All You Need Is Jesus

The Radiance of God’s Glory

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory 

and the exact representation of his being, 

sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Hebrews 1:3 

Jesus Christ is not merely a messenger from God—He is God made visible. The writer to the Hebrews lifts our eyes to behold the splendor of the Son, who perfectly mirrors the Father’s nature and character. Eugene Peterson captures this truth powerfully: “You do not need Jesus-and-angels; you do not need Jesus-and-Moses. All you need is Jesus.” In Him, heaven and earth meet; the Creator enters His creation. The glory that once filled the tabernacle and the temple now shines fully in the face of Christ. As Paul declares, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

William Barclay beautifully observes, “In Jesus we see what God is like. If we could not look at Him, we would not know the heart of God.” Every look at Jesus reveals divine love—His words heal the brokenhearted, His hands lift the fallen, His tears show the compassion of God Himself. When we gaze upon Jesus, we are not looking at a distant deity but at the One who sustains the universe by His powerful word (Colossians 1:17). The radiance of His glory is not reflected light but light itself—eternal, uncreated, and life-giving.

Through Christ, the invisible God becomes visible, the unreachable becomes near. As Jesus Himself said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). To know Him is to know truth; to love Him is to love God. He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 22:13), the One who holds all creation together. Our faith begins, centers, and ends in Him. In the light of His radiance, every shadow of doubt fades, and every heart finds its home in the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Son. Help us to know Your heart through His words, to reflect His love in our lives, and to glorify You in all we do. Amen.