After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to You. For You have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth. I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, bring Me into the glory We share before the world began. “I have revealed You to the ones You gave Me from this world. They were always Yours. You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from You, for I have passed on to them the message You gave Me. They accepted it and know that I came from You, and they believe You sent Me.
John 17:1-8
O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me.
John 17:25
Why has the hour come to glorify the Son? Clearly it has to do with the pending cross event. That is looming large on the horizon. We know that man falls short of the glory of God because of sin. Christ came to restore a fallen world back to God the Father through the cross. But there is also a connection with what has just happened in the chapter before. Notice the following segment – Now they know that everything I have is a gift from You, for I have passed on to them the message You gave Me. They accepted it and know that I came from You, and they believe You sent Me. Clearly the fact that disciples have finally recognised the significance of who He is and that the way to eternal life has been understood by the disciples has a big part to play in the timing being right for the Son to be glorified.
What is interesting is that up till now Jesus has always put the word believe in the present continuous tense, now for the first time in John 17:8 the word believe is in the aorist tense (the point of the moment tense; at a particular point in time). Why is that? Having got it, the disciples think they have understood and have appropriated it. But there is more to do. Peter’s denial still lies ahead of him. Jesus knowing all, sees that and puts their belief in perspective.
Jesus has told Peter he will pray for him so that when he is strengthened he will in turn strengthen the brothers. That is encouraging but notice something even more encouraging.
“My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You.
John 17:25
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message.
John 17:20
Now that is truly very encouraging. You are included in Jesus priestly prayer in John 17. Wow that is something to sing and dance about. It is time to sing and dance when sinners are restored to full relationship again with Father God and gain the glory back.
You have to wait in line to see Santa; JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Anon
Santa lets you sit on his lap; JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Anon
Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
Regina Brett
The two basic rules of human enlightenment: 1. There is a God 2. You’re not Him.
Anon