“FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME!”

John 12:27-32                                  (ESV)

“27 "NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED. And WHAT SHALL I SAY? 'FATHER, save ME from this hour'? But for THIS PURPOSE I HAVE COME TO THIS HOUR.

28 “FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME”." Then a voice came from Heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 

29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to HIM."

30 JESUS answered, "This VOICE has come for your sake, not MINE.

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of “this world” be cast out.

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to MYSELF."”

JESUS had just experienced HIS “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem in John 12:12.  Now HE is saying that HIS SOUL IS TROUBLED, something that must have caused HIS disciples a bit of concern?  JESUS seemed to ALWAYS have the correct response to the problems presented by others, now HE is telling them HIS SOUL IS TROUBLED?  

One morning recently I awoke with a sense of “dread” gripping my heart and mind.  Now most mornings I am a bit groggy, but upbeat and happy to be CHOSEN to serve another day.  So I was TROUBLED by feeling of NOT BEING IN CONTROL of what MIGHT BE ahead for me that day.  WALKING BY FAITH is KNOWING that GOD is leading us in the PLAN to GLORIFY HIS NAME, not to make us prosperous and successful.  JESUS prayed “FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME” knowing that it would entail suffering the cross.  

In John 17:23 JESUS says “I in them and YOU in me, that they may become PERFECTLY ONE, so that the world may know that YOU sent ME and loved them even as YOU loved ME.”  HE had NEVER been separate from GOD, so HE was “sailing uncharted waters”!  In John 10:18 HE tells the Jews “No one takes it (my LIFE) from me, but I lay it down of MY own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my FATHER." HE HAD THE PROMISE of GOD THE FATHER that HE would overcome death, hell and the grave, AND HE DID!  

Not being IN CONTROL can cause FEAR and DOUBT to swarm our feeble minds, especially if we aren’t PERFECTLY ONE!  Knowing that GOD is molding us for HIS PLAN is comforting, but we must realize that HE IS GOD, and we are not!  GOD’S PLAN called for JESUS, HIS ONLY SON, to suffer an unimaginable death.  Yet JESUS accepted GOD’S PLAN to be able to say “FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME!!!  Will we???