Be Glorified Series

John’s Gospel #12

BE GLORIFIED

CHCC: EASTER, March 23, 2008

John 12

INTRODUCTION:

We used the word “glory” or “glorify” in some of our songs today. Did you ever wonder exactly what that word means? I remember way back when I was a young guy and we had a “city-wide” revival. (Back then we lived in a rural area near Galveston. It wasn’t really even an incorporated “town,” --- but we called it a “city-wide” revival anyway.) One of the songs our “city-wide” choir learned was “Sometimes I feel like shoutin’ Glory!” (Of course you have to pronounce it, “Glo-rah” Some of the kids in my youth group joked about that song because --- for some reason --- they couldn’t remember ever feeling like shoutin’ Glor-rah!

It’s not a word we use a lot, but the word “glory” must be important. After all, it appears hundreds of times in the Bible. In John 12:28, God’s voice literally speaks from Heaven and declares: “I have glorified my name and will glorify it again.” It would be good to know exactly what that means! So I looked it up “glorify” in the dictionary and this is what it said: “Glorify: to give glory.”

Well, that didn’t help much. So I did a little research into the original Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as “glory” or “glorify” in the English Bible.

The most common Hebrew word is “Kabod.” (remember Ikabod? the glory has departed) It turns out there are 17 different Hebrew terms in the Old Testament that are translated, Glory. Here are some their meanings:

* to be lifted up

* beauty or dignity

* one who creates beauty

* royal attire

* a protective covering

* an ornament or jewel

* vigour or strength

* to flash forth light

* to shine, pure and clear

But that’s not all … In the New Testament, the Greek word “doxa” is translated Glory. It has these meanings:

* worship

* to magnify

* drawing attention to someone

* of highest value

* brightness

* royal splendor

* perfection

No wonder it’s hard to pin that word down! It carries a world of meaning. That makes sense. It takes a word FULL of meaning to describe our Great God.

1. Jesus glorified God in his Life, Death, and Resurrection

The Video we saw earlier today, reminded us of how Jesus gave glory to God through His Life, Death, and His Resurrection.

When the Angels announced His birth, they said, “Glory to God in the Highest.” And when the time came for Jesus to face his death, this is what he said: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23

His disciples probably pictured something that would seem “glorious” to them … something like Jesus being crowned King in the Temple. They had reason to hope that something great was about to happen. Just a week before, Jesus had entered the city on a donkey --- with hundreds of followers shouting “Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.”

When Jesus said, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, his friends could NOT have imagined the horrible events that were about to take place. How could Jesus be talking about his own death? How could Glory EVER come out of death?

The scene we’re looking at here in John 12 is full of drama. Jesus said, "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ’Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28

Jesus knew that his Death would tell the world more about God than any other event in history. I John 4:16 says, God is Love. God’s love flashed in all its Glory at the cross of Christ.

When Jesus cried out, Father, glorify your name! … his Father answered audibly … in a booming voice. Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." John 12:28

God glorified His name when Jesus died on the Cross. And God glorified his name again --- three days later --- when Jesus rose from the Dead!

Jesus glorified God through his Life, his Death, and his Resurrection. But that is only the beginning of God’s plan. Because of Jesus, we, too, can glorify God … through our own Death, Resurrection, and Life.

2. We glorify God in our Death, Resurrection, and Life

You’ll notice the words are in a different order for us. We have no ability to give Glory to God with our sinful nature. If we hope to Glorify God, the first step is to put our old self to death. Look at how Jesus explained this to his Disciples just hours before he was arrested: