Beholding the Face of God

In my devotional reading this morning, I came across a brief translated quotation from Philipp Nicolai, a German Lutheran pastor from the 17th Century. It made me pause in my final Advent preparations. Nicolai wrote,

Heavenly love is also noticeably strengthened by the eternal vision of the divine essence. “We will see Him,” John says, “as He is” [1 John 3:2]…Now since God is love itself and reveals his essence in heaven visibly, so that angels and men behold His face, what do they behold and see in God with their pure eyes besides pure love? And what is the majestic brightness of the divine essence other than pure flames of love and brightness of love, which with great joy shines out and gives light to all the citizens of heaven? What could give joy and life to the children of God more than the dear vision of this most beloved essence?

If there is a beautiful human face on earth that can draw the eyes of many people to itself like a magnet attracts iron, and if the vision of trusted friends – parents and children, husband, wife, groom and bride – is so lovely and pleasant that it gives joy to the heart, though human beings are not love itself but only have loving tendencies toward their friends: how many hundred thousand times dearer and lovelier must the beautiful essence of God be, who is love itself, and the bright, uncovered face of our heavenly Father and of His only-begotten Son, our most-beautiful and most-friendly bridegroom Jesus Christ, as as of the Holy Spirit in eternal life!

[Source: Original Writing from Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens, translated by Benjamin T.G. Mayes, found in Treasury of Daily Prayer, pg. 1042]

One of the most remarkable aspects of the incarnation of Christ, of the Word made flesh, is that for the first time since the fall into sin, mankind could behold the face of God without fear and terror. When Joseph delivered the Christ Child and handed him to his mother Mary, there was no terror on his face or in her eyes, though there were likely tears of joy streaming down their cheeks. For a son was born to them – a baby boy whose name would be Yeshua, Jesus, literally “Savior”. Unlike so many other Jewish baby boys who shared the same name, however, this baby boy before their eyes was, indeed, their Savior-God, their Messiah, their “Jesus”. With hearts full of joy, they beheld the face of God.

Remarkable, isn’t it?

Sinful man and woman could behold the face of the holy God and rejoice. No fearful hiding. No terror of his condemnation. Just hearts and eyes filled with joy. As you look forward to the celebration of that moment when mankind beheld the face of God’s grace and forgiveness and love that first Christmas night, look forward also to the day when you yourself will behold with your own eyes that same face of God – the face of Christ, so full of grace and forgiveness and love for you. He revealed that face of grace in Bethlehem for you and will again one day in heaven.

Remarkable, isn’t it?