The Jesus Bible Reading PlanSample

GLORY DEPARTING, GLORY COMING

God’s glory in the temple was a manifestation of his presence, but since sin was happening in the temple, God removed his presence. Beginning with Ezekiel 9:3, the prophet recounts the steady withdrawal of God’s presence from the temple. The removal of God’s glory was a shocking reminder that God was not going to tolerate the Israelites’ sin.

Thankfully, Jesus made a way for God’s glory to remain with his people in a permanent way. Jesus was God’s glory living on earth (Jn 17:24), but people did not see it. In time, Jesus’ disciples realized that in Jesus’ incarnation, death and resurrection, they had witnessed the coming glory of God (Jn 1:14). Jesus came to live a perfect life and die as the perfect sacrifice for human sin.

When God took the sins of the entire world and heaped them on Jesus, sin was accounted for and punished. As a result, believers can experience God’s glory and live because their sin is no longer an obstacle to them. Ezekiel taught about the removal of God’s glory, and Jesus taught about the coming of God’s glory (Mt 24:30; 25:31). Christians joyfully remember how gracious God is to save them and then dedicate their lives to loving and serving him wholeheartedly.

Jesus, thank you for riding into Jerusalem on that donkey. Thank you for creating a way for me to encounter God’s glory. Please help me to do so every day and to never take it for granted. Amen.