John 13:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

NIV: If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

NASB: if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.

CSB: If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

NLT: And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.

KJV: If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

NKJV: If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.

In verses 31 and 32, Jesus refers several times to the concept of glory. This gives us a unique insight into the mind of God. What is about to happen is shameful, violent, degrading, and unfair. Jesus will be captured and murdered, despite being innocent, just as He predicted would happen (Matthew 16:21). From a human perspective, there is no possible redeeming value to this event. But, from the perspective of God, it's the means by which He will be given glory.

Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross will simultaneously solve two needs: justice for sin, and mercy for those loved by God. That the Creator would do something like that for His own creations is an incredible testament to His love, kindness, holiness, and power. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are pivotal moments in history—God is greatly glorified in what happens next, and in what it means for those who put their faith in Christ.

The statement that the Son of Man (John 13:31) will be glorified "at once" is translated from the Greek word euthys. This can also be rendered as "immediately," or even "soon." This is probably a reference to Jesus' resurrection into a glorified body only days after His death (John 20:17).

John 13:31–35 contains one of the most powerful commands given to Christians: that love for others is the defining sign of faith for ''all people,'' marking the life of a true believer. Jesus frames this as a new commandment, using His own example as the standard. In giving this charge, Jesus once again predicts His impending death and departure from earth.

Jesus meets with a smaller group, possibly only the twelve disciples, in a private setting. Before eating a meal, Jesus performs the work of a lowly servant, washing the feet of the disciples. He explains that this is an object lesson. Their Lord is willing to serve in humility, so they are obligated to do the same. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal, subtly telling Judas to leave and complete His conspiracy. The disciples don't realize what's happened, however. Peter foolishly brags about his loyalty. Jesus responds with a cutting prediction: Peter will deny his relationship to Christ three times in the next few hours.

The first twelve chapters of the gospel of John describe the public ministry of Jesus. Starting in chapter 13, most of what John describes are the last private moments Jesus enjoys prior to His crucifixion. This begins with Jesus washing the disciples' feet, establishing both an example and a command for humble service. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal and Peter's cowardly denials. Following chapters contain Jesus' last instructions to the disciples, including a rich collection of truths which are central to the Christian faith.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.