Glory and Giving
Opening Prayer
Thank You, God, for all that You have given me.
Read John 17:1–5
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 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. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What does the cross reveal about God?The hour has come (1). Jesus is about to be betrayed (John 18) and crucified (John 19). It is now so inevitable that Jesus can even speak of it in the past tense (4). To every onlooker, Jesus’ death on the cross will look like a sad and tragic failure, but in reality it will reveal his glory, it will glorify the Father and the Father will glorify him (1,4,5).
One way to understand his glory is to see that there’s a lot of giving going on in this chapter (the word crops up 17 times). Reread verse 2. God is self-sufficient. He needs nothing. And so he is free to give everything. The whole story of salvation is of a giving Father, a self-giving Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us and unite us to Jesus forever.
So the Gospel is not about a grasping God who demands and takes and is never satisfied with your performance. It’s about a generous God who gives and gives, and gives himself.
At the cross we see most clearly how far we fall short of God’s glory. We see that our sin has deadly consequences. But at the cross we see most clearly that God gives himself to fully meet his own demands. And he does it freely, willingly and without our aid. What a glorious God!
Apply
Think of all that Christ gave for you. What have you given him in return? Is there anything too big for him to ask of you?
Closing prayer
Father, I give thanks for Jesus Christ, given by You for me and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
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