June 2, 2025 • 28 mins
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John 17: 1-11a - 'Father, it is time for you to glorify me.'
Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraphs:
- 2746-2749 (in 'The Prayer of the Hour of Jesus') - When "his hour" came, Jesus prayed to the Father. His prayer, the longest transmitted by the Gospel, embraces the whole economy of creation and salvation, as well as his death and Resurrection. the prayer of the Hour of Jesus always remains his own, just as his Passover "once for all" remains ever present in the liturgy of his Church. Christian Tradition rightly calls this prayer the "priestly" prayer of Jesus. It is the prayer of our high priest, inseparable from his sacrifice, from his passing over (Passover) to the Father to whom he is wholly "consecrated." In this Paschal and sacrificial prayer, everything is recapitulated in Christ: God and the world; the Word and the flesh; eternal life and time; the love that hands itself over and the sin that betrays it; the disciples present and those who will believe in him by their word; humiliation and glory. It is the prayer of unity. Jesus fulfilled the work of the Father completely; his prayer, like his sacrifice, extends until the end of time. the prayer of this hour fills the end-times and carries them toward their consummation. Jesus, the Son to whom the Father has given all things, has given himself wholly back to the Father, yet expresses himself with a sovereign freedom by virtue of the power the Father has given him over all flesh. the Son, who made himself Servant, is Lord, the Pantocrator. Our high priest who prays for us is also the one who prays in us and the God who hears our prayer.
- 684 (in 'I Believe in the Holy Spirit') - Through his grace, the Holy Spirit is the first to awaken faith in us and to communicate to us the new life, which is to "know the Father and the one whom he has sent, Jesus Christ" (abbreviated).
- 1721 (in 'Christian Beatitude') - God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us "partakers of the divine nature" and of eternal life. With beatitude, man enters into the glory of Christ and into the joy of the Trinitarian life.
- 1069 (in 'What does the word 'liturgy' mean?') - Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church (abbreviated).
- 2812 (in 'Hallowed be thy name') - Finally, in Jesus the name of the Holy God is revealed and given to us, in the flesh, as Savior, revealed by what he is, by his word, and by his sacrifice. This is the heart of his priestly prayer: "Holy Father . . . for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth." Because he "sanctifies" his own name, Jesus reveals to us the name of the Father. At the end of Christ's Passover, the Father gives him the name that is above all names: "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
- 2765 (in 'the Lord's Prayer') - The traditional expression "the Lord's Prayer" - oratio Dominica - means that the prayer to our Father is taught and given to us by the Lord Jesus. the prayer that comes to us from Jesus is truly unique: it is "of the Lord." On the one hand, in the words of this prayer the only Son gives us the words the Father gave him:1 he is the master of our prayer. On the other, as Word incar
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:10):
Hi everyone, welcome back to daily gospel.
Exegesis. This is the podcast where we
really look at the literal senseof the Gospel text.
So find out what's going on withthe words.
What do the words mean on their most literal original level?
Today? We're looking at a really
complex passage. We're looking at the start of
John chapter 17. Verses 1 to 11 a and that's the
(00:35):
reading. You would hear it mess today.
Here's today's passage. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven
and said, father, the hour has come glorify your son so that
your son may glorify you and through the power over all
mankind that you have given him.Let him give eternal life to all
(00:57):
those. You have entrusted to him.
An eternal life is this to know you the only true God and Jesus
Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on Earth
and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now father, it is time for you to glorify me with that Glory.
(01:19):
I had with you before the world ever was.
I have made your name known to the men, you took from the world
to give me. They were yours and you gave
them to me and they have kept your word now at last.
They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you.
(01:39):
If I have given them, the teaching you gave to me and they
have truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed
that it was you who sent me. I pray for them.
I am not praying for the world. But for those you have given me
because they belong to you. All I have is yours and all you
(02:01):
have is mine and I in them are glorified.
I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the
world and I am coming to you. Okay, so quite a famous passage,
but an incredibly deep and complex one here.
(02:22):
So let's start by thinking aboutthe context what has happened?
Just prior to this. So they've just had the last
supper and Jesus has been givingthe farewell discourse, which
goes over quite a few chapters. So that is finished.
Now, the farewell discourse is over but that same scene is
continuing. It appears that he and the
apostles are walking somewhere. Maybe they have while they're on
(02:43):
the way to the garden. Italy.
But I haven't arrived at the Garden yet.
So maybe they have stopped to pray somewhere at this point
maybe in another room in Jerusalem or something or maybe
somewhere outside on the way to the Garden.
Because Jesus says a prayer here, and this is a very long
and complex prayer. We've only heard a snippet of
it. It goes on for quite a while.
(03:04):
In John, chapter 17. It's the longest recorded prayer
in all of the gospels. And so, it's well worth paying
attention to if we want to know how Jesus praise.
This is often called the Great High Priestly prayer of Jesus
because in this prayer Jesus plays the role of intercessor
and mediator, he intercedes on behalf of his followers to the
(03:25):
father. And also if you think about it,
he says this prayer just before he does a sacrifice, the
sacrifice of himself. So it's quite appropriate to
call it. The high Priestly prayer.
Now, this incredible richness and complexity in the prayer
even every single line of the prayer reveal some sort of deep
truth. And we're probably not going to
be able to you know, draw out every aspect of what Jesus
(03:48):
intends with each of these phrases because there's so much
depth and complexity there. So just keep in mind that this
really is one of those passages that is inexhaustible.
There's so much in there. One thing that's worth pointing
out that this prayer that we're going to look at.
It does not appear to be the same prayer that Jesus will
pray. Shortly In The Garden of
Gethsemane. They haven't arrived at the
(04:10):
Garden of Gethsemane yet. So it's a different prayer.
And in particular, the prayer we're looking at here in John
17. The apostles are fully present
there with Jesus as he prays this prayer, whereas in the
garden, as you know, they fall asleep, and it's a different
prayer. So, in this first part of the
prayer will see, Jesus offering up his approaching sacrifice to
(04:33):
the father. So, that's the focus of the
first part. Let's start at verse 1.
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven.So Jesus looks towards the
father whom he's about to speak to, it's a customary Jewish
gesture, to raise your eyes to heaven.
Now, it would appear. It doesn't say he closed his
eyes at any point. So, it's possible that
throughout this prayer. He actually kept his eyes open
(04:54):
looking up to heaven. We don't often think about it
that way. But it appears that that's
what's going on. Father.
The hour has come often. You'll hear that phrase the our
in the Gospel of John and it basically means Jesus.
Crucifixion has come, the time has arrived the hour.
So it's everything in the father's plan of sending the Sun
(05:14):
to Earth was leading to this moment.
The time has come. So he says this to the father.
This is his request, glorify your son.
Now glorify can have different meanings.
Depending on how you translate it, but the basic idea here
appears to be Point people towards me.
Glorify your son as in point people towards the sun.
(05:37):
Why does Jesus want that? Not for his own sake.
He doesn't want people to look at him just because it's good to
look at him. There's a deeper.
Meaning here. Jesus goes on and says so that
your son may glorify you. This is really, really
important. This is the Father's goal in
sending Jesus to die on the cross.
The father allows Jesus to die on the cross.
(05:59):
In fact, he, you could say requires Jesus to die on the
cross. So that people will look to
Jesus as the son. They'll see his great Act of
Love on the cross and then hopefully, they'll be pointed
back to the father and they'll see this great exchange of life
and love within between the father and the son.
So that's the whole mission of God.
(06:19):
Why? Jesus dying on the cross.
Jesus will be glorified because people will look at him.
But in that process of people looking at him, people will be
appointed back to the father. So the father gets glorified to,
you see this deep relationship between the father's Mission and
the sun's Mission and that comesthrough all the way through you.
The sun's mission is to point people towards the father to
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glorify the father verse 2 and through the power.
Over all mankind that you have given him older translations.
Put this line this way since thou Hast given him Power Over
All Flesh. So the teaching here is, the,
the father has granted the son over power over all mankind, not
a power to Lord, it over them, but to draw as many people as
(07:06):
possible to the father. That's why the father has given
the Sun power. So that the sun will draw more
people to the father. Jesus continues, let him give
eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to him.
So here the translation starts to get a bit confusing because
of all the hymns and all the pronouns.
It appears that what's going on here is something like this.
(07:29):
Father. Please allow the sun to give
eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to your son.
That's what's going on. So Jesus is requesting that the
father follows through with their plan almost and that's a
theme and the Gospel of John, ifRead chapter 10 of the Gospel of
John, particularly, which is about the Good Shepherd.
(07:49):
There's this idea that the father has given the Sun, a
certain number of people to protect in order that the sun
would bring those people to the father.
So when he says those, you have given me that's a reference to
Christian believers, who the father has drawn to the Sun.
So it's Christian believers. And the way God has set, the
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father has set this up, is the son has the responsibility to
provide for and protect these Believers for the purpose of
bringing them to the father. That's what's going on.
Jesus he requests that the father follows through with the
plan to give eternal life to allof Jesus followers at that time.
His request is Father. Please allow me to give eternal
(08:32):
life to these followers. That you've given me to protect.
That's his prayer. Why the necessity for Jesus to
pray like this? Wouldn't it just be automatic?
Well, if you think about it, theway, this is working where
people can come to the father through.
The son is a new thing. It had never the New Covenant is
just beginning. It had never happened before
this time period before this to come to the father.
(08:54):
One had to go through the old Covenant.
So Jesus is in effect saying Lord, we're beginning a new
thing. This is the first time we've
tried this to bring people to you through the New Covenant
Lord. I pray that That you would honor
the agreement or something like that and bring these people to
you, through me. It's the first time that
something like this has happened.
(09:15):
And obviously, there's some complexities there with
salvation, but that appears to be the main point of the prayer
verse 3. And eternal life is this.
We want to listen to this because Jesus is about to
specify exactly what he considers eternal life to be.
And his answer might surprise you because it's not to go to
heaven when you die. That's not eternal life.
(09:37):
Here's what he says, eternal life.
Is this to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom
you have sent. So according to Jesus that's
eternal life to know the will ofGod and to be in a deep abiding
relationship with the father. And also with the Messiah Jesus
who has come to join us to him. So a deep mystical Union with
(10:00):
the father is what all people are called to, and if one
experiences that they are experiencing eternal life.
So, how does that relate to going to heaven?
Then? A lot of Christians would say,
eternal life is what happens when you get to heaven.
According To Jesus. It's a bit more complicated than
that. Going to heaven when we die to
be with God. According To Jesus.
It's a natural extension of the relationship.
(10:22):
We already have with God on Earth.
If we experience God's Divine Life, and he and communion with
him on Earth. Then that continues, when we go
to heaven in the next life, but if we don't have that
relationship during our life on Earth, then it doesn't You knew
after death into eternal life either.
So Jesus has this model of eternal life is an extension of
(10:43):
whatever you were doing in the current life.
This deep intimate, personal knowledge of the father was
actually prophesied to be an aspect of the New Covenant even
in the Old Testament. They predicted that this would
happen. If you look at Jeremiah chapter
31, in his famous declaration, that I will be their God, and
they will be my people. Jeremiah 31 verses 33 to 34
(11:07):
verse for Jesus says, I have glorified you on Earth and
finish the work that you gave meto do.
So the father sent the son to Earth.
With specific missions to accomplish through his teachings
and actions. Jesus has pointed people towards
the father. That was the whole point to
point people, towards the father, verse 5 now.
(11:28):
Father, it is time for you to glorify me.
Here's where the translation start to get a little bit
confusing. It appears that our translation
is omitting some words to try and make it a bit less
theological comp, theologically complex.
Other translations have verse 5.He has this glorify thou me in
thy own presence. So some sort of Glory here that
(11:51):
has to do with being in the presence of God.
It appears that Jesus is asking the father to glorify him.
Jesus, once he returns to the father at his Ascension and once
he returns to his presence, so it's a request father, please,
when I get back to heaven with, you glorify me.
Jesus wants the father to bestowit upon Him, especially Kind of
(12:13):
glory. And he specifies, what their
glory is with that Glory that I had with you before the world
ever was, this is an incredibly deep teaching.
Listen to what it says Jesus. He says, I had Glory with you
god before the world ever was. So the son, who's the second
person of the Holy Trinity existed in a state of Glory,
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with the father, even before theworld was created.
That's an incredibly, you know, deep part of Christian teaching,
Jesus. Is not just a man.
He has existed since eternity orat least the second person of
the Trinity has the idea appearsto be and this is talked about
in Philippians as well. He lost some of his Divine Glory
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voluntarily, when he came to Earth and took on human form.
So we actually lost some of thatGlory that he had.
And now he asks, the father to return him to that glorified
State once he returns to heaven.So even though both the father
and the son of God, there's sortof a hierarchy in roles, all
gifts, come from the father. It's the father who really runs
(13:18):
the show as such and there's a deep mystery there.
So that's why the sun has to pray to the father here.
Some Colts Christian Colts wouldsay this prayer.
Proves that Jesus is not God because Jesus here is praying to
God, but I think that's just simplifying it a little bit too
much clearly. They're both God, but there is a
distinction in roles particularly in terms of what's
going. And while Jesus is on Earth, so
(13:40):
Jesus is praying to the father that he would be returned to his
state of pre-existing Glory. Once he gets back to heaven.
Now, notice that at a minimum, regardless of what you think of
the Trinity, and the relationship between the persons
of the Trinity, any Christian who has this Bible, who has this
text at a minimum, the text teachers that Jesus is claiming
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to be a Divine being, which existed before the world began,
that's in the text. Jesus himself says, I was with
you and had Glory before the world ever was.
So truly, the teaching here, is that Jesus pre-exists the Earth,
and he's been sent to Earth fromheaven.
That's an inescapable. All conclusion.
(14:21):
And you know, Christian cult andChristians who don't believe in
the Trinity need to take this claim seriously and think about
what it means in terms of Jesus relationship with the father,
when he uses the phrase, before the world ever was that also is
supposed to contrast with the other reference to the World.
In this passage in the Gospel ofJohn, the world.
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Basically means people in Rebellion against God.
So, when Jesus says before the world ever was, it's sort of a
contrast with the work, Has beendoing in the world during his
ministry on Earth in the world. Jesus lost some of his Divine
Glory, but he's glorified the father.
Now. The son asks, to be return to
that state of Glory, which he had from eternity before the
(15:05):
world even existed. You see all these different
things come together and kind ofcomplex ways.
At this point, there's a transition in the prayer.
So Jesus now begins to plead to the father not for himself, but
for the preservation of his disciples, there's a question
here about who the disciples are.
The Jesus is thinking of often. You'll hear people say that this
(15:28):
is about all of us. I think in context, although
this is something you need to make up your own mind about as
we go. It appears that he's thinking
primarily of the Apostles. This is a prayer for protection
of the Apostles. Verse 6.
I have made your name known to the men, you took from the world
to give me Sara during Jesus ministry.
(15:49):
The father Drew certain people to Jesus, in order, in order
that they might come to know himto know the Father, and Jesus
Took responsibility for these people.
He taught them about God and he led them closer to God.
That was the arrangement. Now, some people have looked at
this verse, I have made your name known to the men.
You took from the world. To give me some people have said
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well this teachers like a Calvinism kind of predestination
where God picks certain people from the world to come to Jesus
and not others. That could be a legitimate
meaning of this. They could be what Jesus
intense, but I don't think it is.
I think in context Jesus is referring particularly to
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certain people in his own time period.
That's how God Worked at the time.
Jesus gave the prayer. So think about what's going on
here. The kingdom of God is just
beginning when Jesus comes to Earth for those first few years.
It appears that God worked differently than he did.
After Jesus had returned to heaven.
So it's likely that in these early years.
When the kingdom of God is just beginning, when Jesus is
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walking, the Earth. It's probably true.
That God chose certain people tobe drawn to Jesus for the
purposes of building. The kingdom of God at the start
and in particular. He's probably We talking about
the apostles as we'll see in a couple of verses.
When Jesus says, I have made your name known to the men, you
took from the world to give me. If we say he's talking about the
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apostles and that God specifically chose these men to
be Jesus, a possible. Well, then there's no
theological problem here. It's not a general sweeping
statement about the way God works all the time.
It's a it's talking about the apostles, being picked to begin
the Christ movement. So we don't have to say that,
God works in exactly the same. And why is he does here as when
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Jesus returns to Heaven, Jesus continues, they were yours.
And you gave them to me and theyhave kept your word.
So these faithful Christian disciples are the Sheep who are
mentioned in the parable of the Good Shepherd.
The sheep of the ones who are open to God's promptings and
they respond to Jesus Commandments.
They are those who have been with Jesus and have continued to
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follow his teachings. And these are the ones who are
going to form Jesus church verse7.
Now at last, they know that all you have given me comes indeed
from you. Think about this phrase.
Let's this just keep this in mind as we go now at last.
They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you.
(18:20):
So because of what Jesus has been saying, in the farewell
discourse, the apostles realize that Jesus is who he is.
He is who he claims to be, and that he comes from God.
During the ministry of Jesus. The apostles did have their
doubts about Jesus identity. But if you read the end of
chapter 16, which we just finished in the Review studies
(18:40):
the Apostle's, have this moment of Revelation where I realized
that Jesus is who he says he is.So that appears to be who Jesus
is talking about his talking about the apostles.
Notice the phrase here now at last.
They know, you'll know if you know a bit of grammar, the VA
must be referring back to the people.
Jesus was just talking about in the previous verse, who is
(19:03):
Jesus. Talking about in the previous
verse, the menu took from the world to give to me.
So he's continuing to talk aboutthe same group.
And then in this verse in verse 7, Jesus says, this group is the
ones who know that, all you havegiven the sun is indeed from the
Father. So it's a group of people who
believe that Jesus is from the father and have just realized
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that. So, all the evidence here is
suggesting that they, Jesus has in mind is the apostles.
So, when Jesus says, you have picked two people from the world
to give to me. If we take all these verses
together. It seems like Jesus is talking
about the apostles. That's who the focus at.
The prayer. Is not all, Christian Believers.
(19:46):
However, later in the prayer, not today, but in later lectures
area, Readings. In the coming days, you'll
notice there is a transition later on when Jesus starts to
talk about Christian Believers in later centuries, but at the
moment, he's just talking about the apostles.
That would be my reading of thistext.
(20:07):
Although I should, I should mention here as part of this
podcast. There's very few texts that the
Catholic church has defined. As here is the deafening
interpretation. There's a few of them but not
many. And so, with a lot of these
things, you're free to look at the text yourself and go with
what in interpretation seems best to you based on your
(20:27):
research. So we're up to verse 8 for I
have given them, the teaching you gave to me and they have
truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed that
it was you who sent me. So Jesus has been teaching his
followers, particularly the apostles, all that he has heard
from the father and they have accepted it as being from the
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father. They believe.
Jesus is truly the Son of God verse 9.
I pray for them or more. Literally, here.
I am praying for them. So, Jesus is saying that in this
current prayer. He's praying for his disciples
and he's about to give a series of requests to the father about
his followers. But now he says, I am not
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praying for the world, some haveconsidered this to be quite a
controversial phrase. What do you mean?
Jesus isn't praying for the world.
We shouldn't take this to mean that Jesus never praised for the
world, in general. But in this case, in this
prayer, he's praying about his followers and that's okay.
It's okay for Jesus to pray about certain people and not
others. Sometimes.
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But for those, you have given mebecause they belong to you.
There's that language of belonging again.
So Jesus is praying to the father for his followers.
Jesus has been trusted by the father with protecting these
ones that the father has chosen.So now Jesus asks the father to
protect them after he has gone. Jesus is kind of transferring
his protection from himself to the father.
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That's kind of what's going on here, verse 10.
All I have is yours and all you have Is mine.
So there's this deep intimacy between the father and the son
in context. This refers primarily to, Jesus
followers. All you have refers to the
followers in them. I am glorified.
So, the works of Jesus followerspoint back to Jesus himself, all
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the works, the apostles do and that they will do in the coming
years. Point back to Jesus.
Verse 11. A so in today's lecture
rereading we're just looking at the first half of verse 11 and
we'll do the second half of verse 11.
In the coming days verse 11, a Iam not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world and I am coming to you.
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So Jesus is about to leave the world and return to the father,
but the apostles will still needhelp and protection.
And Jesus knows that Jesus has said earlier in this discourse
that the world hates the disciples that's in chapter 15
verse 19. So, all of these last few
phrases, the basic idea appears to be that after the
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crucifixion, which is going to happen very soon.
It is not Jesus who will protectand provide for his followers
since he won't always be with them.
You more. So rather Jesus asked the father
to watch over them in his absence.
That's kind of the point of thisprayer.
Jesus knows that the apostles will be without a Shepherd for a
while. So he is asking the father to
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protect them. So, a long and complex prayer
there. There's a few places where this
great High Priestly prayer gets mentioned in the catechism
because it's quite an important section of the gospels in
teaching us about Jesus and his prayers.
So I just want to read out a fewof the most important ones.
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In paragraph two seven four six two two seven and five one that
is a commentary on this prayer. So there's actually a section of
the catechism dedicated to this prayer and I want to read out
the first few paragraphs of thiscommentary because this is, you
know, you could almost say the official Catholic t or one of
the official Catholic teachings about how to interpret the
(24:07):
prayer of the of Jesus at this point.
So here's what it says paragraph, 2746 onwards, when
his Hour came, Jesus prayed to the father, his prayer, the
longest transmitted by the gospel Embraces, the whole
economy of creation and salvation as well as his death
and Resurrection, the prayer of the hour of Jesus always remains
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his own Justice, his Passover, once, for all remains ever
present in the Liturgy of his church, Christian tradition,
rightly calls, this prayer. The Priestly prayer of Jesus.
It is the prayer of our high priest Inseparable from his
Weiss from his passing over to the father to whom he is.
Holy consecrated in this, Pascaland sacrificial prayer.
(24:53):
Everything is recapitulated in Christ.
God in the world, the word and the flesh, eternal life and
time. The love that hands itself over.
And thus, in the portrays, it the disciples present and those
who will believe in him by theirword, humiliation and Glory.
It is the prayer of unity. Jesus fulfilled, the work of the
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father, completely his prayer like his sacrifice extends Until
the End of Time, the prayer of this our fulfills the end times
and carries them towards their consummation.
Jesus, the son to whom the father has given.
All things has given himself wholly back to the father, yet,
expresses himself with a sovereign Freedom by virtue of
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the power. The father has given him over
All Flesh, the son who made himself Servant is Lord.
The pantocrator, a high priest who prays for us is also the one
who prays in us and the God who he is our prayer.
So that's a really amazing summary of what's going on here.
(25:59):
Everything you've just heard their appliers certainly in the
coming days as well. As we continue to look at the
rest of the high Priestly prayerparagraph 1721.
This is about Christian. Beatitude.
It says God puts us in the worldto know to love and to serve
him. And so to come to Paradise,
beatitude makes us partakers of the divine nature and of eternal
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life with beatitude man, enters into the glory of Christ.
Into the joy of the trinitarian life.
Paragraph 1069 is about the wordliturgy through the Liturgy
Christ, Our Redeemer and high priest continues, the work of
our redemption in with and through his church.
(26:43):
And obviously, that comes out pretty clearly in his high
Priestly prayer. Lastly.
We'll look at paragraph 2, 8, 1 2.
And this is a commentary on the part of the, Our Father, which
says, Hallowed be thy name. Finally, in Jesus.
The name of the holy God is revealed and given to us in the
flesh. As Savior revealed by what he
is, by his word. And by his sacrifice.
(27:06):
This is the heart of his Priestly prayer.
Holy Father, for their sake, I consecrate myself that they are.
Also, may be consecrated in truth.
Because he sanctifies his own name.
Jesus reveals to us the name of the father at the end of
Christ's Passover. The father gives him the name
that is above all names. Jesus Christ is Lord to the
(27:29):
glory of God, the Father. And there's a couple of other
paragraphs that all include in the, in the show notes as well.
So a longer podcast today because of how deep and complex
the high Priestly prayer. He's thank you for listening.
I hope you have benefited benefited from digging into the
(27:49):
text of the high Priestly prayer.
If you think there's others in your life, who would benefit
from hearing this, then please share it with them as well.
Thank you, and we'll continue inthe high Priestly prayer in the
coming days.
Hi everyone, welcome back to daily gospel.
Exegesis. This is the podcast where we
really look at the literal senseof the Gospel text.
So find out what's going on withthe words.
What do the words mean on their most literal original level?
Today? We're looking at a really
complex passage. We're looking at the start of
John chapter 17. Verses 1 to 11 a and that's the
(00:35):
reading. You would hear it mess today.
Here's today's passage. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven
and said, father, the hour has come glorify your son so that
your son may glorify you and through the power over all
mankind that you have given him.Let him give eternal life to all
(00:57):
those. You have entrusted to him.
An eternal life is this to know you the only true God and Jesus
Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on Earth
and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now father, it is time for you to glorify me with that Glory.
(01:19):
I had with you before the world ever was.
I have made your name known to the men, you took from the world
to give me. They were yours and you gave
them to me and they have kept your word now at last.
They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you.
(01:39):
If I have given them, the teaching you gave to me and they
have truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed
that it was you who sent me. I pray for them.
I am not praying for the world. But for those you have given me
because they belong to you. All I have is yours and all you
(02:01):
have is mine and I in them are glorified.
I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the
world and I am coming to you. Okay, so quite a famous passage,
but an incredibly deep and complex one here.
(02:22):
So let's start by thinking aboutthe context what has happened?
Just prior to this. So they've just had the last
supper and Jesus has been givingthe farewell discourse, which
goes over quite a few chapters. So that is finished.
Now, the farewell discourse is over but that same scene is
continuing. It appears that he and the
apostles are walking somewhere. Maybe they have while they're on
(02:43):
the way to the garden. Italy.
But I haven't arrived at the Garden yet.
So maybe they have stopped to pray somewhere at this point
maybe in another room in Jerusalem or something or maybe
somewhere outside on the way to the Garden.
Because Jesus says a prayer here, and this is a very long
and complex prayer. We've only heard a snippet of
it. It goes on for quite a while.
(03:04):
In John, chapter 17. It's the longest recorded prayer
in all of the gospels. And so, it's well worth paying
attention to if we want to know how Jesus praise.
This is often called the Great High Priestly prayer of Jesus
because in this prayer Jesus plays the role of intercessor
and mediator, he intercedes on behalf of his followers to the
(03:25):
father. And also if you think about it,
he says this prayer just before he does a sacrifice, the
sacrifice of himself. So it's quite appropriate to
call it. The high Priestly prayer.
Now, this incredible richness and complexity in the prayer
even every single line of the prayer reveal some sort of deep
truth. And we're probably not going to
be able to you know, draw out every aspect of what Jesus
(03:48):
intends with each of these phrases because there's so much
depth and complexity there. So just keep in mind that this
really is one of those passages that is inexhaustible.
There's so much in there. One thing that's worth pointing
out that this prayer that we're going to look at.
It does not appear to be the same prayer that Jesus will
pray. Shortly In The Garden of
Gethsemane. They haven't arrived at the
(04:10):
Garden of Gethsemane yet. So it's a different prayer.
And in particular, the prayer we're looking at here in John
17. The apostles are fully present
there with Jesus as he prays this prayer, whereas in the
garden, as you know, they fall asleep, and it's a different
prayer. So, in this first part of the
prayer will see, Jesus offering up his approaching sacrifice to
(04:33):
the father. So, that's the focus of the
first part. Let's start at verse 1.
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven.So Jesus looks towards the
father whom he's about to speak to, it's a customary Jewish
gesture, to raise your eyes to heaven.
Now, it would appear. It doesn't say he closed his
eyes at any point. So, it's possible that
throughout this prayer. He actually kept his eyes open
(04:54):
looking up to heaven. We don't often think about it
that way. But it appears that that's
what's going on. Father.
The hour has come often. You'll hear that phrase the our
in the Gospel of John and it basically means Jesus.
Crucifixion has come, the time has arrived the hour.
So it's everything in the father's plan of sending the Sun
(05:14):
to Earth was leading to this moment.
The time has come. So he says this to the father.
This is his request, glorify your son.
Now glorify can have different meanings.
Depending on how you translate it, but the basic idea here
appears to be Point people towards me.
Glorify your son as in point people towards the sun.
(05:37):
Why does Jesus want that? Not for his own sake.
He doesn't want people to look at him just because it's good to
look at him. There's a deeper.
Meaning here. Jesus goes on and says so that
your son may glorify you. This is really, really
important. This is the Father's goal in
sending Jesus to die on the cross.
The father allows Jesus to die on the cross.
(05:59):
In fact, he, you could say requires Jesus to die on the
cross. So that people will look to
Jesus as the son. They'll see his great Act of
Love on the cross and then hopefully, they'll be pointed
back to the father and they'll see this great exchange of life
and love within between the father and the son.
So that's the whole mission of God.
(06:19):
Why? Jesus dying on the cross.
Jesus will be glorified because people will look at him.
But in that process of people looking at him, people will be
appointed back to the father. So the father gets glorified to,
you see this deep relationship between the father's Mission and
the sun's Mission and that comesthrough all the way through you.
The sun's mission is to point people towards the father to
(06:41):
glorify the father verse 2 and through the power.
Over all mankind that you have given him older translations.
Put this line this way since thou Hast given him Power Over
All Flesh. So the teaching here is, the,
the father has granted the son over power over all mankind, not
a power to Lord, it over them, but to draw as many people as
(07:06):
possible to the father. That's why the father has given
the Sun power. So that the sun will draw more
people to the father. Jesus continues, let him give
eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to him.
So here the translation starts to get a bit confusing because
of all the hymns and all the pronouns.
It appears that what's going on here is something like this.
(07:29):
Father. Please allow the sun to give
eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to your son.
That's what's going on. So Jesus is requesting that the
father follows through with their plan almost and that's a
theme and the Gospel of John, ifRead chapter 10 of the Gospel of
John, particularly, which is about the Good Shepherd.
(07:49):
There's this idea that the father has given the Sun, a
certain number of people to protect in order that the sun
would bring those people to the father.
So when he says those, you have given me that's a reference to
Christian believers, who the father has drawn to the Sun.
So it's Christian believers. And the way God has set, the
(08:10):
father has set this up, is the son has the responsibility to
provide for and protect these Believers for the purpose of
bringing them to the father. That's what's going on.
Jesus he requests that the father follows through with the
plan to give eternal life to allof Jesus followers at that time.
His request is Father. Please allow me to give eternal
(08:32):
life to these followers. That you've given me to protect.
That's his prayer. Why the necessity for Jesus to
pray like this? Wouldn't it just be automatic?
Well, if you think about it, theway, this is working where
people can come to the father through.
The son is a new thing. It had never the New Covenant is
just beginning. It had never happened before
this time period before this to come to the father.
(08:54):
One had to go through the old Covenant.
So Jesus is in effect saying Lord, we're beginning a new
thing. This is the first time we've
tried this to bring people to you through the New Covenant
Lord. I pray that That you would honor
the agreement or something like that and bring these people to
you, through me. It's the first time that
something like this has happened.
(09:15):
And obviously, there's some complexities there with
salvation, but that appears to be the main point of the prayer
verse 3. And eternal life is this.
We want to listen to this because Jesus is about to
specify exactly what he considers eternal life to be.
And his answer might surprise you because it's not to go to
heaven when you die. That's not eternal life.
(09:37):
Here's what he says, eternal life.
Is this to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom
you have sent. So according to Jesus that's
eternal life to know the will ofGod and to be in a deep abiding
relationship with the father. And also with the Messiah Jesus
who has come to join us to him. So a deep mystical Union with
(10:00):
the father is what all people are called to, and if one
experiences that they are experiencing eternal life.
So, how does that relate to going to heaven?
Then? A lot of Christians would say,
eternal life is what happens when you get to heaven.
According To Jesus. It's a bit more complicated than
that. Going to heaven when we die to
be with God. According To Jesus.
It's a natural extension of the relationship.
(10:22):
We already have with God on Earth.
If we experience God's Divine Life, and he and communion with
him on Earth. Then that continues, when we go
to heaven in the next life, but if we don't have that
relationship during our life on Earth, then it doesn't You knew
after death into eternal life either.
So Jesus has this model of eternal life is an extension of
(10:43):
whatever you were doing in the current life.
This deep intimate, personal knowledge of the father was
actually prophesied to be an aspect of the New Covenant even
in the Old Testament. They predicted that this would
happen. If you look at Jeremiah chapter
31, in his famous declaration, that I will be their God, and
they will be my people. Jeremiah 31 verses 33 to 34
(11:07):
verse for Jesus says, I have glorified you on Earth and
finish the work that you gave meto do.
So the father sent the son to Earth.
With specific missions to accomplish through his teachings
and actions. Jesus has pointed people towards
the father. That was the whole point to
point people, towards the father, verse 5 now.
(11:28):
Father, it is time for you to glorify me.
Here's where the translation start to get a little bit
confusing. It appears that our translation
is omitting some words to try and make it a bit less
theological comp, theologically complex.
Other translations have verse 5.He has this glorify thou me in
thy own presence. So some sort of Glory here that
(11:51):
has to do with being in the presence of God.
It appears that Jesus is asking the father to glorify him.
Jesus, once he returns to the father at his Ascension and once
he returns to his presence, so it's a request father, please,
when I get back to heaven with, you glorify me.
Jesus wants the father to bestowit upon Him, especially Kind of
(12:13):
glory. And he specifies, what their
glory is with that Glory that I had with you before the world
ever was, this is an incredibly deep teaching.
Listen to what it says Jesus. He says, I had Glory with you
god before the world ever was. So the son, who's the second
person of the Holy Trinity existed in a state of Glory,
(12:35):
with the father, even before theworld was created.
That's an incredibly, you know, deep part of Christian teaching,
Jesus. Is not just a man.
He has existed since eternity orat least the second person of
the Trinity has the idea appearsto be and this is talked about
in Philippians as well. He lost some of his Divine Glory
(12:56):
voluntarily, when he came to Earth and took on human form.
So we actually lost some of thatGlory that he had.
And now he asks, the father to return him to that glorified
State once he returns to heaven.So even though both the father
and the son of God, there's sortof a hierarchy in roles, all
gifts, come from the father. It's the father who really runs
(13:18):
the show as such and there's a deep mystery there.
So that's why the sun has to pray to the father here.
Some Colts Christian Colts wouldsay this prayer.
Proves that Jesus is not God because Jesus here is praying to
God, but I think that's just simplifying it a little bit too
much clearly. They're both God, but there is a
distinction in roles particularly in terms of what's
going. And while Jesus is on Earth, so
(13:40):
Jesus is praying to the father that he would be returned to his
state of pre-existing Glory. Once he gets back to heaven.
Now, notice that at a minimum, regardless of what you think of
the Trinity, and the relationship between the persons
of the Trinity, any Christian who has this Bible, who has this
text at a minimum, the text teachers that Jesus is claiming
(14:01):
to be a Divine being, which existed before the world began,
that's in the text. Jesus himself says, I was with
you and had Glory before the world ever was.
So truly, the teaching here, is that Jesus pre-exists the Earth,
and he's been sent to Earth fromheaven.
That's an inescapable. All conclusion.
(14:21):
And you know, Christian cult andChristians who don't believe in
the Trinity need to take this claim seriously and think about
what it means in terms of Jesus relationship with the father,
when he uses the phrase, before the world ever was that also is
supposed to contrast with the other reference to the World.
In this passage in the Gospel ofJohn, the world.
(14:43):
Basically means people in Rebellion against God.
So, when Jesus says before the world ever was, it's sort of a
contrast with the work, Has beendoing in the world during his
ministry on Earth in the world. Jesus lost some of his Divine
Glory, but he's glorified the father.
Now. The son asks, to be return to
that state of Glory, which he had from eternity before the
(15:05):
world even existed. You see all these different
things come together and kind ofcomplex ways.
At this point, there's a transition in the prayer.
So Jesus now begins to plead to the father not for himself, but
for the preservation of his disciples, there's a question
here about who the disciples are.
The Jesus is thinking of often. You'll hear people say that this
(15:28):
is about all of us. I think in context, although
this is something you need to make up your own mind about as
we go. It appears that he's thinking
primarily of the Apostles. This is a prayer for protection
of the Apostles. Verse 6.
I have made your name known to the men, you took from the world
to give me Sara during Jesus ministry.
(15:49):
The father Drew certain people to Jesus, in order, in order
that they might come to know himto know the Father, and Jesus
Took responsibility for these people.
He taught them about God and he led them closer to God.
That was the arrangement. Now, some people have looked at
this verse, I have made your name known to the men.
You took from the world. To give me some people have said
(16:11):
well this teachers like a Calvinism kind of predestination
where God picks certain people from the world to come to Jesus
and not others. That could be a legitimate
meaning of this. They could be what Jesus
intense, but I don't think it is.
I think in context Jesus is referring particularly to
(16:31):
certain people in his own time period.
That's how God Worked at the time.
Jesus gave the prayer. So think about what's going on
here. The kingdom of God is just
beginning when Jesus comes to Earth for those first few years.
It appears that God worked differently than he did.
After Jesus had returned to heaven.
So it's likely that in these early years.
When the kingdom of God is just beginning, when Jesus is
(16:53):
walking, the Earth. It's probably true.
That God chose certain people tobe drawn to Jesus for the
purposes of building. The kingdom of God at the start
and in particular. He's probably We talking about
the apostles as we'll see in a couple of verses.
When Jesus says, I have made your name known to the men, you
took from the world to give me. If we say he's talking about the
(17:14):
apostles and that God specifically chose these men to
be Jesus, a possible. Well, then there's no
theological problem here. It's not a general sweeping
statement about the way God works all the time.
It's a it's talking about the apostles, being picked to begin
the Christ movement. So we don't have to say that,
God works in exactly the same. And why is he does here as when
(17:37):
Jesus returns to Heaven, Jesus continues, they were yours.
And you gave them to me and theyhave kept your word.
So these faithful Christian disciples are the Sheep who are
mentioned in the parable of the Good Shepherd.
The sheep of the ones who are open to God's promptings and
they respond to Jesus Commandments.
They are those who have been with Jesus and have continued to
(17:58):
follow his teachings. And these are the ones who are
going to form Jesus church verse7.
Now at last, they know that all you have given me comes indeed
from you. Think about this phrase.
Let's this just keep this in mind as we go now at last.
They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you.
(18:20):
So because of what Jesus has been saying, in the farewell
discourse, the apostles realize that Jesus is who he is.
He is who he claims to be, and that he comes from God.
During the ministry of Jesus. The apostles did have their
doubts about Jesus identity. But if you read the end of
chapter 16, which we just finished in the Review studies
(18:40):
the Apostle's, have this moment of Revelation where I realized
that Jesus is who he says he is.So that appears to be who Jesus
is talking about his talking about the apostles.
Notice the phrase here now at last.
They know, you'll know if you know a bit of grammar, the VA
must be referring back to the people.
Jesus was just talking about in the previous verse, who is
(19:03):
Jesus. Talking about in the previous
verse, the menu took from the world to give to me.
So he's continuing to talk aboutthe same group.
And then in this verse in verse 7, Jesus says, this group is the
ones who know that, all you havegiven the sun is indeed from the
Father. So it's a group of people who
believe that Jesus is from the father and have just realized
(19:25):
that. So, all the evidence here is
suggesting that they, Jesus has in mind is the apostles.
So, when Jesus says, you have picked two people from the world
to give to me. If we take all these verses
together. It seems like Jesus is talking
about the apostles. That's who the focus at.
The prayer. Is not all, Christian Believers.
(19:46):
However, later in the prayer, not today, but in later lectures
area, Readings. In the coming days, you'll
notice there is a transition later on when Jesus starts to
talk about Christian Believers in later centuries, but at the
moment, he's just talking about the apostles.
That would be my reading of thistext.
(20:07):
Although I should, I should mention here as part of this
podcast. There's very few texts that the
Catholic church has defined. As here is the deafening
interpretation. There's a few of them but not
many. And so, with a lot of these
things, you're free to look at the text yourself and go with
what in interpretation seems best to you based on your
(20:27):
research. So we're up to verse 8 for I
have given them, the teaching you gave to me and they have
truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed that
it was you who sent me. So Jesus has been teaching his
followers, particularly the apostles, all that he has heard
from the father and they have accepted it as being from the
(20:48):
father. They believe.
Jesus is truly the Son of God verse 9.
I pray for them or more. Literally, here.
I am praying for them. So, Jesus is saying that in this
current prayer. He's praying for his disciples
and he's about to give a series of requests to the father about
his followers. But now he says, I am not
(21:09):
praying for the world, some haveconsidered this to be quite a
controversial phrase. What do you mean?
Jesus isn't praying for the world.
We shouldn't take this to mean that Jesus never praised for the
world, in general. But in this case, in this
prayer, he's praying about his followers and that's okay.
It's okay for Jesus to pray about certain people and not
others. Sometimes.
(21:32):
But for those, you have given mebecause they belong to you.
There's that language of belonging again.
So Jesus is praying to the father for his followers.
Jesus has been trusted by the father with protecting these
ones that the father has chosen.So now Jesus asks the father to
protect them after he has gone. Jesus is kind of transferring
his protection from himself to the father.
(21:55):
That's kind of what's going on here, verse 10.
All I have is yours and all you have Is mine.
So there's this deep intimacy between the father and the son
in context. This refers primarily to, Jesus
followers. All you have refers to the
followers in them. I am glorified.
So, the works of Jesus followerspoint back to Jesus himself, all
(22:19):
the works, the apostles do and that they will do in the coming
years. Point back to Jesus.
Verse 11. A so in today's lecture
rereading we're just looking at the first half of verse 11 and
we'll do the second half of verse 11.
In the coming days verse 11, a Iam not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world and I am coming to you.
(22:41):
So Jesus is about to leave the world and return to the father,
but the apostles will still needhelp and protection.
And Jesus knows that Jesus has said earlier in this discourse
that the world hates the disciples that's in chapter 15
verse 19. So, all of these last few
phrases, the basic idea appears to be that after the
(23:03):
crucifixion, which is going to happen very soon.
It is not Jesus who will protectand provide for his followers
since he won't always be with them.
You more. So rather Jesus asked the father
to watch over them in his absence.
That's kind of the point of thisprayer.
Jesus knows that the apostles will be without a Shepherd for a
while. So he is asking the father to
(23:24):
protect them. So, a long and complex prayer
there. There's a few places where this
great High Priestly prayer gets mentioned in the catechism
because it's quite an important section of the gospels in
teaching us about Jesus and his prayers.
So I just want to read out a fewof the most important ones.
(23:45):
In paragraph two seven four six two two seven and five one that
is a commentary on this prayer. So there's actually a section of
the catechism dedicated to this prayer and I want to read out
the first few paragraphs of thiscommentary because this is, you
know, you could almost say the official Catholic t or one of
the official Catholic teachings about how to interpret the
(24:07):
prayer of the of Jesus at this point.
So here's what it says paragraph, 2746 onwards, when
his Hour came, Jesus prayed to the father, his prayer, the
longest transmitted by the gospel Embraces, the whole
economy of creation and salvation as well as his death
and Resurrection, the prayer of the hour of Jesus always remains
(24:29):
his own Justice, his Passover, once, for all remains ever
present in the Liturgy of his church, Christian tradition,
rightly calls, this prayer. The Priestly prayer of Jesus.
It is the prayer of our high priest Inseparable from his
Weiss from his passing over to the father to whom he is.
Holy consecrated in this, Pascaland sacrificial prayer.
(24:53):
Everything is recapitulated in Christ.
God in the world, the word and the flesh, eternal life and
time. The love that hands itself over.
And thus, in the portrays, it the disciples present and those
who will believe in him by theirword, humiliation and Glory.
It is the prayer of unity. Jesus fulfilled, the work of the
(25:15):
father, completely his prayer like his sacrifice extends Until
the End of Time, the prayer of this our fulfills the end times
and carries them towards their consummation.
Jesus, the son to whom the father has given.
All things has given himself wholly back to the father, yet,
expresses himself with a sovereign Freedom by virtue of
(25:39):
the power. The father has given him over
All Flesh, the son who made himself Servant is Lord.
The pantocrator, a high priest who prays for us is also the one
who prays in us and the God who he is our prayer.
So that's a really amazing summary of what's going on here.
(25:59):
Everything you've just heard their appliers certainly in the
coming days as well. As we continue to look at the
rest of the high Priestly prayerparagraph 1721.
This is about Christian. Beatitude.
It says God puts us in the worldto know to love and to serve
him. And so to come to Paradise,
beatitude makes us partakers of the divine nature and of eternal
(26:21):
life with beatitude man, enters into the glory of Christ.
Into the joy of the trinitarian life.
Paragraph 1069 is about the wordliturgy through the Liturgy
Christ, Our Redeemer and high priest continues, the work of
our redemption in with and through his church.
(26:43):
And obviously, that comes out pretty clearly in his high
Priestly prayer. Lastly.
We'll look at paragraph 2, 8, 1 2.
And this is a commentary on the part of the, Our Father, which
says, Hallowed be thy name. Finally, in Jesus.
The name of the holy God is revealed and given to us in the
flesh. As Savior revealed by what he
is, by his word. And by his sacrifice.
(27:06):
This is the heart of his Priestly prayer.
Holy Father, for their sake, I consecrate myself that they are.
Also, may be consecrated in truth.
Because he sanctifies his own name.
Jesus reveals to us the name of the father at the end of
Christ's Passover. The father gives him the name
that is above all names. Jesus Christ is Lord to the
(27:29):
glory of God, the Father. And there's a couple of other
paragraphs that all include in the, in the show notes as well.
So a longer podcast today because of how deep and complex
the high Priestly prayer. He's thank you for listening.
I hope you have benefited benefited from digging into the
(27:49):
text of the high Priestly prayer.
If you think there's others in your life, who would benefit
from hearing this, then please share it with them as well.
Thank you, and we'll continue inthe high Priestly prayer in the
coming days.
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