagery John uses to describe Christ in Revelation is breath-taking: His hair was like white sheep's wool, His eyes were a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, His voice was like the roar of many waters.

"His face was like the sun shining in full strength." ( Revelation 1:12-20 ) 

When I see the truth of our Lord Jesus in this way, I can hardly wrap my mind around him taking on flesh in the most vulnerable human form of all, sleeping in a manger surrounded by livestock. I think of this truth too as I feed and water my cows and sheep in the bitter cold and putrid stench of rumination that floats out of their mouths and nostrils. 

I see who God is, and I'm reminded of who I am. A sinner thankfully saved by grace. 

What a tender and gentle love God the Father has for his children. We see this in the life of his Son. In the parables Jesus told and his teachings, in his compassion and miracles, in his willingness to save sinners and gather them to Himself. In his suffering. That he ever lives to make intercession for them. ( Hebrews 7:25 ) What a comfort. 

All because I saw the sun. 

"For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." ( 2 Corinthians 4:6 )  

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