Easter · Year A
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2026
Overview & Insights
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
John 17 is the only extended prayer of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel and has been called the high priestly prayer since the sixteenth century. It closes the farewell discourse, and it is spoken aloud in the disciples’ hearing, which makes it instruction as much as petition. Verses 1-11 are the first of three movements, for himself, then for the disciples, then for those who will believe through them (17:20). “The hour” invoked in v. 1 is the hour repeatedly said not to have come (2:4; 7:30; 8:20) and then announced at 12:23, and in this Gospel it is the hour of the cross described as glory. Verse 3 is the one place in the Gospels where Jesus speaks the words “Jesus Christ”. The prayer’s tenses are already past, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work” (v. 4), which is why it reads naturally in Easter though it is spoken before the arrest.
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Take it further: John 17:1-11
Commentary
Commentary on John 17:1-11Commentary on Jn 17:1-11 Working Preacher (Luther Seminary)
Verse-by-verse exegesis of the opening of Jesus's high priestly prayer, the Lutheran anchor voice for this Sunday.
John 17:1-11 CommentaryJn 17:1-11 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed preaching-focused reading of the prayer's themes of glory and unity, dated to this year's Easter 7.
Into the World: SALT's Lectionary Commentary for Easter 7 SALT Project
Ecumenical lectionary essay placing John 17 in the arc of Jesus's farewell teaching.
Seventh Sunday of Easter, Cycle A - Sunday Connection Loyola Press
Catholic voice connecting this Sunday's readings, including the prayer of John 17, to daily life.
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Easter 7 (A) - May 17, 2026 The Episcopal Church, Sermons That Work
Anglican homiletical reflection written for this exact Sunday's Gospel.
Background & Word Study
Glory and Giving That All May Be One Left Behind and Loving It (D. Mark Davis)
Close Greek-text reading of John 17:1-11, tracking the repeated verbs doxazo and didomi.
Gospel of John Summary - Overview Video (Part 2)Gospel of Jn Summary - Overview Video (Part 2) BibleProject
Literary overview of John 13-21, the section of the Gospel containing the farewell prayer.
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