Daily Devotional | Jesus Prays for Himself

“He has risen! He has risen, indeed!” This is how many believers around the globe will greet one another on this Resurrection Day. But this is more than a greeting, it is a proclamation of what happened to the Savior of the world who surrendered His life for you and me. Because of the resurrection, God the Son is glorified, just as He glorified the Father.

Our text today is the beginning of what is historically known as the High Priestly Prayer. Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father for Himself to be glorified. He is not praying from an egotistical disposition for meaningless praise. Rather, Christ’s prayer is for Him to be glorified so that He could glorify the Father (v. 1). Jesus is clear that His life, death, and resurrection are to make the Father known.

We learn from Jesus’ prayer that His priority was to use every opportunity He had to glorify God the Father. What does it mean to “glorify” someone or something? The word can take on several meanings but at its core, “glorify” means to magnify, celebrate, render excellent, and honor something. It is quite easy to be a witness of glorification today. Oftentimes, we glorify actors and actresses for their performance on the stage. Or we glorify athletes on the field after a play. We glorify our kids and grandkids after an achievement.

However, the glory we give to God ought to be vastly different. Christ glorified His Father by being obedient to His Father’s will. He surrendered His life to the will of His Father and as a result, we are given a new life in Him. We, too, ought to glorify our Heavenly Father by listening and being obedient to His will.

>> What things or people in your life are you glorifying? Are they receiving more attention and praise than your Heavenly Father? This Easter Sunday, ask yourself how you can bring glory to the Father.