Easter Devotion (Day 28) - The Glory of God

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 17:24-26 

Jesus' death and resurrection did not end His engagement in the world. The final verse of His prayer says that Jesus' mission to reveal the love of God to humanity stretches forward and backward throughout time. The Word, or Logos, introduced in the first chapter of John, is the ultimate plan of God for the salvation of all people. Jesus, as the incarnation of this salvation plan, has been and will always be engaged with humankind. After His resurrection, His impact will be felt most profoundly through those who love and serve Him in the world. 

Just as Jesus came to the world to serve God, believers are called to live as Christ in service to the world. This is the nature of the glory that Jesus prays about. God glorified Jesus throughout His life on earth by entrusting Him to make God known. Now this job falls to Jesus' followers. They have the opportunity to experience the same glory that Christ experienced through service to God. Of course, that glory came with a heavy cost. But just as Jesus bore His cross for the sake of salvation, we, as followers of Jesus, are asked to carry our crosses for the sake of the Kingdom too. It is our honor and glory as servants of God. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me reflect Your glory in the world today. May I live as Christ in service to the world. Help me to carry my cross for the sake of Your Kingdom, just as Jesus did. In His name I pray, Amen

*This devotion taken from The Sanctuary for Lent 2016 by Sue Mink