And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
These words were spoken just before betrayal and death as part of final public teaching in the temple, and as He left the temple God's presence was withdrawn from it so that its ceremonies and services were thereafter meaningless. The occasion was the coming of certain Greeks saying they wanted to see Jesus, at a time when He stood in the shadow of the cross and His work looked to the disciples like cruel defeat and hopeless. The appointed hour for the Son of man to be glorified had come, and this hour was the cause for which He had come; though it troubled His soul, He faced it in order to glorify the Father's name.
This glorification means being lifted up on the cross and could take place only by His death for the salvation of the world. That coming death would involve bearing the guilt of fallen humanity and taking the Father's wrath against sin, and He saw beforehand both the death and the glorious victory that would result. As a grain of wheat cast into the earth to die and be buried out of sight and then live again, He had to give up His life; a grain remains alone unless it dies, but its death produces much fruit unto eternal life.
The Greeks who asked to see Him represented the Gentiles and the human race He came to save, bringing His whole mission as humanity's Redeemer into view. Their request was a pledge that people of every nation, tribe, and people would be drawn to Him and brought to God. His rejection and death by the Jews would be followed by His reception among the Gentiles who would receive the salvation rejected by many in Israel, and there would be a worldwide harvest. Through His death the partition between Jew and Gentile would be broken down and the gospel would reach all nations. So His sacrificial offering and propitiation for sin would bring all who believe into perfect harmony with God, His kingdom as Restorer would be perfected and extended throughout the world with His Spirit prevailing everywhere, contrary to the expectation of a temporal reign on David's throne in Jerusalem.
By His approaching death and resurrection He would become the first-fruits of a great harvest of believers and open the kingdom of heaven to all believers, bringing life to those united with Him by faith, including the dead raised from their graves. The harvest at Calvary and its contemplation will bear fruit unto eternal life and be the glory of those who live through eternal ages. The words express His anticipation and the consummation of His hopes as He looked into the future to nations awakening to their need of a power above finite power and proclaiming the Lamb of God who takes away sin. Now that the hour has come for Him to be lifted up from the earth, His followers, strengthened by His love and divine aid, are to carry the truth to the world and advance by faith.
These words were spoken just before betrayal and death as part of final public teaching in the temple, and as He left the temple God's presence was withdrawn from it so that its ceremonies and services were thereafter meaningless. The occasion was the coming of certain Greeks saying they wanted to see Jesus, at a time when He stood in the shadow of the cross and His work looked to the disciples like cruel defeat and hopeless. The appointed hour for the Son of man to be glorified had come, and this hour was the cause for which He had come; though it troubled His soul, He faced it in order to glorify the Father's name.
This glorification means being lifted up on the cross and could take place only by His death for the salvation of the world. That coming death would involve bearing the guilt of fallen humanity and taking the Father's wrath against sin, and He saw beforehand both the death and the glorious victory that would result. As a grain of wheat cast into the earth to die and be buried out of sight and then live again, He had to give up His life; a grain remains alone unless it dies, but its death produces much fruit unto eternal life.
The Greeks who asked to see Him represented the Gentiles and the human race He came to save, bringing His whole mission as humanity's Redeemer into view. Their request was a pledge that people of every nation, tribe, and people would be drawn to Him and brought to God. His rejection and death by the Jews would be followed by His reception among the Gentiles who would receive the salvation rejected by many in Israel, and there would be a worldwide harvest. Through His death the partition between Jew and Gentile would be broken down and the gospel would reach all nations. So His sacrificial offering and propitiation for sin would bring all who believe into perfect harmony with God, His kingdom as Restorer would be perfected and extended throughout the world with His Spirit prevailing everywhere, contrary to the expectation of a temporal reign on David's throne in Jerusalem.
By His approaching death and resurrection He would become the first-fruits of a great harvest of believers and open the kingdom of heaven to all believers, bringing life to those united with Him by faith, including the dead raised from their graves. The harvest at Calvary and its contemplation will bear fruit unto eternal life and be the glory of those who live through eternal ages. The words express His anticipation and the consummation of His hopes as He looked into the future to nations awakening to their need of a power above finite power and proclaiming the Lamb of God who takes away sin. Now that the hour has come for Him to be lifted up from the earth, His followers, strengthened by His love and divine aid, are to carry the truth to the world and advance by faith.