John 17

1. Father. Our Lord taught His disciples to say, “Our Father,” but never used the phrase Himself. When praying for Himself, under the sense of His humiliation, He says, “My Father” (Matt. xxvi. 39, 42). But this simple address—“Father”—agrees with the character of the whole prayer, in which we seem to see into the very heart of Christ.

glorify Thy Son. See xii. 23, 28; xiii. 32; xvi. 14; and notes.

2. As Thou hast given Him power (authority) over all flesh, etc. The glorifying of the Son is sought as the means of glorifying the Father, in the giving of eternal life to believers.

that He should give eternal life, etc. Lit., “that to all that Thou hast given him, to them He should give eternal life”; i.e., to the whole body of the faithful and to every individual believer.

3 and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. Rather, “and Him whom Thou didst send, [even] Jesus Christ” (R.V.).

4. I have glorified Thee, etc. See R.V., “I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished the work,” etc. This accomplishment is assigned as the method by which He glorified the Father. The work is now practically complete. He had perfectly discharged all the previous part of it, and was fully prepared for what still remained; and therefore, “as the hour of His death was now at hand, He speaks as though he had already endured it” (Calvin). “The verse expresses with a sublime frankness the feeling of a conscience perfectly pure. Jesus in this supreme moment of His life perceives no evil committed nor any good neglected. The duty of every day has been completely fulfilled; there has been in this human life which He now leaves behind Him neither stain nor omission” (Godet).

5 with Thine own self. See i. 1, 18, and notes.

the glory which I had with thee, etc. The original glory of His Godhead had been concealed by the humiliation of His manhood.

6 the world. “The world” in this chapter means man’s present abode (5, 24), or its inhabitants at large (23), or the great majority who are hostile to Christ (14, 16).

they have kept Thy word. The Greek word for “keep,” here used (τηρεῖν), “expresses rather the idea of intent watching than of safe guarding” (Westcott). It implies the careful observance of God’s word and the doing of it.

8 came out (forth) from Thee . . . and Thou didst send me. The former phrase refers to His person; the latter to His mission. The confession of the disciples is in xvi. 30; and imperfect as it was, Jesus beholds in it the power by which salvation shall be wrought for man.

9. I pray not for the world. “I am not asking for the world.” Our Lord is now interceding for His own disciples. Afterwards He does pray “that the world may believe” 21).

11. Holy Father. The Father is specially so addressed in this petition, as He is entreated to keep and sanctify the disciples.

keep through Thine own name, etc. R.V., “keep them in Thy name which Thou hast given me”; i.e., preserve them in the faith and profession of that revelation of Thyself which they have received from Thee, through me. And similarly in ver. 12.

12 that the Scripture might be fulfilled. See note on xiii. 18.

13 that they might have my joy, etc. See xv. 11; xvi. 24.

16. They are not of the world, etc. These words, repeated from ver. 14, explain ver. 15, and introduce vers. 17-19. They are a plea for protection, a motive to holiness, and a ground of assurance.

17. Sanctify them, etc. That is, “Consecrate them to Thyself”: see ver. 19. To “sanctify” is strictly to “set apart” from all common uses, to that which is sacred.

Thy word. This is the secret of all personal holiness and of a living and active Church.

18. I sanctify myself. Whilst praying for the “sanctification” of His disciples, our Lord speaks of His “sanctification” as His own act; reminding us that His surrender to death was perfectly spontaneous.

20 [shall] believe. “Shall,” is, most probably, to be omitted. The body of believers is looked upon as actually existing.

21 that they all may be one. This unity is a deep internal oneness of will, purpose, and affection; binding the disciples of Jesus first to His Father and Himself, and then to each other; having as its model the unity subsisting between the Father and the Mediator (21); as its ground, a common faith in Jesus through the apostles’ teaching (20); as the means of promoting it, sanctification by the truth (19); and as its result, the bringing of the world to believe in Jesus (21).

23 that they may be made perfect in one. Rather, as R.V., “that they may be perfected into one”; i.e., that their unity may be rendered perfect. In proportion as the character of Christians grows nearer to perfection, unity becomes more possible.

that the world may know, etc. Recognising not only our Lord’s Divine mission, but the fruit of it in His disciples. This is one way by which men are attracted to the Saviour, and therefore, for the sake of others, Christians should show their unity with God in likeness to Him and unity with one another.

24. I will. Here the Saviour expresses His desire for the company of His people.

that they may behold my glory. As He reveals it to those who are capable of beholding and sharing it: see 1 John iii. 2; 2 Cor. iii. 18. “His desire will not be satisfied, until they have been received into heaven” (Calvin).

was preferred to Jesus! See the contrast strongly brought out in Acts iii. 14. He was not only “a robber,” but a murderer, and probably a leader of insurrectionary banditti (Mark xv. 7; Luke xxiii. 19).