Seeing Christ’s Glory
Easter Sunday
April 20
John 17:24
Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!
On Good Friday, Jesus “…went and prepared a place for us.…” (John 14:2) But that place was not complete until He had raised Himself from the dead. Scripture tells us that the Resurrection of the Christ was a collective work of the Triune God.
Yet Jesus in His prayers before His resurrection, was giving all glory to His Father, especially in His prayer which fills up John 17.
In that prayer, He said: “Father I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with me where I am, to see My glory that You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (vs. 24)
Jesus, as the perfect Servant (see the latter chapters of Isaiah, especially 53), will remind us that a tremendous and crucial part of His story of serving, is found in His death. So He alone, on the day of resurrection, will have the glorious “marks” of the serving King on His hands and feet. What an amazing thing it will be! A breath-taking acclamation! “Seeing His glory”!
As the “First Fruits” of the Resurrection (I Corinthians 15), Jesus allowed His faithful disciples to see those glorious marks of love. He had prayed for His disciples to be with Him. Indeed, all who remained “faithful unto death” saw His glory, only not in a garden where they had expected to see death.
We will see Him as The Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Christ, our Savior, will welcome us with open arms to the new creation! At that time, we, too, will have glorified resurrected bodies. But only His hands will have scars of deeply driven nails, clear evidence of His immeasurable love and incomprehensible sacrifice.
Christ is risen! Our glorious King!
Blessed Easter! Blessed life! Blessed death! And blessed resurrection!
PRAYER: Praise to You, Lord Jesus, for being the “First fruits” of the Resurrection and the “Resurrection and Life” for all who believe in You. Amen!