He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom 1 am well pleased.–2 Peter 1:17.
These words furnish us matter for sweet meditation. Spirit of truth, help us to see the honor and glory of the Father and Son in them, and to gain comfort from them.
Here is a silencing answer to that objection, you rob God the Father of his honor and glory by ascribing so much to Christ. Have you never felt this temptation? It comes from the enemy of God and sinners. Our faith puts all the honor and glory of our salvation upon God's beloved Son: there God himself places it: in his beloved Son God is well pleased, and with us also in him. Here see the nature of faith: it causes the soul both to imitate and obey God, and to be well pleased with Him in whom God is well pleased–the beloved Son of God.
Though to the eye of nature Jesus appeared as a mere man, in abject poverty and lowest abasement; yet the Father gives him the highest honor and glory, because he magnified his holy law and made it honorable; satisfied his divine justice, and brought everlasting honor and glory to every attribute and perfection of his nature So that now, "God is just, and the justifier of sinners who believe in Jesus." Then under a sight and sense of your ruined nature, innumerable sins, and dreadful apostacies from God, put honor and glory upon the Son of God: with his work and salvation God is well pleased: it has satisfied heaven for thy sins; let thy conscience be satisfied with Jesus, and glory in him alone.
For thy encouragement herein, consider Peter, who wrote these words: he was honored to be on the mount; saw his Lord's transfiguration; heard these words from the excellent glory; and yet, with oaths and curses, he denied that he knew the man whom God the Father had so lately honored and glorified: there was an inexpressible fulness of grace in Jesus even for him. Out of Christ's fulness Peter received grace upon grace, whereby he was recovered from his fall, restored to repentance, and preserved to salvation. O may the dear Saviour look our hearts into godly sorrow and holy love, that we may say, "This is my beloved Saviour, in whom I am well pleased."