Today's Passage - John 17:4-5

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 17:4-5    "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."    Jesus was born two thousand years ago as human flesh, but His deity was exhibited not only after His resurrection, in fact our Lord Jesus has been God all along. As it is recorded in Philippians 2, "Who, being by nature God, did not consider equality  with God something to be grasp,  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on the cross." In other words, before Jesus came to this world or even before the creation of heaven and earth, He was already in the presence of God's glory!  Therefore, from this perspective, our Lord's sacrifice is so profound!   Quit often, we overlook God's grace taking it for granted, and taking it lightly that He had descended from heaven to become flesh. Just image if you go on a mission to the remote areas in northern Thailand where there is neither water nor electricity, you will feel so inconvenient; and yet Jesus had to forsake the power and glory of heaven, came to this world withstanding the restrains of His physical body, rejected and mocked to a point that He was nailed on the cross; what a great love and sacrifice this is!   The cross is a symbol of God's greatest love, and at the same time it manifests God's greatest glory as Jesus had proclaimed He is victorious through this process of salvation. Jesus did not have to walk on this path to demonstrate His victory for He is victorious from the very beginning.  God's salvation has prepared a new and lively path for those of us who are weak so that we may be victorious and enjoy the glory with Him.   For this reason, God says in John 12:28,"I have glorified your name, and I will glorify it again."  God had already received His glory through Jesus Christ Himself, but now it is God's desire that He will be glorified through the church.  Therefore, the Lord said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone." If Jesus had not become flesh, He stands to be God from the past to now, but He was willing to die and be buried, He then bears much fruit.  Through this salvation, God's glory can be upon all His people - not only glory to God himself, but glory manifested through all believers.    In verse 4, the Lord says, "I have completed the work you entrusted me."  Because of His submission, God's glory is manifested, and we can also share this glory with God! Submission is forever the key to our spiritual victory and maturation.  Are you currently at the crossroads of submission? You can enter into God's glory by your submission! We need to come before the Lord, submit ourselves to God under His sovereignty and His guidance so that we may experience together all His abundant blessings and grace.                                Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, we thank you for you have forsaken the heavenly glory, and became flesh accomplishing this salvation.  Help us learn the lesson of submission so that your work will be done through us.  With thanks we pray, in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!