“When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” John 13: 31-35
How does betrayal lead to glorification? What Jesus was about to face was the greatest humiliation one could experience from human perspective. Yet, he described it as the hour of glory. Men do not see their betrayers as helping them to step up to higher grounds. Only with spiritual eye could one see that. May the Lord open our eyes to see that the end is not in the letting down but possibly a path to a higher ground.
- Christ glorified– Another angle to seeing Christ glorified is the result of the betrayal. Jesus was handed over to wicked men who put him to death, but he was raised from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. If that was all there is to his glory, he would have accomplished but little. But through faith in him as the Gospel was proclaimed, his disciples began to multiply, beginning in Jerusalem, then to other parts of the world. That is the glory of Christ. The enemy did not see the end of him in death but like he said in Jn 12:24, “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Christ’s glory is composite, one aspect of it is seen in believers who are spread all over the world from different nations of the earth. Oh! The wisdom of God, how unsearchable are His ways!
- Continuing in love– Love is the key to sustaining the presence, power and person of Christ in the world. This is to the glory of God and His Christ. If the Church stops loving, Christ will cease to make impact in the world and then Christianity will after a while be forgotten. Love is the bond and the binding force by which believers are identified. It is the characteristic identity of the church. No wonder the church which lost her first love lost it all.
Application Questions
- How are you ‘helping’ to ensure the glory of Christ continues to shine in the world?
- What will you do differently now that you know the importance of loving the brethren?