What Jesus Did! 'A New Definition for Glory' — John 13:31-32

Thursday, September 17, 2026

As soon as Judas left the room [to betray Jesus], Jesus said, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once."
— John 13:31-32 NLT

Key Thought

John has hinted from early in his gospel that Jesus would redefine glory. [1] The word for exalt or glorify actually means to lift up. [2] For Jesus, his glory will involve his being lifted up on the cross out of love for us and in obedience to the Father. Through his death, burial and resurrection, Jesus will bring the Father glory by fulfilling the Father's plan to bring us out of our bondage to sin and death. Are we willing to follow him to that kind of glory?

[1] John 5:44 NIV, 8:54, 12:14-16, 12:27-28.
[2] John 3:14, 8:28.

Today's Prayer

Give me courage, O God my Rock and my Redeemer, to accept the same kind of road to glory that Jesus walked ahead of me. I pray this in his powerful and holy name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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3 Related Resources by Heartlight

John 13:31
Devo: Today's Verse
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Some Mountains Matter More
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Illustration

Illustration of John 13:31-32 NLT — And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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