Jesus’ Hour
April 7, 2025 – Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 8:12–20
Today's Gospel concludes with the statement, "no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come." But what exactly is this hour? It is the time of Jesus’ cross and resurrection—a moment when he fully reveals the Father's love and accomplishes his saving work. This theme recurs throughout the Gospel of John. Until that appointed hour, no one can harm Jesus. It is only when that hour arrives that the Jewish authorities can seize him and hand him over to the Romans for crucifixion.
We first encounter this phrase at a wedding in Cana, where Jesus tells Mary that his hour has not yet come. It is for this very hour that Jesus entered the world (John 12:27). The last time we hear this expression is at the beginning of Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17, where he declares, "Father, the hour has come" (John 17:1).
Jesus’ hour also coincides with the hour of darkness (Luke 22:57), when he is betrayed with a kiss, arrested, sentenced to death, and crucified. At the moment of his crucifixion, a darkness that sought to extinguish the Light of the world enveloped the land. Yet this darkness—and those who served its purpose—were unaware of two crucial truths.
First, Jesus’ hour was the hour of his glorification. No matter how fiercely darkness tried to snuff out the Light, it could not prevail; the Light shines in the darkness, and Jesus’ death conquers death. Second, Jesus’ hour marks his departure from this world. He came from the Father to save us, accomplishing that mission through his death on the cross. His final words, "It is accomplished," signified that his work was complete and that he would now return to his Father—our Father.
When Jesus spoke of his return to the Father, Philip asked, "Show us the Father" (John 14:8). In response, Jesus explained that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:9). Jesus is the revelation of God; to know him—just as he explains today—is to know God and His plan of salvation. This revelation reaches its pinnacle in Jesus’ hour, when he offered himself for the salvation of the world. Through his death and resurrection, he defeated sin and death.