Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

John 17:4
ESV I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
NIV I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
NASB I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do.
CSB I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
NLT I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
KJV I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
NKJV I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

What does John 17:4 mean?

Jesus spoke of working—accomplishing the will of God—while there was time left to do so (John 9:4). As His arrest and execution draw nearer (John 18:3; 19:16), Jesus indicates that He's now finished with the work He was given. That might seem surprising, given that He has not yet endured death (John 18:37). However, these moments between the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest are the last moments where He takes an active role in His mission. From this point forward—other than one last display of authority (John 18:6)—Jesus will take on a passive role, allowing the sinful world to abuse and murder Him. That which God has asked Jesus, Himself, to do has now been done, and all that remains is to submit (Philippians 2:8) to the rest of God's will, until that entire purpose is complete (John 19:30).

Cooperating with God's will brings Him glory (John 15:8; 2 Corinthians 9:13). Such actions reflect His purpose and His message.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit