¹ tn Or “know.”

² sn John the Baptist, who has been so reluctant to elaborate his own role, now more than willingly gives his testimony about Jesus. For the author, the emphasis is totally on John the Baptist as a witness to Jesus. No attention is given to the Baptist’s call to national repentance and very little to his baptizing. Everything is focused on what he has to say about Jesus: so that he could be revealed to Israel.

³ tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”

⁴ tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

⁶ tn Grk “before Abraham was.”

⁷ sn I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase “I am” in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).

⁸ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

⁹ tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”

¹⁰ tn Or “I die willingly.”

¹¹ tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”

¹² tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).

¹³ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

¹⁴ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

¹⁵ sn I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).

¹⁶ tn Grk And all things.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

¹⁷ tn Or “Everything I have is yours.”

¹⁸ tn Or “everything you have is mine.”

¹⁹ tn Or “I have been honored among them.”

sn The theme of glory with which Jesus began this prayer in 17:1-5 now recurs. Jesus said that he had been glorified by his disciples, but in what sense was this true? Jesus had manifested his glory to them in all of the sign-miracles which he had performed, beginning with the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana (2:11). He could now say that he had been glorified by them in the light of what he had already said in vv. 7-8, that the disciples had come to know that he had come from the Father and been sent by the Father. He would, of course, be glorified by them further after the resurrection, as they carried on his ministry after his departure.

²⁰ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

²¹ tn Grk “if you are seeking.”

²² tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.

²³ sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.

²⁴ tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.

²⁵ tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”

²⁶ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

²⁷ tn Or “something incorrect.”

²⁸ tn Grk “testify.”

²⁹ tn Or “incorrect.”