“when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).
In a world that seems to offer very little of lasting value or substance, we might be tempted to echo the lament found within the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes: “‘Everything is meaningless,’ says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless!'” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT). Is it possible to find anything of genuine worth in a world where so many things seem temporal and insignificant? The answer to that question is a resounding “yes” in Christ.
You see, the passage quoted above tells us that Jesus will be “…glorified in His saints.” In the original language of the Old Testament, the word “glory” is translated from the Hebrew phrase kabad. This word communicated the idea of heaviness, weight, and/or substance when used in this context. (1) In the New Testament, “glory” is represented by the word doxa and refers to a good opinion that results in praise and honor for the person under consideration. (2) A modern definition of this word includes “very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown.” (3)
How do these definitions apply to Christ? Well, consider the following statement from Jesus to the religious authorities of His day: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). Jesus’ use of the term “I AM” in this passage is a direct, unmistakable, and intentional claim to deity for it established a direct link to the Old Testament book of Exodus where God applied this very same title to Himself (see Exodus 3:14).
If we reflect upon this statement and consider the extraordinary circumstances of Jesus’ birth, His sinless life, the miraculous works He performed, and His resurrection from the dead, it becomes clear that Jesus is more than just a good moral teacher; He is God. Thus, Jesus is worthy of glory, for there is no Being of greater worth or substance than God.
Furthermore, Colossians 2:3 refers to “(Christ), in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” In light of these things, we can say that every human desire for meaning, purpose, wisdom, knowledge, relevance, satisfaction, and fulfillment finds its ultimate consummation in Christ. This also explains why the Scriptures associate Jesus with other substantive elements like a rock (1 Corinthians 10:4), a foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11), and an “…anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19-20).
However, there are numerous other aspects of Jesus’ character that make Him worthy of glory and we’ll explore some of those aspects next.
(1) H3513 – kabad https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3513
(2) G1391 – doxa https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g1391
(3) “Glory” Dictionary.com, Retrieved 1 June 2020 from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/glory