Seeking Glory: John 5:16-47
Focus Passage: John 5:16-47 (NIV)
In one of Jesus’ replies to a challenge He received, He shared a statement that completely shifted my perspective on His character. While Jesus hints at this idea earlier while talking about John’s testimony, He clearly states it several verses later in a way that doesn’t leave any loopholes for misunderstanding His intent.
During His response, Jesus directly states, “I do not accept glory from human beings.” (v. 41)
However, He quickly follows this up by saying “But I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.” (v. 42)
If Jesus followed His “but I know you” statement with an exception, or with a group of people who truly gives Him glory, then we might think He shared an exception to the rule. But Jesus essentially follows up by saying that He especially doesn’t accept glory from those who don’t have God’s love in their hearts. A human being who believes in Him may give Him glory, but He doesn’t accept it. A human being who does not believe would be even less likely to give Him glory, and even in the rare case that they do, He still would not accept it.
The next two logical questions we could ask ourselves are, “Does Jesus ever accept glory from anyone/anything?”, and “Since Jesus doesn’t accept glory from human beings, where does the glory go that is directed His way?”
To answer our questions, we can continue reading to learn a little more about what Jesus meant. Jesus continues by saying, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (v. 43-44)
The response to our second question is easier to see. Since Jesus came in His Father’s name, any credit (i.e. glory) we try to give Him will be directed upwards toward the Father. Reading this shifted my thinking and prompted me to open my eyes to seeing miracles Jesus did where the gospel writers share that glory went to God the Father. In case you are wondering, there are many such examples. Giving the Father glory was one thing that motivated Jesus to help and heal people.
The response to our first question is trickier to see, but Jesus hints at it when He talks about how we should “seek the glory that comes from the only God”. (v. 44b)
While Jesus does not accept glory from us, He does accept glory from the Father, and He does allow the Holy Spirit to work through Him. In this way, Jesus sets an example for each of us – and it reveals His character. At the core of Jesus’ character is a 100% focus on God (the Father), and this God-focus can be a test we can use to determine whether someone is truly sent from God or not.
Comments