The Lord of Glory

The “Lord of Glory” is the title here given by the Spirit, to Him in whom all moral, official, and eternal glories shine in all their brightness. The words occur twice in the New Testament. First, in connection with the Lord’s rejection at the hand of the great ones of the world, the leaders of this present age, who, if they had possessed that wisdom which is of God, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). He was, and He is, the world-rejected and the heaven-accepted Christ of God. Although no one ever stood in this world so worthy of its homage, so wholly due its allegiance, the world gave “the Lord of Glory,”—not a crown and sceptre, but a felon’s cross and shame. He was in the world His hands had made, and in the nation that He came to bless and reign over. But His own received Him not, but cast Him out, disowning His claims. Heaven has welcomed Him to its highest seat, and acclaimed Him “Lord of all,” as it crowned Him “with glory and honour” (Heb. 2:9) on His ascension day. So we learn that the Crucified Christ of Golgotha is “the Lord of Glory” in heaven. Blessed it is to know it, and knowing it to own it and to confess Him our Lord, in this the time of His rejection by the world.

His Moral Glory

Of these glories of the Lord, the Word speaks to us particularly of three. There is His Moral glory, the beauty and perfections of His character, which shone forth in all His words and works and ways, as He passed through the world among all conditions of men. It “could not be hid.” The people said, “He hath done all things well.” The demons owned Him “the Holy One of God.” The Roman Governor testified, “I find no fault in this Man.” The dying robber at His side testified, “This Man hath done nothing amiss.” The “common people heard Him gladly” (Mark 12:2) and confessed “He hath done all things well” (Mark 7:37).

Disciples attracted to Him, asked, “Master, where dwellest Thou?” They left “all” to follow Him. Stupid and “slow of heart” to believe all He had taught, and to follow on in the path along which He led, yet they would not go back to walk no more with Him, as mere professors did, who had no life link with Him. They could have left Him if they had wanted. But when He asked them, “Will ye also go?” they answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Ah! that was it. He had no equal. He has none now. “Chiefest of the ten thousand” to His own, He has won their hearts and bound them to Himself. There was great attractiveness in “the Lord of glory.” He drew to and kept around Him men of different characters, of varied attainments, of great variety in social position. Common people, unlettered fishermen, men of culture and of education, peasants and priests were all drawn by the attraction of His Person.

Is Christ the great attraction of our hearts? Can we say that thus it is with us, beloved? Or are the world’s attractions and its allurements gaining our love and claiming our esteem, while toward “the Lord of glory” our love is waxing cold, and our devotion half-hearted. If we find it so, it is time to call a halt, to search our hearts and ways, to examine ourselves, and find what evil suitor is gaining that place in us, which by right belongs to the Lord of Glory alone.

His Official Glory

His Official glory as Redeemer, Shepherd, High Priest and Head, we are called to “consider” (Heb. 3:1) and to own. His claims upon us as Redeemer, His care for us as Shepherd, His service toward us as High Priest, and His supply for us as Head and Source of all blessing, we surely need, and are called to so use Him. And the more we use Him so, the closer to Him we shall cling. Blessed be His Name, He is all ours, all for us, ever with us, never forgetful of us, no, not for an hour. Our glory is to have such a Christ, of whom we should be able to confess, heartily, joyfully, and always: “He is the chiefest among ten thousand”—“He is altogether lovely”—“I count all things loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord”—“We see Jesus crowned with glory” (Heb. 2:9).

His Eternal Glory

His Eternal glory,—“glory that He had with the Father before the world was,” that essential, incommunicable glory which is His alone, which neither angel nor man can share. It we shall “behold” (John 17:24) and adoringly acknowledge (Rev. 5:11). But the glory given Him by the Father, we shall share (John 17:22; 1 Pet. 5:1). The church “arrayed in glory” (Eph. 5:27) not her own but His, will be presented faultless in the day of His coming. And when He returns in manifested power and glory to the world (Col. 3:4), His saints will “appear with Him” in that glory as followers in His train (Rev. 19:14). That glory His saints shall bear, and through endless ages display before all worlds (2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 21:11).

It is the heart’s occupation with Christ as Lord of glory, and Lover of the soul, that wins and weans from earthly things. The tinsel glory of earth fades before the excellencies of the Son of God. The heart now won by the love and loveliness of Christ, will never find its rest or portion in things “under the sun.” They have no glory, by reason of His glory that excelleth. If He is awanting, all is gone. With Him, the wilderness blossoms, and the homeward journey will be “as the days of heaven on earth.”

It is to the sharing of this eternal glory (1 Pet. 5:9) that grace has already called all believers, and not the feeblest of the flock will be awanting there. For has it not been told us in the eternal Word that “whom He justified, them He also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). Already it is so in the Divine purpose. And so surely it shall be in fact, and in the experience of all saints in due time. The present grace and the coming glory are immutably linked, and no evil one can either sever the bond which God Himself has made, or thwart the great purpose He has formed—that Christ and His people are to be “glorified together.”

J.Ri.

Article series: Our Glorious Lord