August 30, 2023
Treasuring Our Time With Children
“Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, Where I am going, you cannot come.’”
John 13:31-33 (NASB)
The older each us of get, we start to think of all the freedoms we will receive as Christians one day when we arrive in heaven. Since heaven is our eternal abode, we look forward to ending the things of this life which bind us from freedoms, peace, and pain we experience. I remember a dream I had years ago shortly after our daughter graduated to heaven. I couldn’t believe the joy I had within my heart to see her again. She was as I remembered her, but more focused on something other, more beautiful in presence, and more at peace than I had ever known. She was so much more than I could imagine when I saw her. Her final words in my dream were, “Dad, I have to go…” Words that crushed my soul, but words that told me there was something more. It consumed her focus. This is what Jesus looked to as well with the disciples as He said, “Little children, I am with you a little while longer.” He longed to go home.
“Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.” Now Judas had departed, Jesus was free to share with the disciples things which would not be accomplished in Judas’ life; the ability to see things from God’s perspective. Through the cross, Jesus would demonstrate His full obedience to the Father’s will. Through His full obedience, Jesus proved His divine Sonship and therefore radiated the glory of the Father. “Because Father and Son enjoyed perfect unity with each other, any glory flowing to the Son equally displayed the Father’s own splendor. But the splendor of Father and Son radiating from the Cross would be matched in the Resurrection: God … will glorify him at once (13:32). The glory of the Resurrection would serve not to cancel the shame of the Cross, but to extend its glory. Amazingly, then, the radiant splendor of the Son streamed forth more brightly as the betrayer disappeared into the darkness.”[1] “Little children, I am with you a little while longer.” The term tekna or “little children,” Jesus used was a term of endearment for His disciples. The term referred to those who were born into the kingdom of God. “Little,” refers to their youth in spiritual maturity at the time. Paul too, uses a similar term as well in many of his writings.
Children often do not have full understanding as adults. What is learned, takes time. It takes growth and maturity to learn concepts and understanding. Jesus told the disciples they were about see Him leave them in a short time. Less than a day later He would die upon the cross, but they did not grasp the concept then. As we spiritually age, we understand there are so many things we want to do in this life, especially when it comes to the things of God. I challenge you to look at Jesus’s example and see how He lived His life to the fullest. It was so we might enjoy a place with Him. But it took sacrifice. His death left a lasting legacy for all generations to come. You and I can also affect the next generation, so live your life to the fullest for Jesus Christ!
[1] Dongell, J. (1997). John: a Bible commentary in the Wesleyan tradition (p. 170). Wesleyan Publishing House.