I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
Jesus continues his prayer to the Father by saying his work on earth has glorified the Father.
How?
We have been reading along with John for a long time now. How has what Jesus has been doing brought glory to the Father?
Let’s look at what he said again:
I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
It is not just by doing God’s work that Jesus glorified the Father. He also finished the work the Father gave him to do. By completing the work of dying on the cross, Jesus validates all the other work he has done for the Father. It is a bit like the logic used by Gamaliel in Acts 5: 33-39. He argues that if Jesus is human and not God, then his disciples will fade away like the followers of past revolutionaries. However, if Jesus is God, then their efforts cannot fail. Because their efforts did not fail, Jesus is glorified, and through him so is the Father.
Food for Thought: How does finishing the work God has given you glorify God?
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Great question brother. The verse I instantly thought of was Matthew 5: 14 – 16. If we “finish” His work, then our lives are pointing to the truth of who He is and we are making Him known to those who do not yet know Him.
Thanks Rich! It is also important to finish strong in our work of sharing God’s light. I think of those who have had great ministries and fallen into temptation in their final years, tarnishing their work for the Lord. Our credibility as light bearers rest partly on our willingness to remain faithful to the end.
Amen