gold sunrise

April 20, 2011

John 12:27-28

“Father, Glorify Your Name” 

“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your Name.  Then a voice came out of heaven: ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.'”

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Eternal Life

    I often ask my friends in Christ “Why did Jesus die on the cross?”  I especially like to remind each of us that Jesus died according to His Father’s plan and purposes.  His life had meaning and richness.  As we approach the special commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can learn from Jesus how He viewed His life and purpose for living.

       My Soul Has Become Troubled.  Jesus had entered Jerusalem, and some Greeks had come to His disciples seeking to see Him.  Jesus responded to His disciples by saying that “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23).  Jesus then continued explaining that He must die, and that everyone must hate his life in this world to keep it to life eternal.  Jesus then proclaimed that anyone who follows Him, would be with Him, and that the Father will honor him (John 12:24-26).  As Jesus gives this explanation to His disciples, in the context of people coming to see Him, we read that His soul has become “troubled” (“τετάρακται“).  Probably the best word picture of this root word may be found in John 5:7 to describe the soul of Jesus.  In John 5:7, an angel of the Lord stirred up (“ταραχθῇ“) the water of the pool so that the first person to enter would be healed.  Jesus used this same image of the water being stirred up.  For Jesus facing torture, shame, and a very painful death, He felt within Himself the normal emotional and psychological reaction to those events.  In all ways, He was a man, just like we are, and tempted just like we are, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  Jesus did not shrink back from His destiny, but embraced it even in the midst of His soul being tossed within Himself.  Notice too that Jesus had a soul, just like man has a soul and God has a soul  (Leviticus 26:11).  Jesus had the perfect control over His emotions, and though He felt emotions as we do, He did not let them sweep Him away to sin, but rather in all things, He always glorified God.  We need to learn a huge lesson here.  While the crowds praised Him, and gathered about Him, and people sought to meet Him, He fully grasped the purpose of His life, and that the hour for His death had come.   With His soul tossed and stirred within Him, He still focused upon glorifying the Father.  Just because your soul may be stirred or tossed by events, even so we should focus upon following Jesus to the end of the earthly plan He has laid out for us. 

       Responding to Trouble Inside.  After disclosing that He felt troubled within Himself, Jesus then reaffirmed His purpose (John 12:27).  Notice too that real men, like Jesus, disclose to people around them how they are feeling within themselves.  All believers should let other believers around them know if they are feeling troubled within themselves, so that your spiritual friends will be praying for you.  You can also encourage your friends by reaffirming your determination to follow God’s purpose for your life, even when you feel troubled within.  Notice that Jesus also disclosed that He did not seek to be “saved” from this hour of betrayal and death, but rather He saw and reaffirmed the Father’s purpose in these things.

       Father, Glorify Your Name.  No matter what was swirling around Jesus, or how troubled He felt inside, He remained steadfastly determined to glorify His Father (John 12:27).  You see, these words actually amount to prayer from the bottom of the heart of Jesus.  Jesus never lost sight of His purpose to glorify the Father, in life, death and resurrection.  Jesus never asked to be saved from His death, because He knew that laying down His life would result in saving our lives from the penalty of sin (John 10:17-18).  Notice too that Jesus prayed in front of His disciples, constantly modeling for them how to live according to the purpose of the Father.

       I Have Both Glorified It, and Will Glorify It Again.  God the Father responds now to the prayer of Jesus, God the Son.  The Father says: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  God purposes to glorify Himself in our lives, just as He glorified Himself through the life of Jesus.  Jesus constantly testified that He spoke the words of the Father (John 12:49-50) and did the works of His Father (John 10:25).  When we see the purpose of our lives as glorifying the Father, then we will move through every area of life with drive, determination and blessing from God.  God used the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to glorify Himself, and He will glorify Himself in you also.

        So we learn more about the emotional life of Jesus Christ today.

    ●  With His hour having come, Jesus entered Jerusalem to the royal acclamation of the crowds.  As people came to see Him, He understood and shared His purpose, and His emotions.  He intended to glorify His Father in every aspect of His life, because He lives to do the will of God.

    ●  Jesus prayed out loud, as other people gathered around Him, that the Father would glorify Himself.  The Father responded and said He has already glorified Himself, and will glorify Himself again.  God loves and intends our lives to shine for His glory, in life, death, and resurrection.

    ●  As you approach resurrection Sunday this week, are you glorifying your Heavenly Father in every aspect of your life?  Have the troubles of life so troubled you that you have lost sight of the real goal, glorifying God?  Take hope and strength from Jesus, and be like Him.  Feel His power inside of you, prompting you to do the will of the Father, no matter where it leads.  We live to serve Him and to be like Jesus.

Application for Today

    Today I will hear the voice of Jesus telling me to glorify God, even when I feel trouble inside of men.  I will not let my troubles run away with me, but instead, right in the middle of trouble, I will seek the face of God and pray with my friends that my troubles would not hinder me from doing God’s plan and fulfilling His loving purpose for my life.  Will you glorify God today, even if you feel troubled inside?  Will you hear God say, I will glorify Myself in your life today?

 

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