John Chapter 17:1-26 King James Bible KJV

The High Priestly Prayer, Jesus Prays for Himself, Jesus Prays for His Disciples, Jesus Prays for All Believers

John Chapter 17:1-26 King James Bible KJV. John Chapter 17, often referred to as the “High Priestly Prayer,” is a prayer Jesus offers to the Father just before his betrayal and crucifixion. In this deeply intimate and profound chapter, Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and all future believers. This prayer reveals Jesus’ heart for unity, protection, sanctification, and glorification for those who follow him. His prayer is a powerful reminder of Jesus’ ongoing care for believers and his desire for them to reflect his love and truth in the world. It is a window into Jesus’ relationship with the Father and his hopes for the Church.

Key Themes

• Jesus’ Mission and Glory: Jesus’ request for glorification through his crucifixion and resurrection reflects his commitment to fulfilling God’s plan for salvation. His obedience to the Father’s will demonstrates his love for humanity and desire to reveal God’s glory.
• Eternal Life as Knowing God: Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son. This knowing is relational and experiential, not merely intellectual, signifying a deep, personal relationship with God.
• Unity Among Believers: One of Jesus’ central concerns is the unity of his followers. He prays for unity that reflects the unity within the Trinity—one based on love, truth, and shared purpose. This unity is meant to be a witness to the world, showing the transformative power of God’s love.
• Sanctification by Truth: Jesus prays that his disciples be sanctified by the truth of God’s word, which involves being set apart for God’s purposes and growing in holiness. This sanctification equips believers to live faithfully and missionally in the world.
• Protection and Presence: Jesus prays for the Father’s protection over his followers, asking that they be kept safe from the evil one while they continue their mission in the world. He also longs for his followers to be with him eternally, sharing in his glory and God’s love.

John Chapter 17:1-26 King James Bible KJV
—————-

Jesus Prays for Himself – verses 1-5
Jesus begins by asking the Father to glorify him so that he, in turn, may glorify the Father. This “glorification” refers to his impending death and resurrection, where he will accomplish the work of salvation. He speaks of having “authority over all people” to give eternal life to those the Father has given him. Jesus defines eternal life not just as living forever but as knowing the Father and Jesus Christ, whom the Father has sent. This knowledge is relational, involving a personal, deep relationship with God.

Jesus states that he has completed the work the Father gave him to do, anticipating his final act on the cross. He asks to be restored to the glory he had with the Father “before the world began,” affirming his pre-existence and divine nature.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples – verses 6-19
Jesus prays for the disciples, whom the Father has given to him, saying they have accepted his words and believed that he came from God. This group has been chosen and set apart for the mission Jesus began. He asks the Father to protect them “by the power of your name” so that they may be unified just as Jesus and the Father are unified. This unity is essential because it mirrors the unity of the Trinity and reflects God’s love to the world.

Jesus knows the disciples will face hatred and opposition from the world because they do not belong to it. He does not ask God to remove them from the world but rather to protect them from the evil one. This shows that Jesus intends for his followers to live in the world, carrying out his mission while being shielded by God’s power. He prays for their sanctification, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Sanctification here means setting them apart for God’s purpose and making them holy. This process involves being transformed by God’s truth, which will enable them to live faithfully in the world and fulfill their mission.

Jesus Prays for All Believers – verses 20-26
Jesus extends his prayer to include all future believers—those who will come to faith through the message of the disciples. This section is a beautiful expression of Jesus’ care for every person who will follow him, transcending time and geographical boundaries. He prays that all believers “may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” Jesus desires that the unity among his followers mirror the unity between him and the Father. This unity isn’t just organizational or superficial; it is a deep, spiritual bond grounded in love and truth.

Jesus states that this unity will show the world that he was sent by God and that God loves believers just as he loves Jesus. This unity becomes a powerful testimony to the world, revealing God’s love and inviting others to believe. He also expresses his desire that all believers be with him and see his glory, which was given to him by the Father because of his love. This final section reflects Jesus’ longing for an eternal reunion with his followers, where they will experience the fullness of his glory and God’s love.

John Chapter 17:1-26 King James Bible KJV

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.