The personal glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is that essential glory which pertains to Christ in His intra-Trinitarian identity; as the Eternal Son of God. (Heb. 1, Col. 1, John 1). To summarize, the personal glory of Christ is all that is comprehended in the name “Son of God”. Two things primarily:
- He is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things received being through him, and without him not one thing received being which has received being.” (John 1:1-3)
- He is in Eternal Relationship to the Father as His only-begotten Son. “And we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father … No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (John 1:14, 18).
As a Divine Person, the Son of God has certain glories that belong to Him:
- His eternal being (John 1:1a)
- His distinct personality (John 1:1b)
- His proper deity (John 1:1c)
- His glory as Creator (John 1:3)
- His glory as the source of life and light (John 1:4)
- His being the only-begotten in the Bosom of the Father (John 1:18)
- Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
- Effulgence (Heb. 1:3a)
- Expression (Heb. 1:3b)
- Creator and Upholder of all things (Heb. 1:2-3)
- Life-giver (John 5:21)
Christ laid aside or veiled His personal glory when He became a man (Phil. 2), and it was hidden to the eyes of men, but revealed to faith. Faith could see through the veil, unbelievers could not see through it. There were a few moments where that glory shined through, such as on the mount of transfiguration. But when Jesus ascended to heaven and was glorified at God’s right hand, His personal glory was unveiled again… now as a man! “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5).