Glory, His and His Father's, dominated the mind of the Savior on His last night on earth. Twice Jesus requests the Father to glorify Him as He faces death on the cross (John 17:1&5). The verb "glorify" (δοξασον) is the imperative of request (Burton, Moods and Tenses, p. 80) stressing the seriousness, even demand, of His petition to the Father. Prayer can be demand when Father and Son are one!
The second request (17:5) is different than the first in two ways. Jesus said, "glorify me" (v.5) rather than "glorify the Son" (v.1) stressing the personal relationship rather than His role as Savior. Jesus focused on His past glory (v.5) versus His future purpose to glorify the Father (v.1).
And you, Father, glorify me now, alongside yourself, with the glory which I used to have alongside you before the world was.
"I want back what I gave up," Jesus cries out. He wants to be glorified "with the glory" (τη δοξη), an instrumental use of the dative case (Moule, Idiom Book, p. 44). The glory is the instrument for glorification. "Glory" means magnificence, radiance or splendor (BAGD p. 204). He is asking to be honored with the magnificence or splendor He once had with the Father.
"I want back what I had with you," Jesus pleads. "The splendor I had alongside yourself" (παρα σεαυτω) is the glory Jesus seeks. The preposition (παρα) with the dative (σεαυτω) means "by the side of, beside or near" (BAGD, p. 610). This is the glory Jesus experienced alongside the Father on the throne of Heaven in eternity past.
"I want back what I used to have," Jesus demands. The verb (ειχον) is in the imperfect tense. It is best understood as a customary imperfect indicating repeated, ongoing action in the past (Burton, Moods and Tenses, p. 12). Jesus possessed the majestic radiance of Almighty God in His pre-incarnate life. Now He looks forward to a return to that state of splendor He once enjoyed.
"I want back what I once enjoyed before creation," Jesus requests. The present articular infinitive (του ειναι) is a temporal use indicating the time of the glory that He seeks again (Robertson, Grammar, p. 978). The prepositional phrase "before the world" (προ τον κοσμον) further defines the time. The preposition (προ) combined with the articular infinitive (του ειναι) often substitutes for another preposition (πριν) meaning "before" (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1074). He wants His glory from before the cosmos existed when the angels worshiped Him in all His splendor.
Jesus gave it all up to save us, but He got it all back when His cross work was completed. Paul gives us a divine commentary on the prayer of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-11 which was likely an early confessional hymn. Jesus laid aside His glory and humbled Himself to die on the cross. God, then, exalted Jesus giving Him a name above all names so that at the name of Jesus every knee will one day bow and every tongue will one day confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The circle of John 17:1 and 17:5 is complete in that glorious day.
Lord, be glorified in me today!
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