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Author: Stephen Weller
577 words, 3 minutes read time

Father, Glorify Me

Scripture: John 17:4-5

In the previous lesson we began our study of the high priestly prayer. With this lesson we will continue with the request Jesus makes about being glorified by his Father.

Jn 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

How did Jesus glorify his Father while on earth? By accomplishing the work, the Father gave him to do. In the same way we can glorify the Father by doing the work assigned to us to do: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV). Through the obedience of Jesus, he paid the required ransom in giving his life by shedding his blood on the cross, thus redeeming us from the bondage of sin and death and justifying us before God. Through our obedience we help build the kingdom of God by searching for loss sheep and then discipling them.

Verse 5 is very clear in showing that Jesus existed before the world existed because it was he who spoke the universe into existence. (John 1:3). Other verses to consider are: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14 ESV); “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (John 3:13 ESV); “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” (John 6:62 ESV); Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58 ESV); “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” (John 16:28 ESV); and “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24 ESV). Yes, Jesus is eternal!

At the time of the beginning there was no material universe. It was brought into existence by God; before that nothing material existed. Thus, the universe is not eternal, but God has always existed in the form of Father, Son and Spirit, and here in verse 5, Jesus speaks of sharing glory between he and the Father before the material universe was created.

Conclusion

To think of Jesus existing before the universe as the Son of God and shared glory between he and the Father, and then to think that he spoke the universe into existence and then entered into that creation in the body of flesh through a virgin birth is more than most can understand or are willing to accept. How can a person be fully God and fully Man is a miracle indeed, and to think that one day he will appear and “we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” in all his glory (1 John 3:2).