‘Easter Glory’
- Apr 18, 2025
- 5 min read
‘Glory of Good Friday!’
John Piper said: "This is the ultimate reason for the death of Jesus — he came to repair the injury we had done to the glory of God."
He laid aside His glory (Phil 2:1–11). He emptied Himself, enduring utter humiliation, for the glory of the Father.
John Piper goes on to say, "Christ loses glory in suffering and dying precisely for the ways I have caused God to lose glory in my sins." He says, “the heart of this redemptive work is that Christ came to be inglorious."
That’s why Good Friday is life-changing in every way. Sin was dealt with along with the life changing glory. The bible tells us we have "all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Roms 3:23).
Not one of us can stand until we realise what Good Friday is all about:
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross" (Col 2:13-14).
Paul Tripp says, “Apart from the life-giving grace of Jesus, you and I really were dead people walking... Dead to seeking his grace. Dead to a desire to live for his glory. Dead to an understanding of his gospel.”
Then Colossians 2:15 says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
When we think of Easter Glory, no doubt we would think about Easter day and Jesus rising from the dead. That is true. Hallelujah!
But the ultimate demonstration of Easter Glory is at the cross!
Read the first five verses of John 17 and you will begin to have a better understanding of Easter Glory. Also John 13:31; Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him.”
The cross is where the ‘Prince of Glory’ died. He had to die, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb 12:2).
John 12:27 ff: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
Easter Glory is displayed at the cross, because Christ’s death provided actual atonement for our sin. Wonderfully, anyone who believes will be saved and given eternal life. Wow!
The cross becomes my only approach to a Holy God. It is my only boast. Paul knew!
“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14).
The cross is the place that has power to change us from the inside out!
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).
Charles Wesley said it in my favourite hymn: “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour’s blood? Died He for me who caused His pain? For me, whom Him to death pursued. Amazing love, how can it be, that thou, my God should die for me!”
‘Glory of Easter Day!’
In Romans 6:4, Paul states that “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk (today) in NEWNESS of LIFE!”
God’s purpose through the Glory of Easter is clearly stated. It is so that “we too might walk in newness of life.” We need to understand afresh this glorious truth, that the same glory of God in the form of His mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us, to enable us to live (walk) in His new life! Amazing!
N.T. Wright writes: "The resurrection of Jesus doesn't leave us passive, helpless spectators. We find ourselves lifted up, set on our feet, given new breath in our lungs and commissioned to go make new creation happen in this world."
He rose from the dead by the glory of the Father. Everything about the resurrection of Jesus Christ was glorious.
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom 6:5).
Marcus Borg says, “Jesus is, for us as Christians, the decisive revelation of what a life full of God looks like. Radically centred in God and filled with the Spirit, his life incarnates the character of God, indeed, the passion of God.”
I would go on to say, “and the Glory of God.”
Remember, Jesus said in John 17:1, “glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.”
He meant the glory of Easter day would be His rising again but also the breaking of the chains of death, hell and sin, and securing freedom for us once and for all. He glorified the Father by bringing the redeemed to His heavenly throne. Nothing pleases Father God more than when the saving work of Christ is manifested in and through us.
Look at Romans 6:11: “So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ”
The glory of God reveals the presence of God. We need to realise, sin and God and His glory can’t co-exist because sin will always dishonour Him and will always detract from His glory. Paul, writing to the church in Rome, said wherever sin is – glory isn’t! We will always lose or rob God of His glory where we’re ‘exchanging the glory of God’ for images (Rom 1:23).
This is again made clear Romans 3:23 — “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” or “lack the glory of God.”
So, for us to truly know and experience the Glory of Easter Day we must allow the Holy Spirit to work afresh in us.
There can be no demonstration of the glory of God without a submission to the government of God; a submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
"Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living" (Rom 14:9).
'Christ in you' as 'the hope of glory'. Now, indwelling us by His Spirit He will restore in us His own image and character that has been lost through sin.
To be filled with the glory of God is God's ultimate goal in salvation.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (Roms 5:1-2).
Easter changes everything – doesn’t it?
We have new life in Jesus NOW! Through Christ’s resurrection we have a glorious hope of eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and new life in Christ. That’s incredible!
Jesus keeps His promise even if death gets in the way.
After all the powers of darkness had their day, and did their worst, Jesus shattered their power, He threw off their chains, and He rose in Easter Glory to the dawn of a new day.
Here we have the solution to any doubt about Him – He’s alive.
Easter glory breaks in!
Glory of Easter is the Glory of the Resurrection – there’s no greater glory!
Come and worship Him today!
Prayer - "Father, forgive us for being witnesses of your majesty and yet living as though you do not exist. Forgive us, Lord, when we put more hope in the things of this earth than in the incredible promises of your heaven. Have mercy on our hardened hearts. Transform us into your likeness. Amen" Max Lucado
Thank you Jesus for the new creation you have made me, for giving me new life by the mighty power of God, who raised Jesus from rhe dead. Thank You for the forgiveness of my sins through the power of the cross, Your death and resurrection.
Have a richly blessed Easter.