John 17:4

I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do. And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

I glorified thee ... refers to Jesus' life of perfect trust and obedience, including his sufferings and death, here prophetically regarded as already accomplished.

Glorify thou me ... refers to the receiving of Jesus back into the bosom of the Father where he had resided eternally. This necessarily included Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.

Before the world was ... In such a statement as this, Jesus affirmed his eternal existence, his oneness with the Father, and his equality with God (see John 1:1-11). In the beautiful words of Lipscomb:

Jesus here goes back of history, back of creation itself, and speaks of the glory which he then had with the Father. This can be understood only in the light of the opening verses of the first chapter.[14]

The implications of this passage are profound. Christ was here praying for the Father to glorify him with the glory that he had possessed from before all time; but it was as a HUMAN BEING that Christ would ascend to the Father and be endowed with everlasting glory; thus, man himself, in the person of Christ, is now seated on the Throne! It is OUR NATURE that has been glorified in Christ.