Meaning of John 17:4

In John 17:4, Jesus is praying to the Father during His final hours before His crucifixion, a prayer known as the High Priestly Prayer. This verse encapsulates Jesus' profound sense of fulfillment and obedience in His earthly ministry. He declares that He has "brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." This is not a statement of personal pride but a declaration of perfect alignment with the Father's will and purpose for His life. The "work" refers to His entire redemptive mission: His teaching, His miracles, His suffering, and ultimately, His sacrificial death and resurrection, all of which were designed to reveal the Father, reconcile humanity to God, and establish the Kingdom of God. By completing this divinely appointed task, Jesus brought ultimate glory to God, demonstrating God's character, power, and love to the world.

Context and Background

This verse is found within John chapter 17, which is a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry. Immediately preceding this prayer, Jesus has been teaching His disciples about His departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The prayer itself is Jesus' intercession for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers. John 17:4 is part of Jesus' prayer for Himself, where He reflects on His completed mission. The backdrop is the imminent passion of Christ, the ultimate test of His obedience and the fulfillment of His divine purpose.

Key Themes and Messages

• Obedience and Fulfillment: The central theme is the perfect obedience of Jesus to the Father's will and the successful completion of the mission He was given.
• Glory of God: Jesus' primary motivation and outcome was to bring glory to God. His actions and life were a testament to the Father's character and plan.
• The Divine Work: The "work" is understood as the entire salvific plan of God, initiated and executed through Jesus Christ.
• Completion: The emphasis on "finishing" highlights the totality and finality of Jesus' redemptive accomplishment.

Spiritual Significance and Application

For believers, this verse underscores the reliability and efficacy of Jesus' work. His finished work on the cross is the foundation of our salvation. It calls us to emulate Jesus' commitment to obedience and to recognize that true fulfillment comes from aligning ourselves with God's purposes. It also assures us that Jesus, having completed His earthly mission, now intercedes for us, as detailed in subsequent verses of this prayer.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

John 17:4 is the culmination of Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings concerning the Messiah who would suffer and redeem His people. It directly connects to the Genesis promise of a seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15) and the extensive sacrificial system of the Old Testament, which found its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's singular sacrifice. It also sets the stage for the New Testament church, built upon the finished work of Christ and empowered by the Spirit Jesus promised.

Analogies

One analogy for Jesus finishing His work is that of a master craftsman completing a magnificent and intricate masterpiece. Every stroke, every detail, was precisely as intended by the divine architect, and the final unveiling brings immense honor and recognition to the creator. Another analogy is that of a general successfully leading an army to achieve a crucial victory; the completion of the mission brings glory to the king and secures the kingdom.

Relation to Other Verses

• John 19:30: "When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, 'It is finished.' And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." This verse directly echoes John 17:4, showing Jesus' declaration of completion at the moment of His death on the cross.
• Hebrews 10:12: "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." This highlights the once-for-all nature of Christ's sacrifice as the completion of the sacrificial system.
• Colossians 1:19-20: "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." This passage describes the scope and purpose of the work Jesus completed.
• Philippians 2:8: "and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." This emphasizes the obedience that characterized the finishing of His work.