¹ Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You …”

Requesting glory for Himself, Jesus is the only person in the universe that escapes moral guilt for doing so. Such “self-centeredness” in a mere human would be outrageous when spoken in such a bold manner: “Glorify me.” Although Jesus, as He often does, refers to Himself in the third person, there is no question to whom “the Son” refers. If Jesus wasn’t God, then such a request would be tantamount to blaspheme, the same as saying, “Let me occupy the center of the Universe.”

Satan had the objective, as Isaiah cryptically wrote, “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit” (Isaiah 14:13–15). Eve and Adam were so tempted in the Garden of Eden by that same evil thought, “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). The desire to be like God, even to replace God, is the heart of sin, the creature taking the place of the Creator.

The irony drips over because humans are made in God’s image, so there was no need to strive to “be like God,” for they already were like Him, as much so as any creation can possibly be. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). But in their sin, humans “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures” (Rom 1:23). What man can’t have, man corrupts.

Yet, here is Jesus asking for that very glory that man aspires to, that man corrupts. That in desiring, man reveals a sinful heart to supplant God. If Jesus were just a man, then He would be completely off center, and blasphemous to make such a request. But, He is not just a man, a creature. He is the Son of God, who, “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:6–7). Jesus was not a man trying to become God and grasp the glory that was not His. No, He was God the Son, who set aside His glory and became man, now requesting His glory back. His purpose in being incarnated is now coming to completion.

Lord, show me Your glory that I might worship You in truth and spirit.