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(text and vers. 27-28): —

I. THE HOUR. It stands out from all other hours amid the reminiscences of the past and anticipation of ages to come. Time's stream set in to bear upon it. All prophecy met here. One dispensation after another was introduced and completed in relation to it, and derived all their importance from that relation. It was an hour —

1. Of intense suffering. Who can tell the physical agony? His soul was troubled within a body of sensibility as keen as ours; and what anguish racked His spirit when He was executed as a malefactor and forsaken of His Father!

2. Of triumph. An hour in which He glorified God and God Him; in which all the Divine attributes harmonized as they never had before, and never could again. They received glory which covered all obscurations that had appeared, and which can never be tarnished to eternity.

II. THE SEEMING RELUCTANCE OF CHRIST TO MEET THIS HOUR (ver. 27). His spirit is perplexed, for He was as truly man as God. But wherefore these cries and tears? Because of —

1. The death of ignominy which He, innocence itself, was about to die.

2. The unbelief and ingratitude of the Jews. "He came to His own," etc.

3. The desertion of His disciples, the denial of Peter, the betrayal of Judas.

4. The buffetings of Satan during "the hour and power of darkness."

5. The hiding of the Father's face (Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 27:45, 46). Well might His soul be troubled and say, Father, save Me from this hour — if there is any other way of saving sinners. But God spared not His own Son, and the Son acquiesced.

III. THE GROUNDS ON WHICH HE OVERCAME HIS APPARENT RELUCTANCE. They respect —

1. Himself. He knew that on this hour depended all that He came to do, and this consideration dispelled the cloud human nature raised. He had done too much to allow of His retracting. Why the Babe of Bethlehem if He refused to be the Man of Sorrows? He came to finish the work God gave Him to do.

2. His people. If I would save others I dare not save Myself. If they are to have life I must endure death.

3. His Father. To glorify Him was the design of His coming into the world. "Lo! I come," etc.

IV. BY WHAT MEANS GOD WAS GLORIFIED IN THE WORK OF CHRIST.

1. In the fulfilment of Messianic prophecy. God had in all the introductory announcements of the Redeemer for four thousand years, connected His glory with the completion of redemption by Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 1:1-3; Luke 2:7-14).

2. The incarnation. "We beheld His glory," etc.

3. The discourses, miracles, and character of Christ.

4. His death, resurrection, and ascension.

5. The spread of the gospel.

6. The resurrection and judgment.

(T. Raffles, LL. D.)

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KJV: And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

WEB: Jesus answered them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.