Watch Tower: The Most Important Thing to Jesus?

 

On their website the Watch Tower write:

‘As we read Jesus’ prayer in John chapter 17, we can see Jesus’ deep love not only for his apostles but also for us. (John 17:20) The most important thing to Jesus, though, is not our salvation. During the whole time he was on earth, the most important thing to him was to glorify his Father’s name. For example, when Jesus first explained why he had come to earth, he read from the scroll of Isaiah: “Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor.” We can be sure that when Jesus read this, he pronounced God’s name clearly. —Luke 4:16-21.

‘Long before Jesus came to earth, Jewish religious leaders taught people not to use God’s name. Imagine how much Jesus must have hated that tradition. He said to those religious leaders: “I have come in the name of my Father, but you do not receive me; if someone else arrived in his own name, you would receive that one.” (John 5:43) Then, a few days before his death, Jesus again mentioned what was most important to him when he prayed: “Father, glorify your name.” (John 12:28) And in the prayer that we are discussing, it is also clear that the most important thing in Jesus’ life was to give glory to his Father’s name.’

That You May Have Life

Sarah points out in our Facebook discussions that Jesus clearly stated his purpose in coming. John reports Jesus’ words in his gospel and in their full context they are sobering for anyone who would misrepresent Jesus’ purpose:

‘I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep willnot listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’ (John 10:7-10, ESV)

Of course, Jesus did come in his Father’s name, as they say (John 5:43) but this doesn’t speak to purpose but authority. When a police officer detains you ‘in the name of the law’ their purpose is not to make the name of the police known. Their words are a declaration of the authority that comes with a warrant card. If we want to know Jesus’ purpose we must look at passages that speak of his purpose:

‘I have come...to call sinners’ Matthew 9:13

‘I have come into the world as a light, that who ever believes in me may not remain in darkness’ John.12:46

‘The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.’ Luke.19:10

‘For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world-to bear witness to the truth.’ John 18:37

Of course, Jesus’ came to glorify the name of God, to make it known. However, this is not to the relegation of his saving work, but through it. Consider, in context, Jesus’ words quoted on their website:

‘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.’ John:12:27

Earlier in the passage Jesus said, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.’ (vv 23/24)

Jesus’ disciples have been approached by ‘Greeks,’ what the Bible calls ‘God-fearers.’ Jesus speaks of his impending torture and death, and the mission to the Gentiles cannot be inaugurated until he atones for them on the cross. This is why his heart is troubled – the hour has come. Note, it is the Son of Man that is glorified.

The Name

The name of God isn’t Jehovah. Neither did Jesus use God’s name. As Barry pointed out in our Facebook discussion:

‘I can hardly believe that the ‘good news’ for the poor was Jesus ‘glorifying’ God’s name! God’s task for Jesus is clearly laid out in John 3 v 16. I’d also doubt that they ‘know’ that Jesus pronounced God’s name as if He had there would have been some reaction from the audience - none is mentioned. God’s name was not spoken in those days which is why we don’t know, today, how it should be pronounced.’

You can read an article on the Reachout website about How we Sanctify God’s Name but I want to draw a lesson from an event in the Exodus that spectacularly demonstrates what is being missed here by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Exodus 32 tells the infamous story of the golden calf, built by Aaron and worshipped by Israel, even as they waited for Moses to come back from talking to God.

‘And the LORD said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn against them and I consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.’

‘But Moses implored the LORD his God and said,’O LORD, why does your wrath burn against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth.’ Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven...And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.’ (Exodus 32:9-14)

Moses’ concern was for ‘the name’ but he expressed his concern in terms of reputation not pronunciation. God had made solemn promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel by his own name. God’s glorification is achieved through the vindication of his reputation (his name) in the fulfilment of promise. Jesus is the ultimate fulfilment of promise, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:20, NIV)

If Jesus had walked away from the cross Moses’ concern would be realised. God’s reputation would be shattered, and he would cease to be God. Yet the Watch Tower regard the atonement as a second order mission which could be met or not, so long as Jesus made God’s name pronounced. The name of God is tied up intimately with the work of Christ on the cross. The mission to the Gentiles can begin, and people taken from every nation can, through faith in him, become kingdom people – as God promised in his own name.

Footnote

If you want to read a helpful commentary on the idea of God relenting, or ‘repenting’ as the KJV has it, you can find one on Matt Slick’s CARM website.