PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: John 17:1-5
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:5)
Jesus does not go around saying ‘I am God’, but he does give us hints.
He is fully human like us, and yet there is more to his story.
Here Jesus suggests he existed before Genesis 1, “in the beginning”.
When John starts this story, he echoes this idea of Jesus “in the beginning”.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
We cannot explain this, we just confess it with mystery and wonder.
Somehow, in Jesus, we are face to face with “God with us” (Matthew 1:23)
But what is most striking is that God humbled himself to be with us.
He “made Himself nothing” (Philippians 2:6-7) – literally ’emptied himself’ to be human.
I am a Jesus follower because I believe that Jesus is ‘God humbled with us’.
In a self-serving, people-using-and-abusing world, THIS is glorious, this is LIFE!
The only way to experience the glorious life is to experience his glorious humility.
PRAYER
Lord, I want to know the Father like this, to know you like us. Not just know about, but know personally, so that I can share in your humble glory, your glorious humility!
“For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Jesus was sent and accomplished salvation by meeting the full demands of being right with God as both son of God and son of man. He now has the authority to grant eternal life. He puts me right with God as he himself is God. Thank you Father, son and Holy Spirit! Jesus you are glorious now yet in your humility as a criminal hung on a cross – conquered death and hell – that gave you the authority to grant to me the right of sonship – to all who by true faith acknowledge you as Lord and saviour! Thank you Jesus!
As a Jesus follower, I too need to talk with my Father. As Christ finished the work He was given I too need to finish my God given task. I too am here to serve Him daily. Others need to see Him in me as I live for Jesus. It is in Him I have life everlasting. As Christ returned to the Father so I too can return to Him in everlasting life. In the meantime I need to bring glory to Him as I serve my Redeemer.
Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy [redemption],*
Didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master,
My heart shall be Thy throne,
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone.