March 30, 2021
John 17:22-23, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
This is a point not to be missed. Jesus does some something startling here, and we often miss it because the word ‘glory’ is so often included in Christian jargon - we become numb to it. But Jesus just said in the prayer, “I have given them” the same glory that God the Father has bestowed on Jesus. Glory is something as we’ve said before that encapsulates the purpose of a creature - a bird is in its glory when its in flight, a fish while swimming in the sea, and humans while we are honoring, trusting, and obeying the Lord. That’s what we were made to do - to reflect God in his goodness in the way we do relationships, the way we use our creativity, etc. - we reflect him. But here Jesus is moving beyond just that pattern of reflection and saying we will now share in the glory that Jesus himself has; he is perfectly righteous, eternal, and beautiful. If we are in Christ then we have the power of Christ in us - and we shouldn’t be too surprised at this because we have been promised the Holy Spirit. And don’t be alarmed - this doesn’t make you a super hero bounding around off of buildings - the goodness of God reflected in his church and in his people is so powerful because it is so human, so natural, so unassuming. Your acts of kindness to others (Eph. 2:10) for example, is this glory of God at work in the world. Selflessness - the beauty of marriage, a good edifying friendship; the praise of our God - we are in his glory. And historically speaking, that subtle power has changed the course of human history - that’s no small potatoes - without Christ and more specifically, without his church - what would the world look like today? My guess is it would resemble some bad post-apocalyptic Sylvester Stallone movie.
But you might object like this - the world is bad. There is injustice and brokenness and poverty and racism and pain. And you are right - there is much to be done. The work of Christ and his church is not over, not by a long shot. Become more comfortable with the extremes - the weightiness of what a sinful world could be and the magnitude of its beauty when it is flourishing. This is not like choosing McDonald’s on one hand and the Olive Garden on the other - it’s like eating gravel versus a meal fit for kings.
Jesus prays that this glory in us would be made manifest in our unity, “that they might be one,” - again it’s this unity theme. And if we have that unity, and the power of Christ, then we are making an impact on the world - that’s what Jesus says here, “that the world may know that you sent me.” The organization of Christ’s church and the Spirit fueling it has an evangelistic aim - to bring others into the family.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for this fantastic claim that you’ve made on us - that we would share in the glory that is fit only for you. We know that we still have sin, we are still weak, and yet, you say we are worthy of your glory - that’s shocking, and awesome. I pray that we would reflect it well, would understand the power we have as a church, and I pray that the world would take notice and see you at work in the world. Amen.
40 Days of Joy: Good Will Hunting. Did we mention this one yet? It’s crude and honest, and startling - very pro-marriage, pro-selflessness, and investigates the purpose of humans. A good classic flick.
