Unveiling Our Faces (compiled from a web search at images.google.com) [Learn about the Advent Beard, and these weekly devotionals, here; read all the devo's: wk 1, wk 2, wk 3. Enjoy.]
“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed… And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:18)
The time has come, gentlemen… Let us unveil our faces. Just as creation has waited, longing for the day of its glorification and perfection (Rom 8:20-22), and just as every human groans inwardly for the redemption of our bodies; for the hope of salvation (Rom 8:23-24), so have our chins and our wives been groaning for this glorious day. A day when our beards disappear and our faces turn, fully revealed, to the Lord. A day of celebration; a day of rejoicing; a day of shaving. For upon us now is this most blessed of births; this is the end of advent and this is the incarnation of the Christ child.
The celebration of Christmas is here, and our wait is over. The long-expected Jesus has come; unto us is born this week in the city of David the savior, who is Christ the LORD. Why no more itchy beards, goatees, chinstraps, soul patches, and mutton chops? Because we no longer wait. Why do we shave? Because our time of anticipation is over. Christ is born, the newborn king! Why, according to 2 Corinthians 3 (above) do we unveil our faces? Because at Christmas, we behold the glory of the lord.
What is this glory of the LORD, which we blessedly get to celebrate and behold? The Gospel of John says it like this:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” (John 1:1-5; 14-17)
Light. Life. Glory. Grace. Truth. These are the things of God. These are the glories of Christ we’ve so long awaited; for which Israel longed for centuries awaiting their coming Messiah. As we behold Christ this Christmas, with shorn chins and baby’s-butt-smooth cheeks, let us reflect. Let us remember the time of waiting, when the veil of prickly hair veiled our faces.
But now, the wait is over. Let us be transformed, from one degree of glory to another, into the image of Christ! Let us not hide one inch of our faces from receiving that glory! Let us reveal our faces to the world in great exultation, that our chins may breathe the fresh air of new life offered through this babe in a manger! Let our faces join the heavenly host celebrating the birth of the Christ child! Like King David at the coming of the LORD”s commandments, let our chins dance naked before the LORD, in unveiled celebration of his glory!
And as we shave; as we end our time of waiting and hair-growth, let us pray, beginning now and continuing through the new year and throughout our lives, that God will indeed transform us from one degree of glory to another, day by day, as he progressively changes us each into the same image of his Son. Happy shaving, gents, and merry Christmas.
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