The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
John 12:23
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a pivotal moment in His ministry. A week before He stands before crowds calling for His execution, He is greeted fervently with shouts of “Hosanna!” The people welcome Him, hopeful that He will be their king.
In the Gospel of John, there is very little time to dwell on this positive and festive scene. Within a few sentences of the triumphal entry, Jesus says that His hour has come.
Many important events had transpired up until this point. His signs and teaching pointed to the kingdom, but they were all subservient to a coming culmination. Before He entered Jerusalem, His hour had not yet come (2:4, 7:30, 8:20). No one could force His hand, but now He was proceeding to the holy city to face the plan the Father had set for Him.
Jesus’ prophesy of His coming glory is given context in the next verse. His glory would come from His death. Even in that selfless sacrifice, His disciples would have a model for what true service and devotion looks like. Perhaps He had supernatural awareness of the sacrifice so many would have to make in His name, even to the point of losing their life. Beyond that, He was calling men to follow Him without exception.
If Jesus’ words to His disciples about the cost of following Him showed His divinity, His next words illustrate His humanity. The Christ admits His soul is troubled. His worry and concern could rightly be for Jerusalem, His disciples, His family, or even Himself. But in that state of being troubled, He defers to the purpose and glory of the Father.
As Christians, our perfect model of obedience in trying times is Jesus. His perfect constitution was never compromised, but He still felt the weight and burden of the human experience. On the precipice of an excruciating ordeal, He looks to the Father and has faith in His perfect plan. We can acknowledge the difficulties of life – even to suffering and death. But our steadfast Father has given us the Holy Spirit, Who allows us to pray to a Mediator who knows our weaknesses.
