Gospel of John 17:1–26 Catholic Bible study Lesson 20

The Gospel According to John:
An Encounter with Grace & Truth

Lesson 20 And This Is Eternal Life
the Gospel According to John 17:1–26

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for the Gospel According to John
cross references in the Gospel According to John
next lesson: Whom Do You Seek?

This material coordinates with Lesson 20 on pages 106–110 in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”—the Gospel According to John 20:30–31

welcome to our in-depth study of the Gospel According to John
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 25-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth has been granted an imprimatur and can be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Gospel According to John 16:1–33
In Lesson 19 When the Spirit of Truth Comes, Jesus explains that his farewell discourses have been intended to keep his disciples from falling away from his teaching after he’s departed. Jesus also mentions a future hour when those who currently are following him will be killed for remaining loyal to his memory and teaching. Jesus further explains that the arrival of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus refers to as the Spirit of truth, will be highly desirable. The disciples have difficulty understanding Jesus’ meaning, but he continues with his teaching and explains that they’ll experience joy similar to that of a mother who has just given birth. Although the disciples then claim to understand, Jesus tells them that a time is coming when they will leave him alone. Jesus doesn’t seem overly concerned about this, however, and reassures them, asking them to be of good cheer because he’s overcome the world.

map notes—heaven defined
In the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John, Jesus allows his followers to hear his prayer to the Father—providing them with a description of heaven. That the Evangelist has recorded Jesus’ words is a gift. Consider why Jesus prays so that the disciples can hear his end of the conversation instead of going off to pray in private as he usually does. In the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John, what might be the most important information that Jesus is trying to impart to his followers before he leaves them? How is this same information of value to present-day Christians? Click on the image (right) to enlarge the map, which appears on page 108 in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

Jesus prepares for the Church (41:29)
In the video for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses the idea that the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John primarily is about Jesus’ institution of the Church. What can you see in this section of the Fourth Gospel that points toward the establishment of the Church? Consider why the author of the Fourth Gospel waited until this point in the narrative to begin addressing ideas foundational to the success of the Church. What do you consider the most important function of the Church, and why? Do you think that Jesus would agree? What might have encouraged this chapter to be referred to as the “high priestly prayer”? What in Scripture suggests Jesus can be thought of as a priest? What might oppose the idea?

The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth. You can follow along with the video overview as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 20, “And This Is Eternal Life,” on pages 106–110 in the study book

definitions matter
Most of think that we have a fairly solid grasp of the English language. We may not know Greek or Hebrew, but we think we know enough English to be able to understand most English translations of the Bible. The seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John can challenge our assumptions. How do you define the words “sanctified” and “consecrated,” which are key to understanding the prayer Jesus offers for his followers? If you’re unsure, definitions are written into the questions for this lesson based on the biblical text pertaining to these concepts.

pray with the Psalms—family matters
Jesus’ farewell discourse places a strong emphasis on family, since Jesus’ mission on earth is to make it possible for men and women to be born into the family of God. “The Family Name” on page 108 in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth contains more information. For a different view of family, read “Son of Perdition” on page 107, which includes a reference to a prophetic passage in Psalm 41. Can you figure out what that reference is without looking in the study book? Prayed at Friday Vespers (Week I), Psalm 41 is included as part of Lesson 13 Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.

WHY DO YOU THINK that Jesus is emphasizing truth?
In the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John, Jesus continues to emphasize the importance of truth, including several references to truth in his prayer to the Father.

? In the Gospel According to John 17:8, Jesus says that his disciples have received the words he was given by the Father and that they know in truth that Jesus came from God. Consider whether it’s likely that the disciples understand that Jesus is God.
? In the Gospel According to John 17:17, Jesus asks the Father to sanctify the disciples in the truth. “To be sanctified” means “to be made holy.” How are truth and holiness are related? If necessary, refer to “The Goal of Faith” on page 108 in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.
? The word “sanctification” also means “to be set aside for a special purpose.” What purpose might Jesus have in mind for his followers?

read the Catechism—what is truth?
The seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John points to the fact that truth is essential to Christianity. Without looking at paragraph 2468 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, how would you define truth? Compare your idea of truth with the definitions given by the Church.

2468 Truth as uprightness in human action and speech is called truthfulness, sincerity, or candor. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.

glory—you could look it up in our archives
The thirteenth chapter in the Gospel According to John began what is known as the book of glory. Now Jesus speaks to his disciples at length about sharing his glory with them. To learn about the etymology of the word “glory,” you can read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

the popes inspire us—highest glory
The quote on page 110 in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth provides insight from Pope Benedict XVI about why the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John often is labeled as Jesus’ “high-priestly prayer.” Put aside for private consideration that in referring to this as a “so-called ‘high-priestly prayer'” Pope Benedict XVI might be suggesting that he doesn’t entirely agree with that label. Let’s focus instead on his reflection on the double theme of Jesus’ hour of death, which also is Jesus’ hour of glorification. Not surprisingly, the two are connected with Jesus’ ascent to the cross.

other farewell speeches
Jesus’ prayer in the seventeenth chapter in the Gospel According to John seems less like the prayer of a high priest, which would have focused on offering sacrifice in atonement for sin, and appears to more closely resemble the farewell speeches given by Moses, Joshua, and David. You can find those speeches in the Old Testament and compare them to Jesus’ prayer in the Fourth Gospel. How are these Old Testament farewell speeches the same as Jesus’ prayer, and how do differ?

for additional reflection
By no means least of the many interesting things that we can learn about our faith in the Fourth Gospel is Jesus’ own definition of eternal life, which is found in the Gospel According to John 17:3. The following questions are designed to help readers begin to form their own thoughts and ideas related to the Gospel According to John 17:1–26. For more reflection questions, refer to the introduction to Lesson 20 on page 106 in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

? How does this definition from Jesus’ lips compare with your idea about what constitutes eternal life?
? Based on Jesus’ definition, do you think that you possess eternal life?
? How do you think that eternal life might be connected with respect for human life?

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page accompanying this study, and it includes links to each of the cross references in the primary biblical text for The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the Gospel According to John 17:1–26 (NIV)

close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps, or you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s text from the Gospel According to John.

God our Father, your Son prayed
for his disciples to be one.
Plant in our hearts an unwavering desire
to dedicate our lives to achieving unity within your Church.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Lesson 21 Whom Do You Seek?—the Gospel According to John 18:1–27
Lesson 19 When the Spirit of Truth Comes—the Gospel According to John 16:1–33

you also may like our study of Scripture & the Rosary (digital only)
Scripture & the Rosary: New Testament Mysteries, Old Testament Parallels, a 26-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, looks at the biblical foundations of the Rosary. The study includes lessons on Pope St. John Paul II’s Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), the Apostles’ Creed, and the Luminous Mysteries as well as the original 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. Color photographs of stained glass windows depict key scenes in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Free digital lessons rotate throughout the year on our website.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions and offer support. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.