John 17 26

John 17:26 kjv

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

John 17:26 nkjv

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

John 17:26 niv

I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

John 17:26 esv

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

John 17:26 nlt

I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them."

John 17 verses

John 17 26 Meaning

John 17:26 is the culmination of Jesus's High Priestly Prayer, expressing His ultimate desire for His disciples and future believers. Jesus states that He has already, and will continue to, reveal the Father's true character and essence – His "name." The profound purpose of this revelation is two-fold: first, that the perfect, selfless love the Father has for the Son might come to indwell believers. Second, that Christ Himself would personally dwell within them. This intimate indwelling of divine love and Christ's presence is the ultimate goal, securing deep spiritual unity and participation in the very life and affection of the Trinity.

John 17 26 Context

John 17:26 serves as the climactic and summary statement of Jesus's High Priestly Prayer, uttered just hours before His arrest and crucifixion. This profound chapter begins with Jesus praying for Himself and His glorification (vv. 1-5), then shifts to an intercession for His immediate disciples, whom the Father had given Him (vv. 6-19), focusing on their protection, sanctification, and unity. Finally, from verses 20-26, Jesus expands His prayer to include all future believers who would come to faith through the disciples' testimony, praying specifically for their unity and for them to experience the fullness of His glory. Verse 26, therefore, solidifies the ultimate purpose behind Jesus's earthly ministry and His impending sacrifice: to establish an eternal, intimate, and living relationship between God, through Himself, and humanity, empowered by the Father's love and His own indwelling presence. The context underscores Jesus's preparation of His disciples for His departure, emphasizing the continued work of revelation and the deep, personal communion available to believers even in His physical absence.

John 17 26 Word analysis

• And I have declared (καὶ ἐγνώρισα - kai egnōrisa): This uses the Greek perfect tense, which describes a completed action in the past that has ongoing results or present significance. Jesus had definitively made the Father known during His earthly ministry, and this revelation's effect continues. It is a statement of accomplishment.
• to them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Refers directly to the immediate disciples present during the prayer, who were Jesus's primary audience, but contextually extends to all whom Jesus prayed for in John 17:20.
• your name (τὸ ὄνομά σου - to onoma sou): In the biblical context, "name" (Hebrew shem, Greek onoma) is far more than a mere designation. It encompasses the entirety of a person's being, character, reputation, attributes, and authority. Here, Jesus refers to the full, intimate, and relational nature of God the Father, His essential identity and self-revelation, which Jesus embodied and perfectly manifested (cf. John 1:18; Heb 1:3).
• and will declare it (καὶ γνωρίσω - kai gnōrisō): This is in the Greek future tense, indicating an ongoing, continuous process of revelation. It points forward to the work of the Holy Spirit (the Helper, John 14:26, 16:13-15) who would continue to unveil the Father through Christ to believers and through their testimony in the world.
• that (ἵνα - hina): This Greek conjunction introduces a purpose clause. It indicates the reason or goal behind Jesus's declaration of the Father's name—what is intended to happen as a direct result.
• the love (ἡ ἀγάπη - hē agapē): This signifies agape love, which is distinct from other forms of love. It denotes selfless, divine, unconditional, and self-sacrificing love. It is the very nature of God (1 John 4:8).
• with which you have loved me (ἣν ἠγάπησάς με - hēn ēgapēsas me): Also in the perfect tense, referring to the eternal, perfect, and profound love shared uniquely between the Father and the Son within the Trinity. This is the ultimate model and source for the love intended for believers.
• may be in them (ἐν αὐτοῖς ᾖ - en autois ē): This subjunctive verb indicates a desire or potential, pointing to a continuous and abiding presence. It signifies the amazing transfer of divine affection, where the specific, powerful love that flows between Father and Son is intended to permeate and dwell within believers.
• and I in them (κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς - kagō en autois): This explicitly states Christ's own indwelling presence within believers. This is not merely an intellectual assent or a spiritual influence but a personal, transformative, and empowering union through the Holy Spirit (cf. Col 1:27; Gal 2:20). It completes the picture of profound communion.

• "And I have declared to them your name, and will declare it": This phrase beautifully captures Jesus's past completed mission and His ongoing redemptive work. He established the full knowledge of God's character through His life, death, and resurrection, and ensures its continuation through the Holy Spirit's ministry in the Church, highlighting both the sufficiency of His finished work and the dynamic nature of revelation.
• "that the love with which you have loved me may be in them": This articulates the astounding goal of Jesus's mission: not merely moral teaching, but a participation in the very core of God's relational being. Believers are intended to become recipients and embodiments of the specific, perfect love that exists between the Father and the Son, providing the spiritual fuel for their own love for God and one another.
• "and I in them": This closing phrase emphasizes the ultimate mystical union. It speaks to the personal and active presence of Jesus Christ within each believer, an intimate fellowship that transforms, empowers, and unites them with the Godhead, bringing to fruition the prayer for unity (John 17:21-23).

John 17 26 Bonus section

The "name" (τὸ ὄνομά σου) that Jesus declares here transcends the specific Old Testament name YHWH. It signifies the entire person, nature, attributes, and will of God the Father as fully and ultimately made known through the Son (John 1:18, 14:7-9). Jesus is the embodiment of the Father's revelation, rather than just an agent delivering information. This verse encapsulates a core Trinitarian mystery: the intimate, eternal love within the Godhead is meant to extend to and reside within humanity. The "already" ("I have declared") and "not yet" ("will declare") nature of Jesus's declaration highlights the ongoing nature of spiritual growth and the Holy Spirit's continued illumination of God's character in believers' lives throughout history. The ultimate hope of glory (Col 1:27) is intrinsically linked to Christ's indwelling presence, fueled by this shared divine love.

John 17 26 Commentary

John 17:26 offers a climactic summary of Jesus's intercessory prayer, revealing the heart of His redemptive purpose. He reaffirms His comprehensive revelation of the Father's character and nature ("Your name") to His disciples, emphasizing both a past accomplishment and a future, ongoing work through the Holy Spirit. The profound "why" behind this revelation is twin-faceted: first, that the specific, perfect, and eternal love flowing between the Father and the Son might permeate and dwell within believers, making them partakers in divine affection. Second, that Christ Himself would personally indwell them through the Holy Spirit. This verse beautifully articulates that Christian life is not merely about adhering to doctrine, but about experiencing a deep, personal, and abiding relational reality—God's love for His Son residing in us, and Christ Himself dwelling within us. It underscores that all Christian life, mission, and unity spring from this intimate union with the Godhead, fulfilling Jesus's desire for His followers to participate in the very fellowship of the Trinity.