(32) If God be glorified in him.--These words are omitted by a majority of the best MSS. God shall also glorify him in himself.--The tense now changes to the future, and the glory thought of is that of the Father's throne. The words "in Himself," refer to "God," not to "the Son of Man." The thought is that the humiliation by which God is manifested to the world is the glory of God in the person of the Son of Man, and that this shall be followed by the glory of the Son of Man in the person of God, not simply and generally by His return to the glory of the pre-incarnate state, but by His return to it as the Son of Man. (Comp. Notes on John 17:4-5.) And shall straightway glorify him.--This accounts for the present tense of the last verse. The whole is present to His mind as occurring forthwith. 13:31-35 Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought, yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled state. Satisfaction was thereby made for the wrong done to God by the sin of man. We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we shall follow him hereafter; meanwhile we must wait his time, and do his work. Before Christ left the disciples, he would give them a new commandment. They were to love each other for Christ's sake, and according to his example, seeking what might benefit others, and promoting the cause of the gospel, as one body, animated by one soul. But this commandment still appears new to many professors. Men in general notice any of Christ's words rather than these. By this it appears, that if the followers of Christ do not show love one to another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.If God be glorified in him,.... Seeing this is a certain truth, is indisputably matter of fact, that all the perfections of God are glorified in Christ, by his sufferings and death:God shall also glorify him in himself; either "with himself"; with his own glory, which was promised to Christ, and which he had before the world was, and for which he prays, John 17:5, or by himself: by his own power, in raising him from the dead, setting him at his own right hand, and crowning him with glory and honour: and shall straightway glorify him; this he will do very quickly, he will not leave him in the grave, nor suffer him to see corruption; he will raise him again the third day, and give him glory. |