17:1
“After this”, after His teaching to the disciples Jesus turns to pray to the Father. He looked towards heaven. This does not mean that heaven has a geographical location, but Jesus turned His attention from the disciples to the Father. We need to look towards heaven. We don’t ignore what is going in our lives and going on around us, but if that is all we focus on we will have a very distorted view of life. Moreover, we will become very weak and not have the strength to do what God wants us to do, and life will overwhelm us.
“The hour has come”. Earlier on in John it says that His hour had not yet come, then as the time for the cross approaches it says the hour has come. Jesus knew what was going on, He knew what He was here for.
“Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you”. Glory is a very complex word. The original Hebrew word meant weight, and part of the meaning of glory is significance. It also means moral excellence, and then also glory in the sense that was seen during the transfiguration. The cross (including the resurrection) is the most significant event that has happened on earth, and it is the most morally excellent event as well. It includes righteous judgement on sin and unlimited forgiveness for those who believe. There are those who object to the idea of the cross involving punishment for sin, of it satisfying God’s wrath. Such objectors are fools. If our sins have not been paid for then we are without hope. But they have, and I am so glad that Jesus has paid the price of my sin.
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