18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
This verse consists of maxims that confirm that Jesus spoke the truth and His opponents were not capable of determining what truth was.
18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory;
Jesus was no self-appointed prophet. If Jesus taught only what came from His humanity, His teaching would be finite and designed to glorify what He knew. This was true of the Jewish leaders at this time. They wanted the approval of men rather than God.
but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true,
Jesus did not seek honor or glory for Himself. His goal was to glorify God. He did not appeal to the long list of rabbis and what they thought. His appeal was to the “One who sent Him.”
and no unrighteousness is in Him.
Jesus represented the Father properly. A teacher who is centered on God rather than himself can detect the will of God. A heart open to God will receive what God says without obstruction of the self getting in the way.
PRINCIPLE:
We either speak from God or we speak from self.
APPLICATION:
Many religious leaders are in religion for their own glory. They are self-serving in what they do. They teach out of a desire for personal honor. Jesus did not do that. He sought only the honor of the Father. By this He was a man of truth. Jesus claimed absolute integrity for Himself.
