FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR SON

Passage: John 17:1-5

Key verse: 1

NIV

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven(A) and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come.(B) Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.(C) 2 For you granted him authority over all people(D) that he might give eternal life(E) to all those you have given him.(F) 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you,(G) the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.(H) 4 I have brought you glory(I) on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.(J) 5 And now, Father, glorify me(K) in your presence with the glory I had with you(L) before the world began.(M)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The High Priestly Prayer

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, (A)he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, (B)the hour has come; (C)glorify your Son that the Son may (D)glorify you, 2 since (E)you have given him authority over all flesh, (F)to give eternal life to all (G)whom you have given him. 3 (H)And this is eternal life, (I)that they know you, (J)the only (K)true God, and (L)Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I (M)glorified you on earth, (N)having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, (O)glorify me in your own presence with the glory (P)that I had with you (Q)before the world existed.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

As the time of Jesus' death was at hand, Jesus prayed for God to glorify the Son so that the Son might glorify the Father. Jesus was not seeking his own human glory. He asked to be glorified through his death and resurrection, so that the glory would go to the Father. Jesus’ primary purpose in life was to glorify the Father, and so he lived and died for God’s glory. Our life purpose and goal are to glorify God. We must pray to seek God’s glory through our life and even through our trials and sufferings.

Jesus glorified God by accomplishing God’s redemptive plan to give eternal life to his people by his death and resurrection. Eternal life is to know the eternal God and his Son Jesus. To know God implies to have a personal relationship with him. To know Jesus means to know him as the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus prayed for the Father to restore him to his place in heaven as before and to be in the Father’s presence eternally. This is the living hope for all believers. It is with this blessed hope that we fight the good fight during our life here on earth.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your sacrificial life to reveal God’s glory and to give eternal life to us. Help me to live for your glory.

One Word: Seek God’s glory