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Joh_17:1-2.[185] The parting discourses to the disciples are finished, and that with the words, giving assurance of victory, ἘΓῺ ΝΕΝΊΚ . Τ . ΚΌΣΜ . But now, before Jesus goes forth into the fatal night, as He casts a parting glance on His disciples, who are standing there ready to move on (Joh_14:31), and on the whole future of His work, now to be completed on behalf of earth, His communion with the Father impels Him to prayer. He prays aloud (Joh_17:13) and long on His own behalf (Joh_17:1-5), on behalf of His disciples (Joh_17:6-19), and on behalf of those who are to become believers at a later time (Joh_17:20 ff.), with all the depth, intensity, clearness, and repose of the moral need, and of the childlike devotion of the Fulfiller. Because He, by this prayer, prepares Himself for the high-priestly act of the atoning self-sacrifice (see especially Joh_17:19), it is justly termed the precatio summi sacerdotis (Chytraeus), an appellation which is arbitrarily explained by Hengstenberg from the Aaronic blessing (Lev_9:22; Num_6:22 ff.). Luther aptly says: “that He might fully discharge His office as our sole high priest.”
ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν … καὶ … καί ] Not negligence of style (De Wette), but solemn circumstantiality.
ΕἸς Τ . ΟὐΡ .] does not serve to establish the point that Jesus spoke in the open air (see on Joh_14:31; so Ruperti, Grotius, Ebrard, Hengstenberg, and many others), nor is the suggestion needed (Gerhard) that through the window of the room the heavens were accessible to view, but the eye of one who prays is on all occasions raised toward heaven. Comp. Act_7:55.
ἡ ὥρα ] The hour κατʼ ἐξοχήν , i.e. the hour of my death, as that of my passage to Thee, Joh_13:1, Joh_12:23.
δόξασον … δοξάσῃ ] The former through the elevation into the heavenly glory (comp. Joh_17:5), the latter through the revelation of the glory of God, so far, that is, as the victory of the gospel in the world, and the entire continuance and consummation of the divine work of redemption was conjoined with the heavenly glorification and ministry of Christ. To refer δόξασον to the earthly, moral glorification of Christ in the recognition of His Person and cause (Didymus, Nösselt, Kuinoel, De Wette, Reuss), or to the communication of the true God-consciousness to humanity (Baur), is opposed to the context, because Christ means His glorification through His death, but this in John is constantly the personal heavenly glorification. Note further σου τὸν υἱόν and Ὁ ΥἹΌς ΣΟΥ ; the emphasis of the ΣΟΥ , which is moved to the first place, is related to the prayer as assigning a reason for it; it is in truth Thy Son whom Thou art to glorify.
Joh_17:2 presents to the Father the definite motive for the fulfilment of that which was prayed for, and that in such a manner that καθὼς … σαρκός corresponds to the preceding ΔΌΞΑΣΟΝ ΣΟΥ ΤῸΝ ΥἹΌΝ , and ἽΝΑ ΠᾶΝ , Κ . Τ . Λ ., which contains the purpose of ἜΔΩΚΑς ΑὐΤῷ ἘΞΟΥΣ . Π . Σ ., is correlative to ἽΝΑ Ὁ ΥἹΌς Σ . ΔΟΞ . ΣΕ .[186]
καθώς denotes the motive contained in the relation of fitness, in the measure that, according as. Comp. on Joh_13:34.
Full power over all men has the Father given to the Son on His mission (Joh_13:3), for He has endowed Him as the sole Redeemer and Saviour with power for the execution of the decree of salvation, which extends to all; none is exempted from His Messianic authority. But this ἐξουσία He cannot carry out without returning to the heavenly δόξα , whence He must carry on and complete His work. By πάσης σαρκός , however, the whole of humanity—and that in its imperfection (see on Act_2:17), conditioned by the very fact of the σάρξ , Joh_3:6, by which it is destitute of eternal life—is, with a certain solemnity of the O. T. type ( ëì áùø ), designated. The expression is not elsewhere found in John, but it corresponds exactly to this elevated mood of prayer.
ἵνα πᾶν , κ . τ . λ .] Not a mere statement of the contents and compass of the ἐξουσία (Ebrard): no, in the attainment of the blessed design of that fulness of power (comp. Joh_5:26-27) lies precisely that glorification of the Father, Joh_17:1. Not all, however, without distinction, can receive eternal life through Christ, but (comp. Joh_17:6) those whom the Father has given to the Son (through the attraction by grace, Joh_6:37; Joh_6:39; Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65) are such, designated from the side of the divine efficiency, the same who, on their side, are the believing (Joh_1:12, Joh_3:15, et al.), not “the spiritual supramundane natures” whom Hilgenfeld here discovers. Comp. besides, on Joh_6:37; Joh_6:39.
αὐτοῖς ] to be referred to the subjects of the absolute (Buttmann, N. T. Gr. p. 325 [E. T. pp. 379, 380]) collective ΠᾶΝ (Bremi, ad Isocr. I. Exc. X.). Note further the weighty parallel arrangement δέδωκας αὐτῲ , δώσῃ αὐτοῖς . On the form δώσῃ , see Buttmann, N. T. Gr. p. 31 [E. T. p. 36]. Not future conjunctive (Bengel, Baeumlein), but a corrupt form of the aorist.
[185] Luther’s exposition of chap. 17 belongs to the year 1534.
[186] Ewald begins a new sentence with καθώς , which is first completed in ver. 4, so that ver. 3 is a parenthesis: “Even as Thou gavest to Him full power … I glorified Thee upon the earth.” But the periodic form which thus arises is less in harmony with the manner of this prayer; and the change of persons in vv. 2 and 4 betrays the want of mutual connection.