Jesus’ reference to the Son of Man being glorified is a bit of foreshadowing for the reader of the gospel of John. As you continue to read the gospel of John, you begin to understand that Jesus is using this language about the Son of Man being glorified to reference himself being high and lifted up on the cross. The point Jesus is driving home about the glorification of the Son of Man is this understanding of the cross as the divine throne from Daniel 7. In the crucifixion story, He is given the crown, the cape, and the title, which are all representative of his kingship. It is here in the gospel of John that we begin to understand the irony of the cross.
What the Jewish religious leaders think they are doing is executing a troublemaker who is going to cause further issues for them with the Romans. But what is really happening at the cross is the exaltation of Jesus to the divine throne, where he now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. In this season of lent, my hope is that you take time to reflect on the cross because the cross is the place where we see how God rules the world, where God dies for his enemy, and how His real power is in giving up his life.