Giovanni 17

1 QUESTE cose disse Gesù; poi alzò gli occhi al cielo, e disse: Padre, l’ora è venuta; glorifica il tuo Figliuolo, acciocchè altresì il Figliuolo glorifichi te,

2 secondo che tu gli hai data podestà sopra ogni carne, acciocchè egli dia vita eterna a tutti coloro che tu gli hai dati.

3 Or questa è la vita eterna, che conoscano te, che sei il solo vero Iddio, e Gesù Cristo, che tu hai mandato.

4 Io ti ho glorificato in terra; io ho adempiuta l’opera che tu mi hai data a fare.

5 Ora dunque, tu, Padre, glorificami appo te stesso, della gloria che io ho avuta appo te, avanti che il mondo fosse.

6 Io ho manifestato il nome tuo agli uomini, i quali tu mi hai dati del mondo; erano tuoi, e tu me li hai dati, ed essi hanno osservata la tua parola.

7 Ora hanno conosciuto che tutte le cose che tu mi hai date son da te.

8 Perciocchè io ho date loro le parole che tu mi hai date, ed essi le hanno ricevute, ed hanno veramente conosciuto che io son proceduto da te, ed hanno creduto che tu mi hai mandato.

9 Io prego per loro; io non prego per lo mondo, ma per coloro che tu mi hai dati, perciocchè sono tuoi.

10 E tutte le cose mie sono tue, e le cose tue sono mie; ed io sono in essi glorificato.

11 Ed io non sono più nel mondo, ma costoro son nel mondo, ed io vo a te. Padre santo, conservali nel tuo nome, essi che tu mi hai dati, acciocchè sieno una stessa cosa come noi.

12 Quand’io era con loro nel mondo, io li conservava nel nome tuo; io ho guardati coloro che tu mi hai dati, e niun di loro è perito, se non il figliuol della perdizione, acciocchè la scrittura fosse adempiuta.

13 Or al presente io vengo a te, e dico queste cose nel mondo, acciocchè abbiano in loro la mia allegrezza compiuta.

14 Io ho loro data la tua parola, e il mondo li ha odiati, perciocchè non son del mondo, siccome io non son del mondo.

15 Io non chiedo che tu li tolga dal mondo, ma che tu li guardi dal maligno.

16 Essi non son del mondo, siccome io non son del mondo.

17 Santificali nella tua verità; la tua parola è verità.

18 Siccome tu mi hai mandato nel mondo, io altresì li ho mandati nel mondo.

19 E per loro santifico me stesso; acciocchè essi ancora sieno santificati in verità.

20 Or io non prego sol per costoro, ma ancora per coloro che crederanno in me per la lor parola.

21 Acciocchè tutti sieno una stessa cosa, come tu, o Padre, sei in me, ed io sono in te; acciocchè essi altresì sieno una stessa cosa in noi; affinchè il mondo creda che tu mi hai mandato.

22 Ed io ho data loro la gloria che tu hai data a me, acciocchè sieno una stessa cosa, siccome noi siamo una stessa cosa.

23 Io sono in loro, e tu sei in me; acciocchè essi sieno compiuti in una stessa cosa, ed acciocchè il mondo conosca che tu mi hai mandato, e che tu li hai amati, come tu hai amato me.

24 Padre, io voglio che dove son io, sieno ancor meco coloro che tu mi hai dati, acciocchè veggano la mia gloria, la quale tu mi hai data; perciocchè tu mi hai amato avanti la fondazion del mondo.

25 Padre giusto, il mondo non ti ha conosciuto; ma io ti ho conosciuto, e costoro hanno conosciuto che tu mi hai mandato.

26 Ed io ho loro fatto conoscere il tuo nome, e lo farò conoscere ancora, acciocchè l’amore, del quale tu mi hai amato, sia in loro, ed io in loro.

Giovanni 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

Christ's prayer for himself. (1-5) His prayer for his disciples. (6-10) His prayer. (11-26)

Verses 1-5 Our Lord prayed as a man, and as the Mediator of his people; yet he spoke with majesty and authority, as one with and equal to the Father. Eternal life could not be given to believers, unless Christ, their Surety, both glorified the Father, and was glorified of him. This is the sinner's way to eternal life, and when this knowledge shall be made perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully enjoyed. The holiness and happiness of the redeemed, are especially that glory of Christ, and of his Father, which was the joy set before him, for which he endured the cross and despised the shame; this glory was the end of the sorrow of his soul, and in obtaining it he was fully satisfied. Thus we are taught that our glorifying God is needed as an evidence of our interest in Christ, through whom eternal life is God's free gift.

6-10. Christ prays for those that are his. Thou gavest them me, as sheep to the shepherd, to be kept; as a patient to the physician, to be cured; as children to a tutor, to be taught: thus he will deliver up his charge. It is a great satisfaction to us, in our reliance upon Christ, that he, all he is and has, and all he said and did, all he is doing and will do, are of God. Christ offered this prayer for his people alone as believers; not for the world at large. Yet no one who desires to come to the Father, and is conscious that he is unworthy to come in his own name, need be discouraged by the Saviour's declaration, for he is both able and willing to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him. Earnest convictions and desires, are hopeful tokens of a work already wrought in a man; they begin to evidence that he has been chosen unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. They are thine; wilt thou not provide for thine own? Wilt thou not secure them? Observe the foundation on which this plea is grounded, All mine are thine, and thine are mine. This speaks the Father and Son to be one. All mine are thine. The Son owns none for his, that are not devoted to the service of the Father.

Verses 11-16 Christ does not pray that they might be rich and great in the world, but that they might be kept from sin, strengthened for their duty, and brought safe to heaven. The prosperity of the soul is the best prosperity. He pleaded with his holy Father, that he would keep them by his power and for his glory, that they might be united in affection and labours, even according to the union of the Father and the Son. He did not pray that his disciples should be removed out of the world, that they might escape the rage of men, for they had a great work to do for the glory of God, and the benefit of mankind. But he prayed that the Father would keep them from the evil, from being corrupted by the world, the remains of sin in their hearts, and from the power and craft of Satan. So that they might pass through the world as through an enemy's country, as he had done. They are not left here to pursue the same objects as the men around them, but to glorify God, and to serve their generation. The Spirit of God in true Christians is opposed to the spirit of the world.

Verses 17-19 Christ next prayed for the disciples, that they might not only be kept from evil, but made good. It is the prayer of Jesus for all that are his, that they may be made holy. Even disciples must pray for sanctifying grace. The means of giving this grace is, "through thy truth, thy word is truth." Sanctify them, set them apart for thyself and thy service. Own them in the office; let thy hand go with them. Jesus entirely devoted himself to his undertaking, and all the parts of it, especially the offering up himself without spot unto God, by the eternal Spirit. The real holiness of all true Christians is the fruit of Christ's death, by which the gift of the Holy Ghost was purchased; he gave himself for his church, to sanctify it. If our views have not this effect on us, they are not Divine truth, or we do not receive them by a living and a working faith, but as mere notions.

Verses 20-23 Our Lord especially prayed, that all believers might be as one body under one head, animated by one soul, by their union with Christ and the Father in him, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The more they dispute about lesser things, the more they throw doubts upon Christianity. Let us endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, praying that all believers may be more and more united in one mind and one judgment. Thus shall we convince the world of the truth and excellence of our religion, and find more sweet communion with God and his saints.

Verses 24-26 Christ, as one with the Father, claimed on behalf of all that had been given to him, and should in due time believe on him, that they should be brought to heaven; and that there the whole company of the redeemed might behold his glory as their beloved Friend and Brother, and therein find happiness. He had declared and would further declare the name or character of God, by his doctrine and his Spirit, that, being one with him, the love of the Father to him might abide with them also. Thus, being joined to Him by one Spirit, they might be filled with all the fulness of God, and enjoy a blessedness of which we can form no right idea in our present state.