¹ Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You …”

With the awaited time arriving, Jesus began with “Father,” the same as He taught His disciples to pray (Luke 11:1). Simple, intimate, familial and evocative. No mention of “Abba” as He would soon address God in Mark 14:36 when asking that the Father “remove this cup from me, yet not what I will but Your will.” The tone here is different, not pleading, nor wrestling. In this magnificent prayer, the unity of purpose unfolds, Jesus and the Father on the same page. The time to consummate that purpose has arrived.

It matters not whether Jesus takes the initiative or whether He is simply expressing agreement with the Father’s initiative, the unity is beautiful. However we understand His struggle with God’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see here a perfect unity of wills. Both the Father and Son desire the glory of the Son, and the glory of the Father. There is no reserve or deference implied in the least, but utmost confidence. It is almost as though Jesus is giving the “go-ahead.”

Lest this seem rather perfunctory or self-serving, we must remember that this glory involves a great deal of suffering. How can that be? Where is the glory in that? To glorify someone means, “to influence one’s opinion about another so as to enhance the latter’s reputation.” Jesus prayed that the Father would enhance His (Jesus’) reputation. The time had come for the world to see Jesus for who He really was. For the Jews, the Messiah; for everyone, the Savior of the World. The One who through His suffering and sacrifice on the cross brings victory over the curse that was laid down in the Garden of Eden. He is the new High Priest who provides redemption, “whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith…” (Rom 3:25). He is the One “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:4).

That is what Jesus prayed for when He asked to be glorified. Pull back the curtains so that all may see who He really was and is. And for this to happen, the Son needed to be tried and tested, and be found holy and perfect. Paul wrote of Jesus setting aside His outward manifestation as God for a time when He humbled Himself to became human, but then be exalted as “Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:11). Ultimately, His desire for glory had an even greater purpose, and that is to glorify His Father.

Lord, I exalt You and glorify You, both Father and Son, for You are worthy of all praise and adoration. Let others see how great You are through me.