12/14/2022 – Glory to God in the Highest
Luke 2: 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The blessings that we receive from the birth of Christ are so wonderful and abundant that we may lose sight of the primary reason for Christmas: that God will be glorified. The angels who announced the Nativity made this clear. Before they declared peace on earth, they exclaimed: Glory to God in the highest!
The main purpose for which Christ came to this earth was to glorify His father in heaven. As important as our salvation is and as much as we treasure the blessings we receive, nothing can be more important than the glory of God.
Christ empowers us to glorify God. The shepherds returned from the manger glorifying God. Mary, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaimed: my soul glorifies the Lord!
We were saved not just to be blessed by God. We were saved to praise, serve, and glorify God. Can you imagine that? How can we glorify God? All the glory belongs to Him from everlasting, yet we have the privilege of glorifying Him.
Mary’s expression can also be translated as: my soul magnifies the Lord. This translation gives us a very practical explanation of what it means to glorify God. A magnifying glass helps us to see that which we may have difficulty seeing. It works by using light to amplify images. In God’s hands, we can also amplify His light. By our works of faith, we can help others see a greater measure of the glory of God than they would otherwise see.