The Glory of the Redeemer

John 1:10-14 says, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own (that which belongs to Himself) and His own people (fellow countrymen) did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power (authority) to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

It should be interesting, to those who want to understand the word of God more perfectly, to note that “was made flesh” or some translations have “became flesh” is the same Greek word (ginomai) used in Gal. 4:4-5, But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, MADE of a woman, MADE under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. Furthermore, the Greek word for “a woman” (gyne) in that verse is taken from the base word ginomai and it is the root of our word “gynecology.” Very interesting!

The Apostle John wrote of the Glory of the Redeemer most gloriously and divinely manifested in Jesus’ Transfiguration which John, Peter, and James witnessed. And Peter also later wrote in 1 Peter 1:16, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty, for He received honor and glory from God the Father.” And yet, AFTER  witnessing Jesus in His Glory with Moses and Elijah talking and ministering to Him, they would, by God’s will, remain blind to much of the Glory of Jesus’ ministry to them who were under the Law.

Even after Jesus explained to them in Luke 18:31-33, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be fulfilled. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again” verse 34 records, “they understood NONE of these things.” Had they believed and understood the resurrection, they would have camped out at the tomb waiting for it. But in fact, even after Jesus showed Himself to them, the disciples were so disappointed that Jesus died, that Peter and some others went back to fishing. There was much they did not understand.

The Glory of the Redeemer was a mystery surrounding His first advent, again… by God’s will. Because what does 1 Cor. 2:7 say?
“We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God pre-determined, ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

That one verse is a tremendous study!

The Glory of the Redeemer is revealed in scripture from the beginning, but in a mystery. I don’t think
Adam had any miraculous knowledge or glorious awareness of the Glory of the extraordinary God, simply because of his relationship with his Creator. Adam walked and talked with God in the garden. I think as they talked and fellowshipped together, God would explain things and teach Adam necessary things he would need to know about himself and his world.

Adam would acquire a clear and perfect knowledge of his Divine Creator sufficient for the purpose of a life totally conformed to God’s will, being taught of God as necessary.

God gave Adam DOMINION over everything, Gen. 1:26, Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

“Dominion” assumes the “rule over a domain” …a Kingdom. All that God created was given to Adam to rule and subdue. But did Adam have the kind of “understanding” then that we have now, being able to look back in God’s word and say, “WOW! Glory to God!” I don’t know. I think it was an “acquired” knowledge.
btw, the Greek word for subdue in verse 28, is ka-bash     …interesting?

Not to be facetious or irreverent but, can you imagine God saying to Adam, “OK… go ahead and put the kabash on My creation,” which is exactly what happened!
Adam lost it. Jesus redeemed it!
Jesus now inherits the entire Kingdom of God. Octavius Winslow said in his book, The Glory of the Redeemer, “the only full and perfect revelation of the Glory of God is seen in the Lord Jesus.” But he goes on to say, “Before there can be clear and perfect light of the character and perfections of God, in OUR soul, there must be a removal of that sin which else eternally separates God and man. Hence, the absolute necessity of such a revelation of God as Jesus, the TRUE Light.”

Heb. 1:3 says, The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature. Jesus did not just manifest the Glory of God… Jesus WAS  the Glory of God, as was Adam, having been created in God’s own image and likeness, before sin. But Adam was not the incarnate God. Jesus was Jehovah in the flesh; a body prepared for Himself. Heb. 10:5&7 says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. Behold, I have come; in the volume of the book, it is written of Me to do Your will, O God.”
A body prepared as the Christ, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God, the last Adam, the eternal dwelling of the Godhead, Savior of the Elect, Bridegroom of the beloved Bride which is the Body of Christ.

“The most difficult lesson the world has ever had to learn, has been the nothingness of its own wisdom, and the folly of its unaided endeavors to find out God.” ~Octavius Winslow

That’s what Paul encountered at Mars Hill, Acts 17, the superstition of the UNKNOWN God. Paul declared Him to the Greeks; a God who CAN BE known! The Glory of God MUST be understood. Our language and the meanings of our “words” do not do scripture justice, or even reverence. We, of necessity, must dig deep into the language of scripture to understand the Word of God. There are many unfortunate translations of scripture. In fact, I don’t think there are any perfect ones. That aside, let me get back to the Glory of God. Everything begins with God. Gen 1:1, “In the beginning God…” God is plural – Elohim! Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
What was also in the beginning, before anything was made, was CHRIST.