This page gives you questions and answers for studying John 17, the prayer Jesus prays on the night before his arrest. It is written for a small group leader, a Sunday school class, or anyone studying the chapter on their own. Each question names its verses so you can read the passage alongside the discussion.
John 17 at a Glance
Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven and speaks to the Father about the hour that has come. He first asks that the Son be glorified, then describes the work he has finished and the people the Father has given him. The middle of the prayer turns to the disciples: he asks for their protection, their holiness in the truth, and their unity.
The final section widens to all who will believe through their word, and closes with Jesus’ desire that they be with him and see his glory. A leader can move through the questions in order, following the chapter’s shift from Jesus’ own glory, to his disciples, to future believers.
Observation Questions
Use these questions to slow down and notice what the text says before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the exact words in each verse, and resist the urge to explain too early.
John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
(WEB)
Read this verse early to define eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. It gives the group a shared anchor for the rest of the chapter and reminds them that the prayer begins with relationship.
John 17:11
I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
(WEB)
This verse holds Jesus’ request for keeping and unity in a single sentence. Reading it aloud helps the group hear the tenderness of his concern as he prepares to leave the world.
John 17:15-17
15 I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.
(WEB)
This short range captures the request for protection from the evil one and the call to be sanctified in truth. It is useful when discussing how believers can live faithfully without withdrawing from society.
John 17:21
That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.
(WEB)
Reading this verse slowly gives weight to the unity Jesus prays for and to the purpose it serves. It invites the group to consider how their relationships might point others toward the Father.
John 17:26
I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
(WEB)
End the reading with this verse so the group hears the chapter’s final note: the Father’s love dwelling in believers and Jesus himself in them. It sets a hopeful tone before the closing prayer.
Memory Verse for John 17
John 17:17
Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.
(WEB)
This short verse is easy to carry through the week and names the truth as the means of being set apart. Ask members to repeat it aloud at the start of each day for a week and notice where it shapes their choices.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that Jesus prayed for us before the hour of his suffering, and that his prayer still reaches us today. We ask that you keep us through the name you gave him, that we would know you and be one in love as you and the Son are one. Protect us from the evil one, set us apart by your truth, and make your love dwell in us. Show us where we can reflect your unity in our homes, churches and workplaces. Draw us, in time, to see the glory you gave your Son. Amen.
