John 17 - Printer Friendly

What does John 17 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

The last several chapters detailed Jesus' teachings during the Last Supper (John 13—16). Those statements warned about persecution, predicted the arrival of the Holy Spirit, encouraged Christian love, and even predicted the impending betrayal orchestrated by Judas. In this passage, John records an extended prayer from Jesus just prior to His arrival in Gethsemane. While the other three Gospels note Jesus' final, anguished prayers in the garden, John chooses to describe this penultimate invocation, often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer.

Christ begins by praying for Himself. This, along with His example prayers also recorded in Scripture (Matthew 6:9–13) prove it is reasonable to pray on our own behalf. The primary purpose of this is asking for God's will to be done; this is always for His glory (John 17:1), and our ultimate benefit (Romans 8:28–30). In this moment, Jesus notes that "the hour" has finally arrived for His sacrifice on behalf of mankind (John 3:16; 12:32–33). The means by which mankind can access eternal life is about to be fulfilled (John 17:1–5).

Next, Jesus prays for His followers. In the most immediate context, these prayers are for the apostles (Matthew 10:1–4). The men personally trained by Jesus will experience massive resistance as they preach His truth. However, it is their teaching that will lead others to faith in Christ (John 17:20). In that way, what Jesus says here has application to all believers, though the most direct meaning applies to His inner circle of disciples. The faith of these men is proven by their acceptance—their belief—in the message Christ has brought. Of those Jesus selected and taught, none have left, with the predicted exception of Judas (John 13:2–3). Christ prays that these men would be strengthened in their resolve, even as they are commissioned to remain in a hostile world (John 17:6–19).

Finally, Jesus expands His prayer to include all who will come to faith in Him. A major theme of this broader prayer is for loving unity. This is not only a direct command from Christ (John 14:15), but the primary identifier of legitimate Christian faith (John 13:34–35). Nonbelievers cannot see or experience God (1 Corinthians 2:14), so a main mission of believers is to demonstrate God's truth to the world (Matthew 5:13–16). Christ also repeats several points made earlier in this prayer, and the gospel of John, including His eternal existence and the importance of unifying, godly love (John 17:20–26).

Following this prayer, John will move quickly to describe Jesus' arrest in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18:1–3). Chapter 18 will then explain the sham trials which result in Jesus eventual crucifixion in chapter 19, and His resurrection in chapter 20.

John 17:1–5 begins what is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. After giving a few last lessons to His disciples (John 16:31–33), Christ now prays. John explained certain earlier incidents by noting that it was not yet Jesus' "time." Here, that time has come. Christ begins by praying for Himself, though His words convey complete submission to the will of God. This moment occurs just before Jesus and the disciples enter Gethsemane, where He will pray again prior to being arrested.

John 17:6–19 continues the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, prior to crossing into the garden of Gethsemane. After asking God the Father to glorify Him, so He may glorify the Father, Jesus now prays for His disciples. Earlier passages included Jesus' warnings about persecution (John 16:1–4). His plea, here, is for the apostles' continued faith in the face of that hardship. While this passage has application for all Christians, the immediate subject is Jesus' immediate circle of closest disciples. After this, Jesus' prayer will continue with an emphasis on all future believers.

John 17:20–26 completes the High Priestly Prayer offered by Jesus just before He goes to Gethsemane, where He will be captured by His enemies. His prayer has included requests on behalf of Himself and His closest disciples. Now, Christ begins to pray for those who will come to faith in Him through the writings and teachings of those apostles. A major theme of this prayer is for love and unity.

Chapter Summary:

In this passage, known as the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus speaks to God about three main topics. First is Christ Himself, asking God the Father to glorify Him so He can glorify the Father. Next, Jesus prays for the faith and courage in His closest disciples. Finally, He prays for those who will come to faith because of the apostles' writing and teaching. This moment occurs before Jesus enters Gethsemane, where the other Gospels will record His final anguished prayers before being arrested (Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46).

Chapter Context:

Over the last several chapters (John 13—16), Jesus has been giving last-minute instruction to His closest disciples. These lessons composed a large part of the Last Supper. Among those teachings were several warnings about persecution, with the encouragement of knowing the Holy Spirit would come. In chapter 17, we read Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, making requests on behalf of Himself, the apostles, and future believers. After this, Jesus will go into Gethsemane where Judas will turn Him over for arrest and His eventual execution.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

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