Christology: GLORIFICATION

The Glorification of Jesus Christ

INTRO:

When was a time you had glory?

What is Glory?

Noun: Excellent reputation (Grudem p263)

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Noun: Used to describe the bright light around God’s presence (Grudem p263)

Revelation 21:23 “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

Verb: When we glory in something it can mean praise or admire (Logos word study)

Psalm 105:3 “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!”

So Jesus Christ’s Glorification is when his humanity gets a significant improvement. How? And what does this mean for us? That’s the lesson tonight.

Here is the outline:

The Glorification of Jesus Christ - The 3 point outline is as such:

Jesus Glorification

His Glorified Body

His Ascension

His New Status

Our Glorification

PRAY

Jesus’ Glorification

After the Resurrection Jesus body transformed.

His Glorified Body - What do we know about it? Some.

Luke 24:39 “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.””

QUESTION: What does this tell us about his body?

It’s still a PHYSICAL body.

Flesh and bone

Eat food (Luke 24:43)

Jesus was not a ghost.

John 20:27 “Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.””

QUESTION: What does this tell us about his body?

It’s still the SAME HUMAN body but transformed.

The scars are still there.

Romans 6:9 “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

QUESTION: What does this tell us about his body?

This body now cannot die.

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”

QUESTION: What does this tell us about his body?

This body is better than it was before.

It cannot be harmed or decay.

This body is the SPIRITUAL BODY.

This body is from and under the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Peter Orr, Exalted Above the Heavens).

“The body of this risen Christ is not ‘natural’ but ‘spiritual’. However, as we saw with both Luke and John, it is not thereby non-physical. Rather, it is a body transformed into imperishability and so rendered suitable for eschatological (suitable for Heaven) existence.” (Peter Orr, Exalted Above the Heavens p108).

Revelation 1 and The Transfiguration also give preview of Jesus glorified body to us.

His Ascension (quickly): When Jesus ascended after the resurrection he went to Heaven: an actual physical place (Grudem p759).

His Spiritual Body is physical, thus it would make sense he went is also an actual physical place.

Acts 1:9 “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

Acts 7:55–56 “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.””

Where this is? I do not know.

His New Status Now

He first came as a human baby to earth in a manger, but after his death and resurrection Jesus was exalted to the ultimate authority and ultimate power in the universe.

Philippians 2:9–11 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

Acts 5:31 “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

When Jesus comes back to Earth still in his Glorified Human Body, He comes to judge and destroy the opposition.

Revelation 19:11–13 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

APPLICATION:

QUESTION/DISCUSSION: So how does Jesus glorification change our outlook on life?

He was murdered, then rose again with an invincible body, and given all authority and power over the universe. How does it change us?

QUESTION: How did it change the disciples? Alrick said last week.

He said that the disciples hid, possibly fearing persecution and death with their Master (we know Peter denied Jesus 3x). Then these men who hid, once seeing and touching Christ, were willing and did die for Christ. They even found it joy to be counted worthy to be beaten for Jesus (Acts 5:40-42).

QUESTION: How does knowing this affect the small and big decisions we make in life?

Like getting married?

Who are you marrying?

Getting a certain job?

Can’t go to church?

Working 60 hours per week like the Japanese?

Giving to church our money?

Excuses why not to give.

How do we deal with not getting our way?

Lose your cool?

Are you that coach yelling at the ref?

How do we deal with suffering?

Are we angry at the Lord?

How do we deal with people?

And we do have to deal with it.

What we do in life hinges upon what we believe about Jesus.

If we know Jesus resurrection and glorification are true, then logically this good news of salvation is true, and we should respond with our love for him.

And if Jesus now is glorified and risen, and the one true King of the universe, then we ought to follow His commands.

Following his commands is loving him!

Our Glorification: Encourage

This good news we’re talking about remember includes the spiritual resurrection which happens first.

As sinners, we are dead spiritually, unable save ourselves, unable to please God because we don’t have faith (Hebrews 11:6)

So God makes our spirit alive - gives us a new living spirit - THIS IS THE SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION (Ezekiel 37:1-14 and Ezekiel 36).

After receiving this new heart and new spirit, we then believe in Christ!

Glorification is the last stage in the process of salvation in which, after we are resurrected from the death of our natural body, we will put on a spiritual body like Jesus.

Philippians 3:20–21 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

So what we outlined about Jesus Bodily Resurrection will also happen to us. All the good things.

A real physical body.

A human body.

No death or harm.

A spiritual body which is enhanced to be able to exist in Heaven.

QUESTION: Now does this encourage you?

How does it encourage you?

To what lengths does it encourage you to act for God?

If no one answers…

1 Corinthians 15:54–58 “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” .

We should be thankful!

The last part of the passage is no longer future tense but present tense. It says, But thanks BE to God who GIVES us the victory through Jesus. And also Therefore, BE. This is NOW!

WHAT ELSE? from 1 Cor 15 at the end there: Be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord.

Keep doing what God wants and do it excessively.

Because it’s not in vain. It’s not in vain because there’s a resurrection and glorification.

Do you know what the work of the Lord is? It’s in his Scripture.

Human beings Glorifying God

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

When we glorify Jesus it’s not just saying “I give all glory to God” after you win or achieve something. It could be that, but it’s not glorifying God automatically. If you say, “I give all glory to God” but then don’t display Jesus in your life, it’s just words.

Truly glorifying God is living a Christ-like life in real situations so that Jesus’ glory (how great HE is) shines through us.

EXTRA: 1 Cor 15:37-38: Our natural bodies are like a seed. It looks different than what it will become. The seed is destroyed in the process of the plant sprouting. Our spiritual body is like the plant (John MacArthur