“WITH HIM IN GLORY”

24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

John 17:24

Have you ever felt a deep, unexplainable ache for something more, even when everything in your life seems to be going right? We all share that deep longing, and it's a beautiful reminder that we were made for something much bigger than this temporary world. It is completely natural to chase after success, recognition, or a sense of belonging, but those earthly milestones will always leave us feeling a little empty.

That is because your soul is immortal, and things that fade away can't fully satisfy it. God uniquely created you for a beautiful, eternal relationship with Him. Think of that inner restlessness not as a flaw, but as a gentle compass pointing you back to Him—because our hearts will only find their true home and perfect peace when we are resting in His love and majesty.

John chapter 17 is a heartfelt prayer known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” After delivering His Farewell Discourse, Jesus now prays for Himself, the disciples, and future believers. This moment is also the start of Jesus’ “time.” In this series, we will see several important truths relating to our calling, sanctification, and witnessing. 

Today’s verse reminds us that Jesus’s greatest wish is for us to be right there with Him forever, taking in the full beauty of His true glory. This is exactly where we are headed, and it is the most comforting truth we can hold onto today.

When Jesus says, "I desire," He is sharing a beautiful, deeply personal wish for your ultimate future: to be right by His side and see Him in all His glory.

Think about how incredible this is. During His time on Earth, the disciples saw Jesus live a humble human life—a choice He willingly made out of love for them. He even knelt down like a servant to wash their feet at the Last Supper. But just before He went to the cross, Jesus looked forward to His return to glory. His deepest wish was for His followers to finally see Him as He truly is.

By talking about the love He experienced "before the foundation of the world," Jesus reminds us that He has always existed. It shows us that the ultimate power holding the Trinity together is perfect, unconditional love—the very love He invites you into!

Our spiritual lives are completely anchored in Christ. The wonder we get to witness isn’t just His eternal divine glory from before the world began; it’s also the beautiful, hard-won glory He earned as our Savior and Redeemer. Seeing Him like that is the ultimate, visible proof of how deeply the Father has loved the Son from the world's very foundation.

This week, let’s put this beautiful truth into practice. Whether you need to gently remind your own heart or sit with a grieving friend in comfort, try leaning into this new perspective. Together, we can lift our eyes from the heavy pain of earthly loss and rest in the joyful, glorious reality that Christ’s deepest heart's desire has been fulfilled.

Treasure this promise in your heart:

2 "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." 

1 John 3:2

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Spenser Sembrat on Unsplash