Life-spark: Check out God’s display ( John 17:1-12)
I have a friend who builds homes in seventeen cities. His company has a display home in each of those cities. Instead of just seeing pictures, potential buyers can walk into the display home and discover for themselves its quality and beauty. They can check out the smallest details.
In a similar way, God put His love and His life – He put Himself – on display in Jesus. The Bible word for this attractive display is “glory.” To ‘glorify’ is to express in a good light, to reveal the beauty and qualities of a person or thing.
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1, NIV)
Then Jesus said to the Father, “I spelled out your character in detail.” (John 17:6, MSG) What is God’s character? First, God is love. The words “God” and “love” occur together 388 times in the Bible. Second, God is life. God is life in it’s original and highest dimension.
God is life and gives life. God is love and gives love. In love, He gave His life to us in Jesus. (Giving yourself – your life – to someone else is the essence of love.) We can see from the words of Jesus, recorded in John 17, that the Father gives life to the Son, who gives life to the Spirit, who gives life to us. Just as my builder friend invites interested people into his display home, God invites us into His loving aliveness.
Five years ago, I found myself in a dark cave of depression. My wife and several friends helped me take another look, a closer look, at God’s self-display – His amazing, unearned love for me. What I saw saved my life.
And now, since I am alive in His aliveness, alive in His love, I can be a small part of God’s display. I can speak hope to others. What Jesus prayed has come to pass: And my life is on display in them. (John 17:10b, MSG)
Life-challenge – Take five minutes and read John 17. Be as attentive as you would if you were looking at a house you thought you might buy.