Jesus Revealing the Glory of God

In John 1:14, the author tells us that he beheld the glory of God when he looked at Jesus Christ. God’s glory was seen in a man. But it was seen in a man who was marked by humility. The places where John saw Jesus’ glory was not only in the halls of fame (such as palaces of rulers), not only in the religious buildings of significance (such as the temple), not only at the banquets laid on for the prominent and the important (although he did show grace to persons when they asked him to a meal). Jesus often did not have where to lay his head. His glory was revealed on the hillside where he used the provisions of a poor boy to feed the hungry multitude, in little villages in talking to poor men and women and children, in the synagogues where the common people gathered.

Leon Morris has summarised it well when he writes of Jesus: ‘When people needed help he helped them. Where they were sick he healed them. Where they were ignorant folk he taught them. Where there were hungry people he fed them. He was not found in the high places of the earth. All of his life he was among God’s little people, those who in one way or another felt their need. And wherever there was need he was found doing lowly service. And that is glory.’

Remember it is John who describes the incident in which Jesus stripped himself and put on a towel and washed his disciples’ feet (John 13). He did not have to do it; he could have asked Peter and John to do it. But it is glory when the One who did not have to do it did it.

God’s glory was also seen in a forgiving man. In 1:14 John says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Throughout his life Jesus had shown grace and truth: to Nicodemus, the pompous teacher, who became his loyal follower when others abandoned him; to the woman of Samaria who became an effective witness; and to many others. And after his resurrection he showed grace and truth to Peter, who had been cowardly and fallen into using improper language.

God’s glory was also seen in a man who was their friend. These disciples had lived with him for three years. He had called them his friends. In John 1 we are told of how some of these friendships began (John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathaniel). Jesus entered into their lives and things became different. As they watched him, listened to him, and followed him their lives were changed.

We too can know the glory of God that is revealed in Jesus. Although now exalted and glorified, he still reveals the glory of God in humbling himself to meet with us, in conveying grace and truth to us, and initiating and developing personal friendship with us.

Jesus and Difficult Trials

When the Saviour heard of the report of the murder of John the Baptist he found a solitary place (Matt. 14:13); he did the same after the feeding of the 5,000 (Matt. 14:22). While the Bible indicates the consequence of these two solitary times (miraculous provision for the multitude and miraculous experience for Peter and the apostles on the sea), it seems that Jesus went by himself to strengthen himself in God no matter his situation, be it a harrowing one or a triumphant one. The obvious lesson is that we can only cope with and benefit from every situation, whether it be pleasant or sorrowful, by going to God about it.

As Jesus was praying to his Father he saw his distressed disciples in the storm (Matt. 14:22-33). Since they already had experience of being rescued by him in a storm at sea (Matt. 8:23-27), it could be argued that their previous experience should have helped them cope with the current storm. Perhaps it did, but they also needed a fresh experience of Jesus for the new situation, no matter how similar its contents were to previous ones. It is clear that Jesus wanted to help them and the ferocity of the storm could not keep him away from his disciples.

This incident is a picture of many occurrences in the Christian life. The disciples were in the storm because Jesus had sent them on their journey. They were in the path of obedience when the storm came. It is a mistake to think that obedience to God will remove difficult times in providence.

But just as Jesus had his eye on his disciples, so he has his eye on us. From the heights of the mountain he had the best overall picture of the situation that his disciples were in – they may only have seen what was near at hand but Jesus saw everything. It is the same with us – we can only see the immediate effect of the trouble but Jesus sees where it fits into his overall plan of blessing for our lives.

He came to the disciples at the right time. He wants to help us too. Just as the ferocity of the storm could not keep him away from the disciples, so the troubles that we face are not too big for Jesus to deal with. It is not the strength of the troubles that prevents Jesus coming to our aid; rather he knows best when to come and calm the storm that we may imagine is raging out of control. And when he does come, we will see that his timing was best.

Gethsemane

As Jesus approached the most trying time in his earthly life, he did as he had done before; instead of doing something unusual, he went to a location that was familiar to him and his disciples. Having arrived, he took Peter, James and John along with him as he prayed. As he walked with them, Mark tells us that Jesus began to be ‘sore amazed’. The word has the idea of ‘utterly surprised’ and ‘stunned with astonishment’. The Saviour had known previously that he was going to die, but now he received a fresh sight of it and he was overwhelmed.

He became ‘very heavy’; the word has the idea of being exceedingly distracted with terror. What a shock the disciples must have got! Never before had they seen their Master in such a state. Up till then, he had been strong and robust, facing opponents without fear. But here he was in great anguish.

Jesus turned to his disciples and informed them of the internal agony he had: ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ What was happening to cause such distress to the almighty Saviour? He was getting a foretaste of Calvary – and it filled him with terror.

Yet we can learn much from the way the Saviour prayed at that time. He had a childlike approach to his Father: ‘Abba’ is the term that Jesus taught his disciples to use in prayer. It reveals the attitudes of love, dependency and devotion. Jesus, in his hour of deepest trial, in this moment of previously unexperienced degree of distress, with a terrible future fast approaching, went to his Father.

This event is referred to in Hebrews 5:7. Jesus was putting all his energy into his prayers, for he uttered loud cries. Luke tells us (22:44) that ‘being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground’. Three times Jesus prayed. The imperfect tense in Mark 14:35 indicates that he was repeatedly falling down and rising up. He was not staying static but was physically indicating the intense anguish he was experiencing.

Yet he was determined to proceed, which is why he prayed that God’s will be done. He decided to do God’s will, no matter the cost. Fear of being separated from God on the cross was not a reason for him to disobey God.

Surprisingly, an angel came to strengthen him. What an honour was given to that angel! Various suggestions have been made as to how the angel fortified him. Some suggest he bowed in worship or that he told Jesus of his future exaltation. Another says that the angel brought a word of encouragement from the Father. Still another that the angel sang to him the praises he had heard in heaven before he came into the world. One suggestion that appeals to me is that the angel repeated to Jesus the words of Psalm 102:25-27 (which follow a prayer for help in verses 23 and 24). These verses are interpreted in Hebrews 1:10-12 as referring to Christ. And if these were the words, what encouragement they would have been to Jesus.

Jesus’ prayer was answered, not only by the presence of an angel, but by divine help given to him. Therefore, he left the garden, not as a victim helpless in the hands of his enemies, but as a king advancing to the field of battle. His words, ‘Rise, let us be going’ are not a command to run away; rather he is going to face the oncoming band who have come to arrest him. And John describes a most unusual incident when that band of soldiers and dignitaries fell down before Jesus after he had revealed who he was. They went backward and fell to the ground as he revealed to them that he was the eternal ‘I am’. But they still persevered in arresting him!