GLORIFIED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will glorify the Son in Himself, and will glorify Him at once.

John 13:31-32

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

glorify /ɡlôrəˌfī/ (v): 1. praise and worship (God). 2. acknowledge and reveal the majesty and splendor of (God) by one's actions.

glorified /ɡlôrəˌfīd/ (adj): (in religious contexts) to be made glorious.

glorious /ɡlôrēəs/ (adj): 1. having, worthy of, or bringing fame or admiration. 2. having a striking beauty or splendor that evokes feelings of delighted admiration.

The scene was the end of the Passover meal, the last meal that Jesus would share with His disciples. In less than 24 hours, He would be dead and laid in a tomb. Not exactly a glorified ending, wouldn’t you agree?

During the meal, Jesus had much to say. In yesterday’s devotion, we saw where He washed His disciples’ feet before calling them to do the same. The point was grounded in His expectation that His followers would be humble servants, mimicking His actions.

Jesus also took the bread and wine cup, using them as symbolic representations of His body and blood respectfully, and then commanded His followers to remember Him every time they would partake of the elements from that time forward.

And of course we know that Jesus exposed Judas as His betrayer, much to the surprise of the accused who thought he was about to sell out His Master without Him knowing beforehand.

Well, as we look at our two verses for today, we read where Judas had departed the upper room where Jesus was sharing the Passover meal with His disciples. Very soon, he would surface again in the garden of Gethsemane and break faith with his Master through a kiss, but before that happened, Jesus had a message for the eleven who remained.

For soon He and God, His Father, would be glorified and there were some specific steps in order for this to happen.

First, Jesus tells His followers, “Now the Son of Man is glorified.”

Here we know Jesus is speaking about Himself and at that instance in time, He had become glorified or as we look at the definition, made glorious. This would further mean then that Jesus had reached a place where He warranted fame and admiration having reached a place where His splendor conjured up feelings of appreciation. Indeed, Jesus deserved the fullest extent of His disciples respect, awe, and wonder.

This leads to the next iteration in the progression of being glorified for just as Jesus was glorified, so was God, His Father, through Him.

This makes total sense if you think about it. For if the Son of God had been elevated to the highest levels of fame and admiration, then His Father deserved the same because after all, God had sent Jesus in the first place. In other words, Jesus wouldn’t be glorified if God had not put Him in the position to be held in that esteem.

Now Jesus could have probably stopped there and He would have already shared a lot but He still had more to add. Again, there is a succession of truths spoken, one linked to the next.

First, Jesus proclaims that if God is glorified in Him (and He said that His Father was), then God would glorify the Son in Himself. Going back to the definitions again, we learn then that God would make the way for His Son Jesus to be praised and worshipped, and indeed, this happened, has continued to happen, and will continue to happen for all eternity. For during His life and in every moment thereafter, Jesus acknowledged and revealed the majesty and splendor of God. It had happened up to the time He announced it and it soon would once again be validated as Jesus was resurrected from the tomb by almighty, divine power. This was what Jesus meant when He said He would be glorified by His Heavenly Father at once.  

Friends, today we worship and praise a glorified Savior and there is coming a day when we all will see our worldly lives come to an end and move onto the everlasting life God promised through His Son. Until that time comes, we need to be like Jesus and ever seek to glorify our Father God with all that we do. For if it wasn’t for Him and the love He had for us, Jesus would have never been sent to save.

Let’s recommit ourselves right now to do everything in our power to tell of God’s glorious nature through our actions, revealing His splendor and majesty to all as we carry out His will and way.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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