Connect John 17:1 with Philippians 2:9-11 on Jesus' glorification. Opening the Texts “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.” (John 17:1) “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) The Heart of Jesus’ Prayer • John 17 begins with Jesus addressing the Father moments before the cross. • “The hour has come” pinpoints the predetermined moment of redemptive history (cf. Acts 2:23). • His request: “Glorify Your Son.” This is not self-seeking; He immediately ties it to “that Your Son may glorify You.” • Glory here embraces both the shame of the cross (John 12:23-24) and the splendor of resurrection and ascension (John 17:5). From Petition to Fulfillment • Philippians 2:9-11 records the Father’s answer in full: exaltation to “the highest place.” • The trajectory moves: – Humbling unto death (Philippians 2:8) – Divine exaltation (v. 9) – Universal acknowledgment of His lordship (vv. 10-11) • What Jesus asked in John 17:1 is answered by the Father’s act of enthronement. Shared Glory—Father and Son • John 17:1 frames glory as reciprocal: the Father glorifies the Son, and the Son in turn glorifies the Father. • Philippians 2:11 seals the circle: every confession that “Jesus Christ is Lord” results “to the glory of God the Father.” • Other confirmations: – Hebrews 1:3—“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory” – Revelation 5:12-13—heaven and earth attribute equal worship to “Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” Glory Through Obedient Humility • The path runs through obedience (Philippians 2:8; John 10:17-18). • Scriptural pattern: suffering precedes glory (Luke 24:26; 1 Peter 1:11). • Jesus embodies Isaiah’s Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), lifted up after being crushed. The Cosmic Scope of the Answer • Knees bow “in heaven, on earth, and under the earth”—all realms acknowledge His supremacy. • The “name above all names” fulfills Isaiah 45:23, applying Yahweh’s exclusivity to Jesus. • John 17:2—authority “over all flesh” ties directly to Philippians 2’s universal confession. Implications for Daily Discipleship • Confidence: the Father keeps every promise; the Son’s prayer was answered, ours will be heard (John 14:13-14). • Worship: confess Jesus as Lord now, joining the future universal chorus (Romans 10:9-10). • Imitation: embrace humble obedience, trusting God to honor faithfulness in His timing (1 Peter 5:6; James 4:10). |
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