Jesus transitions from teaching to prayer with a simple, yet profound, gesture: lifting his eyes. This physical act signals a shift not just in speech, but in his entire focus, as he turns his gaze and heart from the disciples to his Father, initiating a reciprocal cycle of glorification that defines his mission. The phrasing "glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you" highlights that Jesus' honor is inextricably linked to God's honor, a divine partnership rather than a one-way street.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just finished speaking to his disciples, Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven to begin a profound, intimate prayer to the Father. This prayer marks the transition from Jesus' earthly ministry to the intense suffering and triumph of the cross, which he acknowledges is imminent. He asks the Father to glorify him so that he, in turn, can bring glory to the Father through his completed mission.
Jesus is about to face immense suffering. Yet, in this moment, His posture isn't one of dread, but of bold assurance. What does this reveal about His inner state?
Notice how John describes Jesus's physical action: 'he lifted up his eyes to heaven.' This isn't just a detail; it's a picture of faith.
Jesus asks His Father to 'glorify your Son.' But this isn't a one-way street. What's the beautiful, reciprocal relationship at play here?
The core of Jesus's prayer in this verse is a profound exchange: 'glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.' This reveals a dynamic relationship of mutual glorification between the Father and the Son.
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Understand the original words
patēr · Greek Noun
The title used by Jesus to address God, emphasizing the intimate, familial, and relational nature of the Godhead and the believer's access to God through Christ.
hōra · Greek Noun
In the Johannine literature, this refers to the predetermined, climactic moment of Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, which reveals the Father's glory.
doxazō · Greek Verb
The manifestation of God's divine nature, splendor, and presence; to glorify is to make this excellence known or visible.
exousia · Greek Noun
The inherent right, power, and sovereign control over all humanity, delegated by the Father to the Son to execute the Father's redemptive will.
aiōnios zōē · Greek Noun phrase
The life of the age to come, which is not merely endless duration but a qualitative, spiritual life characterized by personal communion with God that begins now and continues eternally.
ginōskō · Greek Verb
In a biblical sense, this denotes an intimate, experiential, and relational knowledge, far exceeding mere intellectual awareness or accumulation of facts.
apostellō · Greek Verb (participle)
The one who has been dispatched by the Father with divine authorization to act as His representative and the sole mediator of salvation.
This prayer immediately precedes Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, marking the transition from His earthly ministry to His ultimate sacrifice and exaltation. The 'hour' Jesus speaks of is His passion, death, and subsequent glorification by the Father.
c. AD 30— this verse
Last Supper and Upper Room Discourses
Jesus shares the Passover meal with His disciples, delivers His final teachings and promises of the Holy Spirit, and prepares them for His imminent departure.
c. AD 30
Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus prays intensely in the garden before His arrest, expressing His human anguish and submission to the Father's will.
c. AD 30
Jesus is Arrested and Tried
Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and undergoes a series of trials before the Jewish and Roman authorities.
c. AD 30
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is crucified at Golgotha, fulfilling prophecy and accomplishing the atonement for the sins of humanity.
c. AD 30
Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus is raised from the dead on the third day, demonstrating His victory over death and validating His divine claims.
c. AD 30
Ascension of Jesus
Jesus ascends into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father, from where He continues His intercessory ministry.
This passage shows Jesus in a posture of deep anguish and submission to the Father's will in the Garden of Gethsemane, contrasting with the confident uplifted gaze in John 17 as He approaches His ultimate mission.
Philippians 2:9-11This passage describes the very glorification Jesus asks for in John 17:1, detailing how God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above all names as a result of His obedience and sacrifice.
Hebrews 5:7-8This passage echoes Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane and John 17, highlighting how He offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, and learned obedience through what He suffered.
John 13:31-32This passage immediately precedes Jesus' prayer in John 17, mentioning that 'Now is the Son of Man glorified' and that God will glorify Him, setting the stage for Jesus' own prayer for glorification.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44This passage speaks to the 'glorification' of believers, which is intrinsically linked to Christ's own glorification, as His victory over death and resurrection makes possible our own transformed future.
vincentJohn 17:1: "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:"
These words (ταῦτα)Literally, these things. So Rev.SaidJohn nowhere says that Jesus prayed, as the other Evangelists do.Thy Son - thy Son (σοῦ τὸν υἱὸν - ὁ υἱός)Properly, thy Son - the Son. The second phrase marks a change from the thought of personal relationship to that of the relation in which Jesus manifests the Father's gl…
cambridgeJohn 17:1: "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:"
1 . These words ] More exactly, these things , as in John 16:1 ; John 16:4 ; John 16:6 ; John 16:25 ; John 16:33 . lifted up his eyes ] in calm confidence and in the assurance of victory ( John 16:33 ). The attitude is in marked contrast to His falling on His face in the garden ( Matthew 26:39 ). ‘To heaven’ does not prove that He was i…
Jesus transitions from teaching to prayer with a simple, yet profound, gesture: lifting his eyes. This physical act signals a shift not just in speech, but in his entire focus, as he turns his gaze and heart from the disciples to his Father, initiating a reciprocal cycle of glorification that defines his mission. The phrasing "glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you" highlights that Jesus' honor is inextricably linked to God's honor, a divine partnership rather than a one-way street.
Having just finished speaking to his disciples, Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven to begin a profound, intimate prayer to the Father. This prayer marks the transition from Jesus' earthly ministry to the intense suffering and triumph of the cross, which he acknowledges is imminent. He asks the Father to glorify him so that he, in turn, can bring glory to the Father through his completed mission.
Having just finished speaking to his disciples, Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven to begin a profound, intimate prayer to the Father. This prayer marks the transition from Jesus' earthly ministry to the intense suffering and triumph of the cross, which he acknowledges is imminent. He asks the Father to glorify him so that he, in turn, can bring glory to the Father through his completed mission.
"When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom yo…" — Jesus transitions from teaching to prayer with a simple, yet profound, gesture: lifting his eyes. This physical act signals a shift not just in speech, but in his entire focus, as he turns his gaze a…
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Last reviewed October 2026
