John chapter 17

vs 19

We don't have a word like "holify", but that is basically what Jesus is saying - that he will make himself truly holy, separate for God's use, so that the disciples are also holified. How is Jesus going to do this? I think it is through this prayer.

vs 20

Hey, that sounds like us! Woo, we get a mention in the Bible!

vs 21

Jesus' prayer for the church from his ascension onwards is for unity, and for close relationship with God and himself. The purpose is so that the world will recognise the Christ as coming from God, as having divinity. I don't often think of that as a function. You think more of the Bible proving that. But the existence of the church, its closeness to God and closeness to itself should also show it.

vs 22

Christ has given his church his glory, again for the sake of unity!

I think we always read into this from the future, because we live post-Protestant split, post-Pentecostal split, and there are just huge factions in the church that never seem to meet. But remember, this was also written to the church back then. Even if it was more divided by geography and culture, it was called to be unified too.

vs 23

Again, this unity is for the purpose of showing the world the love of the Father, and the origin of Christ from the Father.

vs 24

Jesus wants all Christians past and present and future to go to be with him, so that they can see the full glory which they have believed in even without seeing. It's a mighty glory, an eternal glory, and we're going to get to see it. That's pretty awesome.

vs 25

I think the "they" in this verse is actually referring back to the church global, rather than to the world. So the idea is that even though the world (which the church is in, but not of) didn't know God, Jesus did, and the church knows Jesus, and because of that they are able to know God, because they can understand that Jesus was sent by God. It's actually clearer in the other translations, like the NASB, I think.

vs 26

It is because Jesus reveals God to us that we are able to have the love God has for Jesus in us (allowing us to love Jesus), and that Jesus himself abides in us (which is a much greater mystery).