I. Glorify Your Son
A. Jesus Prayed For Glory V. 1a
1. V. 1 We often bow our heads and close our eyes to pray. Jesus’ posture was different.
a. There is no prescribed prayer posture in the Bible.
b. Truth and sincerity is what matters most in prayer.
c. Jesus purposely prayed aloud in the presence of His disciples.
d. This prayer serves as a model for prayer, as well as giving us theological truth.
2. V. 1 “The hour has come. ”.
a. The hour, or time that Jesus referred to was the hour of His soon coming death and resurrection. That event would bring Him glory and prove who He was.
b. Jesus often said “My hour has not yet come”.
c. John 2:4; John 7:30; John 8:20; John 12:23-28; John 13:1
d. Soon Jesus would accomplish His greatest work and bring glory to the Father.
3. Glorify your Son.
a. Glorify- refers to the estimation or opinion in which one is held. Jesus prayed regarding his own reputation and attributes, that people would know Him for who He was. He prayed that the Father would bring into view His divine attributes. He prayed that He would be rightly recognized, and appropriately understood.
b. This was no self-serving egotistical prayer.
c. Jesus would suffer deeply in order for this to take place.
B. The Reason For Glory Vs. 1b-3
1. V. 1b Here we see the reason for Jesus’ prayer.
a. “Father, let me be glorified in the eyes of humanity, so that they can recognize me for who I am, so that I can effectively point them back to you, that You may be glorified”.
b. Jesus’ desire for glory wasn’t ultimately for Him, but for His Father in Heaven.
2. Vs. 2, 3 Jesus speaks of the ministry assignment that He received from His Father. He speaks of His mission and the authority given to Him by the Father so that He could carry out that mission.
a. “Authority over all flesh”– The Father gave the Son the authority to grant eternal life.
b. “And this is eternal life”– Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ.
i. Know- ginosko- to know by experience, not just to have knowledge of.
ii. Know- “perfect tense”- to know and be knowing; to be growing in knowledge.
iii. Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…
C. How We Might Pray This Prayer
1. Is it right for a Christian to pray in this fashion, and with these motivations and goals?
2. I think it is. We pray that God would help people to see His work and calling in us.
3. The goal would be that we would be all that God intended us to be, and use all He has given us to use in order to point people back to Jesus.
a. Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
b. 1 Corinthians 10:31 whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
4. This answers to any possibility where we might embrace a misplaced humility. Jesus prayed that the world would see Him in His fullness. We can pray that as well.
5. I think that Christians sometimes go too far with the idea of humility, and that the idea gets twisted into becoming more than it should. We can become so “humble” that we never step out or step up to serve God and people with the gifts He has given us.
6. We may be reluctant to think this way, fearing that others might assume we are promoting ourselves. We need to not give in to this fear of what others will say if we ask God to “glorify us” in order that we might glorify Him.
a. 1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
7. It takes spiritual maturity to be “spiritually bold with appropriate humility”.
II. Glorifying The Father Vs. 4, 5
A. Finishing The Work V. 4
1. Jesus was able to declare that His earthly life had brought glory to the Father.
2. Jesus would still face the cross, with the result being that the Father would be glorified.
a. God’s plan of salvation for sinful man would be accomplished on the cross.
b. The cross would display God’s holiness, His love for sinful man, His power in raising Jesus from the dead, and His wisdom in accomplishing what man could not do alone.
3. I have finished- Some might object to that claim. There were still sick people, wicked people doing wicked things, and injustice world-wide. Rome still occupied Israel.
a. The ministry of Jesus was not driven by needs, but by the direction of the Father.
b. John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
c. John 8:29 I always do those things that please Him.
4. On the earth- In the worst possible scenario, among those who killed Him.
a. Never think that unless conditions are favorable, you can’t glorify God.
b. In fact, sometimes we best glorify God in terrible situations.
B. Glory After The Work V. 5
1. Jesus’ glory after his death would be much greater than during His life.
2. The glory of Jesus was veiled in His humanity while He was upon the Earth.
a. Matthew 17:1-2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
b. Compare with Revelation 1:12-19
C. Does Your Life Glorify Jesus?
1. Jesus said that He finished the work which the Father had given Him?
2. As long as the Christian is still alive, there is work to be done.
3. We may retire from our career, but we never retire from serving God.
4. In many ways, older people are uniquely equipped to serve God.
a. More free time, experience, more wisdom, and more knowledge.
b. In some cases, available finances.
5. Are you willing to ask God to “glorify you” so that you can glorify Him?
6. Are you mindful that your greatest reward is not in this life, but in the next?
Life Group Questions
1. Jesus’ prayer for glory would necessitate Him going to the cross, but the goal was to glorify the Father. How does that happen in our lives?
2. Jesus prayed to be recognized for the Father’s glory. How does that feel and look in our lives?
3. Jesus’ greatest glory came after the cross. What does that look like in our lives?