Christmas celebrates the coming of the One in whom alone the fullness of the glory of God is revealed. The gospel of John declares: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1.14 NIV).
There is an event recorded in the writings known as the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—when Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white, providing a glimpse of his divine glory. Mark has an interesting comment not found in the other two that is worth pondering. He writes: “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (Mark 9.3 NIV).
The significance of this comment is emphasized when we discover that the word translated “anyone” (NIV) is actually the word for “launderer” (HCSB, NET). Now a launderer is “a specialist in one or more of the processes in the treatment of cloth, incl. fulling, carding, cleaning, bleaching” (BDAG). In other words, the reference is not just to some ordinary person trying to do his or her laundry, but to a professional with special skills in making clothes clean and white. And Mark is saying that no work of such a professional in the world could come close to the radiance of the clothes of Christ at that moment.
Clearly, the reference to dazzling clothes does not concern laundering skills. They are symbolic of the glory of Christ himself. The glory that is Christ’s is the glory that belongs to God alone. “I am the LORD! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols” (Isaiah 42.8 NET). And the comment of Mark implies that the glory that is manifested in Christ is not something any human being—even those with outstanding skills or abilities—can ever hope to match. The best of human intelligence, ingenuity, or skill will fall short of the glory of God.
Yet, somehow, the Bible also tells us that anyone who is in Christ actually gets to share in his glory! “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3.18 ESV). “He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2.14 NIV).
This Christmas, take the time to ponder the glory of Christ and to allow him to transform you to share in his glory!
—Keith Y. Jainga