John 17:22

John 17:22, in plain English

Jesus says He's given you the same glory the Father gave Him—so that you can experience the same unity. You carry divine glory.

Why it's here

This is mind-blowing: the glory God gave Jesus, Jesus has passed on to you. It's what binds believers together in deep, lasting unity.

Who's speaking

Jesus prays about the glory He's shared with you.

Where it sits in the story

Jesus doesn't keep the Father's glory to Himself. He shares it with you—and that shared glory is what makes real unity possible among His followers.

The scholarly reading

Jesus reveals that He has given believers the same glory the Father gave Him, with the purpose of producing unity among them.

Language and setting

The 'glory' (doxa) given to believers likely refers to the indwelling presence of God and the new identity as children of God. This shared glory becomes the foundation for the unity Jesus requests.

Voice

Jesus continues His prayer for believers' unity.

Significance

Jesus has transferred the Father's glory to His followers, making this shared glory the basis for their unity. The same divine presence that rests on Christ rests on His people.

20I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message,

21that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

22I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—

23I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.

24Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Read all of John 17 — You get to overhear Jesus praying to the Father. He prays for His disciples — and then He prays for you.