John Calvin Commentary John 17:13

"But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves." — John 17:13 (ASV)

And these things I speak in the world. Here Christ shows that the reason he prayed so earnestly for his disciples was not that he was anxious about their future condition, but rather to provide a remedy for their anxiety. We know how prone our minds are to seek external aids; and if these present themselves, we eagerly seize them and do not easily allow ourselves to be torn from them.

Christ, therefore, prays to his Father in the presence of his disciples, not because he needed any words, but to remove all doubt from them. I speak in the world, he says; that is, within their hearing or in their presence, so that their minds may be calm; for their salvation was already in no danger, having been placed by Christ in the hands of God.

That they may have my joy fulfilled. He calls it HIS joy because the disciples needed to obtain it from him; or, to express it more briefly, he calls it his because he is the Author, Cause, and Pledge of it; for in us there is nothing but alarm and uneasiness, but in Christ alone there is peace and joy.