
Beholding the glory of Jesus!
John Owen
John 17:24, “Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory that You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world!”
“That they may behold My glory” was the great desire of Jesus for His people. One of the greatest privileges of believers, both in this world and throughout eternity, consists in beholding the glory of Jesus.
What is the Christian called to behold? Not merely the blessings that Jesus gives, but Jesus Himself! Not merely forgiveness, peace, Heaven, or deliverance from judgment, but the glorious Person from whom every blessing flows. Jesus is the Sun in the firmament of Scripture. Every promise, every prophecy, and every doctrine of divine revelation shines with glory, because it reveals Him.
Here is the great tragedy of much professing Christianity: men want the benefits of Jesus without being captivated by the glory of Jesus. They desire Heaven, but not necessarily the holy beauty of the One who makes Heaven to be Heaven. They want salvation from sin, but have little desire to behold the glorious Savior.
The true believer, however, has been given eyes to see. By faith he beholds something of the glory of Jesus even now. His sight is dim and imperfect. Sometimes the Savior seems hidden behind clouds. Sometimes the believer searches for Him and cannot find Him. Yet there are moments when faith sees His beauty, love, and majesty with such sweetness, that the soul cries out for more.
The heart touched by the love of Jesus, is like the needle touched by the lodestone. It cannot remain still. It is drawn toward its center. In the same way, the soul that has truly tasted the glory of Jesus cannot be satisfied with the world. It pants after Jesus. It seeks Him in Scripture. It calls upon Him in prayer. It meditates upon His glorious perfections. It longs to see His beauteous face.
Here is the transforming power of this heavenly contemplation: when faith beholds the glorious Jesus, the soul is transformed into His likeness. The world becomes less attractive. Sin becomes more hateful. Holiness becomes more desirable. Earthly treasures lose their glitter. The heart becomes detached from the passing vanities of time, and increasingly fixed upon the wondrous glory of Jesus.
Believer, behold Him!
When your heart is troubled, behold His glory.
When the world disappoints you, behold His glory.
When sin grieves you, behold His glory.
When death approaches, behold His glory.
When you cannot understand His providence, behold His glory.
When your faith is weak and your heart is cold, return again to the Scriptures and look upon the One whom Scripture reveals.
The day is coming when faith will give way to sight. The clouds will disappear. The veil will be removed. The darkness will flee. The redeemed will see Jesus in His glory. We shall behold the King in His beauty. We shall be forever with Him. And the sight of His glory will never grow dim, never become wearisome, and never cease to satisfy.
This is Heaven — to behold Jesus.
This is blessedness — to behold Jesus.
This is the hope of the believer — to behold Jesus.
And this is the supreme calling of the Christian life now — by faith, to behold His glory.
The ultimate destiny of the redeemed is to see Jesus as He is — and this everlasting vision will be our eternal blessedness.
Oh, may God so unveil the glory of Jesus to our hearts, that we become weary of everything that competes with Him, satisfied with nothing less than Him, and increasingly conformed to Him — until faith becomes sight, and we behold His glory forever!

September 14, 2026 















































































































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