Time to Go Home

John 17:1-5 After Jesus said this, he looked toward Heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 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 the Upper Room, our Lord has challenged his closest disciples to fully know who he is, so they would believe in his deity. The King of Kings has shown them how to be a servant leader. Jesus prophesied betrayal and denial would come from his inner circle. He promised Heaven’s home for all believers because he is the Way. The Son of God has also assured his chosen of the Father’s presence with himself. Lovingly, the Son has promised the Holy Spirit will come to help them do God’s work on earth.
   Now, before he goes to the cross,  Jesus will converse with the Father. John 17 is called “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer” because he prayed as the Father’s appointed High Priest to intercede for all who are his own throughout history.
   To begin, Jesus restated the purpose of his work. “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” Think of God’s love here. Jesus sees the cross and his resurrection as a means to glorify himself, so the Father will be glorified. To glorify is to praise, worship and exalt.
   This is what happened. Because of the cross and the empty tomb, the name of Jesus is worshiped in his true church today. We exalt the name of Jesus above all names as we confess he is Savior, Priest and King. We can know and confess this because the Son completed his redemptive work the Father gave him to do on earth. For Jesus’ church to be his church, we must know he is the one we glorify as we minister the gospel. This is why Peter could preach in Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
   In Jesus’ glory is also the Father’s exaltation. As the Son is praised, the Father is praised. Because of Jesus’ saving work, the Holy Spirit has anointed all the church to know God so loved the world, he saved multitudes of lost souls by grace through faith. The faithful church glorifies the Triune God.   
   Jesus prayed, too, is eager to leave earth’s limitations to again be with the Father. In Heaven, Jesus will return to live in his eternal glorified form as risen Lord and Savior. The work is done. It is time to go home to reign at the Father’s right hand.
          What great comfort this is for us. The Son of God fully knows Heaven’s glory. He will no longer need to confront unbelieving religious rules, cautious disciples and the world groaning in its sins. He has come to redeem the world. It’s time for God’s Kingdom plan to move forward.