Livelihood

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Glorifying God

Judas departed to sell Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders. In a few hours, Jesus would be crucified. If you knew that you would shortly be betrayed and killed, what would your reaction be? Jesus showed no self-pity like Elijah showed on Mount Horeb. He was not angry like Moses, who struck the rock twice. Jesus was in full control of His emotions. Calmly, He said that the time had finally arrived and that He would now be glorified. Jesus was glorified through Judas’ betrayal. This is like the situation that Joseph found himself in when he was sold into slavery in Egypt. After being reunited with his brothers later, Joseph said to them: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). In all of history, there is no greater evil deed than selling Jesus to His enemies. But God overcame this evil by good—glorifying Jesus.

Jesus rejected the pleas of many who wanted Him to become their earthly king. He knew that the glory of this world is only temporary, but the glory from heaven is eternal. He let Judas work his evil, because through the crucifixion, the glory from heaven would be manifested. Jesus never sought benefits for Himself. He always sought the glory of the Father. The greatest glory is given to God by all the angels in heaven and the creatures on the earth, because God has redeemed us. No philosophy, religion, or technology can solve the problem of our separation from God due to sin. People have tried for thousands of years to return to Paradise, but all their efforts have failed. In His death, our problem has been eliminated. Our debt of sin has been paid in full. We can now have fellowship again with a holy God.

Our redemption was planned by God before the creation of the world. The songs of praise in heaven are focused on the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. The angels rejoice every time a sinner repents. When the church gathers to worship, we confess that the rich and the poor, men and women, the intelligent and the simple, are all redeemed in the same way. God’s grace is sufficient to save everyone who believes. No one can add anything to the process of salvation. Everything has been done by God alone. Therefore, all praise and honor and glory is given to God and God alone.

The death of Christ brings glory to Christ and the Father. Jesus told us that He will pay our debt of sin in full. It’s easy for someone to promise that. But how can we know that our debt of sin has been paid off? What evidence is there? In order that we might know that the Father accepted Christ’s payment for our sins, Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection proves that Christ didn’t die for His own sins. If that was the case, He would not have been able to rise again. This means that Christ is the perfect sacrifice that fulfilled the requirements of the Law. Christ also rose so that we would know that what He promised had been fulfilled. We can have confidence that we have been redeemed. Jesus defeated death. His resurrection is a sign to us that His payment for our sins was accepted. God was glorified in Jesus at the resurrection. Jesus knew that after His death He would rise and ascend to heaven to sit on the throne that was prepared for Him. Heaven is full of glory because Christ has won. He is risen from the dead. Alleluia! The whole earth is full of His glory as the redeemed bring news of that redemption to the uttermost parts of the world.

Application: Are you glorifying God by proclaiming the gospel to those who don’t yet believe?

JACOB'S LADDER

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28:15, ESV)
Most scholars interpret Jacob's ladder as a connection between heaven and earth, with God taking the initiative to reach out to man. The perfect "ladder" is Jesus Christ, who was God come to earth to save humanity. Jesus refers to himself as this ladder in John 1:51: "And he (Jesus) said to him, 'Truly, truly I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'" (ESV)

Question for Reflection
Scholars sometimes contrast Jacob's ladder, God's outreach from heaven to earth, with the Tower of Babel, man's grasping from earth toward heaven. The apostle Paul makes it clear we are made righteous through the death and resurrection of Christ alone and not through any of our own strivings. Are you trying to climb to heaven on a "ladder" of your own good works and behavior, or are you taking the "ladder" of God's plan of salvation, his Son Jesus Christ?
source: Bible gateway