4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
In our verses for today, Jesus teaches us by His Word and through His perfect example that our obedience in the completion of the works the Father has called us to do will ultimately bring God much glory. Christ left no work undone for which He came to earth on mission to fulfill - always glorifying the Father by His perfect unvarying holiness. Indeed, when Jesus approached John the Baptist to be baptized by him and the Baptist objected He gives this as a reason:
15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. Matt 3:15 (NIV)
He had kept the Law perfectly so that even the adversary could find no blemish in Him. By so keeping the law, Jesus brought everlasting righteousness for all who would believe in Him. Our Lord had at last completed His redemptive work which God had sent Him to accomplish – His death and resurrection being so near that for all intents and purposes He considered them as finished. Christ accomplished what the first Adam and all his offspring thereafter failed miserably to do. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians:
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21 (NIV)
God has prepared a path of good works for every follower of Christ which He will perform in and through the believer as they walk by faith in them. Our obedience in this faith walk to complete His works ultimately brings God glory. God’s work done in God’s way by His saints who are willing and faithful to do His bidding will never lack His powerful supply. He will not leave us as orphans to muster up our own strength, power and determination to do His will. Neither has He left us here after our conversions to merely wallow in self indulgence and entertain ourselves to death. We have a higher and grander purpose and calling and until we discover that, we will always be found wanting. When we willingly seek to bring God glory rather than striving for it ourselves, we will discover a deep satisfaction and peace.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” John Piper
Remember, too, it is only through His power that the eternal works He has prepared in advance for us to do are accomplished. Paul writes in both Ephesians and Philippians:
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 (NIV)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Phil 2:12-13 (NIV)
Another word our Lord states in our passage for today which stands out and hits me between the eyes is “completing”. The word itself is translated from the Greek word “Teleioo” meaning “complete, mature; to complete by reaching the intended goal, cause to be concluded, bring to a resolution; caused to be realized, finish a work or duty, bring to a state of complete fulfillment.” Hebrew - Greek Key Word Study Bible – New Testament Lexical Aids. It would seem we live in a day and age where goals and completion of them are not held in high esteem. A cursory glance at most of our unfinished plans and projects attests to this not to mention the broken relationships we appear to not value enough to seek to mend. We desire everything instantaneously – preferably without any sweat of our brow at all. Yet Jesus sweat drops of blood...hmmm...that must mean we are called to a completion of higher and harder works as well. Yet it would appear when things get the least bit difficult we do not consider this. We often abort and abandon rather than persevere and produce through His power. We choose to leave undone a work in progress or to flee an unmended relationship when things get the least bit difficult. These actions bring God no glory. Scripture tells us as believers:
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6 (NIV)
“Perfection, in a Christian sense, means becoming mature enough to give ourselves to others.” Kathleen Norris
“Men think that glory lies in being exalted over others –Christ...stooped when He conquered.” Charles Spurgeon
Lastly, we see from Jesus’ Words that His glory with the Father is from eternity – He came from glory and was returning to glory. Christ undertook the work of redemption not because He needed glory but because we needed it. He divested Himself of His glory in the flesh and resumed His glory in His exalted state bringing God much glory in the process.
“Thus we must be taught that those, and only those who glorify God on earth shall be glorified with the Father, when they must be no more in this world.” Matthew Henry