“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began’” (John 17:1-5, NIV).
Right now, what is in your heart that you really want to do or to have?
During the previous month, I wanted to attend the seminar conducted by Dr. Steve Lawson, who came to Manila. Also, I wanted to visit my niece in Licab, Nueva Ecija -- more than four hours travel by bus from Manila. My niece is married to a pastor, who planted the HIS (He Is Sovereign) Church in their place.
We have so many “wants” in this world. And many of them, we could afford to dispense away with. But, whatever we want in this world ought to be secondary to the greater desire that we ought to have as the children of the Living and Great God.
So, this time, let’s focus on…WHAT WE OUGHT TO WANT… as we deal with our text (John 17:1-5).
As, children of the Living God, what should we really want? Should we desire anything just anyone else in this world? If not, then, what should we really desire?
Our text is a part of the prayer of Jesus that he uttered after His last supper with His disciples. He prayed it before he went to the garden of Gethsemane, wherein He prayed privately with that well known line, “Not my will, but thine be done.”
The public prayer of Jesus in John 17 was recorded by John – the one who described himself as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He prayed it while Judas was no longer with them. For he already left in order to betray Jesus.
In verses 1-5, Jesus prayed for Himself, while in verses 6-26, He prayed for His disciples.
Now, in our text (verses 1-5), we could point out at least two things that, as children of God, we ought to want in our life. What are those?
First, TO GLORIFY GOD (verses 1 and 4).
Jesus said in verse 1, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you” and in verse 4, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
He said, “…that your Son may glorify you” and “I have brought you glory on earth…” Jesus wanted to glorify His Father.
In verse 1, we could see the longing of Christ to glorify His Father. In verse 4, we could grasp that what Christ did on earth brought glory to the Father.
As the only begotten Son of God, Jesus is fully aware of the Glory of His Father. He fully knows the Joy of His Father and He fully knows how joyful it is to be with the Father. He fully knows the Power of His Father and He fully knows that there is no limit of good things that His Father can do. He fully knows the love of His Father and He fully knows the width, the length, the height, the depth – the vastness, when His Father loves. He fully knows the Holiness of His Father and He fully knows that anyone who is tainted with any blemish will not survive in His holy wrath.
And Jesus would like to uphold, to advance, to promote, to proclaim the exceeding Glory of His Father. He would like that whatever He did on earth would exalt and not demean or taint the Glorious Name of God.
When Jesus mentioned, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work…,” He did not just refer to His particular work on the cross. He referred to the totality of His actions as the work of salvation.
So, should Christians today focus on just one or two actions to glorify God?
They should realize that aside from suffering and dying on the cross, Jesus made known the Father to the people whom the Father gave to Him, as we read in verses 6 and 26. Also, He has given them the Word of God, as we read in verses 8 and 13.
What else? In verses 9 and 20, Jesus was praying for them. In verse 12, He kept and have guarded them. His work was not just to die on the cross. Jesus also said in Luke 4:43, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”
Whether to be crucified, to heal the sick, to preach the Word, or whatever activity in the life of Jesus, it was intended to bring glory to His Father.
Believers, then, as children of God, ought to glorify their Heavenly Father in whatever they do. As we read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
How about us, as God’s children in this church – both young and once young? Do we want also to glorify God in whatever we do?
Or, do we just want or intend to glorify Him as we sing a song of praise? Of course not. We ought to want Him to be glorified as we pray, as we come to worship Him, as we read, study, or listen to His Word, as we fellowship.
Whatever we do, we do it all for the glory of God. Not only when we would accomplish notable or significant things that we would desire to glorify Him. Even in the ordinary or insignificant things, we ought to want to glorify Him. When we are eating, drinking, sleeping, washing the dishes, or just breathing, let’s do it for His glory.
Should we want to glorify God, only when it’s convenient or comfortable for us?
Remember Jesus that it is included in His work to be crucified and He did it to glorify God. Remember also Job. After all his children died and all his material possessions and sources of livelihood were taken away from him, what did he do?
He said in Job 1:21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
Job remarked, “…may the name of the LORD be praised.” In his pain, he praised God. He glorified God.
Do we want also to glorify God, when we are in difficulty or about to suffer? We ought to glorify Him even it’s not comfortable for us. If we find it difficult to come early in our worship meeting, nevertheless come early for His glory. If we find it hard to disciple others or share His Word with others, nevertheless do it for His glory.
We ought to want to glorify God not only in significant or in convenient ways, but even in ordinary or in painful ways.
What else that, as children of God, we ought to want?
Second, TO BE GLORIFED BY GOD (verses 1 and 5).
We read part of verse 1, “…Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son…” and verse 5, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
As the begotten Son of God, Jesus would want that His Father to glorify Him. But His request for the Father to grant Him honor or favor was not an end in itself. He would want to be glorified, so that He could ultimately glorify the Father.
And the Father glorified Jesus, as Jesus received the sustenance to bear His difficulties, as He received the glory to have all the authority to give life, to give knowledge of God to the elect, and as He received the glory to be in the Presence of His Father.
Jesus did ask His Father that the Jews, especially their leaders, to glorify or honor Him. He did not ask His Father that the government officials would respect or be nice to Him. He did ask that the people would be favorable to Him or be sympathetic to Him.
Jesus did not want to be glorified in that way. He wanted to be glorified by God. He wanted how His Father would glorify Him.
However, the tendency of people is to seek the approval of others. They want other men to say good things about them. And who would want among us that our neighbor would speak evil against us?
People would like that others would accept them. And they want others to honor, to praise or even glorify them. Jesus told the unbelieving Jews in John 5:44, “How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
If believers would receive honor or praise from others, they should really thank God for that special treatment. But they should not crave to have the respect or praise from others. They should not seek that others would always say good things about them. They should not expect that others would accept them or treat them gently or fairly.
They should seek the glory that comes from the only God. They should want the approval of their Heavenly Father more than anyone else.
Every true believer ought to say with the Apostle Paul:
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).
Believers ought to want to be glorified by God.
How about us, the children of God here? Do we really want to be glorified by God?
Do we seek His approval in every thought and action that we do? Do we desire that our Heavenly Father would be pleased with us?
My earthly father just finished elementary. But I am so far behind from His accomplishment in life. Even in how he reared me, I could not duplicate it how I am rearing my children. In my 21 or 22 years to be with him, as if, I just received not more than 5 direct instructions from him. When he was with me in my graduation in elementary, he witnessed that some of the honored pupils together with their parent(s) would be called several times on the stage to receive various medals of honor. He did not tell me to study hard, so I could bring him several times to the stage. What he did was to say that he would be happy also to come up to the stage several times. But, though I didn’t have the desire climbing the stage, I would like my father to be pleased with me and to please him as well.
So, though he did not tell me directly to strive to have more honors, in order that he would be pleased with me, I did invest more time in my study and, ultimately, to get him on the stage many times to receive various medals for his son.
I did study hard to have more medals, not to win the applause of my teachers or classmates, not even to gratify my personal interest, but to please my father and be glorified in his presence on the stage.
Brothers and sisters, let’s seek to be glorified by our Heavenly Father. Seek His approval and to be in His Holy Presence. In fact, when we believed, were already given the glory to become His children. Jesus told His Father in John 17:22, “I have given them the glory that you gave me…” Now His Spirit is dwelling in us and actually enjoying His glorious Presence. And we can look forward to rejoice in His Glorious Presence in the future.
Should we exchange the glory we have in Christ for the glory, praises, approval, or acceptance of men? Should we prefer the temporary and, sometimes, even hypocritical applause of men?
Let us, then, desire to be glorified by our Holy Father at all times. And let us look forward in that glorious time, when He will finally glorify and tell us:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matt. 25:21.)
We ought to want to be glorified by our Heavenly Father.
In closing, will anyone in this world could just glorify God?
Not everyone can do it. Not everyone will desire to be glorified by God. For not everyone is aware of the Glory of God. Other may have some idea of it, but not enthralled by such glory.
But because of God’s mercy, He has granted us His Holy Spirit to have at least a glimpse of His Glory and to have an affection for it, to apprehend His Truth and have His given faith in His Son to trust Him as our Savior and Lord. So, we can truly glorify God and seek to be glorified by Him as well.
But, if anyone of us here, who could not comprehend the danger and the seriousness of his situation without Christ, without His Spirit dwelling in him, he would not also see the need to glorify God or to be glorified by Him, as well.
It’s time for all of us to realize our great need for Christ, our great need for His Spirit to dwell in us, our great need to perceive the glory of God. There’s no greater want than to glorify God and be glorified by Him.
