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PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Friday March 1 - Understanding Jesus’ divinity
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with
you before the world began.” John 17:5
Jesus goes on to ask his heavenly Father to restore the glory he had before creation. Let’s consider first the substance of, and then tomorrow the reason for, such a prayer. The substance: Jesus gave up his heavenly glory, a glory that pre-existed creation.
We can easily slip into thinking of Jesus in terms of his earthly ministry – his joy, anguish, teaching, miracles – while forgetting that he was eternally with God and is eternally God. He did not just come to earth: Jesus created the earth: ‘For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth’ (Colossians 1:16)! He did not simply come as a man but he created mankind, ‘All things came into being through him’ (John 1:3)! He did not just come to bring life, but he is that Life: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through him’ (1 Corinthians 8:6).
This amazing grace is both our undoing and our making. Philippians 2:6-8 declares of Jesus, ‘who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!’
Hallelujah! Jesus did this for you!
Lord Jesus Christ, please forgive me when I set you apart from your glory and treat you as such. Amen.
Saturday March 2 - Beholding Jesus’ glory
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John 17:5
Why was it so important that the Father should glorify the Son? Jesus was not praying out of weakness or a wounded heart, seeking self-gratification, self-esteem or self- justification, but so that mankind would know that salvation was secured by God alone, motivated by his love and achieved by Christ’s death and resurrection.
In Matthew 16:21, Jesus explained to his disciples that ‘he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life’. Six days later, ‘he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light’ (17:2). The disciples needed to behold Christ’s glory. They would soon gaze upon his body hanging limply on the cross. They needed to know that the cross was not an adjunct, but rather it was the full expression of Christ’s glory.
Yesterday we saw from Philippians 2 the full extent of Christ’s humiliation. How fitting and vital it is that we should close this week considering his exaltation: ‘Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ (Philippians 2:9-11).
Father, may we behold the glory of your Son and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I humbly bow my knee and gladly confess you as my Lord and Saviour. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY