For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) The moment Judas gets up from the table during the ‘Last Supper’ to go and betray Jesus, there was confusion in the room. At the moment Judas disappeared into the night, Jesus said, “Now the Song of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him…” Jesus knows that he is about to be betrayed unto death… and Jesus says calmly to the remaining confused disciples, “Now the Song of Man has been glorified.” What could Jesus mean? What images do you have in your mind when you hear the word, “Glory?” As the years have past my understanding of the word “Glory,” has evolved. I think Jesus says his phrase in the past tense because, the journey to the cross began when Judas left the room and ran off to betray Jesus to the religious leaders. There was no turning back, and from this point on for Jesus, only suffering and cross was to be Jesus’ destiny. Meaning, we would soon see the ‘Glory’ of God in the suffering and death of Jesus, as our Savior, the Lamb of God. In Jesus’ death, we receive life. In Jesus suffering, we see God’s faithfulness and we receive hope. A new era has begun with the betrayal of Jesus. God’s love will be seen on the Cross, and culminated with the resurrection of our Servant King. But that is not the end of the story, with every one of our acts of love, mercy and compassion, a hurting world will witness God’s blessing, love and mercy. This is what we do as the Body of Christ. We celebrate God’s amazing grace at worship, and then we are sent out to share what we have received…