“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.’” (John 17:1)
God’s great design in creating the world and orchestrating all events in history is two-fold: firstly, to communicate Himself to us, and secondly, so that He might glorify Himself. God’s desire to communicate Himself and glorify Himself are not two separate and distinct ends, however, but rather one chief end. And He accomplished this singular, unified end ultimately through His Son Jesus Christ, the God-man. While God communicates aspects of Himself through creation (general revelation), and much more extensive and particular characteristics of Himself through Scripture (special revelation), He sent His Son into the midst of humanity as the ultimate representation of His being. John 1:14, 18 verify, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth… No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” And the apostle also writes in 1 John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” The ultimate medium of communication of God to man is His Son, Jesus Christ. If we seek to know God, then we can do no better than sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him. Observe His life, listen to His words, for He is indeed, God in the flesh. And because Christ lived in perfect obedience to His Father, He brought the highest form of glory to His Father’s name. In turn, God honored and glorified His Son. After John the Baptist baptized Jesus, a loud voice from heaven sounded, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased,” (Matt. 3:17). Christ is even referred to in Hebrews as “… the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person,” (Heb. 1:3). Through this one grand medium – Jesus Christ – God accomplishes His design to both communicate Himself and bring glory to Himself perfectly and ultimately in every way. R.C. Sproul said, “Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” The glory of God, the glory of His Son, the glory of God in the church, this is God’s design, and we must come to understand its eternal significance and God’s glorious majesty.- Lord Jesus, You are Head of all things, Revelation 3:14 says that You are, “the beginning of the creation of God.” Colossians 1:15 adds that You are the “firstborn of every creature.” You are the head of angels (Col. 2:10), the head of men (Col. 1:18). You are the head of the church. You rule and reign over all, and are glorified by the Father, now being the One who sits at His right hand that all may adore Your redemption and Your glorious nature.
- Lord, Your design in all the works of creation is to glorify Your Son, and through Him to glorify Yourself. Help me see this clearly, for all things were created for You. The world was made for Christ, and I am part of that world. In Christ’s hands You have committed both the creation and government of the world. Help me yield to that government, and to glorify God in all things.
- When I consider the chief end of my being, and the reason by You created the world, I see that Scripture teaches Your rightful place of glory. I see that Your work of redemption is the grand design of history, which is to glorify Yourself in Your Son. All Your decrees are spoken of in Scripture as one purpose which You purposed in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:9-11). Every revelation, every prophecy, every praise in Scripture all point to Your covenant of redemption. Help me contemplate this further, that I might apprehend even a small part of Your glory and majesty.
