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:
At the close of this long, personal discourse with His disciples (ch13-16), Jesus lifts an eloquent, earnest prayer to the Father. His greatest petition is for oneness. The prayer seems to be as much for the benefit of the Apostles (and us) as for Himself. Given that John does not describe Jesus’ triple prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane (Mat 26:42-44), one wonders if this might be part of that prayer. However, John is clear that Jesus had not yet entered the Garden, which he mentions later in John 18:1. This must be a prior prayer that the Synoptics do not record and besides, the content of this prayer does not concord with Jesus’ prayer in the Garden, when His sweat was as drops of blood falling to the ground during those moments of wrestling with Satan. John mentions the crossing of the Kidron river (18:1), which we might take as the virtual moment upon which He entered the hour of power of darkness, for from that time on He was alone. Even His disciples could not watch one hour with Him.
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.
The Father has committed all power to the Son, even to authority over life and death (Rev 1:18). Nobody can doubt that, for Jesus affirmed it by His victory over the death and the world (John 16:33; Mat 28:18). Consequently, Jesus can and does give eternal life to those that the Father and Son decide to save, for that is the evident intention here (John 6:37). This eternal life is gained by knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. This has become a key proof-text of those who do not believe that Jesus is God, since it portrays Jesus and the Father as two separate persons. That idea however, does no damage to the true, Scriptural view of the Trinity. Citing proof-texts for one side of an argument will not arrive at the truth of the matter. One must take the whole intent of the Scriptures to accurately formulate a Bible doctrine, and that is true for any subject. For our thoughts regarding the error of those who say Jesus is not God, see our note for Col 1:15.
Of course, Jesus is called the only true God by none other than John in his epistle (1John 5:20), and the only begotten God in John 1:18 (see NASB). According to Adam Clarke, verse 3 could be translated, “That they might acknowledge Thee, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent, to be the only true God.”
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.
The work was not entirely finished, but He speaks as if His death and resurrection were already accomplished. See two other examples of this type of prophecy in John 16:11; 17:11; 16:33. From the context however, the earthly work that Jesus had in mind was His mission of manifesting God to the world of mankind. And that is why He asks the Father to glorify the Son: “I have glorified thee, O Father, on the earth. Now I pray that You would glorify Me.” Jesus had faithfully carried out the duty on earth which He had been sent to perform; He had manifested Thy Name (v6) to the world, He had declared and revealed God to Mankind (John 1:18; 1Tim 3:16; 1John 1:2). Because of His full obedience and submission to the will of the Father, Jesus expected the Father to honor Him.
Jesus and the Father were one in glory even before the world was (John 1:1-3; 5:19; 12:45). This must be understood as a heavenly relationship that was about to be retaken. God would honor Jesus by raising Him from the dead and then Jesus would return to the glories of the Father, seated at His side in the heavenlies (Eph 1:20; Heb 12:2).
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.
In verses 6-19, Jesus speaks to God concerning the men they had chosen for witnesses, the Apostles. They would be charged with spreading the Gospel into all the world (Acts 1:8). While useful to Christians of later eras, this prayer of Christ is firstly for the Eleven. However, the general audience of believers is not forgotten, for Jesus continues the prayer for all those who trust in Him as their Savior. The Apostles had believed His message and given themselves completely to following Him (Mat 19:27). They had seen His works, kept His word and believed that God had sent Him into the world. Now Jesus was about to leave them, and He is concerned for their spiritual well-being. His benediction reads like a prayer of commission such as a newly ordained minister might receive from the elderhood.
I have given unto them the words which Thou hast given Me. A major component of Jesus’ mission was to communicate verbally the Words (rhema) of God to mankind: His new covenant with them, the new way He wants them to live, His new commandments for them, His will in regard to the world, the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ word and the Father’s word are the same (John 7:16; 12:49; 14:24). For the benefit of those who would later believe on Christ, the Apostles would commit that Word to a written record.
Before leaving this world and returning to the Father, Jesus wanted to let His disciples hear the deepest wishes of His heart. In a way, these are like the last words of an earthly father to his children, and we note four principle points in Jesus’ prayer to God on behalf of His disciples:
- He prays that God would protect them from being contaminated by the wickedness in the world (James 1:27).
- He asks the Father to keep them in thine own Name, even as He had kept them in that Name while on the earth (2Tim 1:12).
- He prays for unity, that they may be one, even as He and the Father are one (Eph 4:1-6).
- He asks that they might be sanctified through the truth of the Word of God (2Tim 2:15).
Each of these stand as great pillars of the faith on their own, and there is much New Testament material to decorate their solidity. The notes that follow do not even scratch the surface of those important subjects. Some commentators attempt to dissect the meaning of the phrase, the words which Thou gavest Me, to say this refers to Christ’s doctrine but not His commandments. It is an entirely arbitrary interpretation.
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.
Jesus’ prayer is for those that God had given Him; they belong to God and Christ is glorified in them. A Christian who lives faithfully according to Jesus’ commandments honors God’s name and brings glory to the Son of God. On the other hand, the one who professes to be a Christian but does not obey His Word is blaspheming that Holy Name by his false testimony of life. The Eleven would be greatly tested by a wicked and sinister world under Satan’s influence, and we today will experience the same great tribulation in this life (Rev 7:14). The world would hate the Apostles, persecute them and eventually cut short their lives by sword and fire. Only the apostle John escaped being killed by the men of Satan’s kingdom. While Jesus does care about our physical lives, it is the soul of man that matters most, and that fact is at the heart of His prayer for the disciples.
If Jesus is God, why did He need to pray to the Father? Several thoughts help answer that question, and the first is that Jesus’ walked this earth as an example of the way we should live; if He prayed often and fervently to the Father, how much more should we. Second, oneness is maintained by open communication, and Jesus ever spoke to the Father to express their mutuality of will and purpose. Finally, there is an authority structure in the Godhead (John 14:28) which places Jesus second in command. The Greek word for pray (erotao) in this chapter means to ask, request, entreat. It is not the word commonly used for prayer to God, although it does fit well into that sense.
All mine are thine. Taken in the general sense, Jesus and God are shown to be co-owners of the Universe. In the context, Jesus seems to be referring to the Apostles, but the broader intent is also true.
I pray not for the world. Jesus came to redeem the world (John 3:16), He loves the world and He gave His life for it. But at this time His prayer is for those who will believe on Him.
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.
For those who wish to benefit from Jesus’ four-point prayer, the starting point is to recognize there are only two kingdoms in the world that God has created, and eternal life is gained only by being part of the Kingdom of Christ. Jesus paints this picture in strong colors. He and His followers are not of the world, therefore the world hateth them. The Christian’s citizenship is in another Kingdom, yet he must live in this sinful world as a pilgrim and stranger (Heb 11:13). Therefore He prays that God shouldest keep them from the evil that is rampant throughout it. If Jesus was concerned that the fiery, Spirit-filled Apostles might be overcome by the temptations of this world, how much more should we take care to not fall prey to the lust of the flesh and eyes, and the pride of life (1John 2:16).
A healthy concept of the great gulf between the ways of this world and the ways of Christ is essential to living a holy life that pleases God, and yet the importance of being separate from the world is not a popular one in churches today. The distinction forms an all-important mindset for every decision in life: Christ’s disciples are not of the world even as [He is] not of the world. Anabaptist churches are the greatest targets the Devil has in this particular battle, because they are best demonstrating this crucial fact! So do not be dismayed upon feeling the pressures, for Christ has forewarned us to expect these attacks.
Jesus’ prayer for unity and His request that the Father would keep the believers secure in His Name are linked in verse 11, but later addressed separately. Holy Father, keep through Thine own Name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are. The Scriptures often use the simple word “Name” to demonstrate the person, character and power of God (John 3:18; Acts 4:12; Php 2:10; Rev 19:12).
I have given them Thy word, Jesus says. The simple, strong implications of this phrase have been sadly ignored by many professing Christians and denominations today, who in varying degrees have re-invented Jesus and re-interpreted His sayings. Take heed! Jesus has given us the Father’s Word, we call it the Holy Bible, and so it is, yet today many confess it to be a good book that has some general truth in it, but not the sacred and authoritative Word of God. Jesus’ prayer to the Father cannot bear fruit in such people.
That they might have My joy. See John 15:11; 16:24.
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.
To sanctify is to make holy, whether by ceremony as under the Old Law (Heb 9:13), or mentally in sacred reverence (Mat 6:9), or in the act of inward spiritual cleansing and purification (1Cor 6:11; Heb 2:10-11). The first two uses may have human actors, but the last can only be effected by God. Many scholars and commentators say that the word sanctify means “to set apart, or to consecrate.” With the dubious exception of this verse, that meaning is not found in the NT usage of the word hagiazo, although it perhaps may be inferred from the OT sanctification ceremonies. Many of those who advance this definition do so to promote a particular soteriological doctrine (most notably, Calvinism), for there is no doubt that the primary usage and meaning of sanctification is to purify/make holy, not to consecrate. Nevertheless, these scholars resort to proof-texts such as Jer 1:5; Ex 28:41, which can be understood under either definition, to support their idea that Jesus’ obedience to God has been substituted for man’s disobedience, etc. Another Greek word, aphorizo, carries the exact meaning of “to separate or set apart,” but Jesus did not use it (see Acts 13:2; Rom 1:1; 2Cor 6:17; Gal 1:15; Mat 25:32; Luke 6:22).
Here Jesus says, “Make them holy by Thy Word of Truth.” The idea is very similar to Eph 5:26, That He might sanctify and cleanse [the Church] by the washing of water by the Word. As the Christian conforms his life each day more closely to the Word of Christ, he is purified, cleansed and made more holy. That is the process of sanctification which is a necessary component of salvation.
God is all-righteous, all-good and all-true, so it follows that His Word is truth. Some theologians attempt to separate God from His words, but that is biblically not possible. God and His Word, whether written or spoken, are one. It is natural then that Jesus is called the Word (John 1:1; Rev 19:11-13).
I sanctify Myself. Jesus has always been perfectly pure and holy, and so needs not to be made holy. Moreover, to make oneself spiritually clean is not possible, except that one be God (who is already perfectly holy). Probably Jesus uses the term sanctify (hagiazo) in order to draw from its OT connotations. Before using any earthly item (vessels, clothing, animals, men), the priests would perform a sanctification ceremony so that it could be used in the holy adorations and sacrifices of God. In this manner Paul purified himself (hagnizo) in the temple (Acts 21:26). Jesus was about to become the ultimate and greatest sacrifice to God, an offering that would once and for all fulfill the requirements of the Law (Heb 10:10). It is exactly in this manner that Jesus says the Father had in heaven sanctified Him to the purpose of His earthly mission (John 10:36). So while He has been always perfectly holy, Jesus’ language reminds us of the many OT types and figures that for centuries pointed to His work of atonement. I sanctify Myself. Taken in fullest meaning, Jesus is again proclaiming Himself to be God, sent as the last sacrificial Lamb of the first covenant. Because of that offering, the souls of men can also be sanctified through the truth (1Cor 1:30).
Jesus had been sent to earth by the Father, and He had achieved every detail contained in His mission. Now in turn, Jesus says of all His disciples, even so have I also sent them (His disciples) into the world. While He is concerned for their spiritual health being found in this wicked world, His commission is clear: Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).
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.
Here Jesus includes in His prayer all those disciples who would later believe on Him through their word, that is, because of the words of the Apostles. As Jesus spoke only what the Father told Him, so too the Apostles were to speak only what the Spirit told them. In that sense, their word is authentic and authoritative in its written form, it is the inspired Word of God (2Tim 3:16). See note on Mat 16:19.
The primary component in this section is a four-repeated petition for oneness: that they all may be one…that they also may be one in Us…that they may be one…that they may be made perfect in one. Is there a sadly prophetic component to this prayer? Certainly it is true that Christian churches have been torn, distorted and destroyed by disunity, conflicts and dissensions all through history. Unity has ever been a difficult achievement, and perhaps it is impossible on the large scale due to heresies, rebellions and deceptions (see 1Cor 11:19). Nevertheless, the Apostles also implored the churches to unity of heart, mind and purpose (Php 2:2; 1Pet 3:8; 2Cor 13:11; Col 2:2), and the church that is truly rooted in the Word of God will certainly find that oneness which is firmly based in brotherly love (Acts 4:32). Indeed, it is the mark and greatest witness that the church can have (John 13.35).
As Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee…I in them, and Thou in Me. This is the highest form of unity imaginable; it is not an outward unity (or uniformity), but an inner oneness of spirit, mind and purpose. See 1Cor 6:17, He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit (with Him). While this surely has application to the present life (see John 14:23), it will be perfectly achieved only in the Kingdom to come. The sweet spot of consistency between accepting brethren with different theologies and rejecting false brethren has always been a challenge for the true, sincere followers of Christ. Unity at the expense of purity is a poor exchange. In heaven, both will be perfectly resolved.
That the world may know. Evangelism is a key part of Jesus’ prayer with His disciples and He solemnly charges them with that vision in these verses, going so far as to give them His glory in that effort. The full meaning of that concept is difficult, and perhaps includes areas such as the working of miracles and the committing of His words into writing.
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.
This is a beautiful, encouraging conclusion to Jesus’ prayer! He wills that all those who believe on Him should be with Him in glory. I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also (John 14:2-3). The world does not know God, but because the Christian has heard, seen and believed, he shall forever behold Jesus Christ in His glory (1Thes 4:17). All this on the account of His great love (Rom 5:8).