Famous last words have a certain power. The last thing someone says often reveals what matters most to them. Of course, famous last words aren’t always profound. Winston Churchill’s were reportedly, “I’m bored with it all.” Oscar Wilde supposedly quipped, “Either this wallpaper goes or I do.”
But the words before us in John 17 are anything but trivial. They are not quite Jesus’ final words—there is more to come—but they stand at the climax of John’s Gospel. Again and again, Jesus has said that his “hour” had not yet come. From the wedding at Cana onwards, the moment of his death and resurrection lay ahead. Now, everything changes - “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1)
Jesus turns from addressing his disciples to addressing his Father, praying out loud in their presence. This entire chapter is prayer—often called the High Priestly Prayer—and it revolves around two great themes: Jesus prays that the Father would bring glory to the Son, and do good to his people.
1. Bring Glory to the Son
As the God-appointed hour approaches, Jesus does not respond with resignation or fatalism. Instead, he prays. This is striking. If anyone believed in God’s sovereignty, it was Jesus—yet that sovereignty drives him to prayer, not away from it. As Don Carson puts it: “Emphasis on God’s sovereignty functions as an incentive to prayer, not a disincentive.”
Jesus asks the Father to glorify him so that he, in turn, may glorify the Father. From eternity past, before the world began, the Son shared glory with the Father. Yet in love, he stepped down, taking on flesh, becoming visible—and vulnerable.
The great irony is that Jesus will be most glorified at the moment he appears most defeated. The cross, an instrument of shame, becomes the place of supreme glory. Through the cross, resurrection, and ascension, the glory that was his from all eternity is publicly revealed and increasingly recognised as sinners are redeemed.
Yet even this glorification has a greater end: the glory of the Father. The Father plans redemption, the Son accomplishes it, and the Spirit applies it. At the heart of the universe is not power or force, but eternal, loving relationship within the Trinity.
2. Do Good to his People
Jesus’ prayer overflows with goodness for his people—and not just the disciples present with him.
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” (John 17:20). That includes us.
A) To Know God
Jesus prays that his people would truly know God through his word. He has revealed the Father, given God’s words, and called for belief. Eternal life, Jesus says, is not merely endless existence—it is knowing the Father and the Son whom he sent. The greatest gift of salvation is relationship with God himself.
B) To be Protected by God
Jesus knows his followers will remain in a hostile world, so he prays for their protection—not comfort or ease, but spiritual safety. God’s “name” represents his power and character. To be kept by God’s name is to be held securely by who God is, even as we remain faithful to him.
C) To have unity in the People of God
Christian unity matters deeply to Jesus. But it is not unity at any cost. True unity flows from shared truth—knowing the real Jesus, believing the real gospel, and holding fast to God’s word. Doctrine doesn’t destroy unity; it creates it. Where the word is honoured and Christ is trusted, unity can flourish.
D) To be Sanctified by God
Jesus prays not that believers would escape the world, but that they would be protected and transformed within it. Sanctification—being made holy—is grounded in truth.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
Christian growth cannot happen apart from deep immersion in Scripture, empowered by the Spirit.
E) To Witness for God
Finally, Jesus prays that his people would reflect God’s glory to the world. One powerful part of that witness is unity. A divided church repels; a gospel-shaped, loving, united church draws people toward Christ.
As we land this, John 17 answers a simple question: How should we pray?
- Pray to know God more deeply.
- Pray for protection from the evil one.
- Pray for unity grounded in truth.
- Pray for sanctification through the word.
- Pray for a clear, compelling witness to the world.
Or, in Don Carson’s words: “The Christians’ task… is not to be withdrawn from the world, nor to be confused with the world, but to remain in the world, maintaining witness to the truth… protected by the Father himself, all in response to the prayer of Jesus.”
May it be so for us today.
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You can watch the whole sermon below, read the full text, download the service sheet (with outline).
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