“What would Jesus do?” It’s more than a religious cliché; there is a great truth to it. We should all want to live like Jesus and do what Jesus did. Does that mean we go around rebuking fig trees, talking to demons, and putting mud in people’s eyes? Not exactly. It does not mean doing all the specific things Jesus did in the Bible, but following the overall pattern of how Jesus lived. The Bible teaches that, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). So how did Jesus live? Jesus lived for the glory of God! In everything Jesus did, His guiding principle was to honor His Father and glorify His name.
How do you live your life? Many govern their lives based simply on “what works” (being pragmatic). Many more conform to the mores of their culture without questioning it. Others live only to please certain people around them (family, friends, etc.) and are slaves of approval. Some others simply live for their own fulfillment without regard for anyone else. Still others don’t even know what they’re living for. Is that you? Or are you following Jesus’ example by giving your time and using your talents for the eternal, unfading glory of God?
TERMS
Glory: Greek, Doxa. In the Bible it refers to honor, praise, or reputation. In other contexts, it refers to greatness, riches, and majestic splendor.
TEXT
John 12:27-28, “27 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
THREE WAYS JESUS GLORIFIED GOD IN LIFE
- Jesus Submitted to and Obeyed God in Every Matter, John 5:30; 8:28-29 & Hebrews 5:7-10.
- Jesus Displayed God’s Power Through Mighty Miracles, John 5:36 & Acts 2:22; 10:38.
- Jesus Fully Revealed God’s Heart and Character to the World, John 14:9, Luke 3:22, Colossians 1:15-16, & Hebrews 1:1-3.
THREE WAYS JESUS GLORIFIED GOD IN DEATH
- God’s Judgment on Sin was Revealed, John 12:31, 2 Corinthians 5:21, & Colossians 1:19-23.
- God’s Victory over Satan was Revealed, John 12:31 & Colossians 2:13-15.
- God’s Plan for the World was Revealed, John 12:32 & Acts 17:30-31.
THREE WAYS JESUS GLORIFIED GOD IN THE RESURRECTION
- Jesus Returned to His Father’s Side, John 17:5 & Acts 2:24-35.
- Jesus Restored Immortality to the Human Race, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 & 2 Timothy 1:9-10.
- Jesus Reaped Eternal Praise to God, Philippians 2:9-11 & Revelation 7.
OUR NEED FOR THE RESURRECTION
“Interestingly, many in our society who might scoff at the idea of salvation will spend enormous amounts of money and time seeking their own version of it. We build huge armies and defense systems to protect ourselves from death at the hands of foreign enemies, not to mention billions of dollars on crime prevention and homeland security to protect ourselves from local threats. We spend billions on scientific (and pseudo-scientific) efforts to prolong life and to reverse the effects of aging. We spend billions on space exploration fueled in part by the idea that other planets might one day provide a refuge if our planet becomes for some reason uninhabitable. We spend billions on various forms of therapy in hopes that we can bring peace to our troubled souls or to mend broken and graceless relationships. Self-help books are national bestsellers.
The human quest for personal welfare and even immortality is as old as the human race. At least some of these efforts are necessary and noble. But what astounds me is the vigor and passion that is expended towards some form of deliverance from death, guilt, gracelessness, or meaninglessness. It seems that the quest for some sort of salvation is not so nonsensical or funny after all. Could it be that there is really something inside of us that yearns for what Christ has to offer?
The human quest for welfare, peace, and even immortality reflects something profound that humans seem to intuit. Human beings feel the weight of sin and death and intuitively try to shed it like an old coat. The problem is that we cannot get rid of these things. They hold us captive because they permeate creation. We delude ourselves if we think that we can shed them by our own power. The desire to shed them, however, is in some sense noble, since it shows that we were not made for these things and we resist allowing them to ultimately define us.
We were made for life and peace, as well as for justice, love, and hope. Paul wrote that we are made for immortality and life as God grants them through the Holy Spirit. We implicitly groan and strive within for this new “tent,” or set of clothes: “For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).”
Frank D. Macchia from, “The Trinity Practically Speaking.”
