Beholding His Glory

John 1:14–18

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

You've probably heard the story of the little girl who was getting ready to color in Sunday school. Her teacher asked her what she was going to draw, to which she responded, "I'm drawing God." Her teacher said, "But no one knows what God looks like." The little girl says, "They will when I'm done."
It's true that no one has seen God, but that doesn't mean we don't know what He is like. John tells us here that Jesus reveals to us the Father. He is, after all, the Word made flesh. Think about it – the diving Son, cosmic Creator wrapped Himself in skin and entered into creation with all the limitations we face. He had to learn to walk and talk. He got tired. He would need to take bathroom breaks. Jesus entered into the full human experience. And in so doing He brings us grace and truth. In fact, He was full of grace and truth. The grace and truth Jesus gives aren't from some limited supply, nor does He dispense them sparingly. He is full of it, and He overflows with it.
Jesus may not be physically on earth right now, but that does not mean we cannot behold His glory. Through His Holy Spirit given to us, we can still see His glory; we can still know the Father through Him. Also, the Scriptures from beginning to end testify to Jesus. By the Spirit and the Word, we can experience the glory of Jesus this Christmas. Look for Him. Behold His glory!