17:24 Here Jesus' request clearly included the Eleven with all the elect. He wanted them all to observe (Gr. theorosin) the glory that the Father would restore to the Son following His ascension (v. 5; cf. 1 John 3:2). This appears to be a reference to Jesus' essential preexistent glory. His humiliation in the Incarnation was only temporary. Glorification will begin for Christians initially at death or the Rapture, whichever comes first (cf. 14:2-3; 2 Cor. 5:6-8). Our glorification includes being with Jesus forever (cf. Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:17). Since Jesus' will (Gr. thelo) was identical with the Father's will (cf. 4:34; 5:30; 6:38), we can know that the Father will grant this request.
This is one of the clearest passages in the New Testament that sets forth the eternal subordination of the Son to the Father (cf. 1 Cor. 15:24, 28; Eph. 3:21; Phil. 2:9-11).529
17:25-26 Jesus concluded His prayer as He began it, by addressing His Father by name (cf. vv. 1, 11). By calling God His righteous Father Jesus was affirming His belief that God would do what was right in granting the petitions that He was presenting. This included glorifying the Son and bringing believers safely to heaven where they would behold His glory.
Jesus' mission had not resulted in the whole world coming to know God experientially. Nevertheless Jesus Himself knew the Father, and the Eleven had come to believe that Jesus was the revelation of the Father. Jesus would continue to reveal the Father so the Father's love would remain in them. It would do so because Jesus Himself would remain in them.
So concludes Jesus' great intercessory prayer for His believing disciples. This was an important part of His private ministry of preparing His disciples for what lay ahead of them.
We could summarize its main points as follows. Jesus asked for Himself glorification(vv. 1, 5) that the Father might be glorified (v. 1). He asked for the Eleven (and their successors) faithfulness(v. 11). The results of their faithfulness would be their unity (v. 11) and their joy (v. 13). The means to their faithfulness would be their safety (v. 15) and their sanctification (v. 17). He asked for future believers unity(vv. 21, 22, 23) in the present that the world might believe (vv. 21, 23) and heaven(v. 24) in the future that believers might see His glory (v. 24) and fully experience God's love (v. 26).
This section of Jesus' ministry began with a call for present humility (13:1-12) and ended with an assurance of future glory (17:24-27). In between, Jesus gave revelations of the importance of love, the ministry of the coming Holy Spirit, the promise of answers to prayer, and instruction about the importance of abiding in Christ.
