Trinitarian Unity, Trinitarian Glory, Trinitarian Love

[0:00] please take your Bibles and go to John's Gospel John's Gospel chapter 17 John's chapter 17 if you're visiting and need a Bible in the chair in front of you a black Bible go towards the back find page 87 page 87 John 17 we're gonna finish the Lord's Prayer this morning finish the Lord's Prayer John 17 verses 20 through 26 20 through 26 I have to do this this is gonna be odd John 17 20 through 26 we're finishing up the Lord's Prayer again page 87 in a black Bible

[1:08] John 17 verses 20 through 26 let me read and then we will dive in to the passage John 17 17 20 but not concerning these alone I ask but also concerning the ones who believe into me through their word that they all may be one just as you Father in me and I in you that they also may be in us in order that the world may believe that you sent me and the glory which you gave to me I gave to them in order that they may be one just as we are one I in them and you in me in order that they may be completed into oneness in order that the world may know that you sent me and love them just as you loved me Father the ones you gave to me I desire that where I myself am even those ones may be with me in order that they may see my glory which you gave to me because you loved me before the foundation of the world verse 25 righteous Father indeed the world has not known you but I have known you and these knew that you sent me and I revealed to them your name and will reveal in order that the love which you love me may be in them and I in them it's intriguing to me to learn about how the Scotland the Scots they fought long and hard to gain their independence from England in the early 1300s

[3:04] Hollywood will give you their rendition of everything with Mel Gibson and his blue face William Wallace didn't have a blue face that's made up what's intriguing though is the unity that William Wallace and then later Robert the Bruce created among Scotsmen to fight for their freedom from England it's intriguing to see that to see how these guys they united a whole country behind them that's that's a huge daunting task to do that's hard and they did it William Wallace and then later Robert the Bruce you can go to your history books and look at that I love to read history and watch history and things like that 1300s where you read about this so how much greater then I like to do these comparisons with you the lesser to the greater how much greater should unity be amongst us as God's children as God's people because our unity it parallels and then partakes of Trinitarian unity the unity between the Father the Son and the Spirit our unity parallels that and our unity even partakes of that or shares in that unity how much greater come know Jesus is the theme in John's Gospel come know believe trust receive Jesus and if you're here you don't know Jesus you should come to receive Jesus and for us as followers of Jesus this has been so encouraging to us these words from chapters 13 to 17 because Jesus is like he's speaking to us and he was in a sense these are encouraging words because we come to know

[5:11] Jesus in a deeper fuller meaningful more way that's what happens coming to know Jesus in a deeper way more meaningful way and today we'll see this come know Jesus come know him in Trinitarian unity Trinitarian glory Trinitarian love Trinitarian unity Trinitarian glory Trinitarian love the call to unity the call to glory the call to love in the Trinitarian way so Trinitarian unity Trinitarian glory Trinitarian love let me give you a statement which succinctly packs this in verses 20 through 26 Jesus prays for us to have Trinitarian unity glory and love it's kind of a maybe too simplistic way to put it but I think it kind of captures the idea so if you need to fall asleep you can fall asleep now so let's review though what Jesus has been praying the father glorified the son by giving him authority over everyone so that the son would give life to the gift from the father that was given to him and the son glorified the father by obeying him he went to the cross and revealing him everything we need to know that we must know about the father it's found in Jesus identity and mission right identity and mission identity and mission everywhere throughout

[6:54] John's gospel the identity and mission of Jesus if you want to know about the father if you want to know everything you need to know about God it's found in Jesus identity and mission that's how the son glorified the father and then Jesus prayed for his disciples as he prayed for them we saw he was praying for us to keep us loyal to the truth to keep us from the evil one to consecrate us in the truth and here in verses 20 through 26 the last part of the high priestly prayer the Lord's prayer Jesus continues to pray for us so there's a couple other ways to put this passage is a shorter statement than a longer statement paralleling and thus partaking in Trinitarian unity displays Trinitarian love which leads to worldwide missions paralleling this Trinitarian unity which will bring about partaking in Trinitarian unity it will truly display

[7:57] Trinitarian love which leads to worldwide missions which leads to worldwide missions so if you want worldwide missions the place to start is not doing missions the place to start is unity in a body that's where you start paralleling and thus partaking in Trinitarian unity truly displays Trinitarian love which leads to worldwide missions that's the shorter statement here's the longer statement Jesus prayed for us that we be one paralleling Trinitarian unity and thus partaking in Trinitarian unity which means we have Trinitarian love for us and in us all of which testifies to the world that the Father sent His Son and loves us just like He loves His Son that's a longer statement on how to put this passage and what Jesus prays for us us specifically and we'll also see

[8:59] He prayed we'd see the full extent of His glory given to Him by the Father because the Father has loved His Son for all eternity so Jesus prayed His mission would glorify the Father and also prayed that as a result of His mission His followers would be preserved from evil see His glory share in Trinitarian unity and love and display that same love toward other Jesus followers I'm summing things up for you now the whole of chapter 17 God's mission was consecrated to be our mission as Christ's body and it will never fail we will not fail why?

[9:38] because it's sanctioned by the Trinitarian God if the triune God sanctions this you think we'll fail? no way God's ultimate purpose is His glory and this glory is primarily and ultimately revealed in the Son's identity and mission who He is and what He's done the person and work of Christ the person God-man the work He went to the cross His identity and mission and God's mission is not only sending His Son but also the Son sending us to represent Him to the world we go calling them to join us what was it we were singing that O Church Arise calling those out of darkness that's probably not the right words but that was the idea we call people to come out of darkness to join us to the light that's what we're doing we represent to the world Trinitarian unity glory and love amongst each other so that's the longer statement so let's break this down no first

[10:46] Jesus prays for us look at verse 20 and by the way I'm reading from I did an English translation from the Greek so it might sound a little choppy not from NAS the NAS confused me so I just went from the Greek and I wrote it out so this is I'm gonna go to this this is helpful to me so if it sounds kind of odd that's why it sounds odd because I'm reading it like that verse 20 but not concerning these alone I ask but also concerning the ones who believe into me through their word now Jesus is specifically praying for us future disciples who will come from these 11 disciples for the future church which by the way tells us God is the author of our salvation God chooses people to be saved that's implied here so Jesus prays for us Jesus prays for us to have first number one Trinitarian unity paralleling that and thus partaking of that when you parallel unity you will partake of that unity that's what that means verse 21 22 and 23 notice verse 21 this is what he prays that they all may be one just as you father and me and I and you that they also may be in us in order that the world may believe that you sent me now notice first there's a threefold prayer request for us believers as the body first one that our unity to parallel the unity of the father and the son

[12:19] Trinitarian unity paralleling and thus partaking that's the first thing that Jesus is asking and praying for us so what does that mean that our unity our oneness would parallel the oneness between the father and the son it would be like it it would be similar to that so our unity is built or established on their unity it's equivalent to theirs the father and the son another way to put it as Jesus enjoyed unity of oneness with his father in the same way we as Christ's body should be united to each other the father and the son are one in their being and yet they're two distinct persons so it doesn't mean you're not distinguishing yourself we should be one in the same way yet distinct persons of course one writer puts it like this our unity as Christians is built on Trinitarian unity quote controlled by defined by and shared by the unity of the father and the son notice what Jesus says verse 21 they also may be in us now it's not just paralleling now you're actually partaking a unity amongst us that shares or partakes in the very unity between the father and the son so we're not just paralleling now it's not just like it we're actually sharing in this that's why I'm putting my hands together like that so first we parallel that and now we share in it we're partaking of that unity that the father and the son have between each other in purpose in love and action our unity parallels their unity which leads to partaking in their unity or in their oneness look at what Jesus says in verse 22 in order that they may be one just as we are one

[14:39] I in them and you in me notice how that corresponds with verse 21 in me and I in you it corresponds with that notice the next part of verse 23 in order that they may be completed into oneness he says that's the literal translation completed into oneness I in them you in me and that's the purpose they're brought into complete oneness so Jesus prayed that our unity would parallel their unity and partake of their unity okay well how does that happen he's praying for that but how do we make this happen that's the next question how do we obtain trinitarian unity how do we do this he's praying for it that our unity would parallel that he's praying that our unity would share in the unity between the father and son but how does it come about verse 22 and the glory which you gave to me

[15:56] I gave to them so that they may be one just as we are one that's how it is friends it's in the glory we are given this glory what does he mean by glory though okay let's ask that question let's answer that question glory this means the manifestation of God's being of God's character of his presence how is that seen ultimately in the son's identity and mission his identity the God man his mission the cross being glorified so that glory God manifesting himself he manifested his glory in his son that glory is given to you that glory is given to you it's given to us and that we we manifest God in receiving the son it's the same

[17:01] Shekinah glory do you remember this glory back in chapter 1 verse 14 John says the word became flesh remember this and tabernacled among us remember the tabernacle in Exodus it dwelt with us and we saw his glory glory as one begotten from the father full of grace and truth so what does this mean it's that glory Jesus gave to us in revealing himself to us he revealed himself to us he made himself known to us the fullness of the father the full disclosure of the fathers in Jesus and he made that known to you oh church and then when we obey know receive understand and believe that glory from the father who is the son we have that glory we have it and the purpose of having that notice what

[18:14] Jesus says in verse 22 and the glory which you gave to me I gave that to them and what's the purpose so that they may be one just as we are one that's how we can be one we're one in the gospel we're one in truth that's how oneness comes some people say that you must let go of your doctrine so we can unify that is absolutely contradictory to what Jesus says here the glory of Jesus is the revelation of Jesus it's all about truth man you don't let go of truth you embrace truth to unify put a different way the gospel of God rooted and grounded and surrounding the identity and mission of Jesus is what binds us together as one much stronger than blood ties grace is stronger than blood the purpose of giving to us this glory is so that our unity would parallel their unity and then we end up partaking of their unity so the way to obtain this unity is we talk speak lift up what's about coming out of our mouths is gospel truth gospel truth of

[19:46] Jesus identity and mission his godness he's god man and he died for us that's what unifies us friends that's how that's how we obtain this unity we're committed to the truth of the gospel our love for each other is joyful self sacrificing we're committed to God's mission to proclaim Christ to the world completely dependent on the spirit we're going to talk more about that in a moment how do we obtain trinitarian unity we looked at that verse 22 go to verse 25 now you'll see it happen here verse 25 righteous father notice how he addresses the father he's righteous he always does what's right he's the standard of rightness and yet he's close to us the father he dwells with us we have relationship with him righteous father indeed the world has not known you that word known is the same word that's used in verse 23 that the world may know you which correlates to a word in verse 21 that the world may believe in you they correlate together indeed the world has known you look again verse 25 but

[21:05] I have known you Jesus mission did not fail he knew the father why because he's the self expression of the father the ultimate self disclosure of the father is found in Jesus I know you same word used here the world does not know same word used in verse 23 the world may know it's the same word and notice and these knew that you sent me same word he made himself known to his disciples us in that we believe that the father sent the son he made himself known to us and then look at what he says here now in verse 26 and I made known to them that's a different word it's not the word known from verse 25 or verse 23 or verse 21 that's not the same word it's a different word it means to reveal

[22:09] I have revealed to them your name Jesus revealed all that entails the father's character and nature by virtue of himself I have revealed yourself in my identity and mission I have revealed you father I am the ultimate revelation of you father I have revealed to you them your name and notice he says and will reveal your name because it correlates to what he said previously I revealed your name I will reveal your name well how's he going to do that Jesus is to say it here but he said it in previous times as he was talking with his disciples through the other paraclete he's going to do it through the spirit I will reveal myself to them through the spirit so that's how we know him he reveals himself through the spirit look at the purpose verse 26 in in order that the love which you love me may be in them and notice he says and

[23:15] I in them when we have that love for each other we'll talk about love in a moment it is a mark of Jesus dwelling in us of the oneness we have with the Trinitarian God how do we come to how do we have this unity we must be revealed this in truth of who Jesus is and his mission the love the father has for the son is so connected and linked to Jesus himself that if Jesus followers we as Jesus followers have that love in ourselves then that means we have Jesus dwelling in us we're sharing in that unity so we've seen Jesus prays for unity paralleling that unity and then partaking of that unity right we looked at how we get that unity through the glory he's given that to us okay so now here's a second aspect that

[24:16] Jesus prayed number two trinitarian unity displays trinitarian love he prays that for us that trinitarian unity will display trinitarian love and notice the first aspect trinitarian love for us look at verse 23 he says I in them and you in me there's the unity the purpose that they may be completed into oneness and notice the purpose in this the world may know that you sent me we'll look at that in a moment and love them just as you love me trinitarian unity displays trinitarian love for us friends this relationship is not just about unity and purpose and action but also in love the same love that the father has for the son is the love that the father has for us the gift that the father gives to the son isn't this amazing the father loves you

[25:30] Christian like he loves his son do you see what Jesus says here trinitarian unity it displays this love for us the love that the father has for his son is the same love he has for his children which is why I say to you if you're here you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ you want that love you can have that love God will not condemn you though you deserve it God will not judge you though you deserve it I deserve it too but he will show love he will show you grace because he poured out judgment on his son on the cross so that you can get the love that he has for his son come repent and trust Christ not just love for us but now that love is going to be in us in us look at verse 26 we talked about this already

[26:35] I reveal to them your name I will reveal your name through the spirit right what's the purpose in order that the love which you love me may be in them so now this love is not just for us this love is now in us a love that son for all eternity we'll look at that in a moment verse 24 is also love that is for those gifted to the son it's in us maybe in them that we'd have that same love for each other what kind of love the love that the father has for his son that's the same love that God has for you and that's the same love that should be in us for each other this love from the father is not only for us it's in us in other words we are loving each other in the same way the father loves his son notice that link where he says love may be in them and

[27:45] I in them which links to verse 23 he says I in them and you in me which links up to verse 21 that they may be one just as you father in me and I in you notice this linkage between Christ in us and his love is in us if if you don't have the love of Christ in you you don't have Christ that's what John says in his letter first John if you don't have the love of Christ in you oh Christian then you don't have Christ how do you know that Jesus just prayed that right here and linked that together to have Christ in us as to have his love in us so this means our unity as a body our unity as a body is not something that merely happens because we hey let's hang out together it's not a call to organize or form a knit tight group of friendliness cooperation camaraderie it's not because we're all

[29:00] American nationalists our favorite football team we all like the same food all the sushi lovers on this side all the non sushi lovers on that side you can be a part of the church you're not part of the church I'm just kidding that's not what binds us together it's deeper than that it's supernatural so the spirit is trinitarian it reflects God in his glory so so Jesus pray that when he will make known the father's name to his followers through the spirit the purpose is that we will display and share in the eternal trinitarian love so that means knowing God is participating in this kind of love and when we receive this love we share in the person of God known ultimately in the identity and mission of his son

[30:02] Jesus that always keeps coming up doesn't it so this this trinitarian love a love that the father has eternally for the son we'll see that in just a moment that's what motivates us that what rules our lives should dominate us as Christians in the body it displays the very glory of God to this world we'll see that in a moment and it drives us towards missions we are living testimonies to God's unity to his glory to his love we share in their unity we share in their glory we share in their love so let's recap he prays for unity paralleling that and then partaking of that unity trinitarian unity displays trinitarian love we saw how we get that unity it's based upon the truth of the gospel of who

[31:13] Jesus is and identity and his mission we're called to unite we're called to love then here's the third aspect here's number three trinitarian unity and love testifies to the world it testifies to the world first testifies the father sent the son look at verse 21 that they may be one just as you father in me and I in you that they also may be in us in order that the world may believe that you sent me drop down to verse 23 in order that the world may know that you sent me so to believe is to know to know is to believe that correlates there so the trinitarian unity that we have and this trinitarian love is going to testify to the world that the father sent the son it's a testimony it proclaims to the world the gospel that the father sent his son here it is as this unity is completed and love is displayed its purpose is to be a testimony to the world this is what relationship with

[32:30] God looks like you look at us how the body treats each other how the body is committed to each other how the body has allegiance and devotion to each other so when the world sees that you're like what what is that all about that's that's just weird it testifies to them so that they may believe so that they would know father you sent me our very existence as a church testifies to the great nature and acts of unity in that the father sent the son into the world it testifies our very existence so we prayed that we may be one paralleling the oneness between the father and the son and we partake of their unity because they gave us their glory and we display trinitarian love this testifies to the world the father sent his son and not just that the father sent the son and the father loves us like his son look at verse 23 in order that the world may know that you sent me and love them just as you love me when we are united together manifesting

[34:00] God's glory in our unity because we're given that glory then the world will know that the father sent the son and that the father loves us Jesus followers just as he loves his son our oneness and love together which is equivalent to the unity and love between the father and the son it testifies to the world that the father sent the son and he loves us like his son so our unity is bound in truth and bound in love and that testifies to the world so I came up with this statement trinitarian unity glory and love leads to worldwide missions calling to unite calling to love and we're called to missions so that's unity which happens through the glory which is seen in this love that's what leads to missions it's too bad southern baptists they just don't understand this they think what unifies us because we have missions at our goal that's not what unifies us what unifies us is truth trinitarian unity a unity that parallels their unity and then partakes of their unity a unity that's bound in the truth of the gospel a unity that displays this love that the father has for his son he loves us in that way and we love each other like that friends that's what's supposed to spur us on towards missions shoots us out to give people the gospel so Jesus prays these three aspects here from verse 21 and then he also prays this which we haven't looked at yet

[35:58] Jesus also prays for us to see his full glory look at verse 24 father the ones you gave to me now stop there this is the gift from the father to the son this goes all the way back to chapter 6 verse 37 all that the father has given to me I lose none there's a gift all Christians all believers from all of eternity from since the human time of human history this gift these chosen ones are taken from the father yes yes no yes are taken from the father and they're given to the son that's the gift election the doctor of election that's what that says so father the ones you gave to me I desire that where I myself am even those ones may be with me in order that they may see my glory

[37:01] Jesus desired to dwell with his people look at this but not just be with us but so that we see his glory so that we could share in that glory we he could share that glory with us why look at what he says verse 24 why because you love me before the foundation of the world the father has eternally loved the son the son who displays the glory of the father in his identity and mission Jesus wants to share that glory with you which will happen when he returns Jesus wants to share the full measure of his glory with his people a glory given to him by the father who loved him with eternal love and Jesus is talking here about the full magnification of his glory it's totally shown so when we share in the delight of being loved by the father in the same way he loves his son in the future we will share in the glory here it is we will share in the glory to which the son was restored after the glorious cross you'll share in that glory

[38:31] Jesus wants to share with you that glory glory that's amazing that he would want to do that this is how much he loves his people so come away if you walk away from anything walk away from this and it's amazing that the father loves us like he does unbelievable Jesus pray for us we be one paralleling trinitarian unity and then partaking in trinitarian unity which means we have trinitarian love for us and in us all of which testifies to the world that the father sent his son and loves us just as he loves his son and he prayed we see the full extent of his glory given to him by the father because the father has loved him for eternity paralleling and thus partaking in trinitarian unity truly displays trinitarian love which leads to comprehensive missions we're called to unite around truth we're called to unite around truth and around this love that the father has sent in his son who's the full disclosure of the father it's in

[39:48] Jesus identity and mission Jesus prays for us to have trinitarian unity glory and love I know it's pretty it's a short way to put it but I think it's it sums it up rather well and don't forget this statement either trinitarian unity glory and love that's what leads to worldwide missions that's what Jesus is praying here so let's pray for us to have this let's do that can we our father we pray that through the spirit who's making known the word even now as we were looking at the word that we will lift up and focus ourselves upon the Lord Jesus the God man who died for us that's where glory is found and you gave that to us so may that be that truth be what unites us together as a body a unity that parallels your unity sharing in your unity which will display that love love what love that you have father for the son was the same love you have for us and the same love you put in us to drive us to missions to call the world to join us waiting for the day when we will share in that full glory glory because we will see and will be displays of glory the glorious grace mercy and compassion the love of God do that in us as a body we pray

[41:57] I encourage you take this few moments there's a few moments of silence and Jane she'll be on the piano after whatever amount of time it's like less than a minute so take this time of silence to to engulf yourself in the truth of the word the truth of the gospel let your mind be filled with it and we'll sing we'll pray let this be a special time between you and the Lord to ponder what we've seen from his word this morning please do that now of you