HOW IS THE SON OF MAN GLORIFIED? (Outline)
May 10, 2009 --
EASTER 5 --
John 13:31-35
INTRO: Glory, praise, and honor can be very intoxicating. Many people seek these things above all else. Our world places undue emphasis on fame, money, and power that is connected to glory, praise, and honor. All too often our world displays flawed examples as role models. The media holds up Hollywood types, athletes, or even politicians as great success stories. Look closely at their lives and you soon discover deceit and dishonesty. Is this the glory that the Christian ought to seek? Hardly.
Man’s thinking runs contrary to God’s mind. God’s glory is seen in the humble, loving service of those who follow him. Paul prays: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"(ROMANS 15:5,6).
HOW IS THE SON OF MAN GLORIFIED? Jesus is glorified when:
I. We know Jesus’ love, and:
II. We show Jesus’ love.
I. WE KNOW JESUS’ LOVE
A. Verse 31a. It was Judas who left. The setting is the upper room on Maundy Thursday.
1. Jesus gathered his disciples to celebrate the Passover before his death on Good Friday.
2. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Jesus gave bread (body) and wine (blood) for forgiveness.
3. Judas leaves to betray the Savior. Jesus responds verse 31b. Jesus is now to be glorified.
B. If Jesus, the Son of Man, is glorified – so is his Father. Verse 32. How is the Son of Man glorified?
1. Jesus is glorified in betrayal, rejection, condemnation, and even crucifixion.
2. This is not the glory the world seeks. This is divine glory: God’s plan of salvation is fulfilled.
C. The disciples begin to know the depth of Jesus’ love, verse 33. Jesus calls them children = love.
D. How is the Son of Man glorified in our lives today? The glory of Jesus is seen in our lives very sim-ply by God’s grace. God’s grace is his undeserved love for mankind. God’s grace is shown to each one of us as he calls us out of darkness to live in his light. Let’s face it, we do not deserve God’s love, cannot earn it, and cannot pay for it. We are born into this world full of sin and as enemies of the Lord God Al-mighty. In spite of all against us, God in his infinite mercy and love saves. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved" (EPHESIANS 2:4,5). By the grace of God we now know Jesus’ love.
E. How is the Son of Man glorified in our lives today? Jesus is glorified in our lives because our lives are changed. We have been changed from the offspring of Satan into the very children of God. By faith God reveals to us the love of Jesus, our Savior. Because we know the love of Jesus we are able to live our lives in that saving love of Jesus every day. We have been blessed beyond all comparison. Each of us has known the love of Jesus our entire lives. So we probably do not daily stop to think just how much of a difference Jesus’ love has made in our lives. This difference is great. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me"(GALATIANS 2:20). Now is the Son of Man glorified.
F. Our world would want us to believe that is has all the answers. Do the experts in this world really know the answers? Worldly advice is to save up money for retirement in the stock market. Not such good advice today. A house is always a good investment declare the experts. Presently this is not such advice. Worldly wisdom does not and can not compare to the value of the wisdom of God. "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (PHILIPPIANS 3:8). Paul lived for a time without true knowledge of God. To know Jesus is to know God’s love.
HOW IS THE SON OF MAN GLORIFIED?
Jesus is glorified when believers know his love.
II. WE SHOW JESUS’ LOVE
A. Verse 1 of this chapter states that Jesus showed the disciples the “full extent of his love”.
1. Before they ate the Passover meal Jesus took the time to wash all of the disciples’ feet.
2. Jesus was glorified not at the head of the table but at the feet of his disciples!
B. There would be even more glory to come: betrayal, rejection, condemnation, and crucifixion.
1. Jesus would face all of this alone, verse 33. Jesus, alone, would be put to death on a cross.
2. Only Jesus would be put into the tomb. Only Jesus would rise again on the third day.
3. All that seemed bad would glorify the Son of Man. God meant all things for man’s good.
C. Jesus places a great challenge of faith before his disciples, verse 34. They must love one another.
1. How many would / could love Judas after he betrayed Jesus at the Mount of Olives?
2. Verse 35. Did the disciples show love when they forsook Jesus or hid in the upper room?
D. How is the Son of Man glorified in our loves today? The truth: It is not always easy to be loving toward one another. One of the earliest sins finds brother killing brother (Cain kills Abel). This sin still dwells deep in the soul of every person alive today. No wonder our Lord Jesus himself directs us to “love one another”. God challenges every believer to show Jesus’ love to others. We do not even know what love is except that Jesus has shown us the full extent of his love. Therefore we are only able to show Jesus’ love because he has first made his love known to us. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God"(1 JOHN 4:7).
E. How is the Son of Man glorified in our lives today? Jesus is glorified when others are able to see the love of God in our day to day activities. People today first look closely at our lives before they are willing to listen to our words. Sadly, many look more for faults than the love of God. In our day and age it is all the more important that the people of this world are directed to God’s glory and not our glory. "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us"(1 PETER 2:12). This verse was written at a time of the greatest persecution of believers. Only the believers are still able to show the love of Jesus.
F. What does the world see in our daily lives? Do they see people that are different or people that act just like them? Day in and day out people will see a difference in our lives compared to the rest of the unbelieving world. This happens when we conduct our lives with honesty, integrity, fairness, kindness, mercy, etc. We do this and live this way only because of the love of Jesus that we know, believe, and confess. Showing the love of Jesus begins with the things that we may not even consider so important. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God"(1 CORINTHIANS 10:31,32).
CONC.: HOW IS THE SON OF MAN GLORIFIED? This is the question we want to ask ourselves as we live in a world of darkness. You, I, every believer are the children of the Light. We ask how? Jesus would stand before his believers today and say, “Now is the Son of Man glorified!” The Son of Man is glorified in the humble hearts of believers who know the love of Jesus. “Now is the Son of Man glorified!” The Son of Man is glorified in the humble lives of every believer who shows the love of Jesus. Paul provides us with another valuable prayer today. "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ"(2 THESSA-LONIANS 1:11,12). Pray to better know how to show Jesus’ love. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF / 10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
EASTER 5 readings:
ACTS 8:26-40;
1 JOHN 3:18-24;
JOHN 15:1-8;
(PSALM 67)
