Title: Glorify His Name
Scripture: John 13:31-35
Introduction:
We said at the beginning, and throughout our study of the Gospel according to the Apostle John, that Jesus was on a time line.
Seven times, He says “a time is coming.”
John continually uses words such as, and the next day, or, two days later, or a week later to continue to indicate to us not only that Jesus was on a time line, but that in being able to keep that precise time line He had to know all things. He had to know what had went on in time past, what was going on in the present, and how it would eventually impact the future, namely His death on the cross.
By reading through the book of John, we can see that Jesus knew all things, and that He was surrendered to the task He had been called on to do.
Listen to these time indications in John:
John 2:4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come."
John 4:21 Jesus declared, Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
John 7:8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.
John 7:30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
John 7:33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me."
John 8:20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
John 16:4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.
Chapters one through 12 tells us about Jesus’ life and teaching of the twelve, but then, beginning with verse 13, the tone changes. After this point, there is no more teaching. The disciples have had their training; they have had their practicum. There is only one thing left for Jesus to do. There is only one more thing that He must make sure of, according to the time line that He is following, and that is cross.
Our scripture passage:
John 13:
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
In our verses that we have before us today, Jesus begins His final hours with the disciples. Jesus begins His final path to the cross with one word. From this point on, Jesus will be actively heading in the direction of the cross. What is that word? Now…
Jesus has just told Judas to get on with his conspiracy. To get on with his evil plot to turn Jesus over to the Jewish ruling council. Judas leaves the group.
Then, Jesus turns His attention back onto the rest of the disciples. And He says, “NOW.” Or, from this point, henceforth, hereafter, is the Son of Man glorified and God s glorified in Him.
Now is final stage set in motion. Now is reason that Jesus came to earth about to be realized.
In these verses, we also have one word that is repeated: glorify.
As Christians, we have to understand one simple thing: Every person on this earth has been placed here to do one thing and one thing only, and that is to glorify
God. That is the foundation.
Picture in your mind an upside down pyramid with glorifying God at the bottom and you’ll see the proper Christian life, the proper Christian path.
Picture in your mind a single element or molecule from which all other elements have their beginning and you’ll see the proper Christian life and path.
Glorifying God is the root of man and from that root everything receives its start and nourishment.
Glorifying God is the well, and from that well we draw fresh water that nourishes our service to God in our lives.
If you have as your aim to glorify God in all that you do, and you should, then you’ll always hit the mark. If you have as your purpose to glorify God in all that you do, then you’ll never be led down the wrong path.
Do you understand the depth of that verse?
Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
Jesus came to this earth to do what?
His ultimate purpose…to glorify God.
From that purpose, that root, He went to the cross to redeem mankind, to reconcile man to God.
We need to understand this very important doctrine.
We need to understand:
=The Parallel of His Glory
=The Purpose of His Glory
=The Practice of His Glory
=The Proof of His Glory
---------------Main body
=The Parallel of His Glory
Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him
I don’t want to get into a discussion concerning the Trinity. That’s not the purpose of this message. Besides, in any discussion concerning the Trinity I would end up telling you exactly what it says in the Homan Bible dictionary:
"The Trinity is considered as a divine mystery beyond human comprehension to be reflected upon only through [scriptural] revelation."
What I do want to talk about is the sameness, or oneness of the action that takes place in this passage or rather the parallel of glory that we see. And, what passage exists that can help us to better understand this parallel?
John 1:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:1-3 and John 13:31-32 are explicit in saying one thing. God and Jesus are one. The parallel is evident if we read John 13:31-32 again and again until it sinks in. Then it will become apparent what Jesus is saying. It’s not about what we believe He is trying to say, but
what He is actually saying.
What He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do, brings glory to Himself, and in these actions is God glorified. God will glorify the Son IN Himself. God glorifies Himself.
Man cannot look upon the pureness of God and survive, because we are sinners and we deserve judgment and death. Man is unable to picture in his tiny mind what God’s appearance might be. Yet, Jesus is God.
Man would be destroyed if he were to gaze upon God, yet, Jesus is God.
In order to redeem man, in order to reconcile man to Himself, God, as Abraham told Isaac, would provide the sacrifice. He did, He provided Himself.
Jesus was and is God incarnate, God in the flesh. Jesus was and is God, in grace, mercy, love, in judgment and in Word.
=The Purpose of His Glory
We read previously in John 1 Who Jesus is and then in verses 31 and 32 of John 13 we see the parallel of His glory, or the analogous oneness of the Father and Son. So, it would only make sense that the purpose of the Son’s glory on earth was to glorify the Father in heaven and thereby glorifying Himself.
Now, let’s stop for a minute and ponder the epitome or embodiment of glory, which [or Who] is God. Since God is the highest form of glory, it is only right that all manifestations of glory point toward Him, or set their sights on Him.
Therefore, the esteemed purpose of Jesus’ glory on this earth was to glorify God, since that is all that He could or would want to do. God was glorified by the life, service, and work of Jesus on this earth. Yet, Jesus is God. And, since Jesus is God, God glorified Himself and glorified Him at once!
You see in, Hebrews you find out exactly what Jesus is:
(Hebrews 1:3) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
We’ve said in a previous message, that Jesus is the ‘shining forth’ of God’s glory. And since He is the radiance, or shining forth, and the exact representation of His being, meaning God, then Jesus is God and glorified Himself.
It may sound confusing, but it’s actually very simple. God is glory and Jesus was the radiance of that glory on earth. We saw God ‘shining forth’ on earth in Jesus and we continue to see God ‘shining forth’ in heaven through Jesus in us. The radiance of that Glory of God, is what keeps everything together. Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory, sustains everything through His Word.
Now, we come to us. Now, we look at what role man has in this whole business of God’s glory. First of all, let me say that God does not need man or anything else to glorify Him, because He is the epitome of glory.
Furthermore, what purpose would it serve God to create a race of beings that, knowing that they would fall into sin, could never fellowship with Him after that? It would serve no purpose. But, our God is a loving God, and because He is a loving God, He created man. And because our God is a loving God, He knows that those that seek Him will seek Him with purpose because we were created as a thinking and socializing race. Therefore, we are accommodated, so to speak, by being allowed to glorify God in allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through the talents and gifts that He gave us in the first place. So God, through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, glorifies Himself in us and through us. Though we cannot look upon the glory of God, Jesus glorifies Himself through us.
=The Practice of His Glory
The first two points concerned something that is mainly beyond us and dealt directly with God’s glory. Now, we want to look at the practice of His Glory.
What part does man play in God’s glory? Yes, we can easily say, “The Practice of His Glory” yet, what exactly does that mean?
Well, let’s go to the farmer to get an idea?
The farmer employs a plough [plow] to do certain things to the ground. There are a variety of plows that he can choose from, and when he uses them, there are a variety of depths at which he can use them.
Let’s take the best plow available, the disk plow, or ‘bottom plow.’
The bottom plow is used after the last harvest, the last cutting of hay, the last gathering of the cotton, to reach down into the ground and turn it over so that what is on top, is put underground to rot during the winter, and return nutrients to the soil. However, if the farmer doesn’t plow deep enough then enough soil will not be lifted to turn over the already exposed soil and cover it up.
Now, what in the world could that possibly mean in relation to ‘the practice of his glory?’ Well, let me ask two very important questions?
First,
Why do you do the things that you do?
Why do you sing? Why do you go to work? Why do you dress? Why do you eat? Why do you sleep? Why do you do the things that you do?
The answer should be, to glorify God.
(Colossians 3:17) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Romans 9:17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh [and to us!]: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
(Ephesians 1:11) In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
(Philippians 2:13) for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Again, why do you do the things that you do?
Second,
How deep do you go to give God glory? Meaning, how well do you do the things that you do? Are you just a top soil Christian? Just a Sunday Christian and the rest of the week you’re part of the world?
Let’s use that plowing analogy in a different way.
The farmer has to go deep to turn over and expose the roots of the plants that were harvested. How deep do we have to go to expose the very reason that we do? If we go to the very core of our hearts, which is what God sees, would we still find that the reason we do the things that we do is to glorify God, or ourselves?
If what we are doing refracts the light of God onto His people that is the practice of His Glory.
If what we are doing refracts the glory from other to God, that is the practice of His glory.
If how we act, reflects the mind and will of God that is the practice of His glory.
If the words we choose to say are those given by the Spirit of God in us, then that is the practice of His glory.
Glorifying God does not simply mean sitting in a seat on Sunday morning, singing a few hymns and praise songs, and listening to a message on glorifying God.
When you are truly glorifying God, all other things become incidental, minor, trivial, and secondary. Even encouragement about the great job that you are doing becomes secondary, because you are not doing it for praise or acclamation; the reason you’re doing it is to glorify God.
Now, let’s ask again:
Why do you teach?
Why do you sing?
Why do you dress the way you do?
Why do you talk the way you do?
Why do you study?
Why do you do the things you do?
=The Proof of His Glory
Yes, the answer to those questions should be to glorify God. One of the tests in your own being, your own self to see if you are glorifying God is to notice within yourself if you are seeking praise or admiration for the job that you did to glorify God. Sounds kind of funny, but think about what I just said because it’s as real as night and day.
Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit through Paul the apostle, he thoroughly understood human weaknesses in the Christian and non-believer. He thoroughly understood their quest for affirmation, and their need for encouragement. He even knew that people desired a little bit of what humanistic psychologists Abraham Maslow and Kurt Goldstein call self-actualization or the need to be something or someone [to realize the full potential in and through oneself]. But none of that glorifies God.
Because the nominal or immature Christian doesn’t fully rely on the ministry of the Holy Spirit for their affirmation and encouragement, they seek affirmation and encouragement from men. Therefore the full ‘proof of His glory’ is not evidenced or evident in their speech, deeds, actions, or their lives.
Reflect on your own behavior. Look for the proof of His glory in your life. Is it found on your “I love me” wall where all your certificates, diplomas, and awards are? Or, is it found somewhere else?
When was the last time you got upset because someone else mistakenly received the recognition instead of you for leading someone to the Lord [if that were not real, it would be laughable]. Were you upset because someone else got the glory, instead of God? Or, were you upset for another reason?
Think back upon your week. If you can think of several things that were done and were done without God’s glory in mind, then what you think you do for God’s glory today or tomorrow might be a question mark as well.
When was the last time you did something just for God?
The Proof of His Glory in you is your ’unselfish’ service to Him.
The Practice of His Glory in you is your unselfish ’service’ to Him.
The Purpose of His Glory in you is your unselfish service ’to Him.’
