A few weeks ago in our church we had a sermon that was really good. We are going through the book of John in the New Testament. I had read the passage many times during my Christian life, but it was the first time I actually looked at it attentively. The truths about Jesus in this passage are amazing! We read the whole of chapter 17 but focused on the first 5 verses:

“After Jesus said this, he looked towards heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³ Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

John 17:1-5

We are so used to watching celebrities on TV seeking glory for themselves. They spend an obscene amount of money on dresses and make up in the hope that a photograph will appear in the front page of a paper or magazine. More so, they hope that everyone would be talking about what they wore at that night at the Oscar’s.

Jesus is not seeking that kind of glory here. In fact, it is almost the opposite.

Here are some of my notes:

Jesus was going to be glorified on the cross and ultimately the glory He was seeking was for the Father. Jesus knew that only God can make people see Him glorified on the cross.

Jesus wants people to rejoice in God because of His immense love that gave His Son to die for our sake. He died the death that we deserve to give us the life we need.

Eternal life is not just about going on forever. Eternal life is about knowing God and Jesus. Jesus brought God glory by doing the work He was sent to do.

Jesus is now returning to His Father and He was asking for the glory that was rightfully His to be restored to Him.

This last point made me think of the aspect of the cross that we don’t normally think about. Jesus, the King, the One who was there from the beginning of times with God in His full glory, He gave that glory up to come down to earth and live like a man, and die for man to give man life with God. It is so much easier to think of Jesus as the baby, the man who walked the earth and preached sermons, and did many miraculous signs and suffered. But it is harder to picture Him before the cross in glory with the Father. Jesus was not asking for something as a recognition for His work. No. The glory was His by right. I guess this made me appreciate even more what He did for me on the cross. He left all his splendor and Majesty for a time to suffer for me.

Jesus’s prayer was answered on the cross and his resurrection. through history He has been made known to people who recognised Him as the King and saw Him glorified. Do we all know Him as the Sovereign over the whole world? Do we recognize what He has done for us? If the answer is no, maybe this is a good time to consider these things. If we answered yes, are we still delighting in giving Jesus all the glory that He deserves? Are we filling our hearts with things that are pushing Him to a little corner of our lives?

May He always give us the desire and the strength to give Him everything for His glory.

God bless.