When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, 2 just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. 3 Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. 4 I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.
6 “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, 8 because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, 10 and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.
In John 17:1-11a, often called the beginning of Christ’s “High Priestly Prayer,” Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven and prays aloud to the Father. This prayer takes place just before His Passion begins. Unlike earlier prayers in the Gospels, which are usually private, Jesus speaks this prayer in the presence of His disciples, allowing them—and us—to hear His intimate communion with the Father. His words are both deeply personal and profoundly theological, revealing the eternal relationship between the Son and the Father, and drawing the disciples into that relationship through their mission in the world.
Jesus begins by saying, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you” (v. 1). Throughout the Gospel of John, “the hour” refers to the climactic moment of Jesus’ Passion, death, and resurrection (cf. John 2:4; 12:23-24). In this context, glory is not simply radiant majesty, but the revelation of divine love through the Cross (cf. John 13:31-32). As explained in one of the biblical commentaries, “Jesus speaks of his glorification through the Cross as the fulfillment of the Father’s salvific plan and the ultimate revelation of God’s love for the world” (Navarre, St. John’s Gospel, 225).
Jesus continues, “You gave him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life: that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ” (vv. 2-3). Eternal life is not merely endless existence but a profound participation in the life of God—to know the Father and the Son. This “knowing” echoes the Hebrew idea of yada‘, which implies deep relational knowledge, not mere information (cf. Hos 2:20; Jer 31:34). As St. Irenaeus (c. 130–c. 202) wrote, “The glory of God is the living human being, and the life of man is the vision of God” (Adversus Haereses, IV.20.7). He meant that God is glorified when we live fully in His grace, and our true life is found in knowing and beholding Him. In Jesus, that vision is now made visible (cf. John 14:9).
Jesus then speaks of the work He has accomplished: “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do” (v. 4). His obedience unto death (Phil 2:8) is the very means by which God’s love is revealed. He then prays, “Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began” (v. 5), a striking affirmation of His preexistence and divine nature (cf. John 1:1; Col 1:15-17). This verse supports the doctrine of Christ’s eternal sonship, expressing both His divinity and His intimate union with the Father. The commentary draws on the legacy of St. Jerome (c. 347–420), an early Church Father and Scripture scholar who translated the Bible into Latin (New Jerome Biblical Commentary, 63:143).
In verses 6–8, Jesus shifts His focus from His mission to His disciples: “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.” In biblical language, revealing God’s “name” means revealing His very nature and identity (cf. Exod. 3:14-15). Jesus has made the Father known through His words and actions, and the disciples have begun to grasp this revelation. Though their understanding is imperfect, their faith is genuine.
Finally, in verses 9–11a, Jesus prays not for the world at large but specifically for those the Father has given Him. “I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours.” This does not mean He excludes the world from His concern (cf. John 3:16), but in this moment, His intercession is focused on those who have received the Father’s word and now belong to Him in faith. In the Gospel of John, “the world” often represents those who persist in unbelief and opposition to God (cf. John 15:18-19). Jesus prays that these chosen disciples be guarded and united, prepared for their mission to bring His truth to that very world.
He concludes this portion with a request: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are” (v. 11). This plea for unity—rooted in the very unity of the Trinity—becomes a central theme in the remainder of His prayer (cf. John 17:21–23).
Lord Jesus, You prayed for Your disciples before the hour of Your Passion. Help us to hear Your voice still, drawing us into deeper communion with the Father. Keep us faithful to Your name, united in truth and love, and nourished by the life You came to give. Let our lives be a reflection of Your glory, until we are one with You in eternity. Amen.
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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