Psalm 97 & John 17:20-26

On this Ascension Sunday, we are listening to Jesus’ prayer for us, his disciples, concerning his glory. Jesus prays that we will be with him where he is and that we would see his glory. 

Although we like to think of ourselves as glorifying Christ, we struggler’s with understanding the nature of Christ’s glory. This sermon’s focus is to point out 3 things about the nature of Jesus’ glory: It is a gift to be received, a sight to be seen, and a wonder of eternity. Christ’s glory is the task of our unity, the expression of the Father’s love for the Son, and our confidence of their love. 

Jesus prays all of this on his way to the cross. There he displays his glory for all to see. What Christ does on the cross is to guard the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10) On the cross he shows how much he hates evil and in his resurrection he tramples evil to death.

What a powerfully preserving and uniting prayer our Savior offers! 

Furthermore, if Jesus gives to us his glory how are we handling it? And, if he loves you this much, wouldn’t you want to see his glory and make it known?