I Have Glorified You on the Earth (John 17) – Part 2

This lecture revolves around Christ’s farewell prayer in John 17, especially His words: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that glorifying God is not about words, but about a life lived and a mission fulfilled.

Glorification through Life and Work

His Holiness explains that Christ glorified the Father through His holy life and through redemption. This glorification was practical and real, not merely spoken words. Words alone are not enough unless they are translated into holy living.

Spiritual Accountability

Christ, approaching the cross, presents a “spiritual account” before the Father. Every servant and believer is called to examine himself daily and ask:
Can I truly say at the end of my life, “I have glorified You on the earth”?

Knowing God as Father

Christ revealed a new name for God — the loving Father. This is not just intellectual knowledge, but a relationship of love and communion, leading to God dwelling within the believer.

True Service

Service is not the transfer of information, but the transmission of God’s love. If service does not lead people to love God and enter into fellowship with Him, it remains mere intellectual knowledge without life.

The Word Given by God

His Holiness emphasizes that a servant can only give what he has first received from God. The word that changes hearts is the word that comes from God, not human wisdom.

Spiritual Fruit

The true spiritual word penetrates the heart and soul and moves the will toward repentance and action, as seen in Peter’s sermon that bore the fruit of three thousand souls.

Final Message

Glorifying God happens on earth, in the body, through a holy life and by completing the work entrusted by God, so that one may finally hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

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