That God Be Glorified
“The time has come for me, the Son of Man, to enter into my glory, and God will receive glory because of all that happens to me.“ – Vs 31 NLT
Have you ever wondered why God allows suffering and heartache in your life? I have. I look at those times and wonder what in the world God could be thinking. Why would He allow me to have to go through a time of difficulty or testing? He could prevent it. He could stop it. He could change it. But sometimes He doesn’t. Why? Then I read this chapter and I hear Jesus say, “The time has come for me, the Son of Man, to enter into my glory, and God will receive glory because of all that happens to me.” Do you hear what Jesus is saying? God is going to be glorified by ALL that happens to Him. And what is about to happen to Him? His arrest and trials. His abuse at the hands of the Jews. His scourging and humiliation at the hands of the Romans. His brutal crucifixion and ultimate death. And Jesus is saying that God will receive glory because of all that happens to Him! God was going to receive glory not only through Jesus’ resurrection, but through His crucifixion as well.
Jesus lived to glorify His Father. In everything He did. Every act, every deed, every thought, every circumstance of His life brought glory to God. Because He lived in constant obedience to God. His godly reaction to even ungodly circumstances brought glory to God. His godly and obedient submission to His Father’s will, even when it was not ideal or pleasurable, brought glory to God. You see, we somehow think that God can only be glorified through the good times. We fail to realize that we bring Him glory when we acknowledge Him even in the bad times. When we trust Him when things look dark and bleak, He receives glory. When we praise Him, even when things look bad, we give Him glory. It is our lives that bring Him glory, not just our words. It is our responses to life that bring Him glory, not just our religious observances. Jesus knew that what He was about to go through, and it was going to be worse than anything any one of us has ever been or ever will go through, was going to bring glory and honor to His heavenly Father. Why? Because His faithful obedience was going to show the world the amazing love of God. What does John 3:16 tell us? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). In Romans 5:8 Paul tells us, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (NLT).
God was going to be glorified by Jesus’ obedience. God was going to be glorified in the suffering and death of Jesus. His life and subsequent death would glorify God. So could God be glorified in my sufferings? Could God be glorified in the struggles of my life? Over in 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians, “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (NASB). What was that price? The death of Jesus Christ. With the death of His own Son, God purchased us out of slavery to sin. He redeemed us off of the slave market and set us free. So what does Paul say we should do? Glorify God with our bodies. Jesus glorified God with His body. Should we do no less? And how do we do that? By accepting from the Father what He allows into our life. By trusting His love and mercy. By not leaning on our own understanding, but instead, resting on His promises. God wants to use you to bring glory to Himself. But He is most glorified when I am most satisfied with Him. And I show my satisfaction in Him when I trust Him – with everything that happens to me – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Father, I want my life to glorify You today. Forgive me for constantly complaining about the circumstances of my life and failing to realize that You know exactly what you are doing. May I continue to trust You more and more because You are trustworthy. Help me to see that You are using every event in my life as an opportunity to glorify You. To show the world that You are powerful, faithful, loving, and trustworthy. Amen
Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org