High Priestly Prayer

Biblical Text and Content

This is the prayer of Jesus Christ recorded in the whole of John 17 (verses 1–26). At the Last Supper, Jesus gave his disciples a lengthy farewell discourse (John 13–16). After finishing it, he "lifted up his eyes to heaven" (John 17:1) and offered this prayer. The prayer is commonly divided into three parts according to those for whom he prays.

• Prayer for himself (vv. 1–5): Jesus asks the Father to glorify the Son. Verse 3 defines eternal life as knowing "thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
• Prayer for the disciples (vv. 6–19): Jesus asks the Father to keep the disciples, who will remain in the world, through the Father's name. He does not ask that they be taken out of the world but "that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (v. 15). Verse 17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth," stands at the center of this section. "The son of perdition" in verse 12 is commonly understood to refer to Judas Iscariot.
• Prayer for those who will believe (vv. 20–26): Jesus prays that those who will believe through the disciples' word "all may be one," so that the world may believe that the Father sent the Son (John 17:20–23).

Name and Background

The title "High Priestly Prayer" does not appear in the text; it was applied later. The sixteenth-century Lutheran theologian David Chytraeus is reported to have been the first to use it. In the Old Testament, the high priest made atonement for himself and for the people on the Day of Atonement. The name reflects the view that Jesus, as he faced the cross, likewise offered himself and interceded for his people. The verb "sanctify" in verse 19, "I sanctify myself" (Greek hagiazō), is also used of setting apart priests or sacrifices for God.

After finishing the prayer, Jesus went to a garden across the brook Kidron (John 18:1). This prayer is therefore distinct from the prayer in Gethsemane recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John does not record a separate scene of prayer in Gethsemane.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The Epistle to the Hebrews portrays Jesus as the high priest who ever lives in heaven to make intercession for his people (Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 4:14–16). The church has read John 17 as a scene in which this intercessory ministry is disclosed in advance on earth. In addition, because the Lord's Prayer is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, whereas John 17 is a prayer Jesus himself prayed, some have called John 17 "the true Lord's Prayer."

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• The nature of unity: The ecumenical movement has used verse 21 as a basis for church union. Conservative and evangelical interpreters read the verse together with the "truth" of verse 17 and therefore understand unity as a spiritual oneness in the same truth and faith rather than institutional union. Both sides cite this passage in discussions of church unity.
• "Those whom thou hast given me" and preservation: The Calvinist tradition reads the references to those the Father has given the Son in verses 2, 6, 9, and 24 as grounds for divine election and the perseverance of the saints (the doctrine that those who truly believe will persevere in faith to the end). The Arminian and Wesleyan traditions understand these as people who have responded in faith. They hold that the petition for preservation, together with the example of Judas, also points to the believer's responsibility to remain in the faith.
• Sanctification: Verses 17–19 are widely cited across denominations in explaining sanctification. The passage is also regarded as especially important in Wesleyan denominations that emphasize holiness.

In the Korean Church

Verse 21, "that they all may be one," is frequently used as a sermon text at interdenominational gatherings and at joint services such as the united Easter service. Because it is Jesus' prayer on the eve of his Passion, it is also used as a text for preaching and meditation during Holy Week.