God’s Glory Revealed in the Cross (John 12:27-33)

Valley Harvest Church https://valley-harvest.org

Glory is the greatness, beauty, and honor that captures our attention and moves our hearts. It’s what we stand in awe of, what takes our breath away, and what leaves us saying, “Wow!” It’s more than just admiration or recognition—it’s about something that feels bigger than ourselves, something that shines with importance and worth. Glory can be found in many forms: the brilliance of a sunset, the courage of a hero, the beauty of a selfless act, or the wonder of discovering a deeper truth.

Everyone, in their own way, seeks glory. It’s built into us. On some level, we all want to experience greatness, to witness something extraordinary, or to be part of something meaningful. Some people pursue glory by chasing achievements, hoping to be remembered for their success. Others seek it in relationships, wanting to feel valued and loved. Some find it in nature, art, or music, captivated by the beauty and wonder they encounter. Even those who reject the idea of glory often find themselves drawn to moments of awe, like standing under a starry sky or watching a powerful story unfold.

Despite our efforts, worldly glory often feels incomplete, fading quickly and failing to satisfy our longing for significance. True glory comes from something greater than ourselves—a glimpse of eternity, a reflection of beauty, truth, and goodness pointing us beyond this world. The glory we seek is not found in earthly things but in the One who created them.

God’s glory is different. It doesn’t fade. It’s eternal, unshakable, and life-changing. And the most astonishing thing about God’s glory is where it’s revealed—not in avoiding suffering or displaying power for its own sake, but in the self-sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. His willingness to embrace the cross, to suffer and die for the salvation of humanity, shows us a glory far greater than anything we could imagine. It’s a glory that turns the values of this world upside down, revealing that true greatness is found in humility, love, and redemption.

As we consider what true glory is, we turn to a powerful moment in Jesus’ ministry recorded in John 12. Here, Jesus is days away from His crucifixion, and the weight of His mission is pressing heavily upon Him. This moment reveals not only the tension between Jesus’ humanity and divine purpose but also the immense cost of true glory.

John 12:27 NASB  “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

The apostle John gives us a window into the heart of Jesus—fully God, yet fully man. His soul is troubled, reflecting the very real agony of what lies ahead. His humanity felt the full weight of suffering, the terror of the impending physical pain, and the separation He would endure as He bore the sin of the world. But in the same breath, we hear the unwavering commitment of His divine purpose: “For this purpose I came to this hour.” Jesus understood that the glory of God was to be revealed, not in avoiding suffering but in embracing it for the sake of others. He chose to glorify the Father by fulfilling the mission of salvation, no matter the personal cost. This sets Jesus’ perspective on glory apart from how the world often views it. Worldly glory is usually about avoiding pain, seeking comfort, and exalting ourselves. Jesus has a divine perspective on glory that transcends human ambition & self-preservation.

Jesus’s Divine Perspective on Glory

Jesus had every reason, humanly speaking, to avoid the cross. He could have sought self-preservation, as any of us might be tempted to do. But He doesn’t. Why? Because He was insistent on finishing His mission. He knew that this was the very reason He came into the world. To avoid the cross would be to abandon the purpose for which He had been sent by the Father.

Our natural understanding of glory is self-centered & shaped by pride, leaving us blind to the true glory revealed in Christ.

Imagine if Jesus had responded, “I cannot go through with this. Father, save Me from this hour.” The glory of God’s love and justice would not have been displayed, and humanity would have been left in sin without a Savior. Or imagine if He had reacted with anger or defiance, “Why should I endure this hour? Humanity doesn’t deserve it. I will not go through with this.” This would reflect a human sense of fairness or entitlement, rejecting the grace and mercy at the very heart of God’s character.

Instead of choosing any of these alternatives, Jesus chose the path of submission and resolve. He would endure the physical pain of crucifixion, the emotional betrayal of His disciples, and the spiritual weight of bearing the sin of the world. Yet, He willingly embraced this path because He knew that the ultimate purpose was joy. As Hebrews 12:2 reminds us, “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” What was this joy? It was the joy of seeing sinners saved, reconciled to God, and transformed into worshipers of His Father. This perspective challenges us to think differently about suffering and sacrifice. Jesus didn’t endure the cross begrudgingly or out of sheer obligation. He saw beyond the immediate pain to the eternal purpose.

Jesus Always Put His Father’s Glory First

Throughout His ministry, Jesus consistently prioritized His Father’s glory above everything else. In John 7:18, He says, “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Again, in John 8:29, Jesus declares, “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” And in John 8:50, He says, “I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.” Everything He did was aimed at glorifying the Father. His teaching, miracles, and ultimately His death on the cross were all acts of worship and obedience, reflecting His unwavering commitment to the Father’s will. Even when faced with the cross, Jesus’ primary concern was not His own comfort or survival but the glory of God. Which is why, immediately after expressing His troubled soul, Jesus prays:

John 12:28 NASB:  “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

In this moment, Jesus consecrates His suffering to the glory of God. He acknowledges that the cross is not about Him but about the Father’s glory being revealed through His obedience and sacrifice.

Jesus’ Passion to Glorify the Father Controls Him.

He knew that the cross would bring Him personal glory—His resurrection, exaltation, and victory over sin would forever establish Him as the Savior of the world. But Jesus didn’t pray, “Father, glorify My name.” Instead, He prayed, “Father, glorify Your name.” The higher purpose of the cross wasn’t about magnifying the Son but about glorifying the Father.

R.C. Sproul captures this beautifully when he writes: “The Son would be glorified by what He was about to do, but the higher purpose of the cross was that the Father would be glorified by the satisfaction of His justice. When the Son paid the debt for sin, God would be glorified.” At the cross, God’s justice, holiness, and love would converge in the most spectacular way. Sin, which had distorted and dishonored the Father’s glory, would be fully dealt with, and God’s name would be vindicated. This was Jesus’ passion: to restore the honor of His Father’s name, which had been defamed by humanity’s sin. Sin doesn’t just harm us; it fundamentally misrepresents and dishonors God.

Sin Misrepresents God’s Image

Humanity was created to reflect God’s glory, as bearers of His image. Our very purpose is to mirror His character—His justice, love, holiness, and goodness. But sin distorts that reflection, turning the beauty of God’s image into something unrecognizable. Romans 3:23 tells us: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This means that every act of sin not only separates us from God but also defaces the purpose for which we were created. Instead of reflecting His glory, we reflect brokenness, selfishness, and rebellion.

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray provides a vivid illustration of this concept. In the story, Dorian’s outward appearance remains youthful and beautiful, but his portrait—the true reflection of his soul—becomes grotesque and corrupted by his sinful actions. The more he indulges in sin, the more horrifying his portrait becomes. Similarly, sin disfigures humanity’s reflection of God’s glory. What was meant to radiate His beauty now reveals the devastating effects of rebellion against Him. Sin disfigures humanity’s reflection of God’s glory, transforming what was meant to radiate His beauty into a horrifying display of rebellion. This contrast underscores the truth that…

True glory is found not in self-exaltation, but in humble obedience to God’s will.

Sin Rejects God’s Kingship

Sin doesn’t just distort God’s image—it also rejects His rightful rule. When we sin, we cast doubt on God’s justice, holiness, and authority. It’s as if we’re saying, “I know better than God. I don’t trust His ways or His wisdom.” This rejection of God’s kingship is at the heart of sin. Instead of honoring Him as Creator and King, we place ourselves on the throne. This dishonors God’s name and challenges His authority, creating the need for restoration.

Jesus’ mission was not only to save sinners but to restore the honor of God’s name, which had been damaged by sin. At the cross, Jesus bore the penalty of our rebellion, vindicating God’s justice and demonstrating His holiness. Every lash, insult, and drop of blood spilled on the cross was a declaration of God’s glory. The cross showed the world that God does not tolerate sin, that His justice is unyielding, and that His love is unfathomable. Jesus’ obedience to the Father and His willingness to endure the cross revealed the glory of God in a way that nothing else could.

As Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Your name,” He expressed His ultimate purpose: to reveal the Father’s glory through His obedience and sacrifice. His prayer was answered immediately as a voice came from heaven, confirming that the glory of God had already been displayed in Jesus’ ministry and would be fully revealed in the events to come.

John 12:28 NASB:  “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

Divine Confirmation of the Cross’s Glory

The heavenly voice confirms the cross as the ultimate means of God’s glorification. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the Father has actively worked to glorify the Son, confirming His identity and mission at every stage. From the beginning, John testifies that Jesus’ glory, as the only Son of the Father, was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). His first miracle at Cana, where He turned water into wine, revealed His glory and led His disciples to believe in Him (John 2:11). The Gospels also record the Father’s role in glorifying the Son through direct, audible declarations from heaven—something that occurred only three times during Jesus’ earthly ministry. At Jesus’ baptism the heavens opened and the Father declared, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:10-11). Similarly, at the Transfiguration, the Father’s voice from the cloud confirmed Jesus’ identity, commanding, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7). These moments show the Father’s ongoing affirmation of Jesus as the Messiah and reveal that Jesus’ life and ministry have consistently glorified the Father.

This heavenly voice in John 12:28 pivots toward the culmination of the Father’s work. The Father’s promise, “I will glorify it again,” points forward to the culmination of Jesus’ mission in His crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation. While Jesus’ ministry had already revealed God’s glory in powerful ways, the full weight of His glory would be displayed in the events yet to come. The cross, which the world saw as a place of shame and defeat, would become the ultimate stage for God’s justice, mercy, and love to converge. It’s at the cross that the debt for sin would be paid, demonstrating God’s justice and holiness, and at the same time, His unfathomable love for sinners. Paul explains this so clearly in Romans 3:25-26, where he writes:

Romans 3:25-26 NASB:  whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;  26  for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

When he says that God is both just and the justifier, he’s highlighting two key truths about the cross. First, God is just because He doesn’t ignore or overlook sin. His holiness demands that sin be dealt with. Second, God is the justifier because, through Jesus’ sacrifice, He makes a way for sinners to be forgiven and made right with Him. The word “propitiation” means that Jesus took the punishment for our sins, satisfying God’s justice so that mercy could be extended to us. At the cross…

God’s glory defies human expectations, showing His greatness through humility & suffering.

But the Father’s promise to glorify His name again didn’t stop at the cross—it also includes the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus. Peter proclaims this truth in:

Acts 2:32-35 NASB: “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, 35 until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”

The resurrection glorifies Jesus as the victorious Savior, conquering sin and death, and the exaltation glorifies Him as the reigning King, seated at the right hand of the Father. As the crowd stood in awe of the heavenly voice, Jesus clarified its purpose:

John 12:30 NASB:  Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.

The voice wasn’t given to reassure Jesus. The Father’s public declaration was for the benefit of those listening, drawing their attention to the glory of what Jesus was going to accomplish in a few days when He will be crucified and resurrected. But it’s also meant to remind us even now of who Jesus is. The Father continues to confirm Jesus’ identity and glory in countless ways. Through the testimony of Scripture, the transformation of lives, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, God still points us to His Son. But the crowd responded with confusion. We are told in verse 29…

 John 12:29 NASB:  So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

Even in the presence of divine confirmation, the reactions varied greatly—some dismissed it as thunder, while others speculated about an angel. Not everyone had the spiritual insight to understand what was happening. Our inability to understand how God is at work in the world is the consequence of our world’s flawed pursuit of glory. Without the Holy Spirit’s help we will never grasp God’s paradoxical revelation of glory.

The Need for Spiritual Discernment

Imagine standing in a crowd and hearing a voice from heaven. Some people say, “It’s just thunder.” Others insist, “No, it’s an angel.” But what’s striking is that few seemed to grasp the full truth: this is the voice of God Himself. Why do people standing in the same place, hearing the same sound, come to such different conclusions? This moment in John 12 reveals something significant about the human condition: without spiritual insight, we are incapable of truly discerning God’s glory.

Why didn’t everyone recognize the voice as God’s? The answer lies in something deeper than just hearing. It’s about perception. Because of sin, humanity is spiritually blind. We don’t naturally accept God for who He is. Instead, we interpret the world through a lens that distorts His glory. Some in the crowd heard thunder—a natural explanation. Others, perhaps more open to the supernatural, thought it was an angel. But neither group truly understood what was happening because spiritual truth requires spiritual discernment.

This is where we need to challenge the modern assumption that the natural world is all there is—that everything can be explained by science, physics, and natural causes. It’s the idea that if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist. Science has given us a remarkable understanding of how things work. But can science explain why there is something rather than nothing? Does it explain why the universe is so finely tuned for life, or why we have a sense of morality, beauty, and meaning? Science is excellent at describing the mechanisms of the natural world, but it doesn’t address the deeper questions of purpose and ultimate reality.

If you assume from the outset that the natural world is all there is, then you’ll interpret everything through that lens. But what if that assumption is limiting you? What if the very fact that you long for meaning, beauty, and justice points to something beyond the natural world? Could it be that our skepticism is not the result of pure reason, but of a lens that blinds us to the possibility of God? If you assume from the start that there’s no God, then you’ll always interpret the evidence in a way that fits your assumption. If you hear a voice from heaven, you’ll call it thunder. If you see a miracle, you’ll call it coincidence. Metaphysical naturalism isn’t neutral—it’s a lens that blinds us to the possibility of God’s glory.

The World’s Flawed Pursuit of Glory

The Bible says that humanity’s spiritual blindness is also tied to our pursuit of glory. Think about it: we live in a world obsessed with glory—fame, success, power, beauty. We chase after these things, thinking they’ll satisfy us, but they never do. Why? Because the glory we’re chasing is a counterfeit, a shadow of the real thing. This crowd in John 12 is no different. They were looking for a Messiah who would bring political and military victory. They wanted a king who would crush their enemies and make them great. But when God revealed His glory in Jesus—a glory that looked like humility, sacrifice, and a cross—they couldn’t see it. It didn’t meet their expectations.

Without the Holy Spirit, we’re like the crowd, misinterpreting God’s voice and missing His glory. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see the paradox of God’s revelation: that His greatest glory is in the self-giving love of Jesus. The cross is the ultimate display of God’s glory, but it’s a kind of glory that turns the world’s values upside down.

Why the Holy Spirit is Essential

So how does the Holy Spirit help us see this? First, He convicts us of our spiritual blindness, showing us that we’ve been chasing the wrong kind of glory and interpreting the world through the wrong lens. Second, He reveals the truth about Jesus. In John 16:13, Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” The Holy Spirit helps us hear God’s voice—not as thunder, not as an angel, but as the loving call of our Creator. Finally, the Spirit transforms our hearts so that we can respond to God’s glory with worship and obedience. Without the Spirit, we’re like people hearing thunder but missing the voice of God.

Without the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of truly perceiving God’s glory in the cross.

So here’s the challenge: if you’re skeptical about God, ask yourself, “What lens am I using to interpret the world?” Could it be that your assumptions are blinding you to the possibility of God’s glory? And if you’re a believer, ask yourself, “Am I chasing the world’s version of glory, or am I seeking the glory of God revealed in Jesus?” What are the things you value most? How do those values measure up against God’s? Where do you see yourself seeking glory in ways that are inconsistent with the self-sacrificial love of Jesus? Let the Holy Spirit search your heart, revealing areas where your pursuit of glory is misaligned with God’s purposes.

The voice in John 12 was not just thunder. It was not just an angel. It was the voice of God, calling humanity to see His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. But to hear it, we need more than ears. We need the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds. Only then can we truly see and savor the glory of God—a glory that humbles us, heals us, and transforms us. And where is this glory most fully revealed? Jesus points us to the cross. It’s there, in His impending crucifixion, that the voice of God speaks most clearly. The cross is not just a moment of suffering; it is…

The Definitive Act of God’s Love and Power

John 12:31 NASB:  “Now judgment is upon this world; now the rualer of this world will be cast out.

Notice the urgency in His words: “Now.” He is not speaking of some distant, future event. He is saying that the cross is the decisive moment of judgment for the world. It’s at the cross that that the world is judged, not in the sense of mere punishment, but in the sense of ultimate truth being revealed.

What does He mean by “judgment”? In the Bible, judgment is not just about punishment; it’s about revealing the truth. The cross exposes the world for what it truly is. It shows us the depth of human sin, the corruption of our hearts, and the futility of our attempts to live apart from God. The cross is a mirror, reflecting the brokenness of humanity and the rebellion that lies at the heart of the world.

But this judgment goes deeper. The cross isn’t simply an act of self-sacrifice; it’s a judgment on the world’s misguided pursuit of glory. John tells us that judgment has arrived—not in some far-off future, but now. The forces of this world are engaged in a desperate, futile attempt to maintain a system of glory built on power, self-promotion, and the rejection of God. The cross confronts this system head-on.

At the heart of this judgment is the world’s false understanding of glory. The world’s system of glory is built on appearances, achievements, and dominance. It’s a glory that says, “Exalt yourself. Promote yourself. Build your identity on what you can accomplish.” But the cross reveals the emptiness of this pursuit. It shows us that the world’s glory is a house of cards, propped up by pride and rebellion against God. The cross is the moment where God says, “This system will not stand.”

And who is this “ruler of this world” who will “be cast out”? It’s Satan, the one who has held humanity in bondage through sin and lies. Satan’s power is rooted in deception—convincing us that the world’s system of glory is worth pursuing, that we can find a fulfilling life apart from God. But at the cross, Jesus disarms Satan, by taking the full weight of sin and evil upon Himself. The cross is the ultimate act of judgment—not just against the world, but against the spiritual forces of darkness that have enslave us.

This casting out of Satan signifies the ultimate failure of the world’s system of glory. Jesus’ death is the decisive moment where God confronts the world’s false understanding of glory and declares it bankrupt. It’s as if God is saying, “The brokenness you see in the world—the injustice, the suffering, the corruption—is not just the result of human error. It’s the result of a deeper fracture, a misrepresentation of who I am and who you were created to be.” And here’s the good news: the restoration of this fracture is not only possible; it has already begun. At the cross, God doesn’t just judge the world; He begins to heal it. Jesus continues…

John 12:32-33 NASB:  “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33  But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.

Here, He shifts from judgment to redemption. The same cross that judges the world is also the means by which Jesus redeems it. The phrase about Jesus being “lifted up” refers both to His crucifixion and to His exaltation.

Think about the paradox here. The cross, in the eyes of the world, is a symbol of shame and defeat. It’s the ultimate humiliation, the punishment reserved for the worst of criminals. Yet Jesus says that when He is lifted up on the cross, He will draw all people to Himself. How can this be? Because the cross is not just a place of judgment; it’s a place of love. At the cross, Jesus takes the judgment we deserve so that we can receive the redemption we don’t deserve. He is cast out so that we can be brought in. He is condemned so that we can be forgiven.

And notice the word “draw.” This term speaks of the Father’s gracious initiative, pulling those who are unable or unwilling to come to Him on their own. The cross reveals the depth of God’s love and grace, as He sovereignly draws both Jews and Gentiles to Christ. This drawing is not a coercion of the will but a transformation of the heart, leading God’s elect to salvation through His grace.

So how are the twin truths—judgment and redemption—connected? The answer lies in the nature of the cross itself. The cross is where God’s justice and mercy meet. It’s where the judgment of sin and the redemption of sinners happen simultaneously. You can’t have one without the other. Think about it this way: if God simply ignored sin, He wouldn’t be just. But if He judged sin without providing a way of redemption, He wouldn’t be loving. The cross solves this dilemma. At the cross, God judges sin fully, but He also provides a way for sinners to be redeemed. Jesus takes the judgment upon Himself so that we can be drawn into His love.

This is why the cross is the ultimate revelation of God’s glory. It shows us a God who is both holy and loving, both just and merciful. It’s a glory that the world cannot understand on its own. The world’s pursuit of glory is flawed—it seeks power, success, and self-exaltation. But the glory of God is revealed in humility, sacrifice, and self-giving love. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see the cross for what it truly is: the place where judgment and redemption are perfectly united.

Many people today struggle with the idea of judgment. They say, “Why can’t God just forgive? Why does there need to be judgment at all?” But if someone wrongs you deeply, can you just forgive without any cost? No. Forgiveness always involves a cost. You either make the other person pay, or you absorb the cost yourself. At the cross, God absorbs the cost of our sin.

On the other hand, some people struggle with the idea of redemption. “Why would God go to such lengths to save us? Aren’t we just insignificant creatures in a vast universe?” But the cross shows us that we are not insignificant to God. We are so loved that He was willing to die for us. The cross is the ultimate answer to both our guilt and our longing for meaning.

The Cross Demands a Response

What does this mean for us? It means that the cross demands a response. If the cross is only judgment, then we are left in despair. If it’s only redemption, then we might take it for granted. But if it’s both, then it calls us to see our sin for what it is and to see God’s love for what it is. It calls us to lay down our flawed pursuits of glory and to embrace the glory of God revealed in Jesus. And here’s the good news…

When we respond to the cross, we are not just forgiven; we are transformed.

The same power that judged the world and cast out the ruler of this world is now at work in us, drawing us into the life and love of God. This is the hope of the gospel. This is the glory of the cross.

The cross stands as the ultimate paradox: a moment of intense suffering that simultaneously reveals God’s ultimate glory. It’s a judgment that exposes the emptiness of the world’s pursuit of glory, a pursuit built on self-exaltation and the rejection of God’s rightful kingship. Yet, within this judgment lies the overwhelming grace of redemption. Jesus, fully God and fully man, willingly embraced the cross, bearing the weight of our sin and satisfying God’s holy justice. The Father’s voice from heaven, promising to glorify His name again, points to the resurrection as the ultimate confirmation of this paradoxical glory. The cross is not defeat but victory; it’s not shame but triumph; it’s not judgment without mercy but redemption through love.

This revelation should lead us to a life of deep transformation. In the quiet of your heart, take time to reflect on your own pursuit of glory. Where do your longings for greatness lead you? Are they consistent with the humility, self-sacrifice, and love displayed on the cross? Let the Spirit’s work convict and transform your understanding of glory, drawing you into a deeper relationship with the One whose ultimate glory is revealed most fully in the love demonstrated on the cross. For in that sacrifice, He reveals Himself not as a distant, demanding judge, but as a compassionate, loving Savior who desires to draw you into His eternal embrace.