And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

JOHN 12:23KJV
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John 12:23 (KJV)

What does John 12:23 mean?

John 12:23 records Jesus saying that the time has come for “the Son of man” to be glorified, meaning the moment for his true honor and purpose to be revealed is now at hand. Jesus is pointing to a turning point where his mission will reach its climax.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to his disciples after some Greeks have come seeking him, signaling that his message is reaching beyond just the Jewish people. By calling himself “the Son of man,” Jesus uses a title that highlights both his humanity and his special role. The “hour” he mentions refers to the decisive time of his upcoming death and resurrection, which will show his true glory in a way that was not seen before.

The Greek behind John 12:23

  • ὥρα (hōra, “hour”): This word often means a specific, appointed time. Here, it signals a key moment in Jesus’s life and mission, not just a general period.
  • δοξασθῇ (doxasthē, “be glorified”): This verb means to be honored or revealed in splendor. In John’s Gospel, “glorified” is closely tied to Jesus’s death, showing that his suffering and sacrifice are not defeat but the way his true nature and purpose are revealed.

Why John 12:23 matters

  • John 12:23 marks a shift in the Gospel, where Jesus openly declares that the time for his mission to be fulfilled has arrived, especially as people from outside Israel begin to seek him.
  • The verse clarifies that Jesus’s “glory” is not about earthly fame or power, but about what will happen through his death and resurrection.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of the rest of John’s Gospel, where Jesus’s path to the cross is described as the way he is truly revealed and honored.

Where else these words appear

“glorified” Greek G1392 · used in 54 verses

  • Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
  • John 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
  • Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

“hour” Greek G5610 · used in 100 verses

  • Matthew 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
  • Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
  • John 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.