‘That Your Son May Glorify You’

‘That Your Son May Glorify You’

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.

John 17:1

It is Christ’s stated purpose to glorify God, His Father. We find references to this purpose throughout the Scriptures. In the controversy with the Jews, in John 5, Christ makes repeated reference to His honoring of His Father’s Will and His performance of His work. He refers to it again in John 7, as He speaks to the multitude. He continues in the same vein throughout the confrontation of John 8. At a certain point He declares, ‘I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.’ By all that Christ said and did, He glorified God, His Father. We see the epitome of this in Christ’s Passion. We see the spirit of Christ in this prayer where He calls upon His Father and says, ‘Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.’ This is the height of submission to the Will of God, because it would involve the most horrific abuse, and excruciating death. So long as by it, God received the glory, Christ was for it. Here is a pattern for us. We do not know by what circumstances our lives will glorify God. God may have for us much suffering, and even untimely death. We can but submit our will to His Will, even as Christ, Our Example did. For His part, God can give us the grace to endure whatever He has in store for us. Our recourse, in all our circumstances, is to look to Christ, Who by His obedience, has glorified His Father.

Our Wise and Wonderful Savior,
we rejoice in Your submission to Your Father’s Will.
We praise You that by Your example,
You have taught us the spirit of true obedience.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning