John 17:1 kjv
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:
John 17:1 nkjv
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
John 17:1 niv
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
John 17:1 esv
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
John 17:1 nlt
After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.
John 17 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 13:1 | Before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart... | The "hour" as the time of departure/suffering. |
| Jn 14:1 | "Let not your hearts be troubled... | Follows immediately prior to the prayer, linking back to disciples' comfort. |
| Jn 16:33 | "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation... | Concludes the Upper Room Discourse, setting context for Jesus' intercession. |
| Ps 121:1 | I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? | Poetic depiction of looking to God for help, mirroring Jesus' prayer posture. |
| Lk 9:16 | Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them... | Jesus' posture of looking to heaven when blessing/praying. |
| Mk 14:36 | "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." | Intimate "Father" address in Gethsemane prayer, similar earnestness. |
| Mt 6:9 | Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven..." | Jesus teaches His disciples to address God as "Father." |
| Jn 1:18 | No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known. | Reveals the Son's unique intimate relationship with the Father. |
| Jn 2:4 | Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." | Previous mention of "the hour" not yet being present. |
| Jn 7:30 | So they were seeking to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. | Reinforces "the hour" as divinely appointed and sovereignly controlled. |
| Jn 12:23 | And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." | Direct parallel to this verse's "hour has come" linked with glorification. |
| Jn 13:31-32 | When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself..." | Emphasizes mutual glorification of Father and Son in light of betrayal/cross. |
| Jn 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father... | Jesus' inherent glory and its manifestation from the Father. |
| Jn 5:23 | that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. | Highlights the necessary honor/glory given to the Son is honor to the Father. |
| Php 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name... | God's glorification of the Son after His humiliation and obedience unto death. |
| Heb 2:9 | But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death... | Christ's suffering leading to glory and honor. |
| 1 Pet 1:21 | who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory... | God the Father's role in glorifying Jesus through resurrection. |
| Isa 49:3 | "You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." | Prophetic context of God glorifying Himself through His servant (ultimately Messiah). |
| Ps 16:9-11 | Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices... You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy... | Messianic psalm interpreted as foreseeing Christ's resurrection and path to glory. |
| Heb 5:5 | So also Christ did not glorify Himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by Him who said to Him, "You are My Son..." | Christ's glory is given by the Father, not self-proclaimed. |
| 2 Th 1:12 | so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. | Glorification of Jesus through His people, linked to His own glorification by Father. |
| Mt 28:18 | And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me." | Resurrection leading to glorification and full authority for the Son. |
John 17 verses
John 17 1 Meaning
John 17:1 marks the solemn beginning of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, a pivotal moment after His final discourses with His disciples before His arrest. In this verse, Jesus initiates His prayer by lifting His eyes to heaven, a common posture of seeking God. He intimately addresses God as "Father," signaling His unique relationship with the first person of the Trinity. His declaration, "the hour has come," signifies that the appointed time for His suffering, death, resurrection, and subsequent exaltation has finally arrived – the climax of His saving work. The core of His request is a twofold glorification: He asks the Father to glorify Him (the Son), not for personal aggrandizement, but so that He, in turn, may glorify the Father through the completion of His redemptive mission.
John 17 1 Context
John 17:1 marks the precise moment Jesus concludes His private discourse with His disciples (John 13-16) and transitions to a fervent prayer, often called the "High Priestly Prayer." This prayer serves as Jesus' intercession, first for Himself (v. 1-5), then for His disciples (v. 6-19), and finally for all future believers (v. 20-26). It takes place in the upper room or perhaps en route to Gethsemane, on the eve of His crucifixion. It is the culmination of Jesus' teaching about His departure, the coming Holy Spirit, the world's hatred, and the nature of their relationship with Him and the Father. The "hour" theme, prevalent throughout John's Gospel, reaches its climax here, signifying the divinely appointed time for His mission's ultimate fulfillment through the cross, resurrection, and ascension. Historically, this prayer occurs shortly before Passover, making His self-sacrifice the true Paschal Lamb.
John 17 1 Word analysis
- "When Jesus had spoken these words,": Connects directly to the preceding four chapters (John 13-16), indicating a complete segment of instruction before moving to intercession. It underscores Jesus' intentionality and the fulfillment of His teaching ministry.
- "He lifted up His eyes": (Greek: epēren tous ophthalmos) A deliberate, reverent physical gesture indicating focused prayer and spiritual attention toward God. This posture is common in biblical accounts of prayer, signifying earnest supplication and dependence on the divine.
- "to heaven": (Greek: eis ton ouranon) Specifies the direct object of His gaze, signifying God's dwelling place and the source of all divine authority and power. It orients the prayer vertically, acknowledging God's transcendence and sovereignty.
- "and said,": Signifies a vocalized, audible prayer, not merely an internal thought, emphasizing the intimacy and directness of the communion between the Son and the Father.
- "'Father,'": (Greek: Pater) An address of profound intimacy, uniqueness, and dependence. It is the characteristic way Jesus addresses God in John's Gospel, highlighting His unique filial relationship and revealing God's character as loving Parent to those who believe.
- "the hour": (Greek: hē hōra) A significant motif in John's Gospel, not just a measure of time, but the appointed, divinely ordained time for Jesus' passion, death, resurrection, and exaltation—the culmination of His entire redemptive mission. It signals a critical, decisive moment in salvation history.
- "has come;": (Greek: elēlythen) Perfect tense verb, indicating that the hour is not merely approaching but has fully arrived and its effects are present and lasting. There is no turning back; the preordained moment is now reality.
- "glorify": (Greek: doxason) An imperative verb meaning "to cause to have honor, high standing, renown, praise," or "to manifest the inherent character/nature." Here, it is a request for the Father to reveal Jesus' divine nature and honor through the completion of His saving work, culminating in the cross, resurrection, and ascension. This "glory" is not worldly pomp but divine approval and manifestation of God's character.
- "Your Son,": (Greek: ton Huión sou) Explicitly identifies Jesus' unique divine identity and relationship to the Father. The request for glory is directed towards God's own Son, emphasizing His status and mission.
- "that Your Son may glorify You.": (Greek: hina ho Huios doxasē se) This is the purpose clause, revealing the ultimate aim of the Father glorifying the Son. The Son's glorification is not an end in itself but serves the greater purpose of magnifying the Father. It highlights the divine unity and mutual, selfless devotion within the Godhead, as the Son perfectly reveals the Father's love, righteousness, and redemptive plan through His obedience unto death and triumphant return.
John 17 1 Bonus section
- The phrase "the hour has come" contrasts sharply with earlier mentions in John's Gospel where "His hour had not yet come" (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20), indicating a fulfillment of divine timing and purpose.
- Jesus' prayer posture (eyes lifted to heaven) not only demonstrates reverence but also foreshadows His ultimate ascension and return to the Father.
- The unique double use of "Your Son" underscores Jesus' unique divine identity and intimate relationship within the Godhead. It's not just a generic son, but the specific, unique "Son of God."
- This prayer serves as a bridge between Jesus' active ministry (teaching) and His culminating redemptive work (passion and resurrection).
John 17 1 Commentary
John 17:1 presents Jesus' intimate communion with the Father at a profoundly significant moment: the "hour" of His suffering and glory. Having completed His teaching to the disciples, Jesus turns from them to His Father in a prayer that encapsulates the essence of His mission and relationship with God. His posture of looking to heaven indicates complete dependence and direction of His heart towards His divine source. The address "Father" sets a tone of deep personal connection and unique Sonship. The core petition, "glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You," unveils the profound mutual purpose between the Father and the Son. This reciprocal glorification implies that the Father's honor is revealed through the Son's obedience and sacrificial work, especially His death and resurrection, and conversely, the Son receives honor and validation by perfectly accomplishing the Father's will, thereby demonstrating God's inherent glory. This highlights that Jesus' glory is intrinsically linked to His redemptive suffering, a divine paradox where ultimate honor comes through ultimate humility and obedience.