Main ideas:
The word, “glorified” is repeated in this passage and the time for Jesus to be glorified started when Judas had gone out. His death was imminent. Why Jesus’ death is called, “glorification?” (BKC) The words glorified and glorify occur five times in these two verses. Jesus’ unique glory was revealed in His death. The Father was also glorified in Jesus’ death because God’s love, His condescension, and His righteousness were made known (cf. John 1:14; Rom. 3:21–26).
The details:
V.31a Now the Son of Man is glorified, (WBC) God glorified the Son of Man in making his self-offering effective for the race
V.31b-32a ...God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him (WBC) God was glorified in the perfect obedience and love of the Son
v.32b...God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away (WBC) God was glorified in the perfect obedience and love of the Son, which was however at the same time a revelation of the love of God to humankind; in virtue of that act God glorifies the Son “in himself,” i.e., in (his own) person, and he does it “immediately”—in the death and in the exaltation
V.34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.13:35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” (NET) In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34)....they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.
Reflection: Jesus’ death has tremendous meaning to us, to Jesus and to God, which we cannot duplicate and follow. However, He asked us to follow His love. That kind of love was sacrificial to one another and it was a trademark/covenant. I encouraged someone from our church to put down the political difference and focus on loving one another with this verse, but later onI faced the challenge of this demand myself. Do I still help someone if they seem not “deserving” of my help? When other people yell at you are we still binding to this covenant? If helping someone costs me time or sleep do I still help them?
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