“FOR GOD’S GLORY”

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,”

John 17:1

Prayer allows us to communicate with the Lord. But more than just talking to God, it paves the way to glorify Him. How?

John chapter 17 is a heartfelt prayer known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” After delivering His Farewell Discourse, Jesus now prays for Himself, His disciples, and future believers. This moment is also the start of Jesus’ “time,” a reference to His suffering, death, and resurrection.

In today's verse, Jesus and His disciples had just crossed the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus lifts up His eyes to Heaven, addressing God the Father and recognizing His divine timetable. The hour of His suffering has come; but this suffering is directly linked to His glory. He is asking the Father to glorify Him, i.e., to manifest excellence and majesty. This way, Jesus demonstrates the perfect relationship between God the Father and God the Son. The cross is about to become a place where the Son's obedience displays the Father's glory.

Several times in this Gospel, Jesus has revealed the Father’s glory by showing His selfless love, but His death on the cross will allow Him to give the Father ultimate glory. How is Jesus’ death God’s glory? It fulfills God's plan for salvation perfectly, highlighting God's justice on sin and grace toward sinners.

Jesus’ death on the cross answers the question: “Does God care about me?” Giving up His life for our sake, Jesus brought down God’s love to a fallen world filled with hopeless individuals. This way, Jesus glorified the Father, pointing to God's love for them.

Jesus asking for glory isn’t at all selfish. In fact, His burden is the glory of God, which would be fully realized in His finished work on the Cross. The night before His arrest, He told His disciples to love one another, as this would be evidence that they belonged to Him. The same word is given to us—to love one another and pray for one another.

While the Bible commands us to pray for others, praying for ourselves isn’t necessarily selfish. When we pray for ourselves, i.e., to keep us from sinning, or to protect us from harm, we’re not acting selfishly. How? When we overcome sin, God is glorified; when we are kept safe from harm, God is glorified; when He blesses us in practical ways, God is glorified. As such, all glory belongs to Him.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash