Death and Glory.

Good morning. Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009. Usually I read some book with christian meditations every day. That provides input and often helps me to stay in track when various things try to frustrate or challenge me. Over the last days my book of devotions talked about the cross of Jesus. The cross is was the sign of his death as someone who was executed by the Roman authorities. It was a death in contempt, a death far away from any type of appreciation or glory!

But the interesting thing in the New Testament is that Jesus himself talks about the cross, his death and resurrection, as the glorification of God. He says that he glorifies God by this death and that God glorifies him. What is the glory in this death? Why and how is this full of honor? There are different answers we might give: 1) the honor came later, with the resurrection. This resurrection was reported by his disciples. God brought Jesus back from the death - that is indeed exciting! 2) The glory came in world history. Still today this Jesus is the best known figure in world history. More than any emperor, any chancellor or king, he is the one who is the central figure for all Christians and is known at least by name to all people on the planet. The story of Jesus is a fabulous story, incredible!

3) But all these answers do not hit the crucial point! There is another type of glory in the cross - not our glory, a deeper human glory! It is the glory of love, who give its own life for the life of others. It is the glory of peace, since God makes peace with people who fight him. It is the glory of mercy, since God gives life to people who have not and will not earn it by their own actions and existence. The glory of the cross is the glory of a truly human life, which is at the same time a truly holy and godly life. [R.P., Reading, UK]

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