Glorious Loser

John 17:1-5

In Old Testament times God’s glory was understood to have a visual aspect. God’s glory in its fullness was unbearable to look at (Exodus 34:33-35). But Paul talked about Christians increasingly reflecting the Lord’s glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This may be a clue to understanding Jesus’ words here. The emphasis here, I believe, is that Jesus wants to be the means of making God’s glory plain. The disciples have just commented they now find Jesus speaking more plainly (which has more to do with their increasing perception that Jesus’ speech). Now it will be visually plainer that God’s glory is revealed in Jesus - starkly, on the cross. God’s glory is his persistent love for a humanity that largely rejects him. Jesus is now completing the task of making that love graphically visual. He will then return (verse 5) to the position with the Father from which he came. His glory is most clearly known in seeing both sides of his glory – his rightful place with the Father, and his choice to subject himself to complete ingloriousness for our sake.

Prayer:
God, I think of the way we tend to think of glory – achievement, recognition, and comparison, especially comparison. How much do we stop to think about human glory being about comparison with others - as the best, as winners (meaning there are losers)? Help us to know and reflect your glory. Through Jesus. Amen.