John 17:24 Meaning and Explanation
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus wills that we be with him forever, beholding his glory, grounded in the Father's eternal love for him and, by extension, for us.
The Context of John 17:24
Near the end of the prayer, Jesus makes a personal declaration of desire to his Father. He wants his followers with him, and he traces this desire back to the Father's love before time began.
What Does John 17:24 Mean?
There is an intimacy here that takes the breath away. Jesus does not pray passively or theoretically about the future. He says I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. This is the wish of a friend, a teacher, a Lord who loves his own and desires their presence. Where I am—in the presence of the Father, in glory, in resurrection life. Jesus wants us there. He does not settle for a distant relationship or a future we glimpse only from afar. He wants us to be with him, to behold his glory directly, not through a mirror dimly but face to face. And he anchors this desire in something that precedes even creation: thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. The Father's love for Jesus is not a response to anything Jesus did. It is primordial, eternal, the ground of all being.
We are loved with that same eternal love. Because the Father loves Jesus, and Jesus loves us, we are held in a love that predates creation and will never end. To behold his glory is the goal of the Christian life, not as reward for achievement but as fulfillment of the Father's ancient intention. We will be with Jesus, see him as he is, and know ourselves as beloved in that eternal Father-love that was Jesus' portion before the world began.
Where John 17:24 Echoes in Scripture
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:2-3); Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12)
How to Apply John 17:24 Today
Jesus wants you with him. This is not abstract theology but a personal longing held in the heart of God. Live in hope of that eternal presence.