I Have Glorified You on the Earth
I Have Glorified You on the Earth
One of the most beautiful chapters of the Gospel is the long prayer of Christ on Thursday evening, on His way to Golgotha, at the conclusion of His earthly ministry.
How wonderful it would be if we memorized this entire chapter by heart.
Tonight, let us take a few verses from it for meditation, beginning with:
“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4)
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me.” (John 17:6)
“The words which You gave Me I have given them, and they have received them and have known surely that I came forth from You.” (John 17:8)
“I pray for them…” (John 17:9)
“I Have Glorified You on the Earth”
Have you truly, my brother, glorified God on the earth as Christ glorified Him through His life, His preaching, and His death?
Can you conclude your life with this phrase? Were you a true image and example of God, so that whoever saw you glorified God because of you? Did people see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven?
Do you glorify God in your service, in your words, in your spiritual conduct, in building the Kingdom, in your body and in your spirit which belong to God? (1 Corinthians 6:20)
Was the glory of God the main goal of your life? Or were you overtaken by secondary goals related to self-glory, comfort, and pleasure?
Did you set before yourself the words of King Solomon: “I built myself houses, planted myself vineyards… whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them” (Ecclesiastes 2:4,10),
or did you say, like Christ, “I have glorified You on the earth” (John 17:4)?
If God’s glory was not your only goal, was it at least among your goals? And if you did not glorify God, may it at least be that His name was not blasphemed because of you.
Christ glorified the Father in everything and said: “I do not receive honor from men” (John 5:41).
And God’s beloved in every generation say: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).
In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask for God’s glory first: “Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done” (Matthew 6:9–10),
before asking anything for ourselves.
Ask yourself from now on: What have I done for the glory of God?
Those who glorified God on earth, their glory will be in heaven, for He said: “Those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).
“The Work Which You Have Given Me to Do, I Have Finished”
Christ did not say, “I did it,” but rather, “I have finished it”—meaning He completed it to perfection and was faithful to the end. Are you the same in your work?
God has given you a soul, children, a family, a service, responsibilities, gifts, and talents. Did you glorify God in all of these? Did you complete your work?
The child entrusted to you by the Church at baptism—did you teach him the way of the Lord?
The Word of God which Scripture says,“You shall teach them diligently to your children” (Deuteronomy 6:6),
did you teach it to them?
Will you be able to say:“The work which You have given me to do, I have finished”?
You are about to give an account before God when He says:“Give an account of your stewardship” (Luke 16:2).
Will you say, “I have finished it”?
Examine yourself before God examines you. And if you find something incomplete, complete it now, before the door is shut. For the Lord says:“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
“I Have Manifested Your Name to the People”
Thus said Christ to the Father: “I have manifested Your name to the men” (John 17:6), “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it” (John 17:26).
Were you proud of this name? Did you reveal it to others?
Did you say with David the prophet:“I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed” (Psalm 119:46)?
Did you love the name of the Lord and go among people speaking to them about Him?
Did you speak to everyone God placed in your path about the Lord, His way, His love, and His wondrous redemption?
How many people loved God through you—through your words and your example?
Can you say with Christ:“Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost” (John 17:12)?
Can you stand with them victorious on the last day and say:“Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me” (Isaiah 8:18)?
How much we need people who work in the vineyard of the Lord, manifest His name, keep souls in His truth, and give them His word.
“The Words Which You Gave Me I Have Given Them”
Lord, I did not speak from Myself. The words You placed in My mouth are the words I spoke.
I did not give them my own ideas or philosophies, but Your word.
I am not the owner of a school of thought, nor of a personal philosophy. I am merely one who knocks at Your door, taking from You a word to give to the people.
Give me, Lord, the message You want me to deliver. “Open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.”
Let me experience what You said to Your disciples: “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matthew 10:20).
I do not want to speak from myself, for Scripture says: “Let not many of you become teachers” (James 3:1).
Give me the word that benefits people, for You know what suits them.
Your word is “sweeter than honey” (Psalm 19:10) and “enlightens the eyes” (Psalm 19:8).
Ask yourself continually: Is every word you give to others first taken from God?
Prepare yourself by pouring your heart before God, so that He prepares the message.
“For Their Sake I Pray”
It is not enough to speak the word; we must also pray.
Prayer gives the word power, and gives the listener strength, willingness, and perseverance.
Service is not only teaching—it is also prayer.
Perhaps you see sinners in your life. Do you criticize them, avoid them, or speak to them?
But have you ever said from your heart: “For their sake I pray”?
Let us pray for everyone—and also for ourselves—
and not stop at teaching or fall into mere commentary and criticism.
