Jesus’ hour had come. The eternal Son of God had taken up the mantle as the Son of Man to carry out His earthly mission. Prior to His gathering with His disciples in the upper room, John records His words: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:31–32).
Satan, the ruler of this world (1 John 5:19), has entered Judas Iscariot and the betrayer has gone into the night. The fuse has been lit. The cup of wrath poured. The climactic battle between Satan and the Seed of the woman is about to be engaged.
Our Lord Jesus frames the conflict in terms of glory. “So, when he [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately’” (John 13:31–32).
Glory is a central concern for Jesus. He left the glory of heaven to become incarnate as a human being. Yet even clothed in humanity, His glory is evident. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
He came on a mission to glorify the Father who sent Him (John 12:28; 17:1-5). The success of that mission would involve His sheep sharing His glory. He describes His hour of darkness in respect to His glorification. “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified” (John 12:23).
In regard to the meaning of His mission, in regard to carrying out the will of the Father, in regard to enemy engagement and the victory in view, Jesus frames things in terms of glory. Glory is the end product of the work Jesus came to do (John 17:4). Glory is the destination for deliverance.
When Judas went out and Jesus declared “now the Son of Man is glorified” (John 3:31), He is referring to the culmination of mission as the Shepherd who would lay down His life for His sheep. And that sacrifice as the Lamb of God was no longer at a distance; it was at hand (immediately).
Glory is not gained by accolade but by atonement. The road to glory would go through the cross. So that when Jesus says “now,” the weight of redemptive history falls upon Him. It was for the joy that was set before Him that He “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1–2) for us and for our salvation.
How is it you share in the glory of Jesus?
