7. Jesus' prayer (17:1-26)

Jesus followed his Farewell Discourses by addressing the Father directly, apparently aloud and in the presence of the disciples. His prayer demonstrated the deep communion between Son and Father, summarized his teaching about himself, and recapitulated several Johannine themes. It was in four parts: a prayer for himself (vv.1-5), a prayer for the disciples (vv.6-19), a prayer for subsequent believers (vv.20-24), and a review of his mission to the world (vv.25-26).

First, Jesus prayed that his approaching death (the time, literally “the hour,” v.1; cf. on 2:4; 7:6-9; 12:23; 13:1) might result in glory for himself and for his Father (vv.1-5). He had glorified the Father on earth by completing the work assigned to him (v.4), including bestowing eternal life where it was appropriate to do so (v.2). Eternal life, he said, consists in a vital acquaintance with God and his emissary Jesus Christ (v.3). Now that he had nearly completed his work, he petitioned the Father to restore to him the glory he had had in his preexistence (v.5; cf. 1:1-2, 14).

Second, Jesus prayed that the Father would protect the disciples (vv.6-19). (In his essay on perseverance, John Wesley rightly insisted that those whom you gave me signifies the Twelve alone [vol. 10, p. 292].) To them he had revealed the Father (v.6), and they knew that the mission of Jesus originated in the Father (vv.7-8). It was for these who had believed on him that he prayed and not, at that moment, for the world (v.9), though he was not unconcerned about the world (cf. 3:16; 17:25-26). Since they belonged to him, they also belonged to the Father (v.10; cf. 16:15), and now that Jesus was no longer going to be around to protect them, he asked the Father to look after them and preserve their unity (vv.11-12). Jesus had lost only Judas, and that had been in fulfillment of Scripture (cf. 13:18).

Jesus was returning to the Father, but the disciples were remaining behind in the world. This was the background to Jesus' further prayer for the Father’s watchful care over them. It had two clauses. (1) As recipients of God’s Word, they could no longer be described as of the world, and they were targets of the world’s hatred (vv.13-14; cf. 15:18-16:4). But the world was their sphere of ministry, as it had been his, and he asks that they be protected from the evil one (v.15; cf. Mt 6:13). (2) Like Jesus they were not of the world (v.16), but he was sending them into it for ministry, just as he had been sent (v.18; cf. 20:21). And he petitioned the Father to sanctify them completely by the truth-that is, by his word (v.17; cf. 13:10; 15:3). In this regard, one recalls the operations of the Spirit of truth (cf. 14:26; 15:26; 16:12-15).

Jesus prayed, thirdly, for the unity of the future generations of Christians who would come to faith through the testimony of the disciples (vv.20-23; cf. 20:29). In nature this was identical to the oneness that united Son and Father, and it was characterized by the same glory. Its purpose was that by observing it the world might come to know that God had indeed been behind the mission of Jesus and that his blessing was on the church. And Jesus' ultimate desire was that believers should join him in heaven and behold his eternal glory (v.24).

In the final section, Jesus summed up both his prayer and his ministry (vv.25-26; cf. 1:18). By definition the world did not know the Father, but Jesus knew him and came into the world to make him known. Or, in other terms, he came to bring light instead of darkness and life instead of death. He had done this; he would continue to do it. His goal was the salvation of the world.