December 21: Glory InThe Highest

This week I invited us to re-center Christmas on the glory of God. Many of us will celebrate it as family time, religious observance, and cultural tradition—and in practice we’ll do all three. But the angels’ first words in Luke 2 aim our hearts: “Glory to God in the highest.” Glory means a positive opinion, reputation, the true worth of someone. Christmas is God revealing his reputation in Jesus—what He’s like, how He loves, how He treats sinners and sufferers—so we know Him by looking at Christ.

Our tension is that we hunger for glory, and God has placed us in a world full of it—beauty, laughter, intimacy, mountain views, good meals. Those are good, but they are “glory signs,” created joys that point beyond themselves to the Creator. The danger is mistaking the sign for the destination. Like pulling off the highway to picnic under a Disney billboard, we often camp beneath the sign and call it “enough.” John 6 shows this clearly: after Jesus fed the 5,000, the crowd chased Him not because the miracle pointed to Him, but because He filled their stomachs. Created gifts can’t carry the weight of our deepest hunger, so disappointment multiplies when we demand from them what only God can give.

The angels told the shepherds that the true sign would be a baby in a manger. Don’t stop at the manger; follow the sign to the Person. “The Word became flesh… we have seen His glory.” When we behold the right glory, we receive peace—shalom—more than a cease-fire with our circumstances. It’s a deep steadiness of heart that remains when circumstances shift. Notice how God gives this peace: not through power-plays or influencers, but through a Savior in vulnerability. The suffering of Jesus didn’t begin at Calvary; it began at birth, as God willingly entered our limits to redeem us from within.

And when that peace settles in, it changes our direction. 2 Corinthians 5 says those who receive His life no longer live for themselves but for Him. So I asked: where have you been most alive these past weeks? What are you chasing at those moments—the sign or the Savior? Don’t play with the box and ignore the gift. Seek the real glory of God, Jesus. He will satisfy—often one day at a time—with the peace your heart cannot manufacture.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Christmas centers on God’s glory God didn’t send an idea; He sent Himself. The angels frame the whole event with “Glory to God,” inviting us to see Christmas as revelation, not sentiment. Glory is God’s reputation on display in Jesus—His faithfulness, forgiveness, patience, and love, embodied and undeniable. [05:33]
• 2. Don’t worship the glory signs Created joys are billboards pointing to the Creator. When we mistake the billboard for the destination, we overburden good gifts and discover predictable disappointment. Receive gifts gratefully, but let them do their work—lead you to the Giver. [14:33]
• 3. Only Jesus satisfies our deepest hunger After the feeding, the crowd wanted endless bread; Jesus offered Himself as the Bread of Life. Our cravings aren’t cured by more quantity of the same; they’re healed by a new quality of life in Christ. He doesn’t accessorize our desires—He reorders them around Himself. [20:06]
• 4. Peace is shalom, not circumstance Shalom is wholeness that remains when the wind changes. It’s an integrated heart steady in God’s presence rather than a truce with hard realities. We don’t achieve shalom; we receive it when we behold the true glory of God in Jesus. [26:09]
• 5. Peace reorients how we live The clearest evidence of encountering Christ’s glory is a new center of gravity—we no longer live for ourselves. Love becomes costly and joyful, obedience turns from duty to delight, and purpose shifts from achievement to allegiance. That’s what grace does to a willing heart. [33:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:10] - What is Christmas about?
• [03:47] - Glory at the center of Christmas
• [06:03] - Glory defined: reputation and praise
• [09:39] - Our hunger for glory
• [14:33] - Two kinds of glory: signs vs God
• [15:21] - Disneyland billboard analogy
• [18:00] - Feeding of the 5,000 as sign
• [22:23] - Good news and the true Sign
• [25:32] - Peace (shalom) that remains
• [28:59] - God sent a Savior, not celebrity
• [32:28] - Why Jesus came; life reoriented
• [34:55] - Gift box vs the gift
• [38:57] - Candlelight is only a sign
• [49:04] - Online closing and next steps

1. In Luke 2, what specific “sign” were the shepherds told to look for, and why is that detail important to the story?
2. How was the word “glory” defined in simple terms, and how does that shape how we talk about God’s character? [06:03]
3. After the feeding of the 5,000, what did the crowd want to do with Jesus, and what reason did He give for their pursuit of Him? [19:01]
4. In Luke 2:14, who receives peace and what two parts of the angels’ announcement frame the whole event?

1. If “glory” means God’s reputation, what does Christmas reveal about God when He comes in vulnerability instead of power? [29:35]
2. Why does mistaking a “glory sign” (a created joy) for the destination (God Himself) lead to predictable disappointment in real life? [16:30]
3. In Luke 2:14, how is “peace” (shalom) more than a cease-fire with circumstances, and how can it remain when life shifts? [26:09]
4. According to 2 Corinthians 5:15, what is the clearest evidence that someone has received Christ’s new life, and how would that re-center daily priorities? [33:05]

1. Think about the last 4–6 weeks: when were you most alive, content, or confident? What were you chasing in those moments—the sign or the Savior? What would it look like to turn that moment into worship instead of just a mood? [33:37]
2. Name one “glory sign” you tend to lean on (a relationship, success, a hobby, a holiday moment). How can you receive it gratefully this week without worshiping it—and let it point you to the Giver? Be concrete. [14:33]
3. “The Word became flesh.” What simple daily practice this week will help you not stop at the manger but meet the Person—Jesus? (For example: reading one Gospel story a day, praying John 1:14 in your own words, or pausing to thank Him when you notice beauty.) [24:05]
4. Where do you most need shalom right now? What is one prayer you can pray and one small step you can take to receive peace rather than try to manufacture it? [26:09]
5. God brought peace through a Savior in weakness, not a celebrity in strength. Where might God be inviting you to choose humble, costly love this week—at home, work, or with a neighbor? What will that look like in action? [29:35]
6. “No longer live for themselves.” What is one concrete change (calendar, spending, serving, conversation) that would reflect living for the One who died and was raised for you? Pick one and make a plan. [33:05]
7. Don’t play with the box and ignore the gift. What “box” are you tempted to play with this Christmas (traditions, décor, the moment, the meal)? What is one rhythm you’ll practice each day to seek the Gift Himself—Jesus? [34:55]