Podcast Summary
Podcast: River Valley Church
Episode: Message | The Glory Revealed - Pastor Rob Ketterling
Date: December 21, 2025
Speaker: Pastor Rob Ketterling
Episode Overview
This episode continues River Valley Church’s Christmas teaching series with Pastor Rob Ketterling focusing on “The Glory Revealed.” He explores the prophetic anticipation and the meaning behind the revelation of God’s glory in the birth of Jesus, drawing primarily from Isaiah 40 and the Gospel of John. Pastor Rob emphasizes how God’s glory, previously distant and awe-inspiring, has drawn near and become accessible through Jesus Christ.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Celebrating Generosity and Kingdom Builders
- At the beginning, Pastor Rob gives thanks for the church's generosity:
- River Valley Church has crossed the milestone of $100 million given to Kingdom Builders since the initiative began.
- Over $60 million of that has gone directly to global causes (00:38).
- Pastor Rob reads from 1 Chronicles 29:14 to highlight humility and gratitude for the ability to give.
- Quote:
- "Who are we that we get to live this way instead of wondering where our next meal will come from? We get to give hundreds of thousands for kids to have their next meal." (01:44)
- He leads the congregation in a prayer of thanks, emphasizing stewardship and the call to use what God has given for His kingdom (03:10).
2. Christmas Series and Traditions
- Pastor Rob describes various Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve Eve services, mentioning church traditions like dressing up and giving kids candy bars to encourage good behavior (06:47).
- Tone: Warm, familial, slightly humorous.
3. Theme Introduction: The Glory of God Revealed
- The message centers on how the glory of God was revealed in the humility of Jesus' birth.
- References the journey from "the glory foretold" and "the glory proclaimed" (08:30), now moving to “the glory revealed.”
- Key texts: John 1:14 ("The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory...") and Isaiah 40.
4. Deep Dive into Isaiah 40: God’s New Posture Towards Us
A. The Shift from Judgment to Mercy
- The first 39 chapters of Isaiah focus on Israel's rebellion and God’s judgment (11:35).
- Isaiah 40 marks a pivot: God’s posture changes from anger to mercy.
- “Comfort, comfort my people...” (12:16)
- The word “comfort” signifies a deliberate decision by God to move toward His people, not just express a feeling.
- Quote:
- "My position towards you is I’m coming towards you. I want to redeem you. That’s the God we serve before we do anything right." (14:41)
- Illustrative Humor: Pastor Rob likens God’s shift from “your people” ("those people aren’t doing well") to “my people” when Israel aligns with His will, paralleling parenting language (16:08).
B. Paid in Full: “Double for Sins”
- The phrase “double for her sins” isn't unjust punishment; it's assurance that the full debt is paid—anticipating Jesus’ work on the cross.
- He draws a parallel to Jesus’s words, “It is finished”—full payment for sin (18:21).
5. God Comes Near: The Divine Highway (Isaiah 40:3-4)
- Isaiah’s prophecy: “Prepare the way for the Lord...every valley shall be raised up, every mountain made low...” (20:37)
- Ancient context: Kings’ roads cleared of obstacles for safe passage.
- Here, God Himself is removing obstacles, not people getting ready for God.
- Quote:
- "God’s saying, I’m doing the roads. I’m making the roads ready... I will knock a mountain down to get to you with salvation. I will lift a valley up to get you with salvation." (23:05)
- Pastor Rob applies this to feelings of unworthiness and shame. No “valley” too deep, no “mountain” too high for God’s saving reach:
- "I don’t know who I’m talking to right now, but you might be thinking, I don’t know if God can save me. God can save you, God can save you. There’s nobody that’s too far." (25:09)
- Ties Isaiah’s “prepare the way” to John the Baptist’s role and message (27:17).
6. The Glory Revealed: From Feared to Welcomed
- Old Testament: God’s glory was veiled, overwhelming, and potentially fatal to mortals (examples: Temple, Moses, Isaiah’s visions) (28:40).
- In Christ, God’s glory is revealed in accessible, approachable form.
- "He’s allowing his glory to be seen…in a way that you can handle, in a way that you might not even fully understand." (31:09)
- Artistic Depiction: Artists often paint baby Jesus with radiant light—not from outside, but shining out from Him—to signify the glory of God now approachable (32:22).
- Visual Quote:
- "The light is coming out of Jesus…that is the radiance of the glory of God…the artist is trying to tell us, do you understand the radiance and the glory of God that used to cause people to have to veil their face and run away?…now…you want to look at him. You’re drawn to him." (33:01)
- Visual Quote:
Old vs. New Testament Glory
- Old Testament: Glory as Law, awe, and distance.
- New Testament: Glory as Grace and Truth, accessible and relational (John 1:14 cited multiple times).
7. The Call to Proclaim
- Now that God's glory is revealed, our role is to proclaim it:
- "We have the greatest message on planet Earth." (35:05)
- Reflects back to previous weeks about invitation, outreach, and sharing “the greatest wonder the world has ever known.”
- Encourages the church to invite others, especially during Christmas services.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On generosity:
- “Who are we that we get to live this way instead of wondering where our next meal will come from? We get to give hundreds of thousands for kids to have their next meal.” (01:44)
- On God’s posture of mercy:
- “My position towards you is I’m coming towards you. I want to redeem you...before you do anything right.” (14:41)
- On God removing obstacles:
- “I will knock a mountain down to get to you with salvation. I will lift a valley up to get you with salvation.” (23:05)
- “There’s nobody that’s too far. He’ll lower the mountain, he’ll raise the valley, he’ll clear the road, he’ll...He’s saying it here prophetically...” (25:09)
- On the radiance of Jesus:
- “You’re not afraid to look at him. You want to look at him. You’re drawn to him. And in this light, there’s truth and there’s grace.” (33:34)
- On the transformation of glory:
- “In the Old Testament, the glory of God was law. And in the New Testament, the glory of God is what? Grace and truth.” (31:40)
- On proclamation:
- “We have the greatest message on planet Earth. And I pray that now that we see that God has revealed himself in this way, that we proclaim it over and over and over again.” (35:05)
Important Timestamps
- [00:38] – Kingdom Builders milestone & giving thanks
- [01:44] – Reflection on giving and stewardship
- [06:47] – Christmas Eve service traditions
- [08:30] – Introduction to the message: The Glory Revealed
- [11:35] – Overview of Isaiah’s exile/judgment theme
- [14:41] – God turns toward people in mercy
- [18:21] – “Double for her sins” explained as “paid in full”
- [20:37] – Description of ancient road preparations / “Make straight in the desert a highway”
- [23:05],[25:09] – God removes all obstacles to save us
- [28:40] – Old Testament terror and distance from God’s glory
- [31:09] – Approachable glory in Jesus
- [33:01],[33:34] – Radiance of Jesus depicted in art; approachable glory
- [35:05] – Call to proclaim and close in prayer
Final Thoughts & Closing Tone
Pastor Rob’s message is hopeful, passionate, and invitational. He retells the Christmas story with rich prophetic depth from Isaiah, reframing our perception of God’s glory not as something distant and unapproachable, but as something that draws near, accessible through Jesus. The episode encourages listeners to respond with gratitude, assurance of forgiveness, and a fresh commitment to proclaim this “greatest wonder” to others—especially at Christmas.
For those who haven’t listened, this episode is a heartfelt reminder of what Christmas is about: God coming near, brushing aside every obstacle, and making His glory known in the most humble and approachable way possible—in Jesus.