John Piper "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" Chapter One

The heavens declare

the glory of God.

PSALM 1 9 : 1

God, who said, “Light shall

shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts

to give the light of the knowledge

of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 CORINTHIANS 4 : 6

SEEING AND SAVORING THE GLORY OF GOD

The Ultimate Aim of Jesus Christ

Excerpts from the Chapter:

“The created universe is all about glory. The deepest longing of the human heart and the deepest meaning of heaven and earth are summed up in this: the glory of God. The universe was made to show it, and we were made to see it and savor it. Nothing less will do. Which is why the world is as disordered and as dysfunctional as it is. We have exchanged the glory of God for other things (Romans 1:23).”

“… The reason for “wasting” so much space on a universe to house a speck of humanity is to make a point about our Maker, not us. “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these [stars]? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing” (Isaiah 40:26).”

“The deepest longing of the human heart is to know and enjoy the glory of God. We were made for this. “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth . . . whom I created for my glory,” says the Lord (Isaiah 43:6-7). To see it, to savor it, and to show it—that is why we exist. The untracked, unimaginable stretches of the created universe are a parable about the inexhaustible “riches of his glory” (Romans 9:23).”

“… The point is this: We were made to know and treasure the glory of God above all things; and when we trade that treasure for images, everything is disordered.”

“… The healing of the soul begins by restoring the glory of God to its flaming, all-attracting place at the center. We are all starved for the glory of God, not self… Because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self.”

“The Christian Gospel is “the gospel of the glory of Christ” because its final aim is that we would see and savor and show the glory of Christ. For this is none other than the glory of God. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). When the light of the Gospel shines in our hearts, it is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). And when we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2), that hope is “our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The glory of Christ is the glory of God.”

A P R A Y E R

O Father of glory, this is the cry of our hearts—to be changed from one degree of glory to another, until, in the resurrection, at the last trumpet, we are completely conformed to the image of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Until then, we long to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord, especially the knowledge of his glory.

We want to see it as clearly as we see the sun, and to savor it as deeply as our most desired pleasure.

O merciful God, incline our hearts to your Word and the wonders of your glory.

Wean us from our obsession with trivial things.

Open the eyes of our hearts to see each day what the created universe is telling about your glory. Enlighten our minds to see the glory of your Son in the Gospel.

We believe that you are the All-glorious

One, and that there is none like you.

Help our unbelief. Forgive the wandering of our affections and the undue attention we give to lesser things.

Have mercy on us for Christ’s sake, and fulfill in us your great design to display the glory of your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray,

amen.