1Ταυτα ελαλησεν Ιησους, και επαρας τους οφθαλμους αυτου εις τον ουρανον ειπεν Πατερ, εληλυθεν η ωρα· δοξασον σου τον Υιον, ινα ο Υιος δοξαση σε, (Tayta elalēsen Iēsoys, kai eparas toys ophthalmoys aytoy eis ton oyranon eipen Pater, elēlythen ē ōra· doxason soy ton Yion, ina o Yios doxasē se,)2καθως εδωκας αυτω εξουσιαν πασης σαρκος, ινα παν ο δεδωκας αυτω δωση αυτοις ζωην αιωνιον. (kathōs edōkas aytō exoysian pasēs sarkos, ina pan o dedōkas aytō dōsē aytois zōēn aiōnion.)3αυτη δε εστιν η αιωνιος ζωη, ινα γινωσκωσιν σε τον μονον αληθινον Θεον και ον απεστειλας Ιησουν Χριστον. (aytē de estin ē aiōnios zōē, ina ginōskōsin se ton monon alēthinon Theon kai on apesteilas Iēsoyn Christon.)4εγω σε εδοξασα επι της γης, το εργον τελειωσας ο δεδωκας μοι ινα ποιησω· (egō se edoxasa epi tēs gēs, to ergon teleiōsas o dedōkas moi ina poiēsō·)5και νυν δοξασον με συ, Πατερ, παρα σεαυτω τη δοξη η ειχον προ του τον κοσμον ειναι παρα σοι. (kai nyn doxason me sy, Pater, para seaytō tē doxē ē eichon pro toy ton kosmon einai para soi.)6Εφανερωσα σου το ονομα τοις ανθρωποις ους εδωκας μοι εκ του κοσμου. σοι ησαν καμοι αυτους εδωκας, και τον λογον σου τετηρηκαν. (Ephanerōsa soy to onoma tois anthrōpois oys edōkas moi ek toy kosmoy. soi ēsan kamoi aytoys edōkas, kai ton logon soy tetērēkan.)7νυν εγνωκαν οτι παντα οσα δεδωκας μοι παρα σου εισιν· (nyn egnōkan oti panta osa dedōkas moi para soy eisin·)8οτι τα ρηματα α εδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις, και αυτοι ελαβον, και εγνωσαν αληθως οτι παρα σου εξηλθον, και επιστευσαν οτι συ με απεστειλας. (oti ta rēmata a edōkas moi dedōka aytois, kai aytoi elabon, kai egnōsan alēthōs oti para soy exēlthon, kai episteysan oti sy me apesteilas.)9Εγω περι αυτων ερωτω· ου περι του κοσμου ερωτω, αλλα περι ων δεδωκας μοι, οτι σοι εισιν, (Egō peri aytōn erōtō· oy peri toy kosmoy erōtō, alla peri ōn dedōkas moi, oti soi eisin,)10και τα εμα παντα σα εστιν και τα σα εμα, και δεδοξασμαι εν αυτοις. (kai ta ema panta sa estin kai ta sa ema, kai dedoxasmai en aytois.)11και ουκετι ειμι εν τω κοσμω, και αυτοι εν τω κοσμω εισιν, καγω προς σε ερχομαι. Πατερ αγιε, τηρησον αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ω δεδωκας μοι, ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις. (kai oyketi eimi en tō kosmō, kai aytoi en tō kosmō eisin, kagō pros se erchomai. Pater agie, tērēson aytoys en tō onomati soy ō dedōkas moi, ina ōsin en kathōs ēmeis.)12οτε ημην μετ αυτων, εγω ετηρουν αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ω δεδωκας μοι, και εφυλαξα, και ουδεις εξ αυτων απωλετο ει μη ο υιος της απωλειας, ινα η γραφη πληρωθη. (ote ēmēn met aytōn, egō etēroyn aytoys en tō onomati soy ō dedōkas moi, kai ephylaxa, kai oydeis ex aytōn apōleto ei mē o yios tēs apōleias, ina ē graphē plērōthē.)13νυν δε προς σε ερχομαι, και ταυτα λαλω εν τω κοσμω ινα εχωσιν την χαραν την εμην πεπληρωμενην εν εαυτοις. (nyn de pros se erchomai, kai tayta lalō en tō kosmō ina echōsin tēn charan tēn emēn peplērōmenēn en eaytois.)14εγω δεδωκα αυτοις τον λογον σου, και ο κοσμος εμισησεν αυτους, οτι ουκ εισιν εκ του κοσμου καθως εγω ουκ ειμι εκ του κοσμου. (egō dedōka aytois ton logon soy, kai o kosmos emisēsen aytoys, oti oyk eisin ek toy kosmoy kathōs egō oyk eimi ek toy kosmoy.)15ουκ ερωτω ινα αρης αυτους εκ του κοσμου, αλλ ινα τηρησης αυτους εκ του πονηρου. (oyk erōtō ina arēs aytoys ek toy kosmoy, all ina tērēsēs aytoys ek toy ponēroy.)16εκ του κοσμου ουκ εισιν καθως εγω ουκ ειμι εκ του κοσμου. (ek toy kosmoy oyk eisin kathōs egō oyk eimi ek toy kosmoy.)17αγιασον αυτους εν τη αληθεια· ο λογος ο σος αληθεια εστιν. (agiason aytoys en tē alētheia· o logos o sos alētheia estin.)18καθως εμε απεστειλας εις τον κοσμον, καγω απεστειλα αυτους εις τον κοσμον· (kathōs eme apesteilas eis ton kosmon, kagō apesteila aytoys eis ton kosmon·)19και υπερ αυτων εγω αγιαζω εμαυτον, ινα ωσιν και αυτοι ηγιασμενοι εν αληθεια. (kai yper aytōn egō agiazō emayton, ina ōsin kai aytoi ēgiasmenoi en alētheia.)20Ου περι τουτων δε ερωτω μονον, αλλα και περι των πιστευοντων δια του λογου αυτων εις εμε, (Oy peri toytōn de erōtō monon, alla kai peri tōn pisteyontōn dia toy logoy aytōn eis eme,)21ινα παντες εν ωσιν, καθως συ, Πατηρ, εν εμοι καγω εν σοι, ινα και αυτοι εν ημιν ωσιν, ινα ο κοσμος πιστευη οτι συ με απεστειλας. (ina pantes en ōsin, kathōs sy, Patēr, en emoi kagō en soi, ina kai aytoi en ēmin ōsin, ina o kosmos pisteyē oti sy me apesteilas.)22καγω την δοξαν ην δεδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις, ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις εν· (kagō tēn doxan ēn dedōkas moi dedōka aytois, ina ōsin en kathōs ēmeis en·)23εγω εν αυτοις και συ εν εμοι, ινα ωσιν τετελειωμενοι εις εν, ινα γινωσκη ο κοσμος οτι συ με απεστειλας και ηγαπησας αυτους καθως εμε ηγαπησας. (egō en aytois kai sy en emoi, ina ōsin teteleiōmenoi eis en, ina ginōskē o kosmos oti sy me apesteilas kai ēgapēsas aytoys kathōs eme ēgapēsas.)24Πατηρ, ο δεδωκας μοι, θελω ινα οπου ειμι εγω κακεινοι ωσιν μετ εμου, ινα θεωρωσιν την δοξαν την εμην, ην δεδωκας μοι οτι ηγαπησας με προ καταβολης κοσμου. (Patēr, o dedōkas moi, thelō ina opoy eimi egō kakeinoi ōsin met emoy, ina theōrōsin tēn doxan tēn emēn, ēn dedōkas moi oti ēgapēsas me pro katabolēs kosmoy.)25Πατηρ δικαιε, και ο κοσμος σε ουκ εγνω, εγω δε σε εγνων, και ουτοι εγνωσαν οτι συ με απεστειλας· (Patēr dikaie, kai o kosmos se oyk egnō, egō de se egnōn, kai oytoi egnōsan oti sy me apesteilas·)
1Jesus said these things, then lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;2even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.3This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.4I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.5Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.6“I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word.7Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you,8for the words which you have given me I have given to them; and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.9I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.10All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.11I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. I have kept those whom you have given me. None of them is lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.13But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.14I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.15I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.17Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.18As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.19For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.20“Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word,21that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.22The glory which you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one,23I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one, that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you loved me.24Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.25Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me.
Eternal life (v. 3). This is eternal life: to know God. Not duration but knowledge. Not living forever but knowing the only true God through Jesus Christ.
Greek: Nestle 1904 · English: World English Bible (Public Domain)
“This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God.”
JESUS lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed. This is the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the Gospels, and it is often called the High Priestly Prayer because Jesus, the great high priest, intercedes for his people before the sacrifice is offered. The prayer lays bare the heart of Christ in a way nothing else in Scripture does. We are allowed to overhear the Son speaking to the Father.
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” The hour that has been coming throughout the entire Gospel — the hour that no one could hasten or delay, the hour that Jesus has repeatedly said had not yet come — has finally arrived. And Jesus prays not for deliverance from the hour but for glory through it. The cross is not a detour from the plan; it is the plan. The cross is the throne from which the Son glorifies the Father.
“This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal life is not primarily duration. It is not living forever, though that is included. It is knowing. The knowledge of God through Christ is the substance of eternal life, not just the entrance requirement. To know God in Christ is to possess life that cannot be destroyed by death.
“I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me.” The prayer narrows. Jesus prays for his disciples — those who have believed, those who will believe through their word. He prays for their protection, for their unity, for their sanctification in the truth. He does not pray that they would be taken out of the world but that they would be kept from the evil one while they remain in it.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am, that they may see my glory.” This is the deepest longing of Christ for his people. Not that they would be useful or successful or safe, but that they would be with him and see his glory. The gospel begins with the Word who was with God in the beginning. It ends with the prayer that we would be with him. The circle of divine love, which has no beginning and no end, is opened to include us.