“When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day” (2 Thessalonians 1:10 KJV)
Why should Jesus be glorified and admired? Well, the Scriptures provide us with a variety of reasons…
Jesus is compassionate: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
Jesus is selfless: “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Jesus expressed forgiveness for those who were complicit in His death: “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do'” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus did not seek to promote Himself: “Holding her hand, he said to her, ‘Talitha koum,’ which means ‘Little girl, get up!’ And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat” (Mark 5:41-43 NLT).
Jesus is opposed to hypocrisy: “Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you. So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you” (Matthew 6:1-4 GW).
Jesus is self-sacrificial: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Jesus associates with those who are rejected by others: “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them'” (Luke 15:1).
Jesus helps those who have nothing to offer Him: “When Jesus was in one of the towns, there was a man covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed before him and begged him, ‘Lord, you can heal me if you will.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, ‘I will. Be healed!’ Immediately the disease disappeared” (Luke 5:12-13 NCV).
Jesus’ love is enduring: “…Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).