I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just saying he's about to finish; he's using the past tense to declare the completion of his mission. This means his entire earthly life, including the sacrifice he is about to make, is viewed as a finished reality in his prayer. He's already done it all and brought glory to the Father through that finished work.
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is in his final moments with his disciples, about to be arrested and crucified. In this prayer, he's not just speaking to his Father but about his completed mission on earth, as a foundation for his return to heavenly glory and for the disciples' future ministry. He views his entire earthly life, culminating in his impending sacrifice, as the fulfillment of the task given to him by God.
Jesus speaks of His work as finished, even as His crucifixion is imminent. How can something be both done and yet to come?
Jesus' prayer in John 17 isn't just a reflection on His past ministry; it's a bold declaration of His completed mission from an eternal perspective.
The Finished Work
When Jesus says, 'I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do,' He's not just talking about the teachings and miracles He'd already performed. The scholars note that the Greek suggests a sense of finality, as if He's looking back on the entire task, including His impending death and resurrection.
A Heavenly Viewpoint
From Jesus' vantage point in prayer, with the Father, He sees the 'work' – the plan of salvation – as a completed reality. His earthly ministry, His sacrificial death, and His ultimate victory over sin and death are all viewed as a singular, finished act of obedience and love. This perspective allows Him to confidently move toward the cross, knowing the Father's will is being perfectly fulfilled.
How does Jesus' earthly mission bring glory to the Father? It’s not just about grand miracles, but about faithful obedience.
Jesus' primary purpose on earth was to reflect and reveal the Father's glory. This wasn't a secondary benefit of His ministry; it was its very essence.
Revealing the Father
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Jesus states, 'I have glorified you on earth.' This means His whole life, His teachings, His actions, and ultimately His sacrifice, were designed to make the Father known. Every miracle, every parable, every act of compassion was a testament to the Father's character, power, and love.
The Goal of the Mission
The 'work' given to Jesus was to accomplish the Father's will through perfect obedience. By faithfully carrying out this mission, even to the point of death, Jesus demonstrated the Father's supreme worth and magnified His name among humanity. The Father's glory was the ultimate aim and the direct result of Jesus’ finished work.
Understand the original words
ergon · Greek Noun
The divinely appointed task or mission, specifically referring to the redemptive work of Jesus in His incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection.
Jesus' statement in John 17:4 reflects the culmination of His earthly mission. He views His entire life, ministry, suffering, and impending death as the complete 'work' given by the Father, through which God's glory was fully revealed on earth.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus Christ actively preached, taught, performed miracles, and revealed God's nature and will throughout Judea and Galilee.
c. AD 30
Last Supper and Betrayal
Jesus shared His final meal with His disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper and anticipating His betrayal and arrest.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Arrest and Trial
Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, tried by Jewish and Roman authorities, and condemned to crucifixion.
c. AD 30
Crucifixion and Burial
Jesus was crucified on Golgotha and His body was placed in a tomb, marking the completion of His earthly suffering.
c. AD 30
Resurrection of Jesus
Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, conquering death and validating His claims.
c. AD 30
Ascension of Jesus
After appearing to His disciples over 40 days, Jesus ascended into heaven to be with the Father.
This passage echoes Jesus' submission and obedience to God's will, culminating in His death, which directly fulfills the 'work' He came to do and thereby glorifies the Father.
Hebrews 10:7Jesus' declaration in John 17:4 directly quotes or alludes to Psalm 40:7-8, showing His lifelong commitment to fulfilling God's will as prophesied, which was His appointed work.
John 19:30Jesus' cry from the cross, 'It is finished!' is the climactic fulfillment of the work He speaks of in John 17:4, demonstrating the completion of His redemptive mission.
Colossians 1:23This verse speaks of the Gospel being proclaimed to all creation, which is the ultimate outcome and purpose of the work Jesus finished, bringing glory to God through the salvation He accomplished.
1 Peter 1:11The prophets sought to understand the timing and nature of salvation, which points to the divinely appointed 'work' Jesus accomplished, confirming it was a central theme of God's plan revealed in Scripture.
vincentJohn 17:4: "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
I have glorified - I have finished (ἐδόξασα - ἐτελείωσα)The best texts read, τελειώσας, having finished; the participle defining the manner in which He had glorified the Father upon earth. So Rev.To do (ἵνα ποιήσω)Literally, in order that I should do (it).
jfbJohn 17:4: "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
4, 5. I have glorified thee on the earth—rather, "I glorified" (for the thing is conceived as now past).I have finished—I finished.the work which thou gavest me to do—It is very important to preserve in the translation the past tense, used in the original, otherwise it might be thought that the work already "finished" was only what He had done before uttering that prayer; whereas it will be obs…
Jesus isn't just saying he's about to finish; he's using the past tense to declare the completion of his mission. This means his entire earthly life, including the sacrifice he is about to make, is viewed as a finished reality in his prayer. He's already done it all and brought glory to the Father through that finished work.
Jesus is in his final moments with his disciples, about to be arrested and crucified. In this prayer, he's not just speaking to his Father but about his completed mission on earth, as a foundation for his return to heavenly glory and for the disciples' future ministry. He views his entire earthly life, culminating in his impending sacrifice, as the fulfillment of the task given to him by God.
Jesus is in his final moments with his disciples, about to be arrested and crucified. In this prayer, he's not just speaking to his Father but about his completed mission on earth, as a foundation for his return to heavenly glory and for the disciples' future ministry. He views his entire earthly life, culminating in his impending sacrifice, as the fulfillment of the task given to him by God.
"I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." — Jesus isn't just saying he's about to finish; he's using the past tense to declare the completion of his mission. This means his entire earthly life, including the sacrifice he is about to make,…
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Last reviewed October 2026