How does John 13:31 relate to the concept of Jesus' divinity? Text of John 13:31 “When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.’” Immediate Setting Judas has just left to consummate betrayal (John 13:30). His exit signals the hour Jesus has foreseen (John 2:4; 7:30; 12:23). The Lord therefore proclaims a present reality—“now”—launching the climactic events that reveal His divine identity through crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation. Glorification as a Divine Predicate In Scripture glory uniquely belongs to YHWH (Isaiah 42:8). Yet Jesus asserts that God is glorified “in Him” and, as the next verse states, “will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him at once” (John 13:32). The reciprocal bestowal of glory demonstrates ontological equality: God shares His glory only with God. The Johannine narrative consistently treats the Passion not as defeat but as the moment the eternal Son manifests the very splendor of Deity (cf. John 12:23–28; 17:1–5). “Son of Man” as a Divine Title The phrase echoes Daniel 7:13-14: the heavenly “Son of Man” approaches the Ancient of Days and receives “dominion, glory, and a kingdom.” Second-Temple Judaism reserved such universal authority for God alone. By declaring the “Son of Man is glorified” precisely as He moves toward the cross, Jesus identifies Himself with that exalted, pre-existent figure, thereby reinforcing His divinity (cf. Matthew 26:64; Revelation 1:13). Mutual Glorification and Intratrinitarian Fellowship Verse 31 speaks of two subjects—“the Son of Man” and “God”—yet the glory is singular and inseparable. John 17:5 states, “And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.” The Son possesses eternal glory beside the Father; the cross and resurrection restore this heavenly display within history. The statement thus reveals interpersonal distinctions (Father/Son) while affirming shared essence (cf. Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:19). Contextual Continuity with Prologue and Conclusion John opens with, “The Word was God” (John 1:1) and closes with Thomas’ confession, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). John 13:31 sits at the structural center, pivoting from public ministry to passion discourse, and restating the Gospel’s thesis: the incarnate Word truly is God, now glorified. Canonical Resonance • Philippians 2:6-11 portrays Christ, “existing in the form of God,” humbling Himself to death and then being “highly exalted” so every tongue confesses His Lordship. • Revelation 5:12-13 depicts all creation ascribing “blessing and honor and glory” to “Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb,” uniting Father and Son in worship. These passages mirror the Johannean concept: glory revealed through sacrificial obedience confirms divine status. Early Christian Witness Ignatius of Antioch (c. A.D. 110) calls Jesus “our God” (Letter to the Ephesians 1:1) and views the Passion as the locus of that revelation. Polycarp, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus echo the same. Their unanimity shows that the earliest disciples read statements like John 13:31 as declarations of Christ’s deity, not later dogmatic accretions. Philosophical and Behavioral Implications If God’s glory is fully present in the crucified and risen Christ, then human purpose centers on recognizing, reflecting, and rejoicing in that glory (2 Corinthians 4:6). Salvation is not self-improvement but participation in divine life by faith in the glorified Son (John 17:22-24). Practical Application for Evangelism and Worship John 13:31 compels the hearer to consider: Who alone deserves divine glory? If Jesus receives and shares it, neutrality is impossible; worship is the proper response (John 5:23). For believers, the verse anchors confidence that the cross was no accident but the decisive self-disclosure of God, guaranteeing redemption and modeling self-giving love (John 13:34-35). Summary John 13:31 ties Jesus’ impending Passion directly to His divine identity. The unique, reciprocal glorification between the Son of Man and God, set against the Old Testament insistence that YHWH shares His glory with no other, unequivocally affirms Jesus’ full deity. The textual, historical, and theological evidence converges to present the crucified-and-risen Christ as the eternally glorious God worthy of all faith and worship. |
    |