John 17:22-23 22And I have given the glory that you have given me to them, so that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, so that they may be one having been made complete, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Jesus came full of the glory of the Father, revealing this glory in human form (1:14). He was the perfect representation of God’s essential characteristic of love. Theologically, we say that he is the perfect imago Dei (image of God) in which Adam and Eve were created. He is what God planned for all humans. God’s glory has many qualities to it. In transcendence, it contains his utterly incomprehensible and unapproachable holiness. The amazing aspect of grace is that this holiness came down to the human struggle to reveal a better way of life according to the truth of God’s will. Jesus showed the glory of God by his ability to do miracles, the “works” (14:11). In immanence, this glory is experienced in love and compassion. Jesus offered forgiveness and new life to all who would receive him and believe in him.
Jesus passed on these two aspects of glory to all who would believe in him and obey his teachings. Obviously, the glory we experience is limited, but it must model who Jesus is and what he did in his ministry. The simple way often used to express this is to be “Christlike.” To be like Jesus is to experience his glory within us. This glory will empower us to live in holiness like him, experiencing the transforming power of God’s Spirit within. It will also compel us out into mission that brings the love of God to a dark and dying world.
Verse 23 repeats the same ideas in verses 21-22. Just as the relationship of love is passed on, so is the glory. Glory is defined in some way by unity. The outcome of this holiness and love should be unity and fellowship together as believers. The unity does not come by human effort but only because the glory of Jesus is working in us to change us into his likeness. The disciples gathered at the last supper were a bonded group, but their unity needed to grow deeper through love. Many churches also share in fellowship, but there is something deeper Jesus wants to do. The deeper work is expressed in a rare perfect passive participle having been made complete (teteleiōmenoi), which completes the idea they may be one. This construction expresses the goal of the sanctification Jesus earlier prayed for.
Like verses 20-21, these verses have a series of interconnected purpose clauses with a final result: the reason Jesus passed his glory on to his disciples is so that they would become a cohesive group identifiable because of their love for one another. This will be the work of the Holy Spirit sanctifying them completely, resulting in a love like Jesus. The result of this love would be a powerful witness to the world about Jesus and the love God showed by sending him into the world. The best way to know and experience God’s love is through the love of God’s people who are united in love for one another because of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit within them, changing them day by day into the likeness of Jesus.
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