Easter 7A 2023

Text: John 17:1-2 “1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

The time has come. Jesus is about to be glorified.

There had, of course, been plenty of glory throughout His life. “4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do,” Jesus said (John 17:4). He had glorified the Father throughout His life, of course: His miracles, His teachings, and even His perfect life all revealed to the world His Father’s glory. And Jesus was glorified, as well, in the process. But, through it all, His divine glory was still veiled. It was veiled in human flesh.

Like an object that is covered by a cloth, others could see the outline and the general shape of it, but they could not see His glory clearly.

Now, the glory of the divine nature— “the glory that [the eternal Son of God] had with [the Father] before the world existed”— would be clearly visible.

John’s gospel, as a whole, talks a lot about Jesus being glorified. But the portion that we have for today’s gospel lesson is the pinnacle, is the culmination. From the very beginning of the book, it talks about seeing His glory—“[The] Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Now, finally, here in John 17, Jesus declares that it is time for Him to be glorified. It has been three years since He turned water into wine. It’s long after He gave sight to the blind man, long after He fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes. It’s even after He raised Lazarus from the dead. But now He is about to be glorified. Because He’s about to go to the cross.

There, on the cross, the nature of God would be put on display for all to see. The cross, the empty tomb, the ascension— all of these demonstrate that Jesus is the eternal Son of God in the flesh and that He, now, has authority over all flesh for the purpose of giving “eternal life to all whom [the Father] has given [the Son]” (John 17:2). The time for all of that has now come.

And it doesn’t stop there. Jesus says, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them” (John 17:10). What He was about to do— the glory He was about to bring to the Father and receive from the Father— is for you. It is so that He can be glorified in you, as well.

And there, as they say, is the ‘rub’. Is Jesus being glorified in you? Is He being glorified in your life? Is He being glorified in our congregation?

Let’s take just one example, one form that “Jesus being glorified in your life” takes. Let’s consider the suffering you endure for being Christians. In our epistle lesson from 1 Peter 4, Peter writes, “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13). Does that describe you? “14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). Does that describe your response to being mocked for your faith?

Let’s make it even more concrete. What does that look like in practice? Those of you who are following along as we read through the entire New Testament this year— you can join us on Facebook Monday through Fridays at 7:00 p.m., by the way (and all of the past readings are available on demand)— if you’re following along as we read through the entire New Testament, then you recently heard Acts 4 describe the start of the persecution that the early Church experienced. Peter and John were doing miracles and preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. That did not go over well, of course. They were not just commanded to stop preaching Jesus, they were threatened severely if they did not stop preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. How did they respond? They “lifted their voices together to God” (Acts 4:24)— I love that, by the way; not “Peter lifted his voice to God,” or even “the apostles lifted their voices,” but “they lifted their voices together”— and prayed, “now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29). And then, by the way, the Evangelist Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, as well, goes on to describe how unified they were. They were “of one heart and soul,… they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32). “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:34-35). That was how they responded. They prayed for boldness to continue proclaiming that Jesus had risen from the dead and their love for one another increased.

Does that sound like the way you respond when you hear about the growing animosity in our culture toward your faith? I don’t know about you but, for me, there’s usually less praying to God and more shouting on social media. There’s plenty of boldness, I suppose, but not very much of it is directed toward proclaiming Jesus Christ. And I wish I could say that it was drawing us closer together as Christians, but the fear is probably doing the opposite.

Or perhaps you’re among those who end up just drifting away instead of shouting on social media, deciding that they really aren’t interested in believing something unpopular. “I’m not like those other, hate-filled Christians,” they insist. Perhaps you’re among those who are content with their comfortable lives. You’re ready to compromise your faith however it might be necessary in order to keep that comfortable life. Or perhaps Jesus being glorified in your life just isn’t as important as when the next season of Ted Lasso starts.

“9 Resist [the devil], firm in your faith,” Peter wrote, “knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:9-10). When do you get to that part? When will you start taking sin and Satan seriously? “The time has come,” Jesus said. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now is the time for Jesus to start being glorified in your life.

Or let’s apply that on a larger scale. Is Jesus being glorified in our congregation? Is that the focus of what we do? Is that our top priority? Is that what binds us together as brothers and sisters in Christ?

It’s absolutely true that there are a number of practical, everyday things that we need to take care of. As we’ll do in today’s voters’ meeting, we’ll pass budgets, we’ll conduct elections for offices, we’ll make sure that buildings and grounds are maintained. But when do we get to the part about Jesus being glorified among us? Those other things are absolutely necessary. When do we get to the part about building up God’s Kingdom?

Let’s take the example of stewardship. Often, congregations only take stewardship seriously when there is a budget shortfall. (Praise God that we are not in that situation!) But stewardship is about far more. It’s about growing in glorifying Jesus with your money, your time, and the gifts that He’s given you. So when, exactly, will glorifying Jesus with your money, your time, and the gifts that He’s given you become a priority? When, exactly, will that start being worth committing to?

“Father, the hour has come...” (John 17:1). He isn’t praying that maybe, perhaps, if it’s possible, He might be glorified in you. “The hour has come.” Was Jesus wrong about you? Has the time not actually yet come for Him to be glorified in your life? Was He wrong about this congregation? Has the time not actually come for Him to be glorified here among us?

Jesus was not wrong about the timing of His being glorified.

Here in John 17, just hours before He is about to be crucified, Jesus sees His glory drawing near. Not in spite of the fact that He’s about to go to the cross, but because of it.

Where you and I see shame He saw glory. Where you see suffering He saw joy. Where you see death He saw victory. For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). He gloried, not in destroying sinners, but in taking their sin upon Him in order to suffer for them, die for them, and redeem them. “14 [He canceled] the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands [including the debt of our false, self-made martyrdom]. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:14-15).

Jesus was not wrong about His being glorified. And He was not wrong about being glorified in you, either. Through His suffering, you have, as Peter wrote, been “called to His eternal glory” (1 Peter 5:10). “God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in (your) hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

He is glorified through you, even in this world. You are not simply giving your fair share of a budget. Your offerings are a testimony to God’s physical and spiritual gifts to you. You glorify God through your giving.

Do not shrink from the suffering that this world threatens you with. “16 [If] anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:16-17). Instead, join your fathers and mothers in the faith in praying for boldness to confess Jesus Christ as your crucified and risen Savior.

The devil and the world will threaten you with shame and promise earthly glory if you compromise your faith. But what greater shame can there be than hearing the creator and ruler of the universe say to you, on the Last Day, “I never knew you”? And what greater glory can there be in hearing Him say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Allow their threats to drive you back here, back to the Word and Sacraments through which Jesus is glorified by giving you the gift of eternal life.

Even the most basic suffering that each of you endures— so basic that you take it for granted— the subtle suffering of mortality, even that is to your glory. “16 ...Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).

“1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him” (John 17:1-2). He was glorified on the cross, He was glorified through the empty tomb, and He is still glorified in your life today.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!