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:

KJV (with Strong's)

These words {G5023} spake {G2980} Jesus {G2424}, and {G2532} lifted up {G1869} his {G846} eyes {G3788} to {G1519} heaven {G3772}, and {G2532} said {G2036}, Father {G3962}, the hour {G5610} is come {G2064}; glorify {G1392} thy {G4675} Son {G5207}, that {G2443} thy {G4675} Son {G5207} also {G2532} may glorify {G1392} thee {G4571}:

Complete Jewish Bible

After Yeshua had said these things, he looked up toward heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify you —

Berean Standard Bible

When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.

American Standard Version

These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
John 17:1 inaugurates Jesus' profound High Priestly Prayer, a deeply intimate and significant moment delivered just hours before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. In this opening verse, Jesus lifts His gaze heavenward, a posture of earnest supplication, and declares that "the hour is come." This declaration signifies the divinely appointed culmination of His earthly ministry, encompassing His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. His primary request is for mutual glorification between the Father and the Son, highlighting the profound unity and shared purpose within the Godhead in the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** John 17:1 marks a pivotal transition in John's Gospel, immediately following Jesus' extensive Upper Room Discourse (chapters [John 13-16](/john/13-16 "John 13-16 - The Upper Room Discourse")). These chapters contain Jesus' final, intimate teachings to His disciples, including the washing of their feet, the new commandment to love, warnings about persecution, and promises of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 17, often called Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, serves as a solemn and profound conclusion to these discourses, moving from teaching His disciples to interceding for them and for all future believers before He embarks on the path to Gethsemane and the cross. It is a moment of profound theological reflection and spiritual preparation for the ultimate sacrifice.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Jesus' act of "lifting up his eyes to heaven" (G1869, G3788, G1519, G3772) is a common posture of prayer in ancient Jewish tradition, signifying direct address to God and an appeal to divine authority and presence. This posture underscores the earnestness and reverence of Jesus' prayer. The concept of "the hour" (G5610) was also deeply embedded in Jewish thought, often referring to a divinely appointed time, particularly in eschatological contexts. For Jesus, this "hour" was not merely a chronological moment but the preordained, climactic period of His redemptive work, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and God's eternal plan. The prayer itself reflects the deep filial relationship between a Jewish son and his father, elevated here to the unique divine relationship between the Son and the Father.
* **Key Themes:** This opening verse introduces several overarching themes that permeate John's Gospel and this prayer. The most prominent is the concept of "**The Hour**," which in [John's Gospel](/john/1 "The Gospel of John") consistently refers to the divinely appointed time for Jesus' passion, death, and subsequent glorification. Earlier, Jesus stated His hour had "not yet come" ([John 2:4](/john/2-4 "John 2:4 - Jesus' Hour Not Yet Come") and [John 7:30](/john/7-30 "John 7:30 - His Hour Was Not Yet Come")), but here, He declares its arrival, signaling the climax of His mission. Another critical theme is **Mutual Glorification**, where the Father glorifies the Son, and the Son, in turn, glorifies the Father. This highlights the profound unity and interdependent relationship within the Trinity, where the Son's obedience and sacrifice bring glory to the Father, and the Father's exaltation of the Son reveals His own glory. This verse also sets the stage for the theme of **Divine Purpose and Obedience**, as Jesus fully embraces the Father's will, even unto death ([Philippians 2:8](/philippians/2-8 "Philippians 2:8 - Christ's Obedience Unto Death")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **glorify (Greek, _doxázō'_):** From G1392, meaning "to render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide application):--(make) glorify(-ious), full of (have) glory, honour, magnify." In this context, Jesus' request to be glorified by the Father refers to His exaltation through the cross, resurrection, and ascension, which reveals His divine nature and power. Conversely, His glorification of the Father involves His perfect obedience and the successful completion of the redemptive work, thereby magnifying the Father's character and plan.
* **Father (Greek, _patḗr'_):** From G3962, apparently a primary word, meaning "a 'father' (literally or figuratively, near or more remote):--father, parent." Jesus' direct address to God as "Father" underscores the intimate, unique, and eternal relationship He shares with the first person of the Trinity. This term highlights His divine Sonship and the profound communion that undergirds His entire mission and prayer.
* **hour (Greek, _hṓra'_):** From G5610, apparently a primary word, meaning "an 'hour' (literally or figuratively):--day, hour, instant, season, X short, (even-)tide, (high) time." In John's Gospel, "the hour" is a loaded theological term, signifying not merely a chronological moment but the divinely appointed, climactic time for Jesus' passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, through which God's redemptive plan is fulfilled. Its arrival signals the culmination of Jesus' earthly ministry.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"These words spake Jesus":** This phrase serves as a narrative transition, indicating that what follows is a direct utterance from Jesus, specifically His prayer, distinct from the preceding discourses to His disciples. It emphasizes the solemnity and intentionality of His words.
* **"and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said":** This describes Jesus' posture and action, signifying a direct, earnest, and reverent address to God. Lifting eyes to heaven is a traditional gesture of prayer, indicating an appeal to the divine realm and a recognition of God's transcendence and authority. It sets the scene for a moment of profound spiritual communion.
* **"Father, the hour is come":** Jesus' intimate address to God as "Father" highlights His unique relationship and access. The declaration "the hour is come" is pivotal. It signifies the arrival of the preordained, climactic moment of His redemptive work—His suffering, death, and subsequent resurrection and exaltation. This is the culmination of God's sovereign plan for salvation.
* **"glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee":** This is the core request and purpose of the prayer's opening. Jesus asks the Father to glorify Him, which will be accomplished through His sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection and ascension. The ultimate purpose of this glorification is reciprocal: so that the Son, through His perfect obedience and completed work, may in turn bring glory back to the Father, revealing the Father's character, power, and love to the world.

#### Literary Devices
John 17:1 employs several significant literary devices. The most prominent is **Symbolism**, particularly in Jesus' act of "lifting up his eyes to heaven." This gesture is a universal symbol of prayer and direct communication with the divine, emphasizing the vertical dimension of Jesus' relationship with the Father. The phrase "the hour is come" functions as **Foreshadowing** and **Thematic Repetition**. Throughout John's Gospel, "the hour" has been anticipated and alluded to as a future, divinely appointed moment; its declaration here signals the imminent fulfillment of this central theme. Furthermore, the reciprocal request, "glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee," demonstrates a powerful **Parallelism** and **Chiasmus** (ABBA structure), emphasizing the mutual and interdependent glorification within the Godhead, reinforcing the profound unity and shared purpose of the Father and the Son in the plan of redemption.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
John 17:1 profoundly illuminates the nature of the Trinity and the divine plan of salvation. It reveals the intimate and eternal relationship between the Father and the Son, characterized by perfect unity, shared purpose, and mutual glorification. Jesus' prayer is not a cry of weakness but a declaration of divine sovereignty and a request for the Father to complete the preordained work through Him. The "hour" signifies the climax of God's redemptive history, where the cross, resurrection, and ascension are not tragic accidents but the very means by which God's glory is supremely revealed to humanity. This mutual glorification underscores that the ultimate end of all God's works, including salvation, is His own glory.

* [John 13:31-32](/john/13-31-32 "John 13:31-32 - The Son of Man Glorified")
* [Philippians 2:9-11](/philippians/2-9-11 "Philippians 2:9-11 - God Exalts Christ")
* [Hebrews 5:7-9](/hebrews/5-7-9 "Hebrews 5:7-9 - Christ's Obedience and Perfection")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
John 17:1 offers profound spiritual lessons for believers, inviting us into the very heart of Jesus' communion with the Father. Jesus' posture of lifting His eyes to heaven before His greatest trial teaches us the indispensable practice of earnest, focused prayer, especially in moments of deep challenge or significant transition. It reminds us that our ultimate strength and guidance come from aligning ourselves with God's will and seeking His glory above all else. Just as Jesus' "hour" arrived precisely as ordained, we are called to trust in God's perfect timing for our lives, understanding that even our trials and sufferings can be part of His sovereign plan for our glorification and His own. Our lives, like Christ's, are meant to be lived out for the purpose of glorifying God, finding our purpose in His will and our joy in His presence, even when the path leads through difficulty.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Jesus' posture of lifting His eyes to heaven inform your own approach to prayer, especially in times of significant challenge or decision?**
* **What does Jesus' primary concern for the Father's glory, even in the face of suffering, teach you about your own priorities and motivations in life?**
* **In what ways can you actively seek to glorify God in your daily life, even through difficult circumstances, mirroring Christ's example?**
* **How does the concept of God's perfect "hour" encourage you to trust in His timing and sovereignty amidst the uncertainties of life?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of "the hour" in John's Gospel, and why is it declared to have "come" in John 17:1?**

Answer: In [John's Gospel](/john/1 "The Gospel of John"), "the hour" (Greek: _hē hōra_) is a crucial theological motif that goes beyond mere chronological time. It refers to the divinely appointed, predetermined climax of Jesus' earthly ministry, encompassing His suffering, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension. Early in His ministry, Jesus repeatedly stated that His hour had "not yet come" (e.g., [John 2:4](/john/2-4 "John 2:4 - Jesus' Hour Not Yet Come"), [John 7:30](/john/7-30 "John 7:30 - His Hour Was Not Yet Come"), [John 8:20](/john/8-20 "John 8:20 - His Hour Was Not Yet Come")), indicating that the timing of these ultimate events was entirely in the Father's sovereign hands. In [John 17:1](/john/17-1 "John 17:1 - Jesus' High Priestly Prayer"), the declaration "the hour is come" signifies that this long-awaited, preordained moment has finally arrived. It marks the transition from Jesus' public ministry and private teachings to the fulfillment of His redemptive purpose on the cross, signaling the culmination of God's plan for salvation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
John 17:1, initiating Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the entirety of the New Testament narrative. The "hour" that has "come" is the very moment of Christ's ultimate self-giving, leading to His crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. This "hour" is the pivotal point in salvation history where Jesus, as the perfect Lamb of God, fulfills the Old Testament sacrificial system, taking away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")). His request to the Father, "glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee," is fulfilled in His exaltation through the cross, where His divine power and love are most fully displayed ([John 12:23-24](/john/12-23-24 "John 12:23-24 - The Hour for the Son of Man to be Glorified")). The Father glorifies the Son by raising Him from the dead ([Acts 2:24](/acts/2-24 "Acts 2:24 - God Raised Him Up")), seating Him at His right hand ([Hebrews 1:3](/hebrews/1-3 "Hebrews 1:3 - Seated at the Right Hand of Majesty")), and granting Him "all authority in heaven and on earth" ([Matthew 28:18](/matthew/28-18 "Matthew 28:18 - All Authority Given to Jesus")). In turn, the Son glorifies the Father by perfectly accomplishing the work of redemption, revealing the Father's character, power, and love to humanity ([John 14:9](/john/14-9 "John 14:9 - Whoever Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father")). This mutual glorification is not merely an internal divine exchange but is extended to believers, who are called to glorify God through Christ ([1 Corinthians 6:20](/1_corinthians/6-20 "1 Corinthians 6:20 - Glorify God in Your Body")) and will ultimately share in Christ's glory ([Romans 8:17](/romans/8-17 "Romans 8:17 - Heirs with Christ")). Thus, John 17:1 anticipates the triumph of the cross and the eternal reign of Christ, through whom God's ultimate glory is revealed and shared.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

John 13:31

¶ Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

John 13:32

If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

Philippians 2:9

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Philippians 2:11

And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John 17:4

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

John 17:5

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John 12:23

And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.