Jesus Veiled His Glory through Flesh

Today I spent sometime reading ‘The Glory of Christ’ by John Owen. I was particularly fascinated by the chapter titled ‘The Glory of Christ’s Humbling Himself’. I learnt that Christ did not lay aside His majesty, but veiled it under the cloak of His flesh. In Christian theology, the Greek word kenosis tries to explain this divine mystery. John Owen writes:

“…the glory of His divine person was veiled…”

“Christ did not lay aside His divine nature. He did not cease to be God when He became man.”

“He veiled the glory of His divine nature in ours, so that there was no outward appearance or revelation of it. The world could not see that He was true God…”

I also remember hearing Paul Washer speak on this topic. He said something along the same lines as John Owen:

“He did not lay aside His deity but He hid it under the cloack of human flesh, He became a true man. The sufferings of Christ did not just begin at Gethsemane, but they began at His birth [the incarnation]“

The glory of Christ i.e. His majesty, power, divinity, deity, weight and splendour remained in the person of Christ, but it was just hidden, veiled under the cloak of human flesh. It was the humility and love of Christ for sinners which motivated Him to do this.

Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Jews may refute this, but to their own peril, because Jesus said of Himself:

“for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

Tags: John Owen, Kenosis, The Glory of Christ

Category: Re: Jesus, Theological Reflections