And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified (John 12:23).
Sometimes, when we tell people the Lord has glorified them, they expect to see something outwardly, like a ray of light glowing from their skin. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. The glory of God isn’t necessarily felt or perceived by the senses. It’s something you recognize with your spirit.
Look at Jesus. The Bible tells us in John 12 of some Greeks who sought an audience with Him. When He was told that they had come to see Him, He knew this was a sign: It was time for the salvation of the Gentiles. This also signified that He was about to die. Jesus responded by saying, “…The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:23-24).
When Jesus said, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified,” the Bible didn’t record that any spectacular event transpired. The heavens didn’t open up, and there was no earthquake. In the next chapter, while Jesus was sitting with His disciples at passover, Judas got up after supper and went away hurriedly. Jesus then said, “…Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31).
The Bible didn’t say lights started beaming everywhere because He was glorified. No. The glory was in His submission. Here’s what the Master did: He submitted Himself totally to the will of the Father and declared, “Now is the Son of man glorified.” The submission of one’s life to the Spirit is where the glory is.
The more yielded you are to Him, the more your glory increases. The less yielded you are, the less of God’s glory is manifested in your life. So, what would you rather do? Be yielded to Him! Do the Word, walking in the Spirit, and you’ll experience greater manifestations of His glory in your life. Hallelujah!
Prayer / Confession
Dear Father, I thank you for your glory in my life. Thank you for the privilege and blessing to experience ever-increasing glory as I do your Word and carry out every instruction of the Spirit that I receive, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further study
John 12:23-24 NIV; John 13:31; John 17:22; Philippians 2:8-9
1-year bible reading plan
2 Corinthians 5:1-21; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; Proverbs 18-19
2-year bible reading plan
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; Jeremiah 24
