III. THE FACE OF CHRIST
A. Although Moses’ Law was glorious, the glory of Christ’s gospel surpasses Moses’ glory so that it is as if Moses had no glory at all.
1. Notice the full quotation of 2Corinthians 3:7-11:
But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
2. Paul indicated the inferiority of Moses’ Law by calling it the "ministry of death, in letters engraved on stone.”
a. The Law of Moses was a punitive ministry of condemnation that brought death to sinners, whereas the gospel of Christ is an atoning ministry of righteousness that brings life to sinners.
b. The letter of the Law was written by Moses on stone tablets, but the letter of Christ is "written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2Cor. 3:3).
3. The glory of the gospel surpasses the glory of the Law so that the Law’s glory fades away.
a. Just as the brightness of the sun by day renders the brightness of the moon and stars invisible, so also the glory of Christ’s gospel has outshone Moses’ Law.
b. The glory of Moses’ Law was always fading just as the brightness of Moses’ face faded. However, the gospel of Christ does not fade.
B. Whereas Israel was afraid to look on the glory of Moses’ face, we are able to behold the superior glory of Christ’s face through the gospel.
1. Notice 2Corinthians 3:12-13:
Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
2. We are blessed to see the full glory of the gospel in the person of Jesus Christ.
a. Jesus came to earth and revealed the Father in a way that had never been done before. John wrote, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
b. Notice that the glory of God is revealed in His grace and truth. The Law of Moses lacked the grace and truth that is found in the gospel. Consider John 1:17-18:
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:17-18)
c. The glory of the gospel is the light that shines in the face of Jesus. Notice 2Corinthians 4:6:
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
d. The light of Moses’ face was glorious just as the Law he delivered was glorious. However, the light of Christ’s face is far more glorious just as the gospel is far more glorious than the Law.
3. The superiority of Christ and His gospel is also revealed in other passages of Scripture.
a. When the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, "His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light” (Matt. 17:2). When Peter saw Moses and Elijah and suggested that he build a tabernacle for each of them, the Father interrupted him, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” (Matt. 17:3-5).
b. Notice the subservient purpose of the Law of Moses in Galatians 3:24-25 – "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
c. In the book of Hebrews, the covenant of Christ is shown to be superior to the covenant of Moses in every way. This contrast is typified by Mount Sinai, which represents the covenant of fear and death in Moses’ Law, and Mount Zion, which represents the covenant of grace and life in Christ’s gospel (Heb. 12:18-24).
C. Whereas the true glory of Moses’ Law was veiled to Israel, the glory of the gospel is fully revealed to us.
1. The veil over Moses’ face became a symbol of Israel’s inability to see the true glory of the Law, which was leading to Christ. Notice 2Corinthians 3:15-16 – "But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
2. Christians see the full glory of the Lord almost directly according to 2Corinthians 3:18 – "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
3. Notice that Christians are transformed "from glory to glory,” that is, from the faded glory of the Law of Moses into the same image of the glory of Christ
4. Compare this to 1John 3:2 – "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
IV. CONCLUSION
A. What does all of this mean? It means that we live in a glorious time to be blessed with the light of the gospel that shines brightly from the face of our Lord Jesus.
B. It also means that we have the hope of sharing in the eternal glory of our Lord and partaking in "the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).
