Question 1

In verse 24, what two things does Jesus say he desires for the people the Father has given him?

Accepted Answer

Jesus names two linked desires: that they will be “with me where I am,” and that they will “see my glory.” The second explains why the first matters—being with Jesus leads to beholding his glory. The text also clarifies that this glory is not self-generated; it is “given” to Jesus by the Father. Verse 24 then grounds the request in the Father’s love for Jesus “before the foundation of the world,” presenting the desire as consistent with a long-standing Father–Son relationship rather than a last-minute wish.

Question 2

How does verse 24 connect Jesus’ “glory” to the Father, and what does that imply about Jesus’ role in the passage?

Accepted Answer

The verse explicitly says the glory is something the Father “has given” Jesus, and it immediately ties the request to the Father’s love for Jesus from before creation. That combination presents Jesus as uniquely related to the Father: he is the recipient of Father-given glory and the object of pre-creation love. The passage does not fully explain how that glory is displayed, but it does show that Jesus’ identity and mission are anchored in the Father’s initiative—giving, loving, and sending (v.25).

Question 3

In verse 25, what three claims about “knowing” are contrasted, and how are the groups distinguished?

Accepted Answer

Verse 25 contrasts three “knowing” statements: (1) “the world” did not know the Father, (2) Jesus did know the Father, and (3) “these” (his followers) knew that the Father sent Jesus. The groups are distinguished by their response to the Father as revealed through Jesus. The “world” is characterized by non-recognition; Jesus is characterized by direct knowledge of the Father; and the disciples are characterized by recognizing Jesus’ divine commission (“you sent me”).

Question 4

What does “sent me” contribute to the meaning of knowing God in verse 25?

Accepted Answer

“These knew that you sent me” shows that, in this passage, knowing the Father is not described as an abstract belief about God. It is tied to acknowledging Jesus’ origin and mission from the Father. The disciples’ “knowing” is summarized not as mastering information, but as recognizing that Jesus is the Father’s authorized messenger and representative. This also strengthens the contrast: the “world” fails to know God in the specific sense of failing to recognize the Father through the Son whom he sent.

Question 5

In verse 26, what has Jesus already done, what will he continue to do, and what goal does he state for it?

Accepted Answer

Jesus says he has made the Father’s “name” known to his followers and “will make it known” going forward. The stated goal is twofold: that the love with which the Father loved Jesus may be “in them,” and that Jesus himself may be “in them.” The passage links ongoing disclosure about God (“name” as revealed identity/character) to an internal sharing of love and presence. The logic is explicit: continued making-known leads toward shared love and Jesus’ indwelling presence.

Question 6

What does the passage itself suggest “name” means in verse 26, based on the results Jesus expects?

Accepted Answer

The verse connects making God’s “name” known with the outcome that the Father’s love will be “in them” and that Jesus will be “in them.” That connection suggests “name” is more than a spoken title; it points to God’s revealed identity and character as made known through Jesus’ teaching, actions, and relationship with the Father. The passage’s stated result is relational and internal (love and indwelling), which fits best with “name” meaning what God is like and who God is, not merely pronunciation or vocabulary.

Question 7

How do verses 24–26 together link presence, glory, knowledge, love, and indwelling?

Accepted Answer

Verse 24 links future/present presence with Jesus (“be with me”) to seeing his Father-given glory. Verse 25 frames the issue as one of recognition: the world does not know the Father, Jesus knows the Father, and the disciples know Jesus is sent by the Father. Verse 26 then connects Jesus’ continued revelation of the Father (“name”) to an inward result: the Father’s love for the Son shared “in them,” and Jesus “in them.” Together they present a coherent chain: revelation leads to recognition, recognition sustains relationship, and relationship is described in terms of love and shared presence.

John 17:24-26

Scripture