Thursday: Reappearing Themes—Glory
Daily Lesson for Thursday 17th of October 2024
Read John 17:1-5. What did Jesus mean when He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (ESV)?
Yesterday’s study looked at the earthly, human storyline of the Gospel of John with its clash and interplay between people, always revolving around who Jesus is and what He is doing. Today’s study focuses on the divine, cosmic storyline, also found in John.
The Prologue begins with that cosmic storyline. Jesus is presented as the divine Son of God, the Creator of the universe. Again, anything that once didn’t exist but came into existence did so only through Jesus. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3, NKJV). But it goes on to note the glory of His becoming a human being in the Incarnation (John 1:14). John uses the terms glory (doxsa: brightness, splendor, fame, honor) and glorify (doxsazō: to praise, honor, extol, glorify) to speak both of receiving honor from humans and of receiving honor or glory from God.
Image © Erik Stenbakken at Goodsalt.com
In John, the idea of glorifying Jesus is linked to the concept of His hour; that is, the time of His death (compare with John 2:4, John 7:30, John 8:20, John 12:23-27, John 13:1, John 16:32, and John 17:1). The cross is His hour of glory.
This idea is quite paradoxical because crucifixion was the most shameful and humiliating way of execution in the ancient Roman world. This incredible contrast, God on a cross, illustrates the intertwining of the human story plot with the divine.
On the human level, Jesus died in agony, a despised criminal in weakness crying out, “ ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ” This human, dark side of the cross is particularly presented in Matthew and Mark (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, NKJV).
But the glorious side of the cross is especially presented in Luke and John (Luke 23:32-47, John 19:25-30). It is a place of salvation, of mercy, and where the Son of God gives Himself to His Father.
How ironic: God’s greatest glory is revealed in His greatest shame—bearing the sins of the world in Himself.
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Think about what it means that it took such a drastic thing, God Himself on the cross, to save us from sin. What should this tell us about just how bad sin really is? |
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There is something about self-sacrificing love that we all appreciate. Dicken's "Tale of Two Cities" character, Carton's substitution for his friend, Darnay at the guillotine. The passengers who stepped back to allow others into the lifeboats on the Titanic. Simpson who was killed rescuing wounded men in the battle of Gallipoli (part of the ANZAC story). We hold a special place in our hearts for people who have sacrificed their lives so that other may live.
The glory of the Gospel is that at the heart of the story is the self-sacrifice of the creator for the created. A few minutes ago, I listened to Vivaldi's "Gloria". It is a grand and special piece of music but it pales into insignificance when we think about the real glory of the Gospe. It is not special music; It is not grand and eloquent words; It is about the sort of love that we cannot really understand, but can only appreciate.
If God loves us that much, how much should we love those we interact with daily. We give glory to God when we live self-sacrificing love.
That promise comes with responsibility.
"By this shall all men know ..."
Sin is a very big word!
It is the stealing of the life God gives to each of us, His children, created in His image. A stolen God-given life means death. And, according to God's word, life is in the blood. Consequently, to save life, blood is required. In other words, the life of another must be sacrificed. That sacrifice was Jesus as John 3:16 states.
Just how bad is sin? It cost God everything, His entire human family. It turned His perfect world into a multi-millenial war-zone and initiated a seemingly unending courtroom drama. Most importantly, it cost Jesus, Creator of everything, His life. Sin is so bad, so awful that it will take eternity for me to understand why the God of the Universe, the Creator of everything, was willing to do it: love me, a sinner, so much that He chose to die rather than live eternity without me.
But oh I am so glad, so thankful He did!
I pray I can show others, with Jesus' help, that same kind of "self-sacrificing" love even though I don't understand it well.
Thinking about the death of God on the cross, I can only see His love for creation. Sin is such an aberration that made the owner of the entire Universe take an unthinkable measure! God didn't have to prove anything, but He did the improbable to rescue His creatures! God took on Himself what we deserved because He cannot contradict Himself: God is Love!
I believe that not only were the Apostles caught off guard by Jesus humiliation at the cross of Calvary, but also were the angels, both fallen and unfallen, as well as the onlooking unfallen worlds. All were probably hoping and expecting Jesus to "flex His Divine muscles" possibly at the last second to free Himself from what looked like certain defeat at the cross. However, God turned around what appeared to be defeat for Jesus, and victory for Satan and his cohorts, and flipped it on its axis. It became victory for Jesus and His followers, while being defeat for the devil and his followers. The willing death of Jesus revealed a love unfathomable to all. This was revealing the Glory of, and Character of God before all of Creation. John 3:16-17 distills the essence of the Gospel that God is love. The Father Himself loves us. John 16:27. Look upon Jesus on the cross and see a God that would rather die in our place than live without us. Yes it's gory Glory, but that only magnifies the Glory of God, that He would go so far, and suffer so much for each of us.
"Amazing Love, how can it be, that thou my King, would die for me?"
Sin is horrible, It separates, it destroys and I can't explain God's love for us, God is just so so good. All I can say is, thank you Jesus for love so deep and so strong.❤️ Thank you Jesus.
Sin is putrid disgusting foul evil and vehemently rotten to the core!
God so loved the world that HE willingly took on the cloak of sin to cover for the punishment that we truly deserved on that cruel Cross! Love was showed thru suffering and death for us! Love died so that we may live it out in our love for Christ to others! Love is our Resurrection from sin! How can we refuse this Love?
Gods Glory – what a wonderous ‘thing’ to ponder! I am trying to find the right word instead of referring to it as a ‘thing’; maybe someone has a better word. I find God’s Glory to have innumerable aspects. As it concerns humanity, I consider His Power to forgive – to recreate man because of His Mercy, His Grace and the wonderous aspect of Faith – the most impactful aspects of His Glory.
His Glory’s incredible creative Power - the Power able to create, as well as undo the corruption of what was deemed perfect; to decide to make man anew, giving him a new life by the Power of His Spirit – to Him be the Glory, Honor, and Praise forever more.
We were given the front-row in His Creation-theater to watch His Glory unfold:
John 1:14 -
”..., and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.”
John 17:1-5 -
v.1-2 - ”Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.”
John 17:4-5 - ”I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
Rev.4:2-3;11 -
”And immediately, I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”
v.11 ”Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Rev.5:1-14 -
v.1-3 ”And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.”
v.5-7 ”And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
v.6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
v.7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
v.12 (the angles) ”Saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
v.13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying: Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”
Reappearing....Glory...
Remember when the Tabernacle in the wilderness was finished and God "moved in"? The visible symbol of God's presence was called God's Shekinah glory. I'm thinking it's sort of like how the Royal Standard is flown when the King is home at his royal residence at Buckingham Palace in England. When people see the flag they know the King is there. The people knew God was with them by seeing this glory.
The word "Shekinah" comes from the Hebrew meaning "to dwell" or "to reside". So even more than just a mere presence, it is often associated with moments of revelation in the context of worship and communion between God and man, and particularly within the Holy of Holies place it was a symbol. This glorious light felt like intimacy and nearness...it was living together not as roommates that seldom speak or trade anything of importance, but God and His people living together in a rhythm of light revealed and shielded. The Shekinah was always there. This special intimacy of revelation manifested in this special room where was kept the Ark of the Covenant - which was housing an original record of the Ten Moral Laws of Life, a jar of the manna-the Holy Bread of God's provision, and Aaron's budding rod showing divine authority - and covering the Ark was the Mercy Seat and the sprinkled sacrificial blood on Yom Kippur. The Shekinah often looked like a radiant glow or light coming from within, and outside of the Tabernacle the people saw a pillar of fire to light the way in the night and protect from enemies, and a pillar of cloud to shield from the desert heat of the day and provide shade and comfort.
I wanted to review all that because this week I learned that the Shekinah glory left God's covenant people for almost 600 years. Did they notice? Did they care? Did they mourn and weep over this loss? Do I notice when God's glory leaves a relationship, a situation, the focus of my mind and heart? Israel rejected God and became so hardened in disobedience and idolatry that He left the Temple in a series of withdrawals just before 586 BC when the Temple was captured by the Babylonians. We can read of those withdrawals of God's presence in the visions of Ezekiel 8:18; 10:4, 18; 11:23. So interesting. Symbolically it withdrew up to the Mount of Olives. So for a long period of time between the Old Testament and the New Testament, there were no more prophets, no new word from God and no visible sign of His presence.
But Ezekiel also foretold that God would return to His people in a new Temple Eze. 37:27; 44:4. Now here is where it ties to our lessons this week.... God's glory came back to His people not in the temple of Jerusalem, but in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The final "Old Testament" or Old Covenant prophet, John the Baptist, heralded the return of God's glory to His people. He said, "I saw glory come down from heaven and rest/remain upon this man, God's Chosen One" (John 1:32-34). In Jesus, God tabernacled. Jesus lived in the midst of a sinful people that this people might be assured of God’s covenant faithfulness. The glory of God was again found in the holiest of places where we see the Law and Mercy intertwined most closely...in Jesus. Where we see God's provision and authority housed most clearly...in Jesus.
When the Temple veil was torn from top to bottom at Jesus' death, we were being told