Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ

by Trent Hunter

The Bible tells us that when Moses came down from meeting with God, his face was shining, or radiant (Ex. 34:29–35). What must that have looked like? What must it have felt like to speak directly with God? By God’s design, Moses’ face shone for the people and for us so that we might know what it means to speak with God. Under Moses, this glory was dangerous. Moses had to cover his face with a veil to protect his people because they were stiff-necked. Moses himself saw only the tail end of the trail of God’s glory, but the people could not survive longer than a glance at the glow left on Moses’ face. How wonderful, then, to read these words about Jesus and his work for us: Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull . . . whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit . . . 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 3:12–14A, 16–18; 4:6