Matthew Henry's Complete Bible Commentary

John 17

This chapter is a prayer, it is the Lord’s prayer, the Lord Christ’s prayer. There was one Lord’s prayer which he taught us to pray, and did not pray himself, for he needed not to pray for the forgiveness of sin; but this was properly and peculiarly his, and suited him only as a Mediator, and is a sample of his intercession, and yet is of use to us both for instruction and encouragement in prayer. Observe, I. The circumstances of the prayer, John 17:1. II. The prayer itself. 1. He prays for himself, John 17:1-17:5. 2. He prays for those that are his. And in this see, (1.) The general pleas with which he introduces his petitions for them, John 17:6-17:10. (2.) The particular petitions he puts up for them [1.] That they might be kept, John 17:11-17:16. [2.] That they might be sanctified, John 17:17-17:19. [3.] That they might be united, John 17:11, 17:20-17:23. [4.] That they might be glorified, John 17:24-17:26. MHBCC 1015.1