If a kindergartener asked you what glory meant, could you explain it? When you pray, “The kingdom and the power and the glory are yours now and forever,” do you know what you’re praying? When you sing “Glooooooria” at Christmas, do you know what you’re saying? When you read, “An angel of the Lord appeared to [the shepherds], and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified” (Luke 2:9), do you understand what you’re reading? 

If not, let me help. In the Bible, the word glory is used to describe King Solomon’s royal robes (Matthew 6:29), bright starry nights (Psalm 19:1), and Jesus seated on his throne (John 12). So, what do those three things have in common? My one-word answer—Wow! Glory is when something is jaw-dropping, stop-and-stare stunning. When yawning is impossible and wanting to take a picture is natural. That’s glory.

On the night Jesus was born, God’s glory appeared. A holy angel lit up the night, and the shepherds were wowed, then scared of their sins, and eventually thrilled by the news of God’s grace. 

And this is my prayer for you—that Christmas, no matter how many times you have celebrated Jesus’ birth, would still “wow” you. That every time you’d see God in a manger, you would be stunned at his humility and mercy. That you would never get used to God reaching down to you simply because he wanted you to be part of his family. Wow . . . isn’t God glorious?