John 13:31-33
The Word
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
Exegesis
These verses are a perfect illustration of the connection that Jesus, the Son, has with God, the Father. The purpose of Jesus’ mission on earth was to glorify the Father, and the Father’s to glorify Himself through the Son. All this is tied to how God was to show His love for us through the Son; that we will give Him the glory for this amazing work of grace, and not claim that we did anything to deserve it ourselves.
Jesus was acting in complete selflessness in regards to His purpose on earth. He knew that He came to die for our sins and to fulfill the covenant that was made with Abraham so long ago in Genesis 17. We also see that Jesus keeps using the term “Son of Man” when referring to himself. This is from Daniel 7:13-14.
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Jesus knew that this was his purpose on Earth and why He had come. That once his work on the Cross was finished, He would take His place in Heaven. That where he was going to go, that is to the Cross and then to Heaven, was somewhere that His disciples could not go. That is, the disciples were not meant to die with Him.
Jesus had a far greater purpose for His disciples. They would be here on earth to spread the message of the good news to all people and tell them of what Jesus has done on the Cross for our sins and that He rose from the grave on the 3rd day. They were to be the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth.
Application
Are you living on this earth to glorify God? Jesus came with a purpose and to fulfill it through His blood on the Cross. No matter the hardship and heartache that He had to suffer, He continuously put others before Himself. Are we doing the same for others? Are we suffering and enduring hardship to put others before ourselves?
We will one day meet Jesus face to face, and He will be seated on the Heavenly throne. What will we say to Him? Did we do our part to spread His Kingdom here on Earth?
Prayer
Lord, In Heaven, help me to spread your name far and wide. To bring you glory through my actions and to show my love to those around me. Father, you are mighty in power, so let me follow you with all that I have. In Jesus’ name, amen.