Hi everyone. Welcome back to daily gospel. Exegesis. This is the podcast where we really look at the literal sense of the Gospel text. So find out what's going on with the words. What do the words mean on their most literal original level? Today, we're looking at a really complex passage. We're looking at the start of John chapter 17. 18 verses 1 to 11 a and that's the reading. You would hear at Mass today.
Here's today's passage. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, father, the hour has come glorify your son so that your son may glorify you and through the power over all mankind that you have given him. Let him give eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to him. An eternal life is this to know you the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on Earth and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now father, it is time for you to glorify me with that Glory. I had with you before the world ever was I have made your name known to the men, you took from the world to give me. They were yours and you gave them to me and they have kept your word now at last. They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you. For I have given them the teaching you gave to me and they have truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed that it was you who sent me I
pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me because they belong to you, all I have is yours and all you have is mine and I in them are glorified. I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world and I am coming to you Okay. So quite a famous passage but an incredibly deep and complex one here. So let's start by thinking about the context what has happened?
Just prior to this. So they've just had the last supper and Jesus has been giving the farewell discourse, which goes over quite a few chapters. So that is finished. Now, the farewell discourse is over but that same scene is continuing. It appears that he and the apostles are walking somewhere, maybe they have while they're on
the way to the garden. Certainly but they haven't arrived at the Garden yet, so maybe they have stopped to pray somewhere at this point maybe in another room in Jerusalem or something or maybe somewhere outside on the way to the Garden. Because Jesus says a prayer here, and this is a very long and complex prayer, we've only heard a snippet of it, it goes on for quite a while. In John, chapter 17, it's the longest recorded prayer in all
of the gospels. And so, it's well worth paying attention to if we want to know how Jesus praise This is often called the Great High Priestly prayer of Jesus because in this prayer Jesus plays the role of intercessor and mediator, he intercedes on behalf of his followers to the father. And also if you think about it, he says this prayer just before he does a sacrifice, the sacrifice of himself so it's quite appropriate to call it. The high Priestly prayer.
Now, this incredible richness and complexity in the prayer even every single line of the prayer reveal some sort of deep truth. And we're probably not going to be able to you know draw out every aspect of what Jesus intends with each of these phrases because there's so much depth and complexity there. So just keep in mind that this really is one of those passages that is inexhaustible.
There's so much in there. One thing that's worth pointing out that this prayer that we're going to look at, it does not appear to be the same prayer that Jesus will pray. Shortly In The Garden of Gethsemane. They haven't arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane yet. So it's a different prayer. And in particular, the prayer we're looking at here in John 17.
The apostles are fully present there with Jesus as he prays this prayer, whereas in the garden, as you know, they fall asleep and it's a different prayer. So, in this first part of the prayer will see, Jesus offering up his approaching sacrifice to the father. So, that's the focus of the first part. Let's start at verse 1. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven. So Jesus looks towards the father whom he's about to speak to, it's a customary Jewish gesture, to raise your eyes to
heaven. Now, it would appear. It doesn't say he closed his eyes at any point. So, it's possible that throughout this prayer, he actually kept his eyes open looking up to heaven. We don't often think about it that way, but It appears that that's what's going on. Father, the hour has come often, you'll hear that phrase the our in the Gospel of John and it basically means Jesus. Crucifixion has come, the time
has arrived the hour. So it's everything in the father's plan of sending the Sun to Earth was leading to this moment at the time has come. So he says this to the father. This is his request, glorify your son. Now glorify can have different meanings, depending on. How to translate it, but the basic idea here appears to be Point people towards me. Glorify your son as in point people towards the sun, why does Jesus want that?
Not for his own sake. He doesn't want people to look at him just because it's good to look at him. There's a deeper. Meaning here Jesus goes on and says so that your son may glorify you. This is really, really important. This is the Father's goal in sending Jesus to die on the cross. The father allows Jesus to die on the cross. In fact, he, you could say, he requires Jesus to die on the cross. So that people will look to Jesus as the son.
They'll see his great Act of Love on the cross and then hopefully they'll be pointed back to the father and they'll see this great exchange of life and love within between the father and the son. So that's the whole mission of God. Bye. Jesus dying on the cross, Jesus will be glorified because people will look at him. But in that process of people looking at him, people will be appointed back to the father.
So the father gets glorified to, you see this deep relationship between the father's Mission and the sun's Mission and that comes through all the way through you. The sun's mission is to point people towards the father to glorify the father verse 2 and through the power. Over all mankind that you have given him older translations. Put this line this way since thou Hast given him Power Over All Flesh.
So the teaching here is, the, the father has granted the son over power over all mankind, not a power to Lord, it over them. But to draw as many people as possible to the father, that's why the father has given the the sun power so that the sun will draw more people to the father Jesus continues, let him give eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to him. So here the translation starts to get a bit confusing because of all the hymns and all the pronouns.
It appears that what's going on here is something like this. Father, please allow the sun to give eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to your son, that's what's going on.
So Jesus is requesting that the father follows through with their plan almost and that's a theme in the Gospel of John, Read chapter 10 of the Gospel of John, particularly, which is about the Good Shepherd. There's this idea that the father has given the Sun, a certain number of people to protect in order that the sun would bring those people to the
father. So when he says those, you have given me that's a reference to Christian believers, who the father has drawn to the Sun. So it's Christian believers.
And the way God has set, the father has set this up, is the son has the responsibility to provide for and protect these Believers for the purpose of bringing them to the father, that's what's going on. Jesus he requests that the father follows through with the plan to give eternal life to all of Jesus followers at that time, his request is Father, please allow me to give eternal life to these followers. That you've given me to protect, that's his prayer.
Why the necessity for Jesus to pray like this? Wouldn't it just be automatic? Well, if you think about it, the way, this is working where people can come to the father through. The son is a new thing. It had never the New Covenant is just beginning. It had never happened before this time period before this to come to the father. One had to go through the old Covenant. So Jesus is in effect saying Lord, we're beginning a new thing.
This is the first time we've tried this to bring people to you through the New Covenant Lord. I pray that That you would honor the agreement or something like that and bring these people to you, through me. It's the first time that something like this has happened. And obviously, there's some complexities there with salvation, but that appears to be the main point of the prayer verse 3.
And eternal life is this. We want to listen to this because Jesus is about to specify exactly what he considers eternal life to be. And his answer might surprise you because it's not to go to heaven when you die. That's not eternal life. Here's what he says, eternal life is this to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent. So according to Jesus that's eternal life to know the will of God and to be in a deep abiding relationship with the father and also with the Messiah Jesus who has come to join us to him. So a deep mystical Union with the father is what all people are called to, and if one experiences that they are experiencing eternal life, So, how does that relate to going to heaven? Then a lot of Christians would say, eternal life is what
happens when you get to heaven. According To Jesus, it's a bit more complicated than that. Going to heaven when we die to be with God. According To Jesus, it's a natural extension of the relationship. We already have with God on Earth if we experience God's Divine Life, and he and communion with him on Earth, then that continues, when we go to heaven in the next life. But if we don't have that relationship during our life on Earth, then it doesn't Can you after death into eternal life
either? So Jesus has this model of eternal life is an extension of whatever you were doing in the current life. This deep intimate, personal knowledge of the father was actually prophesied to be an aspect of the New Covenant even in the Old Testament. They predicted that this would happen. If you look at Jeremiah chapter 31, in his famous declaration, that I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Jeremiah 31 verses 33 to 34 verse for Jesus says, I have glorified you on Earth and finish the work that you gave me to do. So the father sent the son to Earth. Earth with specific missions to accomplish through his teachings and actions, Jesus has pointed people towards the father. That was the whole point to point people, towards the father, verse 5 now. Father, it is time for you to glorify me. Here's where the translation starts to get a little bit
confusing. It appears that our translation is omitting some words to try and make it a bit less theological calm, theologically complex, Other translations have verse 5. He has this glorify thou me in the iron presence, so some sort of Glory here that has to do with being in the presence of God, it appears that Jesus is asking the father to glorify him. Jesus, once he returns to the father at his Ascension and once he returns to his presence, so it's a request, father.
Please, when I get back to heaven with, you glorify me. Jesus wants the father to bestowed upon him, a special, kind of glory. And he specifies what their glory is with that Glory that I had with you before the world ever was. This is an incredibly deep teaching. Listen to what it says Jesus, he is says I had Glory with you god before the world ever was. So the son, who's the second person of the Holy Trinity, existed in a state of Glory, with the father, even before the
world was created. That's an Credibly, you know, deep part of Christian teaching, Jesus is not just a man. He has existed since eternity or at least the second person of the Trinity has the idea appears to be and this is talked about in Philippians as well. He lost some of his Divine Glory voluntarily, when he came to Earth and took on human form. So we actually lost some of that Glory that he had. And now he asks, the father to return him to that glorified
State once he returns to heaven. So even though both the father and the son of God, there's sort of a hierarchy in rolls, all gifts, come from the father. It's the father who really runs the show as such and there's a deep mystery there. So that's why the sun has to pray to the father here.
Some Colts Christian colds, would say this prayer proves that Jesus is not God because Jesus, he was praying to God, but I think that's just simplifying it a little bit too much clearly, they're both God, but there is a distinction in roles particularly in terms of what's going. On while Jesus is on Earth. So Jesus is praying to the father that he would be returned to his state of pre-existing Glory. Once he gets back to heaven.
Now, notice that at a minimum, regardless of what you think of the Trinity, and the relationship between the persons of the Trinity, any Christian who has this Bible, who has this text at a minimum, the text teachers that Jesus is claiming to be a Divine being, which existed before the world began, that's in the text. Jesus himself says, I was with you and had Glory before the world ever was.
So truly, the teaching here, is that Jesus pre-exists the Earth, and he's been sent to Earth from heaven. That's an inescapable All conclusion. And you know, Christian cult and Christians who don't believe in the Trinity need to take this claim seriously and think about what it means in terms of Jesus relationship with the father, when he uses the phrase, before the world ever was that also is supposed to contrast with the other reference to the World.
In this passage in the Gospel of John, the world. Basically means people in Rebellion against God. So, when Jesus says before the world ever was, it's sort of a contrast with the work. Has has been doing in the world during his ministry on Earth in the world, Jesus lost some of his Divine Glory, but he's glorified the father. Now the son asks, to be return to that state of Glory, which he had from eternity before the world even existed.
You see all these different things come together and kind of complex ways at this point, there's a transition in the prayer. So Jesus now begins to plead to the father not for himself, but for the preservation of his disciples, There's a question here about who the disciples are
that Jesus is thinking of often. You'll hear people say that this is about all of us. I think in context, although this is something you need to make up your own mind about as we go. It appears that he's thinking primarily of the Apostles, this is a prayer for protection of the Apostles verse 6. I have made your name known to the men. You took from the world to give
me Sara during Jesus ministry. The father Drew certain All to Jesus in order in order that they might come to know him to know the Father, and Jesus Took responsibility for these people. He taught them about God and he led them closer to God. That was the arrangement. Now, some people have looked at this verse, I have made your name known to the men.
You took from the world. To give me some people have said well this teachers like a Calvinism kind of predestination where God picks certain people from the world to come to Jesus and not others. That could be a legitimate meaning of this. There could be what Jesus intense, but I don't think it is. I think in context Jesus is referring particularly to certain people in his own time period. That's how God worked at the time.
Jesus gave the prayer. So think about what's going on here, the kingdom of God is just beginning when Jesus comes to Earth for those first few years, it appears that God worked differently than he did. After Jesus had returned to heaven. So it's likely that in these early. Use when the kingdom of God is just beginning, when Jesus is walking, the Earth, it's
probably true. That God chose certain people to be drawn to Jesus for the purposes of building, the kingdom of God at the start and in particular he's probably talking about the apostles as we'll see in a couple of verses. When Jesus says, I have made your name known to the men, you took from the world to give me. If we say he's talking about the apostles and that God specifically chose these men to be Jesus, a possible. Well then there's no Illogical
problem. Here, it's not a general sweeping statement about the way God works all the time. It's a, it's talking about the apostles, being picked to begin the Christ movement. So we don't have to say that God works in exactly the same way as he does here, as when Jesus returns to Heaven. Jesus continues, they were yours. And you gave them to me and they
have kept your word. So these faithful Christian disciples are the Sheep who are mentioned in the parable of the Good Shepherd. The For the ones who are open to God's promptings and they respond to Jesus Commandments, they are those who have been with Jesus and have continued to follow his teachings. And these are the ones who are going to form Jesus church verse 7. Now at last, they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you. Think about this phrase.
Let's this just keep this in mind as we go now at last. They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you. So because of what Jesus has been saying, in the farewell discourse, the apostles realize that Jesus is who he is, he is who he claims to be, and that he comes from God. During the ministry of Jesus, the apostles did have their
doubts about Jesus identity. But if you read the end of chapter 16, which we just finished in the previous day, Days. The Apostle's have this moment of Revelation where I realized that Jesus is who he says he is. So that appears to be who Jesus is talking about his talking about the apostles, Notice the phrase here now at last. They know, you'll know if you know a bit of grammar, the VA must be referring back to the people.
Jesus was just talking about in the previous verse, who is Jesus. Talking about in the previous verse, the menu took from the world to give to me. So he's continuing to talk about the same group. And then in this verse in verse 7, Jesus says, this group is the ones who know that, all you have given the sun is indeed from the Father. So it's a group of people who believe that Jesus is from the father and have just realized
that. So, all the evidence here is suggesting that they, Jesus has in mind is the apostles. So, when Jesus says, you have picked two people from the world to give to me. If we take all these verses together, it seems like Jesus is talking about the apostles. That's who the focus at the prayer. Is not all, Christian Believers, however, later in the prayer, not today, but in later lectures area, Readings.
In the coming days, you'll notice there is a transition later on when Jesus starts to talk about Christian Believers in later centuries, but at the moment, he's just talking about the apostles. That would be my reading of this text. Although I should, I should mention here as part of this podcast. There's very few texts that the Catholic church has defined. As here is the deafening interpretation, there's a few of
them but not many. And so, with a lot of these things, you're free to look at the text yourself and go with what in interpretation seems best to you based on your
research. So we're up to verse 8 for I have given them, the teaching you gave to me and they have truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed that it was you who sent me. So Jesus has been teaching his followers, particularly the apostles, all that he has heard from the father and they have accepted it as being from the father. They believe. Jesus is truly the Son of God verse 9. I pray for them or more. Literally, here, I am praying
for them. So, Jesus is saying that in this current prayer, He is praying for his disciples and he's about to give a series of requests to the father about his followers. But now he says, I am not praying for the world, some have considered this to be quite a controversial phrase. What do you mean? Jesus isn't praying for the world. We shouldn't take this to mean that Jesus never praised for the world in general, but in this case, in this prayer, he is praying about his followers and
that's okay. It's okay for Jesus to pray about certain people and not others. Times. But for those, you have given me because they belong to you, there's that language of belonging again. So Jesus is praying to the father for his followers. Jesus has been trusted by the father with protecting these ones that the father has chosen. So now Jesus asks the father to protect them after he has gone. Jesus is kind of transferring his protection from himself to
the father. That's kind of what's going on here. Verse 10. All I have is yours and all you have is mine. So, there's this deep intimacy between the father and the son in context. This refers primarily to, Jesus followers, all you have refers to the followers in them, I am glorified. So, the works of Jesus followers point back to Jesus himself, all the works, the apostles do and that they will do in the coming years. Point back to Jesus. Verse 11.
A so in today's lecture rereading we're just looking at the first half of verse 11 and we'll do the second half of verse 11. In the coming days verse 11, a I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world and I am coming to you So Jesus is about to leave the world and return to the father, but the apostles will still need help and protection. And Jesus knows that Jesus has said earlier, in this discourse of the world hates the disciples
that's in 15:19. So all of these last few phrases, the basic idea appears to be that after the crucifixion, which is going to happen very soon. It is not Jesus who will protect and provide for his followers since he won't always be with them. Anymore. So rather Jesus asks the father to watch over them in his absence that's kind of the point of this prayer. Jesus knows that the apostles will be without a Shepherd for a while. So he is asking the father to protect them.
So, a long and complex prayer there. There's a few places where this great High Priestly prayer gets mentioned in the catechism because it's quite an important section of the gospels in teaching us about Jesus and his prayers. So I just want to read out a few of the most important ones. In paragraph 2, 7 4 6. 2 to 7 and 51. That is a commentary on this
prayer. So there's actually a section of the catechism dedicated to this prayer and I want to read out the first few paragraphs of this commentary because this is, you know, you could almost say the official Catholic t or one of the official Catholic teachings about how to interpret the prayer of the of Jesus at this point. So here's what it says paragraph, 2746 onwards.
When his The hour came, Jesus prayed to the father, his prayer, the longest transmitted by the gospel Embraces, the whole economy of creation and salvation as well as his death and Resurrection, the prayer of the hour of Jesus, always remains his own just as his Passover once, for all remains ever present in the Liturgy of his church, Christian tradition, rightly calls, this prayer. The Priestly prayer of Jesus.
It is the prayer of our high priest Inseparable from his Vice from his passing over to the father to whom he is. Holy consecrated in this, Pascal and sacrificial prayer. Everything is recapitulated in Christ. God in the world, the word and the flesh, eternal life and time. The love that hands itself over. And thus, in the portrays, it the disciples present and those who will believe in him by their word, humiliation and Glory.
It is the prayer of unity. Jesus fulfilled, the work of the father, completely his prayer like his sacrifice extends Until the End of Time, the prayer of this our fulfills the end times and carries them towards their consummation. Jesus, the son to whom the father has given.
All things has given himself wholly back to the father, yet, expresses himself with a sovereign Freedom by virtue of the power, the father has given him over All Flesh, the son who made himself If servant is Lord the pantocrator, a high priest who prays for us is also the one who prays in us and the God who he is our prayer. So that's a really amazing summary of what's going on here. Everything. You've just heard their suppliers certainly in the
coming days as well. As we continue to look at the rest of the high Priestly prayer. Paragraph 17 to 1, this is about Christian. Beatitude it says God puts us in the world to know to love and to serve him. And so to come to Paradise, beatitude makes us partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life with beatitude man, enters into the glory of Christ. And into the joy of the trinitarian life.
Paragraph 1069 is about the word liturgy through the Liturgy Christ, Our Redeemer and high priest continues, the work of our redemption in with and through his church. And obviously that comes out pretty clearly in his high Priestly prayer. Lastly, we'll look at paragraph 28 12 and this is a commentary on the part of the Our Father, which says, Hallowed be thy name finally, in Jesus, the name of the holy God is revealed and given to us in the flesh.
As Savior revealed by what he is, by his word. And by his sacrifice, this is the heart of his Priestly prayer. Holy Father, for their sake. I consecrate myself that they also So, maybe consecrated in truth. Because he sanctifies his own name. Jesus reveals to us the name of the father at the end of Christ's Passover. The father gives him the name that is above all names. Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father And there's a couple of other paragraphs that all include in
the, in the show notes as well. So a longer podcast today because of how deep and complex the high Priestly prayer. He's thank you for listening. I hope you have benefited benefited from digging into the text of the high Priestly prayer. If you think there's others in your life, who would benefit from hearing this, then please share it with them as well. Thank you. And we'll continue in the high Priestly prayer in the coming days.