294. That the Lord subjugated the hells, He Himself teaches in John: when the passion of the cross was at hand, then Jesus said:
Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world shall be cast out (12:27, 28, 31). In the same:
Have confidence, I have overcome the world (16:33). And in Isaiah:
Who is this that cometh from Edom, going on in the multitude of His strength, great to save? My own arm brought salvation to Me; so He became to them for a Saviour (63:1-19; 59:16-21). That He glorified His Human, and that the passion of the cross was the last temptation and full victory, by which He glorified it, He teaches also in John:
After Judas went out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God will glorify Him in Himself, and will immediately glorify Him (13:31, 32). In the same:
Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee (17:1, 5). In the same:
Now is my soul troubled; Father, glorify Thy name; and a voice came out from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again (12:27, 28). And in Luke:
Ought not Christ to suffer this, and to enter into His glory? (24:26.) These words were said in relation to His passion: "to glorify" is to make Divine. Hence, now, it is manifest, that, unless the Lord had come into the world, and been made Man, and in this manner had liberated from hell all those who believe in Him and love Him, no mortal could be saved; this is understood by the saying, that without the Lord there is no salvation.