Seeking God’s Glory
Photo by Sebastien Gabriel, from Unsplash.
How did Jesus ascribe glory and honor to his Father during his earthly life and ministry before the ascension? What did Jesus pray for and long for as he ministered and prayed to his Father?
Jesus glorified God the Father by accomplishing the work God had given him to do on earth.
Jesus longed to be present with God and to receive the glory he had left in heaven when he came to earth in the incarnation.
In John’s gospel account, in chapter 17, Jesus prayed, “I glorified you [Father] on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:4-5, ESV).
Jesus exists with God the Father before all things were created and he shared in God’s glory. Jesus’ primary concern is to continue to glorify the Father and to continually participate in the Father’s glory for all eternity.
Jesus’ incarnation, his coming to live a sinless life, to die a sinner’s death, to defeat death through the resurrection, and his ascension to heaven to his seat of power, came at the great cost and sacrifice of laying down the glory he shared with the Father in order to glorify God in his saving work on earth.
May we appreciate the sacrificial love of Jesus’ incarnation, his humble descent to us, and understand the importance of his ascension to glory, and may we glorify God by finishing the work he has given us to do and look forward to being with God in his heavenly glory.
A Prayer for Mission: “O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
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Photo by Sebastien Gabriel, from Unsplash.
