The hour of glory

The hour of glory The Passion, John 18—19

The sight of an eagle climbing up into the sky is glorious. So, too, for John, the death of Jesus sets him free of the earth to return to his Father on high; the hour of his Passion is also the hour of glory. This is the supreme irony. As always, John’s narrative functions on several levels with continuing misunderstanding. On the surface level, the Jews, as Jesus’ enemies, bring about his arrest, trial and ignominious death; for the reader, who sees below the surface, it is the world which is on trial. Jesus is mocked as king, yet his kingly glory is revealed at the deeper level – he is all they say, and more…