The Longing and Fear of Glory | Follow - walking in the Way of Jesus | Sunday, January 4th, 2026

``Jesus died for you to pave the way for your salvation, to give you the possibility of being known that you can be in God's presence without fear. That when he rose from the dead and sent his spirit, he says that everyone who believes in me will be clothed in righteousness, that even now, we are before god not wearing these clothes but wearing Christ's righteousness that god's glory is something we should seek and know that we are experienced when we are believing and trusting in Jesus as the true son of god. [00:49:29] (37 seconds)  #ClothedInChrist

It's revelation not transformation. This is Jesus. This is not Jesus becoming glorious. This is his glory being unveiled. God's presence doesn't come till after all of this. God's presence is there in Jesus. His divine identity is being unveiled to humanity and it shines through to them. It's revealed in his humanity not apart from it. His clothes shine, but his body is still fully human. His glory does not destroy his humanity, it shines through it. That's really important. [00:32:45] (32 seconds)  #RevelationNotTransformation

Jesus is there mediating in a way god's glory through himself. Right? His body is what is reflect is what's emanating the glory, but that glory is not destroying those who are watching it. God's glory is not an external force that annihilates sinners. It's mediated through the incarnate son. Do you get it? Jesus in his flesh is able to expose people to his glory while also protecting them from the glory. [00:33:17] (34 seconds)  #GloryMediatedInChrist

But Peter's instinct to tent the whole thing kinda mirrors a bit of ours that that we want an exclusive glory, a manageable glory, a mountaintop without a mission. But what the story reminds us is that glory cannot be housed. It has to be followed. It cannot be contained. It must be declared. It cannot be reduced. It must be realized. [00:46:19] (23 seconds)  #GloryCantBeContained

The Imago Dei is what gives every human being dignity. It is what is intrinsic and universal. Every human, male and female, across the ages and abilities bears the image of God by virtue of creation, not achievement. Class structure, racial division is all man made as a result of the fall. But to be created in the image of God is to be given an inherent dignity that transcends gender and transcends race and transcends wealth. This is where we get our dignity and equality from and it's foundational for Christian ethics. Right? It's foundational for Christian ethics that we everybody is created in the image of god. [00:25:05] (47 seconds)  #ImagoDeiForAll

Jesus is not gonna let that happen. They are going to come down the mountain because he is going to show them an even greater glory than what they have just witnessed. Where will that be? It will be at his resurrection. When the judgment of god takes the life of Jesus on the cross where he's dead and buried but rises again in the power of god by the glory of god for the glory of god. That he will show them in that moment that god's glory god's glory is seen through suffering, not by avoiding it. There's no need to freeze the glory of god. There's no need to just stay on the mountaintop. [00:42:45] (42 seconds)  #GloryThroughSuffering

Here's what the gospel tells us, is that Jesus is in the midst of all of these things, that he's working and he's moving, he's guiding and directing, and he loves each one of us. That's his glory. The nearness of God, the holiness of God met in the love of God for each one of us should drive out all of our fears. Should remind us that we are always safe. We are all always okay for all of eternity. And then trust him in the daily. [00:41:21] (31 seconds)  #TrustHisPresence

Yet yet cultures relationship with glory is that they want a little bit of it, but a shallow bit. Right? They they they wanna taste it, but they don't wanna be changed by it. The Christian says, I need as much glory as possible. I need to know that I'm fulfilling the reason I was created because what Genesis tells us is that god created us in his image. That is to reflect his glory. [00:22:00] (28 seconds)  #NoShallowGlory