Scripture to Read: John 17:1–3
Jesus had just finished speaking to His disciples in John 16, and then He began to pray openly to our Heavenly Father. Jesus knew His time had come to go to the cross. Before this time in Scripture, Jesus knew that His time had not yet arrived (John 2:4; 7:8; 7:30; 8:20). But since the perfect time was ordained by God the Father, Jesus said in John 17:1–3, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Jesus’ entire life was to glorify the Father and to make Him known. So, Jesus asks the Father to glorify Him so that His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension bring glory to the Father and reveal to everyone that Jesus is God in the flesh. Also, God the Father had already given Jesus the authority over all flesh so that He could give eternal life to everyone who comes to Him and surrenders to Him as Lord and Savior. The Father is glorified every time someone surrenders to Christ as Lord. Through Jesus, every believer comes to know God the Father, that He is the only true God, and that He is the One who sent Jesus so everyone could know Him. Our goal should be the same as Jesus’s: to glorify the Father in all we do.
Challenge & Application
• Jesus’ life was lived to glorify the Father and make Him known, so, how are you following Jesus’ example?
• How did Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension glorify God the Father?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!