The honour of the Father was always the highest value for Jesus – he came to do the Father's will. And when human glory came his way, like when the crowds were cheering or the Greeks came to Philip, that was his signal to focus on the Father. He told the crowds straight up that he was not going to be the Messiah they were clamouring for, not the conqueror of the Romans. Instead he was going to be lifted up on the cross, to draw all people to himself. He would die, to conquer their sins, to save their souls, as the Father wished, so that they could experience eternal life. And the Father would then glorify Jesus by raising him from the dead on the third day, as an affirmation of everything he said, and a foreshadowing of the resurrection to come.
We who believe in Jesus are those to whom the arm of the Lord has been revealed. We strive to walk in the light of Christ, and we seek the honour of the Father, not the honour of the world. For while the glory that comes from the world is fickle and fleeting and comes with parades, we know that the glory that comes from God is hard-won through the blood of Jesus, and it is a glory that will be permanent.
Gracious God, help us to witness even when it is unpopular, and enable us to serve even when it is unexciting, in Jesus' name. Amen.