John 17

Jesus Finished the Father’s Work

1This is what Jesus prayed as he looked up into heaven,

“Father, the time has come.

Unveil the glorious splendor of your Son # 17:1 Or “Glorify your Son!” The Father unveiled the glory of his Son on the cross, by the empty tomb, through his ascension into heaven, and by the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon his church.

so that I will magnify your glory!

2You have already given me authority # 17:2 The Aramaic is translated “responsibility.”

over all people so that I may give

the gift of eternal life to all those that you have given to me.

3Eternal life means to know and experience you

as the only true God, # 17:3 The Aramaic is translated “the God of truth.” This alludes to Deut. 6:4.

and to know and experience Jesus Christ,

as the Son whom you have sent.

4I have glorified you on the earth

by faithfully doing everything you’ve told me to do.

5So my Father, restore me back to the glory

that we shared together when we were face-to-face

before the universe was created.” # 17:5 The Aramaic is translated “before the light of the universe.”

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6“Father, I have manifested who you really are

and I have revealed you # 17:6 Or “I have made known your name.” The Greek word, phaneroo, means “to make visible,” “to manifest,” “to reveal,” and “to be plainly recognized.” (See Strong’s Concordance, Gr. 5319.) to the men and women

that you gave to me. # 17:6 Or “you gave to me out of the world.”

They were yours, and you gave them to me,

and they have fastened your Word firmly to their hearts.

7And now at last they know that everything I have is a gift from you,

8And the very words you gave to me to speak

I have passed on to them.

They have received your words

and carry them in their hearts.

They are convinced that I have come from your presence,

and they have fully believed that you sent me to represent you.

9So with deep love, # 17:9 The Aramaic can be translated “I desired [loved] them.” The Greek is “I pray for them.” This translation has chosen to include both concepts. I pray for my disciples.

I’m not asking on behalf of the unbelieving world, # 17:9 This is emphatic in the Greek sentence structure. How could it be that Jesus loved the world and gave himself for the sin of the world, yet emphasized that he was praying for his disciples and not praying for the world? Jesus’ coming into the world brought life to those who believe and judgment to those who do not. The implication is that the key to reaching the world is the life, maturity, unity, and love of the disciples. This does not mean that Jesus didn’t love the world, but that the world will only be reached when the disciples come into the fullness of Christ and in unity of the faith. This is what consumed the heart of Jesus as he prayed for them before the cross.

but for those who belong to you,

those you have given me.

10For all who belong to me now belong to you.

And all who belong to you now belong to me as well,

and my glory is revealed through their surrendered lives. # 17:10 Or “I am glorified in them.”

11“Holy Father, I am about to leave this world # 17:11 Or “I am no longer in the world.”

to return and be with you,

but my disciples will remain here.

Holy Father, each one that you have given me,

keep them in your name so that they will be united

as one, even as we are one.

12While I was with these that you have given me, # 17:12 See footnote on v. 11.

I was guarding them and keeping them in your name.

Not one of them is lost,

except the one that was destined to be lost, # 17:12 Or “son of perdition,” which is a Semitic idiom that means “to be destined to destruction.” This obviously refers to Judas, the betrayer. See also Ps. 41:9; John 6:70.

so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

13“But now I am returning to you so Father,

I pray # 17:13 Or “I speak these things [this prayer] in the world [before I leave].” that they will experience

and enter into my joyous delight in you # 17:13 This “delight” is more than happiness. It is the complete satisfaction that comes in knowing that our lives are pleasing to the Father and that we fulfill his desires on the earth. This is the delight that Jesus shares with us and prays that we would experience.

so that it is fulfilled in them and overflows.

14I have given them your message

and that is why the unbelieving world hates them.

For their allegiance is no longer to this world

because I am not of this world.

15I am not asking that you remove them from the world,

but I ask that you guard their hearts from evil, # 17:15 Or “the Evil One” (or “Satan”). The implication is that the disciples of Jesus will influence the systems of this world but need to be preserved from evil influences.

16For they no longer belong to this world any more than I do.

17“Your Word is truth! So make them holy by the truth.

18I have commissioned them to represent me

just as you commissioned me to represent you.

19And now I dedicate myself to them as a holy sacrifice

so that they will live as fully dedicated to God

and be made holy by your truth.” # 17:19 The Aramaic can be translated “And in their sight I will glorify [consecrate] myself, so that they will be glorified [consecrated] by the truth.”

Jesus Prays for You

20“And I ask not only for these disciples,

but also for all those who will one day

believe in me through their message.

21I pray for them all to be joined together as one # 17:21 Jesus prayed for the birth of the church, made up of Jewish and non-Jewish believers.

even as you and I, Father, are joined together as one.

I pray for them to become one with us # 17:21 Or “in us.”

so that the world will recognize that you sent me.

22For the very glory you have given to me I have given them

so that they will be joined together as one

and experience the same unity that we enjoy. # 17:22 It is important to note that the key to unity among believers is experiencing the glory of God that Jesus has imparted to us. As one with God through faith in Christ, he shares his glory with us, since we are not “another,” but have been made one with the triune God through the blood of Jesus. See Isa. 42:8.

23You live fully in me and now I live fully in them

so that they will experience perfect unity, # 17:23 The Aramaic is “shrink into one.” When we see Jesus in one another, our vaulted opinions of ourselves will shrink.

and the world will be convinced that you have sent me,

for they will see that you love each one of them

with the same passionate love that you have for me.

24“Father, I ask that you allow everyone that you have given to me

to be with me where I am! # 17:24 This is experienced not only after we die, but also took place when the ascended Christ took us up into the heavenly realm and seated us at his side with the Father. See Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1–4.

Then they will see my full glory—

the very splendor you have placed upon me

because you have loved me even before the beginning of time.

25“You are my righteous Father, # 17:25 As translated from the Aramaic.

but the unbelieving world has never known you

in the perfect way that I know you!

And all those who believe in me # 17:25 The Greek is simply “these” (disciples).

also know that you have sent me!

26I have revealed to them who you are # 17:26 Or “I have revealed your name to them.”

and I will continue to make you even more real to them,

so that they may experience the same endless love

that you have for me,

for your love will now live in them, even as I live in them!”

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John 17: TPT

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John 17

Jesus Prays for Himself

1Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, #John 12:23the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2#Dan. 7:14; Matt. 11:27; John 3:35; (Phil. 2:10; Heb. 2:8)as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many #John 6:37, 39; 17:6, 9, 24as You have given Him. 3And #(Is. 53:11); Jer. 9:23, 24this is eternal life, that they may know You, #1 Cor. 8:4; 1 Thess. 1:9the only true God, and Jesus Christ #John 3:34whom You have sent. 4#John 13:31I have glorified You on the earth. #(Dan. 9:24); John 4:34; 19:30I have finished the work #Is. 49:3; 50:5; John 14:31which You have given Me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory #Prov. 8:22–30; John 1:1, 2; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6#Ps. 22:22“I have manifested Your name to the men #John 6:37whom You have given Me out of the world. #Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 14:8They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8For I have given to them the words #John 8:28which You have given Me; and they have received them, #John 8:42; 16:27, 30and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that #Deut. 18:15, 18You sent Me.

9“I pray for them. #(1 John 5:19)I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10And all Mine are Yours, and #John 16:15Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11#(Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51); John 13:1; (Acts 1:9; Heb. 4:14; 9:24; 1 Pet. 3:22)Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, #(1 Pet. 1:5); Jude 1keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one #John 10:30as We are. 12While I was with them in the world, #Heb. 2:13I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and #(John 6:39; 18:9); 1 John 2:19none of them is lost #Matt. 27:4, 5; John 6:70; Acts 1:16–20except the son of perdition, #Ps. 41:9; 109:8; John 13:18; Acts 1:20that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them Your word; #Matt. 24:9; Luke 6:22; 21:17; John 15:19; 1 John 3:13and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, #John 8:23just as I am not of the world. 15I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but #Matt. 6:13; Gal. 1:4; 2 Thess. 3:3; (2 Tim. 4:18); 2 Pet. 2:9; 1 John 5:18that You should keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17#(Acts 15:9; Eph. 5:26; 1 Pet. 1:22)Sanctify them by Your truth. #Ps. 119:9, 142, 151Your word is truth. 18#John 4:38; 20:21As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19And #1 Cor. 1:2; 1 Thess. 4:7; (Heb. 10:10)for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21#(John 10:16; Rom. 12:5; Gal. 3:28); Eph. 4:4, 6that they all may be one, as #John 10:38; 17:11, 23You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22And the #John 14:20; 1 John 1:3glory which You gave Me I have given them, #(2 Cor. 3:18)that they may be one just as We are one: 23I in them, and You in Me; #(Col. 3:14)that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

24#(John 12:26; 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:17)“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; #Matt. 25:34; John 17:5for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25O righteous Father! #John 15:21The world has not known You, but #John 7:29; 8:55; 10:15I have known You; and #John 3:17; 17:3, 8, 18, 21, 23these have known that You sent Me. 26#Ex. 34:5–7; John 17:6And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love #John 15:9; (Eph. 3:17–19)with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

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