John 17: 1 – 11 – Jesus prays for his disciples

Jesus has just ended his instructions to his disciples; he has concluded with “in the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” Now he prays to the Father. He summarizes the significance of his life. The time appointed by God for his departure (crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) has come. Glory can be defined as divine heavenly splendour where heaven is the state of ultimate good and love existing outside of time. In v. 1, the Father giving this splendour to the son adds to the Father’s splendour because of the “authority” (v. 2) given to the Son over humans, especially “to give eternal life” to us. V. 3 explains that “eternal life” is knowing the Father and the Son intimately. Vv. 4-5 state how the Son adds to the splendour of the Father (by completing his assigned task) and how the Father adds to the Son’s splendour: by restoring him to the Father’s “presence”, to heaven – a state he enjoyed before God’s creative act.

V. 6 expands on “the work” (v.4) the Son has done: to make the Father’s character and person (“name”, v. 6) known to those chosen by the Father. These elect are the mutual possession of Father and son; these have been faithful to God’s “word”, his command. Vv. 7-8 expand on keeping the Father’s word: the disciples know that:

• the Father is the source of all that the Son has been given;

• Jesus is from (out of) the Father; and

•the Father sent him into the world.

Looking forward to the time of his departure, Jesus asks the Father to “protect” (v. 11) the disciples from evil influences in the alien “world”, that they may have a unity modelled on that of the Father and the Son.

© 1996-2025 Chris Haslam

Prayer of the Week

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord: keep the church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace; and bring all creation to worship at his feet; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.