New Testament Commentary - John 17

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 17 Jesus offers the great intercessory prayer—He is glorified by gaining eternal life—He prays for his apostles and all the saints—How the Father and Son are one.
1 THESE words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy ^aSon, that thy Son also may ^bglorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him ^apower over all flesh, that he should give ^beternal life to as many as thou hast ^cgiven him^a.	2^a as many as thou hast given him Now at this juncture Christ may will be speaking more specifically concerning those which are his disciples. But there is a broader meaning to be understood. In that Jehovah who is Jesus Christ had a beginning, being the Firstborn of the Father of all living things, and in that he will also have an end, then there will be a beginning and an end of this work which Christ has performed under the direction of the Father. All those of the Father's spirit children from the time of that beginning until a time which is needful to culminate in order that through Christ it may come to an end constitude all those who have been given unto Christ to redeem, that is to suffer for their sins, that they might gain salvation. That the Father was from before that beginning and will continue beyond that end, is assured. That the Father will still be about that same work, is also so. We are of 'Christ's generation' and we have been given to him. Beyond that beginning and end, that alpha and omega, which is in Christ; those others, and we presume there to be others, are not those given unto Christ. Yet the work of the Father will go on, and Christ will be make complete and many of us with him will become even as the Father is. And though this is beyond the scope of this world, it must be so. Thus there seem that there would be a limit unto those given Christ to redeem, even in the same consideration that Christ has a beginning and end in the work of this second estate. Other than that observation, it is best to leave what is outside of this, Christ and our generation, to not being further discussed.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
3 And this is ^alife ^beternal, that they might ^cknow thee the only true ^dGod, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast ^esent. 4 I have ^aglorified thee on the earth^a: I have ^bfinished the work which thou gavest me to do^b.	4^a I have glorified thee on the earth This is a part of that covenant of the Messiah which Jehovah made with the Father before the foundation of the world. In the preexistence, when the Father asked whom he should send to be the Messiah, knowing that it would be Jehovah, the Firstborn by right, but following the pattern of agency (see Abraham 3:27 and Moses 4:1-2); Jehovah answered the Father to send him and he further stated, 'Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Thus when Jesus did the work of the Messiah, he did glorify the Father in that work which was his to do. And that work was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39), which the work of the atonement does do in 'redeeming' all whom the Father hath given him to so redeem, that is those who kept their first estate as well as those who come unto Christ in the second estate to do the will of the Father and the Son here (see Abraham 3). 4^b I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Praying in the 'prophetic perfect tense', that is speaking as though that which is to come is already completed, Christ petitions the Father in behalf of mankind that as he 'has comleted' the antonement, that God the Father so fulfill that which was promised to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. The exact moment when that prophetic completion took place is better given as recorded in the JST Matthew 24:54 in which Christ stated, 'Father, it is finished, thy will is done'. And that 'charge' to so complete and finish was given Christ as Jehovah before the world was in the councels of heaven as seen by Zechariah 3:7. Now, again this work was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39), that is to redeem man from the fall and to give them the opportunity to become 'one' with God in becoming even as He is. It was set forth in the preexistence. It was the covenant entered into. Jehovah, the Firstborn of the Father of Spirits was rightfully chosen and anointed. The Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which was set upon Jesus in mortality taught him all things concerning it, bringing it again to his understanding. And thus Jesus speaks of his mortal ministry on earth and his suffering for the sins of the world at hand. This was the completion day of the atonement, it was finished (John 19:30) and would be ended 'today', the evening and the morning being the last day of it as days are counted Biblically.	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the ^aglory which I had with thee ^bbefore the world was^a. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me ^aout 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 ^agiven me are of thee.	5^a glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Jesus as Jehovah of the preexistence was of the same status and glory as the Father, being of that power and glory of the Celestial and a God. His condescension had been to come not only into mortality to gain his physical tabernacle like unto all of the Father's Spirit Children, but to condescend from the status of God over all the Father had given him, to that status of being a servant to all in performing the work and ministry of the atonement, suffering for the sins of men, decending not only as man, but below all things, that he might redeem all things. From this condescension below all things, Jesus would be raised again by the Father to that Celestial status and glory of being again God, not merely of the flesh but in the presence on the right hand of the Father as he had been with the Father before the world was as John had stated at the beginning of his gospel, that Jesus was with the Father from that beginning with God and he was also God, as was the Father (see John 1:1-4).	1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
8 For I have given unto them the ^awords which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I ^bcame out from thee, and they have ^cbelieved that thou didst send me. 9 I ^apray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which ^bthou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the ^aworld, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be ^bone, 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 ^anone of them is ^blost, but the son of ^cperdition^a; that the scripture might be fulfilled.	12^a none of them is lost, but the son of perdition There is argument that Christ is speaking concerning his immediate disciples, and that 'the son of perdition' here is Judas who betrayed him. But in a broader application, it all stands true, that all will be saved, redeemed and resurrection, and only those who are the 'sons of perdition' will be lost to the Lord's redemptive powers. This means that the sins for all others were suffered for and they are to be redeemed unto whatever degree of glory which they deserve, from those of little or no glory to those of the fulness of glory in the Celestial Kingdom of God. In this sense also then 'none are lost' and all will be saved. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. And all will be brought to stand before God to be judged according to their works and rewarded accordingly.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my ^ajoy 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 ^aworld, but that thou shouldest ^bkeep them from the ^cevil.
16 They are not of the ^aworld, even as I am not of the world. 17 ^aSanctify them through thy ^btruth: thy word is ^ctruth. 18 As thou hast ^asent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I ^asanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither ^apray I for these alone, but for them also which shall ^bbelieve on me through their word; 21 That they all may be ^aone; as thou, ^bFather, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ^cone 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 ^aone, even as we are ^bone: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made ^aperfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast ^bloved 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 ^aknown thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have ^adeclared unto them thy ^bname, and will declare it: that the ^clove wherewith thou hast ^dloved me may be in them, and I in them.