What does John 17:4 mean?
Jesus spoke of working—accomplishing the will of God—while there was time left to do so (John 9:4). As His arrest and execution draw nearer (John 18:3; 19:16), Jesus indicates that He's now finished with the work He was given. That might seem surprising, given that He has not yet endured death (John 18:37). However, these moments between the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest are the last moments where He takes an active role in His mission. From this point forward—other than one last display of authority (John 18:6)—Jesus will take on a passive role, allowing the sinful world to abuse and murder Him. That which God has asked Jesus, Himself, to do has now been done, and all that remains is to submit (Philippians 2:8) to the rest of God's will, until that entire purpose is complete (John 19:30).Cooperating with God's will brings Him glory (John 15:8; 2 Corinthians 9:13). Such actions reflect His purpose and His message.
