“5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” – John 17:5 (ESV)
Jesus is praying prior to His crucifixion and as He does, He is asking God to return Him to the place of glory that He had prior to the creation of the world. Jesus is looking to return home after doing the work He was assigned here in this world, and in that return, He as asking to be elevated to the place He was prior to doing the work.
Jesus was not just here in this world, no. He was here even before the world was. If you look back to John 1:1-3 you see this spelled out.
“1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:1-3 (ESV)
You see there in verse two that Jesus, He, was there with God at the creation of all things. In fact, as you look at verse three, all things were created through Jesus. Jesus was there with God at the creation, meaning He was there with God even before the creation of the world and was full of glory.
And then He came to this world to demonstrate God’s love for us through His death and resurrection. Jesus came to this world and suffered. And now, He was asking God to return Him to the place of glory that He left.
“24Father, 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.” – John 17:24 (ESV)
Along with Jesus asking for glory to be restored to Him in heaven, He was also asking for us to be able to experience that glory with Him. Jesus did not and was not ever thinking of just himself. Even as He was about to be crucified, He was still doing it all for you and me. He knew that we would not make it on our own. He knew that we needed help, and even in the face of death, He was providing that help to me. Jesus wants and wanted nothing but the best for us. Jesus wanted to share His glory with us.
I am not worthy of the glory of God. I am a sinner and should be punished to the full extent of God’s wrath. Jesus does not think so. Jesus has given me a path to share in the glory that is afforded Him from God. The glory He was a part of even before I or anything was in existence at all. I am, in the eyes of Jesus, worthy of it all.
What are your thoughts on the idea that Jesus shares His glory with you? Have you even thought that Jesus asked for His glory to be returned to Him and then that He asked to share it with you? What if we believed in the greatness of Jesus and that He had glory before we existed and that He wants to share that with us?
Trevor's Thoughts 