Passion: The Bright Light of Glory

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 6:1-4

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

Revelation 1:12-17

Nothing defines the Passion Movement more than a desire to make much of the name of Jesus.

In a culture where marketing machines grind day in and day out to push another name to the top of the heap, one name stands supreme: Jesus. For Jesus, there is no rival, no equal, no competition. Jesus is not just the first. He is the last. He is the Beginning and the End. His name echoed throughout the universe before mankind breathed its first breath. And Jesus’ name will be anthemed in eternity long after all other little names have vanished into obscurity.

So what’s the problem? If Jesus is unmatched in beauty, kindness, love, majesty, grace and glory, why would we possibly need to constantly be reminded not to fall for lesser names? Because sin’s got game, and in our fallen, weakened, clouded state we’re just not that smart.

Apart from an awakening that only the Spirit of God can bring, a revelation of Jesus that peels the scales from our near-sighted eyes, we bump along from one of earth’s affections to the next, losing sight most days of true and rare beauty. We miss Jesus, the Creator of it all.

What about you? What name is on your lips today? No, not what name is on your religious affiliation papers. Who are you talking about the most today?

No doubt, worldly names are going to cross our lips throughout the day. After all, we are called to be “in the world, yet not of it.” But what name is going to rise above? Who are people going to be talking about when you stop talking?

To win the “name game,” we need a God-birthed view of Jesus—a supernatural revelation of the Risen Son of God so captivating it drowns out the chirping of all the world’s names in a heartbeat. We need a glimpse of what Isaiah saw in the year King Uzziah died:

“I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple…” Isaiah 6:1-4

Or, we need a glimpse of Jesus like John encountered in Revelation 1:12-17. At one point John describes Jesus’ “face shining like the sun in all its brilliance.” (v. 16).

I want to know Jesus like that. Not a storybook character. Not a self-conceived savior. Not a Jesus crafted after my likeness. But, the Risen Jesus. The One who knows no equal.