Giovanni 17

1 Queste cose disse Gesù; poi levati gli occhi al cielo, disse: Padre, l’ora è venuta; glorifica il tuo Figliuolo, affinché il Figliuolo glorifichi te,

2 poiché gli hai data potestà sopra ogni carne, onde egli dia vita eterna a tutti quelli che tu gli hai dato.

3 E questa è la vita eterna: che conoscano te, il solo vero Dio, e colui che tu hai mandato, Gesù Cristo.

4 Io ti ho glorificato sulla terra, avendo compiuto l’opera che tu m’hai data a fare.

5 Ed ora, o Padre, glorificami tu presso te stesso della gloria che avevo presso di te avanti che il mondo fosse.

6 Io ho manifestato il tuo nome agli uomini che tu m’hai dati dal mondo; erano tuoi, e tu me li hai dati; ed essi hanno osservato la tua parola.

7 Ora hanno conosciuto che tutte le cose che tu m’hai date, vengon da te;

8 poiché le parole che tu mi hai date, le ho date a loro; ed essi le hanno ricevute, e hanno veramente conosciuto ch’io son proceduto da te, e hanno creduto che tu m’hai mandato.

9 Io prego per loro; non prego per il mondo, ma per quelli che tu m’hai dato, perché son tuoi;

10 e tutte le cose mie son tue, e le cose tue son mie; e io son glorificato in loro.

11 E io non sono più nel mondo, ma essi sono nel mondo, e io vengo a te. Padre santo, conservali nel tuo nome, essi che tu m’hai dati, affinché siano uno, come noi.

12 Mentre io ero con loro, io li conservavo nel tuo nome; quelli che tu mi hai dati, li ho anche custoditi, e niuno di loro è perito, tranne il figliuol di perdizione, affinché la Scrittura fosse adempiuta.

13 Ma ora io vengo a te; e dico queste cose nel mondo, affinché abbiano compita in se stessi la mia allegrezza.

14 Io ho dato loro la tua parola; e il mondo li ha odiati, perché non sono del mondo, come io non sono del mondo.

15 Io non ti prego che tu li tolga dal mondo, ma che tu li preservi dal maligno.

16 Essi non sono del mondo, come io non sono del mondo.

17 Santificali nella verità: la tua parola è verità.

18 Come tu hai mandato me nel mondo, anch’io ho mandato loro nel mondo.

19 E per loro io santifico me stesso, affinché anch’essi siano santificati in verità.

20 Io non prego soltanto per questi, ma anche per quelli che credono in me per mezzo della loro parola:

21 che siano tutti uno; che come tu, o Padre, sei in me, ed io sono in te, anch’essi siano in noi: affinché il mondo creda che tu mi hai mandato.

22 E io ho dato loro la gloria che tu hai dato a me, affinché siano uno come noi siamo uno;

23 io in loro, e tu in me; acciocché siano perfetti nell’unità, e affinché il mondo conosca che tu m’hai mandato, e che li ami come hai amato me.

24 Padre, io voglio che dove son io, siano meco anche quelli che tu m’hai dati, affinché veggano la mia gloria che tu m’hai data; poiché tu m’hai amato avanti la fondazion del mondo.

25 Padre giusto, il mondo non t’ha conosciuto, ma io t’ho conosciuto; e questi hanno conosciuto che tu mi hai mandato;

26 ed io ho fatto loro conoscere il tuo nome, e lo farò conoscere, affinché l’amore del quale tu m’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.