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Jesus Prays for His Disciples

17 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people,[a] to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that[b] you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost,[c] so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.[d] 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.[e] 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,[f] so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Footnotes

  1. John 17:2 Gk flesh
  2. John 17:12 Other ancient authorities read protected in your name those whom
  3. John 17:12 Gk except the son of destruction
  4. John 17:13 Or among themselves
  5. John 17:15 Or from evil
  6. John 17:21 Other ancient authorities read be one in us

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

17 After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. For you gave him authority over all people, so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him. (A)And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do. Father! Give me glory in your presence now, the same glory I had with you before the world was made.

“I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your word, and now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. I gave them the message that you gave me, and they received it; they know that it is true that I came from you, and they believe that you sent me.

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me, for they belong to you. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and my glory is shown through them. 11 And now I am coming to you; I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. Holy Father! Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me,[a] so that they may be one just as you and I are one. 12 (B)While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me.[b] I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the man who was bound to be lost—so that the scripture might come true. 13 And now I am coming to you, and I say these things in the world so that they might have my joy in their hearts in all its fullness. 14 I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but I do ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One. 16 Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. 17 Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth. 18 I sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 And for their sake I dedicate myself to you, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to you.

20 “I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. 21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: 23 I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.

24 “Father! You have given them to me, and I want them to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory, the glory you gave me; for you loved me before the world was made. 25 Righteous Father! The world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you sent me. 26 I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be in them.”

Footnotes

  1. John 17:11 Keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me; some manuscripts have By the power of your name keep safe those you have given me.
  2. John 17:12 I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me; some manuscripts have By the power of your name I kept safe those you have given me.

The Priestly Prayer of Jesus[a]

Chapter 17

Knowledge of the Father and the Son.[b] After saying this, Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,

“Father, the hour has come.
Glorify your Son,
so that your Son may glorify you,
since you have given him authority
over all people,
so that he may give eternal life
to all those you have given him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and the one you have sent,
Jesus Christ.
“I have glorified you on earth
by completing the work
that you entrusted to me.
So now, Father,
glorify me in your presence
with the glory I had with you
before the world began.

The Son and the Disciples[c]

“I have made your name known
to those whom you gave me from the world.
They were yours,
and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they have come to understand
that everything you gave me is from you.
For the words you gave to me
I have given to them,
and they have accepted them
and know with certainty
that I have come from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
“It is for them that I pray.
I do not pray for the world,
but for those you gave me
because they are yours
10 Everything I have is yours,
and everything you have is mine,
and through them I have been glorified.
11 I will remain no longer in the world,
but they will still be in the world
while I will be coming to you.
“Holy Father,
protect by the power of your name
those you have given me,
so that they may be one,
even as we are one.
12 While I was with them
I protected them by your name
that you have given me,
and I kept them safe.
Not one of them was lost,
except the one destined to be lost,[d]
so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 “Now I am coming to you,
and I say these things
while I am still in the world
so that my joy may come
to full measure in them.
14 I have given them your word,
and the world has hated them
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
15 I am not asking you
to take them out of the world,
but I do ask you
to protect them from the evil one.
16 They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
17 “Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world,
so have I sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I consecrate myself,
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.

The Disciples and the Church To Come[e]

20 “I pray not only on behalf of these,
but also for those who through their word
will come to believe in me.
21 May they all be one.
As you, Father, are in me
and I in you,
may they also be in us
so that the world may believe
that you have sent me.
22 “The glory that you have given me
I have given to them,
so that they may be one,
as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me,
that they may become completely one,
and thus the world may know
that you have sent me
and that you have loved them
even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, allow those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may behold my glory,
which you have bestowed on me
because you loved me
before the foundation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father,
the world has not known you;
I have known you,
and they have known that you have sent me.
26 I have made your name known to them,
and I will make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me
may be in them, and I in them.”

Footnotes

  1. John 17:1 The hour has come for Jesus to do the final action that shows how far his union with the Father reaches and how great is the gift he makes of himself to human beings for their salvation. This sublime prayer reveals the ultimate meaning of his sacrifice; the title that has been given to the chapter, the “priestly prayer,” is well deserved. But it is also a “missionary” prayer, since at the moment when there seems to be nothing but failure and isolation, Jesus adheres to God’s plan. He is entirely the One Sent, who completes the mission given to him by the Father. He thinks only of this mission that his disciples must continue.
  2. John 17:1 The word “glory” speaks of the greatness of God, of his final intervention, of his presence that gives strength, meaning, and fulfillment to people. Paradoxically, this glory is revealed in the destiny of Jesus, glory that is manifested during the Passion. One observes the love that was given to Christ for all eternity, love that became eternal life, shared by believers.
  3. John 17:6 People who have accepted his word and recognized his truth live in close union with Jesus, which is a wonderful gift from the Father. Jesus calls for their fidelity.
    People who have accepted the words of Jesus are no longer trapped in worthlessness, emptiness, and falsehood—in everything that is a denial of God and what is here called “the world.” Their future is not in running away but in being insulted and giving testimony. The trial of Jesus continues in these people. May they remain in truth and faith; may they not become a prey of the falsehood, worthlessness, and unbelief that are the face of the Evil One or of Evil.
  4. John 17:12 The one destined to be lost (literally, “The son of perdition”): Judas the traitor (see Jn 13:18). The literal translation reflects a Hebraism, meaning one who is destined for destruction, and this by his own free action. It is by this free choice that the Scripture is fulfilled.
  5. John 17:20 The prayer of Jesus indicates the destiny of his followers for all times and places. He asks what is essential for them: that they live in the bonds of peace and unity that express their union with Christ. Here is the mystery of the Church in the light of the sacrifice of Christ: the Church is anchored in the inexpressible love of the Son and the Father; this is the mystery of communion. Christians testify to this communion when they live in it. Hence, they will discover more and more, in terms of experience, who Christ is and who the Father is: the glory of Christ and the name of the Father will be unveiled to their eyes as the highest realities.

17 These things Jesus spoke, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said: Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee.

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him.

Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

And now glorify thou me, O Father, with thyself, with the glory which I had, before the world was, with thee.

I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou hast given me out of the world. Thine they were, and to me thou gavest them; and they have kept thy word.

Now they have known, that all things which thou hast given me, are from thee:

Because the words which thou gavest me, I have given to them; and they have received them, and have known in very deed that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me: because they are thine:

10 And all my things are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

11 And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are.

12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept; and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture may be fulfilled.

13 And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; as I also am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil.

16 They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19 And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me;

21 That they all may be one, as thou, Father, 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 hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.

24 Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me may be with me; that they may see my glory which thou hast given me, because thou hast loved me before the creation of the world.

25 Just 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 made known thy name to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,[a] “Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.[b]

“I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word. Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; 10 all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one.[c] 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. 18 As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

20 “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me. 26 I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Footnotes

  1. 17.1-26 The priestly prayer of Jesus, before his sacrifice.
  2. 17.5 declares his pre-existence.
  3. John 17:15 Or from evil