John 12:23 - Glory
Stop.
Take a few slow, deep breaths. Center your mind on the word glory. Let yourself reflect on what it means for your life this week.
Listen.
Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” – John 12:23
Reflect.
We tend to equate glory with praise and prestige. Glory means being noticed, being beautiful, being adored. But when Jesus notes in this reading that his time has come “to be glorified”, we know he doesn’t mean what we expect. Even though he has just been praised by crowds in the streets, hailed as a king, and celebrated for his power over death in raising Lazarus, his hour to be glorified will come later. It comes when he is crucified.
Jesus knows that his glory isn’t connected to what people say about him. His glory reflects the power and love of God made manifest in him. Glory isn’t about him at all; glory is about God who continues to be at work in the world. And God has chosen to be at work in the humiliation and suffering of the cross.
What does this mean for us? When we say we give glory to God, what does that look like in our lives? It’s easy to think that glorifying God somehow means convincing others that we’re praising and serving God enough or in the right way. But for Jesus, glorifying God means reflecting God’s light into the world through compassion and sacrifice. Glorifying God means making less of me and more of God.
This can be a challenge in an individualistic culture. We’re so used to having to convince others of our own importance and worth. But for Christians, glory comes from and to God alone. Harder still, we must remember that the glory of God comes not in domination and supremacy but in sacrifice and humility. In this, we glorify our Savior.
Pray.
Jesus, I give you glory, but not through my own power. I glorify you in my trust in and dependence on your grace at work in my life. Let your glory shine through me as I invite others into a relationship with you. Amen.
Carry On.
Get a post-it note or notecard and write glory on it. Stick it someplace you’ll see it this week. Use it as a reminder to pause and consider how you are reflecting God’s glory in your life today.