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JESUS GLORIFIES THE FATHER
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
John 12:27-36

John 13:31

 

“Father, glorify thy name…”

 

JESUS GLORIFIES THE FATHER
 
As Jesus contemplated His coming death, He struggled within Himself and prayed, “Father, save me from this hour (i.e. hour of death).” At the same time, He desired to do His Father’s will, and so prayed, “Father, glorify thy name.” This holy tension was due to His twofold nature: He was fully God and fully Man. His humanity desired to escape, but His deity desired to fulfil. It is impossible to fathom the hypostatic dynamics operating within Christ. As sinners, we can only thank Him for subjecting His human will to the divine.
 
The Father by His voice had spoken concerning His Son on two previous occasions: at His baptism and His transfiguration. Now, He spoke for the third and final time in answer to His Son’s prayer, “Father, glorify thy name.” The answer from heaven came loud and clear, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” In other words, “I will perfect what I have begun” (Calvin).
 
Jesus said those words were spoken not for His benefit, but His disciples’. The Lord readily submitted Himself to do His Father’s will. On the other hand, the disciples, being weak in the flesh, might waver. And so they were warned of trying days to come. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. The Son would glorify the Father by being crucified. Just like Moses who lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness for the healing of Israel, so would Jesus be lifted up from the earth for the salvation of His people (Num 21:9; John 3:14). In glorifying His Father by dying on the cross, we see His twofold obedience acting in perfect harmony.
 
The people could not understand what Jesus said concerning the Messiah. According to the Old Testament, the Messiah was One who lives forever. How then could He die by crucifixion? Jesus then told them to believe His words. He is the Light who had spoken to them the truth. They needed to believe in order to see. Once they had received the light, the Holy Spirit would illumine their minds.
 
THOUGHT: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

PRAYER: “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!”

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