Question 1

What does Jesus mean by "this is life eternal" in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says, "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," he explains that eternal life is not just living forever. It is a real, personal relationship with God. It means knowing the Father as the only true God, set apart from all false gods, and knowing Jesus as the One the Father sent. This knowing is trusting, loving, and walking with God through Jesus. Eternal life starts now, as we come to know God in this way, and continues forever.

Question 2

Why does Jesus ask the Father to glorify him in this prayer?

Accepted Answer

Jesus asks, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." He is speaking about his coming suffering, death, resurrection, and return to the Father. His request is not selfish. He asks to be glorified so that, through his finished work, the Father will be glorified in saving people. He also asks to share again the glory he had with the Father before the world existed, showing that his glory with the Father did not begin on earth but is eternal.

Question 3

What does it mean that Jesus has "power over all flesh"?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says the Father has given him "power over all flesh," he is talking about authority over all people. This authority is given so that he might give eternal life to those the Father has given him. His rule is not like the grasping rule of earthly rulers. It is a God-given authority to save, to govern, and in the end to judge. Out of all humanity, he brings eternal life to those entrusted to him, showing both the greatness of his power and the kindness of his purpose.

Question 4

Why does Jesus say he does not pray for the world but for those given to him?

Accepted Answer

Jesus says, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me." Here he is focusing his prayer on his disciples and on all who belong to him. They were given to him by the Father, they have received his word, and they believe he was sent from God. He is about to leave them in a hostile world, so he especially asks for their keeping, unity, and joy. This does not mean God has no care for the world, but that, in this prayer, Jesus is speaking as a mediator for his own people.

Question 5

What does it mean that believers are "not of the world"?

Accepted Answer

Jesus twice says his followers are "not of the world, even as I am not of the world." He does not mean they leave the earth or escape daily life. Instead, their nature and deepest loyalties have changed. Through receiving God’s word, they no longer belong to the world’s way of thinking and living. They are set apart for God. That is why the world hates them. Jesus does not ask that they be taken out of the world, but that the Father keep them from evil while they live as his people in it.

Question 6

What does Jesus mean when he prays, "Sanctify them through thy truth"?

Accepted Answer

To be sanctified is to be set apart for God and made holy. When Jesus prays, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth," he is asking the Father to use his word to shape and purify his followers. God’s word is not just true; it is the standard of truth. As his disciples hear, trust, and obey that word, they are separated from the world’s lies and dedicated to God’s service. Jesus adds that he sanctifies himself for their sake, offering himself fully so that they may truly be made holy in the truth.

Question 7

Why does Jesus pray that his followers "may be one"?

Accepted Answer

Jesus prays that his followers "may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee." He is asking for a deep spiritual unity among all who believe in him, not just outward agreement. This unity comes from being joined to him and to the Father. It is meant to reflect, in a creaturely way, the unity between the Father and the Son. Jesus also says this unity will help the world believe that the Father sent him. When believers love each other and stand together in truth, it points beyond themselves to God.

Question 8

Who is the "son of perdition" mentioned in this prayer?

Accepted Answer

Jesus says, "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." The "son of perdition" refers to the one who betrayed him, the disciple who turned away and was lost. His falling away did not show that Jesus failed to keep those given to him; rather, it showed that this person never truly shared in that gift. His betrayal fulfilled what Scripture had already spoken. All the others were kept by Jesus’ care and the Father’s name.

Question 9

How does this prayer apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

This prayer was spoken with the first disciples present, but Jesus also says, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." That includes believers in every age. His requests still matter: that we would know the Father and the Son, be kept from evil, be made holy by the truth, and live in real unity. When you read this chapter, you see that Jesus had you in view as he went to the cross. His care, his words, and his requests still cover all who trust in him.

John 17:1

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:

Prayer for the Son

Prayer for the Disciples

Prayer for All Believers

Prayer for the Son

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John 17:1

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:

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Prayer for the Son

Prayer for the Disciples

Prayer for All Believers

Prayer for the Son

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