Glorify the Father

A voice came from heaven: “I have glorified my name, and I will glorify it again.” John 12:28b 

It is one of the few times in which God the Father speaks audibly in the New Testament. His voice speaks out loudly and demonstratively. The crowd that had gathered around Jesus heard it boom like thunder and knew it was not the voice of any earthly being. The words of the Father were simple and direct. “I have glorified my name, and I will glorify it again.” 

In the past the Father had glorified His name. He had exalted it, lifting it high above any other name that could ever be spoken, that could ever be called upon. He was known to His people as the God of free and faithful grace. He was glorified as the God who fulfills His promises as 

age to age His people recounted His mighty deeds through creation and deliverance and provision. But His greatest glory awaited its revelation. He promised Adam and Eve a head crusher. He promised Abraham all nations would be blessed through his offspring. He promised David that the Messiah would establish his reign forever. He promised through Isaiah that the Savior would miraculously be born through the virgin. Through all of these promises, the Father glorified His name as He planned for our salvation. 

In the time of our text, the Father’s name was glorified when His obedient Son came to glorify His own name. Jesus came into the world to bring honor to the Father by fulfilling His will, even to the point of death on the cross. He was the kernel of wheat that was buried deep in death so that He would rise to bring a full harvest of the grain, the redeemed saints that rise to give the Triune God all glory, praise, and honor. Jesus Christ came into this world to completely fulfill the promises made by the God of free and faithful grace. 

And now a greater glory awaits. The Son, who intercedes for us even now, will also return. He will return in power and in judgment upon a world who refuses to glorify God. He will send out His holy angels to call the faithful few from the farthest corners of the earth. He will raise the bodies of all deceased people and unite them with their souls once again. He will lovingly cradle the sheep, those who believe in Him, in His arms as He whisks them away to Heaven. And there they will forever glorify the Father, Son, and Spirit through their songs of praise. 

“I have glorified my name, and I will glorify it again.” Let us in this Lenten season and through our lives join in the gospel refrains of the saints triumphant. Let us tell the generations, now and to come, the praiseworthy deeds of our God. In this way, we truly glorify His name. Blessings as we join together in praise, 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal Teacher 

Coming up in the near future at Immanuel Lutheran School: 

❖ Our third quarter ends on Friday, March 15. That is also the day of our Accelerated Reader field trip to the Chaos Water Park in Eau Claire. Parents are welcome to attend the trip. If any parents going wish to swim as well, they may do so but would have to pay

the entrance fee. Permission slips have been sent home with the request for $5 per child for the lunch expenses. 

❖ Our spring MAP assessments will be given the week of March 18-22.

❖ There will be no bus service on Thursday, March 28. We will not have school on Good Friday (March 29) and Easter Monday (April 1). 

❖ On Wednesday, April 3, there will be a fundraiser night for the Youth Rally in Colorado this summer. If you wish to participate, you simply need to order from Subway that evening. A portion of the sales will be donated to Immanuel. 

❖ Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences will be on April 8 and April 11 and will follow the format of the fall conferences.