These words spake Jesus
Referring to his sermons and discourses, his words of comfort,
advice, direction, and instruction, delivered in the three
preceding chapters:
and lift up his eyes to heaven;
the seat of the divine majesty, the throne of his Father. This is
a prayer gesture. It is said F3 of R. Tanchuma, that
(Mymvl wynp hybgh) , "he
lift up his face to heaven", and said before the holy blessed
God, Lord of the world and this is expressive of the ardency and
affection of the mind of Christ, and of his confidence of the
divine favour: it shows that his mind was filled with devotion
and faith, and was devoid of shame and fear, and was possessed of
great freedom, boldness, and intrepidity:
and said, Father;
or "my Father", as the Syriac, Arabic and Persic versions read;
and no doubt but he used the word Abba, which signifies "my
Father", thereby claiming his interest in him, and relation to
him:
the hour is come;
to depart out of the world, to suffer and die for his people,
which was agreed upon between him and his Father from all
eternity; and it was welcome to him, on account of the salvation
of his people, and therefore he spoke with an air of pleasure and
satisfaction; and it would be quickly over, was but an hour, as
it were, though a time of great trouble, distress and darkness,
and so a fit time for prayer:
glorify thy Son;
as man and Mediator; for as God, he needed no glory, nor could
any be added to him: but it designs some breakings forth of glory
upon him at his death; by supporting him under all the sorrows
and sufferings of it; and in carrying him through it; so that he
conquered all his people's enemies, and his own, sin, Satan, the
world, and death, and obtained eternal redemption for them: and
at his resurrection; by not suffering him to remain so long in
the grave, as to see corruption; and by raising him at the exact
time that was foretold by the prophets and himself; and by
sending an angel to roll away the stone; and by raising some of
the saints along with him; and by putting such a glory on his
body, as that it is the pattern and exemplar of the saints'
resurrection: and at his ascension to heaven, when he led
captivity captive; and at his session at the right hand of God,
above all principalities and powers; and through the effusion of
the Spirit upon his disciples, and the divine power that attended
his Gospel, to make it effectual to great multitudes, both to
Jews and Gentiles; by all which he was glorified, pursuant to
this petition of his; in which his end is,
that thy Son also may glorify thee;
as he had done throughout the whole of his life and conversation,
and by his ministry and miracles; so now at his sufferings and
death, through the salvation of his chosen ones, in which the
wisdom, grace, justice, holiness, power, and faithfulness of God
are greatly glorified; and in the after discharge of other
branches of his mediatorial office, in making intercession for
his people, in the ministry of his word and ordinances, by his
servants, attended with his holy Spirit, and by the
administration of his kingly office.