John 17:1,2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

These words spake Jesus,— Our Lord, having thus finished his ministry, and given his disciples all the instructions that he judged necessary, closed the whole with a solemn prayer to God; wherein, first, he prays for himself, John 17:1-5 secondly, for the apostles, John 17:6-19 and again, John 17:24-26 thirdly, for all believers, John 17:20; John 17:23 and, fourthly, for the world, John 17:21-23. In this prayer he comprizes all that he had said from ch. John 13:31 and seals, as it were, all he had hitherto done, beholding things past, present, and to come. The present chapter contains the easiest words and the deepest sense of any, perhaps, in all the scripture; yet here is no incoherent rhapsody, but the whole is closely and exactly connected. This has been called our Lord's intercessory prayer, because it is considered as a pattern of the intercession which he is now making for his believing people in heaven. He addresses God the Fatherwithasimplicityofappellation, Father, highly becoming the only and eternally begotten Son of God; to which a believer then makes the nearest approach, when he is fullest of love and humble confidence. The hour is come, &c. "The time of my sufferings is at hand; and therefore I pray, that thou wouldst glorify me, thy Son, in those signal appearances for my honour and support in death, in my recovery from the grave, and my ascension into heaven, which thou hast promised to me, and which I know that thou wilt punctually fulfil; that thy Son also, in the whole series of his conduct, both in this world, in the heaven of heavens, and through the universe, may successfully glorify thee. For thou hast sent thy Son into the world, and given him power over all men, that he may bestow eternal life upon as many as thou hast given him, that is to say, on all who have yielded to thy sacred drawings, and who, through thy grace, having heard thy word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience; a consideration, upon which heever reflects with the highest joy." See John 6:37 and the parallel passages.