Cultivating a Deeper Prayer Life - A Theology of Prayer

Study 9

Text: John 17

"AND NOW, O FATHER, GLORIFY ME TOGETHER WITH YOURSELF..." John 17:5

Jesus has used the word "glorify" quite frequently in His prayer.

"Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You..." (John 17:1)
"I have glorified You on the earth..." (John 17:4)
"And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was..." (John 17:5)

In order to understand the verb "glorify," we would do well to try and understand the noun, "glory." In this particular context, Jesus spoke of a glory that He shared with His Father "before the world was" (John 17:5).

What was that glory? What was Jesus asking from His Father when He asked to be "glorified" by His Father?

THE GLORY OF THE LORD

The "glory of the Lord" was something that Moses prized greatly. The Lord's glory was visibly displayed in the days of the wilderness in a number of ways:-

1. In the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Exodus 40:34-38

When the Israelites were on the move the pillar of cloud went ahead of them. At night, a pillar of fire protected them (Exodus 13:21). When the children of Israel made camp, the glory of the Lord then rested on the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38). Quite obviously, the glory of the Lord was quite an awesome thing to behold!
The glory of the Lord was also evidence in the way in which God provided for His people. The miraculous provision of manna reflected "the glory of the Lord" (Exodus 16:7).

2. In the Declaration of the Name of God to Moses

Moses had asked for an even more intimate revelation of God (Exodus 33:18).
He asked, "Show me Your glory."
God descended in a cloud and proclaimed His Name to Moses (Exodus 33:19-23; 34:5-7).
He said,

"I will make all My goodness pass before you,
and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before You..

But He said,

You cannot see My Face; for no man shall see me
And live..." (Exodus 33:20).

God equated the "glory" that Moses asked to see with His "Face." Moses asked to see God's fullness of glory, in other words. God replied that no one can stand in the fullness of His glory and live!

Imagine then, what Jesus was asking for! He was referring to this fullness of glory that only He, the Son of God possessed in His own right!

"GLORIFY ME TOGETHER WITH YOURSELF WITH THE GLORY WHICH I HAD WITH YOU BEFORE THE WORLD WAS..." John 17:5

We will never be able to fully fathom what Jesus really meant! No one can see the fullness of the glory that belongs only to the Triune Godhead.

However, let us pause and ponder over what the Apostle Paul said concerning the Lord Jesus in the famous kenosis passage (Phil. 2:5-11). This passage would give us an idea of how God glorified or exalted the Name of Jesus after He completed His work on earth.

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him
and given Him a Name which is above every name,
That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,
Of those in heaven, and of those on earth,
And that every tongue should confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father..."
Philippians 2:9-11

How did God answer the prayer of Jesus? He honoured His Son's request and exalted Him above every name in heaven and on earth!

We could never fully understand the depth of this statement of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we may draw great comfort and encouragement each time we conclude our prayers, "In the Name of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." We plead the Mightiest Name of all when we cry out to God in prayer! We must be assured that He will hear and answer us!

~ Pastor Charlie Tan ~