John 13:31-33 31Then when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and immediately will glorify him. 33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ I also now say to you,
After Judas had left the group, Jesus focused his teaching on preparing the disciples for what was soon to come. The storyline shifts at this point as Jesus begins his farewell discourse. His talk is interrupted at several points by different disciples, such as Peter (13:37), Thomas (14:5), Philip (14:8), and Judas (not Iscariot, 14:22). Their questions move the teaching along and help answer questions or address attitudes of the disciples and, by extension, the readers of John’s Gospel. Verse 31 serves as a form of thesis sentence expressing in summary the outcome of all that would take place from this point until the end of the Gospel. The word now shows the urgency of what was about to happen. The “hour” had finally come (12:23). Jesus’ ministry had led up to and prepared for this moment.
The word “glory” (doxa) is repeated five times in verses 31 and 32. This significant biblical word expresses the awesomeness of divinity. It is a significant word in John and occurs in this Gospel more than any other New Testament book. Jesus came to show God’s glory to people. The climax of the revelation of God’s glory in Jesus was on the cross. The irony of divine glory seen in suffering and humiliation is significant because it shows the extent of God’s love for sinful humanity. The first occurrence of the word in verse 31 is an aorist passive (edoxasthē). The same form of the verb is used three times in these two verses. The passive voice indicates that the Father is the one who glorified the Son. Jesus’ death on the cross was the Father’s plan. It would be a fulfillment of Isaiah 49:3, which prophesied that the Servant would glorify God. The aorist tense suggests a definite point in time when this glory would happen. Although Jesus does not mention his death here, that is the most logical point of time when this would happen.
The wording of verse 32 is awkward and repetitive but gets the point across by repeating the key idea from verse 31. Jesus’ mission was the Father’s mission. The two were so joined together as to be one and the same. When the Father glorified the Son, the Son would also point to the Father and bring glory to the Father for the wisdom and love of his plan. By believing in and accepting the message of the cross, the disciples and all who read this Gospel would glorify the Almighty God and experience the power of his plan of salvation. This glorification would happen immediately, as soon as Jesus was finished giving his final words to his disciples.
The disciples may not have connected the idea of glorifying God and Jesus’ suffering, but Jesus prepared them for the next few days by his words of care and love as expressed in the following chapters. His address of Little children indicates his position as leader and host of the growing band of followers. John used the same term seven times in his first epistle in addressing his community. Jesus’ time with his disciples was coming to a close. Verse 33 could refer to Jesus’ death and burial for three days or his ascension.
Jesus repeats the comment he told the Jews in 7:33–34 and 8:21. There would be a separation between Jesus and his disciples, but this separation would not be forever. The power of his resurrection would ensure their continued relationship. The presence of the Holy Spirit would continue their fellowship. Jesus’ words powerfully point to the answer to the doubts and struggles we may have in believing in something that happened two thousand years ago. The path to experiencing God’s glory is through the cross.
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