Glorified
The events of John 11 (the raising of Lazarus) and 12 took place within a week or two of the crucifixion. Jesus is declaring that the end of His public ministry is at hand, for the Son of Man to be glorified. This Greek word, doxazo, speaks of recognizing the magnificence of, and the honor and dignity due to, Jesus, the Son of Man. The Gospel of John emphasizes God's glory in its characterization of Jesus and His public ministry. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw [beheld] His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). His miracles were intended to reveal this glory, including His first miracle at Cana: This beginning of His signs [miracles] Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him (John 2:11). He was teaching His disciples that the glory of God comes from His Father; He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (John 7:18). Jesus recognized only the glory of His Father and not His own glory: Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God’” (John 8:54).
Son of Man Glorified
Therefore, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. John 13:31-32
Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was [His preincarnate glory]. John 17:5
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus spoke these words, teaching that God's glory is revealed to man through God’s Son, who would experience great humiliation and suffering, manifesting His glory through His humiliation. Paul saw this clearly in Philippians 2:8-11: Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason, also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It seems counter-intuitive that glory is demonstrated in humiliation, but this represents the predetermined plan of God, as revealed in Acts 2:23-24: this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. Jesus would get back His preincarnate glory upon His suffering and death. The believer finds God's glory through being humbled. The humiliation by which God is manifested to the world is the glory of God in the person of the Son of Man. This is to be followed by the glory of the Son of Man in the person of God, by His return to His preincarnate state as the Son of Man.
Pioneer of Salvation
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author [archegos – pioneer] of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, "I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE." And again, "I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM." And again, "BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME." Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless [disarm] him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:9-15
The writer of Hebrews understood that Jesus' suffering was intentional, meant to illustrate a pathway to bring many sons to glory. If He had not become man, He could not have died and tasted death for every man. Angels cannot save lost sinners and restore man's lost dominion. Christ is not only the last Adam, but He is also the pioneer of salvation, one who opens the way for others to follow. Christ gave up His glory to become man. Now He shares that glory with all who trust Him for salvation. He is bringing many sons and daughters to glory! Believers in Him are His brethren. This is a quote from Psalm 22:22 - a messianic psalm - in which Christ refers to His church as His brethren. This means we share the same nature and belong to the same family! The writer also quoted Isa 8:17-18 from the LXX, referencing Jesus Christ. Not only are believers His brethren, but we are also His children: Behold I and the children whom God has given Me. If Jesus Christ did not come to earth and become man, He could not take us from earth to share in His glory. The Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection must go together, all leading to glory.
Lose Your Life
And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified [doxazo – recognized with divine honor and dignity]. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me the Father will honor him. John 12:23-26
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20
Jesus used the image of a grain of wheat to illustrate the truth that there can be no glory without suffering, no fruitful life without death, no victory without surrender. On its own, a grain of wheat is weak and useless; but when it is planted, it dies and becomes fruitful. There is both beauty and bounty when a grain of wheat dies and fulfills its purpose. It can achieve its goal only by being planted. God's children are like grains of wheat. They are small and insignificant, but they have life in them, God's life. However, that life can never be fulfilled unless the believer yields himself to God and permits God to plant him. He must die to self (crucified with Christ) so that he may live unto God. The only way to have a fruitful life is to follow Jesus Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. In these words, Jesus challenges each follower to surrender his life to Him. The believer's challenge is about whose life he exalts, his or Christ's. By accepting his death to self, he finds the superior life of Christ. This new life is the avenue into the fullness of life as a servant, where the Father's honor is realized.
Compelled by Love
For the love [agape] of Christ controls [sunecho – compels, motivates] us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore, from now on we recognize [eido – regard, evaluate] no one according to the flesh [human standards]; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
The believer’s relationship with Jesus is through His love. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). In his pursuit of God, Paul discovered that when he lived for Christ and not himself, Christ love compelled or controlled him. It is a divine energy, the unconditional and self-sacrificing agape love that motivated him to serve others as Christ would have. The first “therefore” of this passage addresses the relationship to Christ according to the spiritual and not human standards, meaning that the man Jesus is now glorified, to be viewed as Christ (Messiah), the second Adam and head of the church, having taken first place in the believer’s life (Colossians 1:18). The second “therefore” is an encouragement to all who have recognized Jesus as Lord, in Christ, thus experiencing their new lives and a segway from their previous motivations. “For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me” (Job 32:18).
Taking Up One’s Cross
And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:34-38
Jesus invited any interested onlooker to become a follower, a disciple, providing two conditions: denying oneself and taking up one’s cross. He was speaking of a willingness to say “no” to selfish interests while saying “yes” to the will of God. It means a conviction to do the things you don't want to do while not doing the things you want to do. In the Mark passage, the emphasis on losing one's life is for the sake of the gospel. He then adds questions concerning the legacy of the soul versus the worldly gains that are available to those who are not concerned about their eternal future. Jesus is saying that one cannot live for now and still receive any rewards in eternity. Eternal life begins the moment one believes; he is immediately challenged with what things he prioritizes: temporal benefits or eternal blessings. Jesus then directly addressed the Pharisees and others who did not see him as the Messiah, as the one to be honored despite His humble means. Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20). Very few could see the glory of the one who came to demonstrate humility.
The Hope of Glory
to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
For momentary [parautika – brief], light [elaphros – easy to bear] affliction [thlipsis – outward pressures, hardships, distresses] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10
Paul, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, was speaking mainly to non-Jews. During the Old Testament dispensation, a Gentile had to become a Jewish proselyte to share in the blessings of Israel. But in the new dispensation, Jews and Gentiles alike are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. The Jewish false teachers opposed Paul, but in Christ, there is no difference! The Jews were no longer excluded from the glory and riches of God's grace. Paul preached this present and indwelling Christ as the hope of glory; for no man could rationally hope for glory who had not been pardoned of his sins, and whose nature was not sanctified; and none could have pardon but through the blood of His cross; and none could have glorification but through the indwelling, sanctifying Spirit of Christ.
All of Paul’s hardships were nothing in
view of the eternal glory that would be his when he was in Christ, walking in
His presence and being like Him. All his heavy, continuous burdens were light,
easy to bear, and momentary, brief. Though he wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:23-25
of his many hardships that would normally be beyond his ability to endure, yet his
conviction of the coming glory of Christ far outweighed any struggles the world
afforded him. Paul saw clearly that his vision of things not seen, including
His eternal glory, gave him the divine ability to face any difficulty with
strength and resolve. Peter's perspective was similar: God Himself would
restore him and make him strong, firm, and steadfast, established in His
eternal glory.
Looking Intently on Jesus
Fixing our eyes [aphorao – looking away intently] on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
The joy set before Jesus on the way to the cross was His glorification (John 17:5), an acknowledgment that His
work on earth was complete. According to John 17:22, the unity that Jesus purchased for His disciples
is a byproduct of the glory Jesus has given to them: "The glory which You [The Father] have given Me [Jesus] I have
given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.” Walking in that
glory comes from looking intently on Jesus, a faithful follower, where
believers find unity of mind, life, and purpose.
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