“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.” John 17:1 NLT
In our walk through the passion narrative in the Gospel of John we have now come to the “High Priestly prayer of Jesus” in John 17. As the Great High Priest of the church Jesus first prays that the Father would “glorify” him.
Jesus asks God to:
doxazō-to honour, do honour to, hold in honour to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendoura) to impart glory to something, render it excellent b) to make renowned, render illustrious.
Did God answer this prayer? If He did the ramifications for us are enormous, because it means Jesus’ glorification started with crucifixion.
If we accept that Jesus was glorified through crucifixion then our obvious question is: “Does all glorification come through crucifixion in some form?”
Now the answer to that meditation sure informs our Christianity. Maybe that understanding was the reason behind the disciples’ rejoicing every time they got beaten. If instead of viewing trials as trouble they viewed them as the pathway to glory well then why not rejoice?
Chew on these awhile and let me know your thoughts!
“Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ” Romans 6: 5-7 NLT
“So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.” I Pet. 4:1 NLT
Reinventing the We'll 
Thank you, Pastor J
I don’t know that I can bite off let alone chew … 🙂 Very, very, very! thought provoking …
‘ “Does all glorification come through crucifixion in some form?” ‘
I can’t recall ever thinking through this theory before. Thinking through may be one thing, application is another…. I will take your advice and mull over this a while.
Blessings,
ann
Thanks for the comment Ann! I do agree. A great gulf is fixed between thinking through and applying. I think this is one reason we so depsperately need Holy Spirit to work in us. We can no more apply the truths of Scripture on our own than we could come to believe them on our own…Woosh now there’s a Heavy Revvy!
In my experience – absolutely … you have to let your flesh (self-will part of you that wants to control and all that it is) be crucified. It happens through a refinement journey of trials and challenges. The conflicts reveal and expose your flesh – you have no idea of the extent and nature until you go through the refining fire with the light of God’s truth showing you your darkness. Over time and when God brings you to a certain point, you truly want your self-will life and all it manifested it to be crucified. Then it is no longer your will that matters but God’s will, thus His truth. I just recently understood this on a deeper level – incredible.
Rachel
Thanks Rachel! This comment is a confirmation. As Paul alluded we must come to know Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings so that we might somehow attain unto the hope of the resurrection!