This final discourse, comprising Jn 14-17, spells out the terms of both Jesus union with the Father and the disciples union with him. If we want to know the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus and of the Christian life, it is necessary to be familiar with the whole picture presented in these chapters. In today s passage, the two key words glory and love are difficult to understand properly. Both words are commonly used for something other than what they really are, and so the meaning of Jesus words can be easily distorted.
Glory is a recognition of true worth the clarity in which all reality is seen as it really is.
Therefore, God s true glory is the acknowledgment of his lordship over all. This acknowledgment is not merely intellectual assent or lip service, but wholehearted submission involving every aspect of one s being. Jesus, as a man, perfectly fulfilled this submission in his life, even though this cost him rejection and the cross. Christ s followers have recognized this pattern in themselves as well. When Christians suffer persecution or martyrdom, the glory of God is revealed in full strength.