[0:00] John 17. Jesus had been teaching his disciples in the upper room.
[0:11] He had washed their feet. He had shared the Passover meal with them and turned it into a meal that remembered his death.
[0:23] He had warned them that the world was going to hate them but told them not to be anxious because he had overcome the world. He had told them of his father's house and said, I'm going there to prepare it for you.
[0:38] And then in this chapter, in this chapter 17 that we read together, he prayed. And this is a wonderful prayer.
[0:50] A time when we get, if you like, to eavesdrop on Jesus, the Son of God, praying to God the Father. Jesus approaching his death prays to God the Father.
[1:07] It divides into three parts, this prayer. Verses 1 to 5, Jesus prays for himself. Then he prays for his disciples.
[1:18] And then he prays for the church throughout the ages. And this morning I want to think only about verses 1 to 5. And you might ask, when you look at this, what is Jesus' great concern here?
[1:34] What's he concerned about mostly? And it's the glory of God. It's the glory of God. In verse 1 he says, he says, Father, the hour has come.
[1:47] Glorify your Son, that the Son might glorify you. And then again in verse 5, he says, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
[2:02] You see, when the Son is glorified, the Father is also glorified. This comes over very clearly back in chapter 13, verses 31 and 32, when Jesus said, when he had gone out, that's when Judas had gone out, when Judas had gone out and left them, Jesus said, now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.
[2:32] If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him at once. You see, when the Son is glorified, the Father is glorified.
[2:48] Jesus ties his glory and the Father's glory together. in that passage from John 13, Judas had just left the upper room to betray Jesus.
[3:02] That final act in Jesus' life was just about to begin the night of his trial, his humiliation, and tomorrow he would be crucified. And Jesus said, now is the Son of Man glorified and the Father will be glorified through it.
[3:22] You see, there's no division between God the Father's glory and God the Son's glory. It struck me that they were like, we could think of this as if there were two great lights shining at the same time.
[3:39] And as they shine on each other, they make each other seem brighter. If that could be possible with God. When Jesus prays, glorify me, he's praying for the glory of the Father.
[3:56] What is God's glory? I wonder if you've ever thought of that. What is God's glory? It's been defined as the outward shining of the inward being of God.
[4:10] The outward shining of the inward being of God. No one has ever seen the inner being of God. But we see lots of his outward shining.
[4:24] We see the universe. We see the beauty of nature. The heavens declare the glory of God. These are but flickers of his inner being.
[4:36] Jesus, of course, shows God's glory in a much deeper and more wonderful way. In this prayer, we see that God is glorified in three ways through Jesus.
[4:52] God is glorified by Jesus' obedience and death. God is glorified in the salvation of sinners.
[5:04] And God is glorified by Jesus' enthronement again in heaven. I want us to think about those three things this morning.
[5:15] Jesus' obedience and death, the salvation of sinners, and Jesus' enthronement in heaven and how God is glorified in these ways.
[5:29] First of all, let's think about Jesus' obedience and death. Now, as we read this passage, this prayer, we're standing in the holiest of holies.
[5:43] We're eavesdropping on God the Son speaking with his Father, our God and Father. We listen and Jesus prayed out loud.
[5:56] We read here, when he had spoken his words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, he spoke out loud, he prayed out loud. His disciples heard him, he wanted them to hear them and he wants us, as it were, to hear him this morning.
[6:13] We listen to God the Father and God the Son speaking and thinking unitedly about the good of sinful men and sinful women like you and me.
[6:27] Look what Jesus says first, the time has come, the hour has come. Now, what did he mean?
[6:38] Many times in John's Gospel we read when Jesus said, or when John wrote, the hour had not yet come, or Jesus said it. Now it has come.
[6:49] The time for what? The time for Jesus to die. Back in John 12 verse 27, Jesus says, Now is my soul troubled, but what shall I say?
[7:04] Father, save me from this hour again, this hour, but for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.
[7:17] Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. You see, this hour is Jesus' death.
[7:29] Look back to verse 24 in that same John 12 chapter. Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone.
[7:42] But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Then in verse 32, he says, I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
[7:53] He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. Jesus came to die. His life and death were a rescue mission.
[8:07] His life was more than a good example to us all. He was more than a good teacher. His life and his death were a rescue mission.
[8:18] And his death glorified God the Father. His death was its humiliation and shame and horror.
[8:29] We become the song of heaven. The song of heaven. In Revelation chapter 5, another verse I want to read for you, Revelation chapter 5.
[8:42] We read the song of heaven. verse 9 there. the whole multitude of angels and saints in heaven sang a new song saying, were there you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed the people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth.
[9:21] Worthy are you to open this scroll and to worthy are you worthy is the Lamb who was slain.
[9:33] See the Lamb is all the glory in Emmanuel's land. He is all the glory in heaven. Nowhere do we see the outward shining of God's heart of love as clearly in the death of Jesus.
[9:48] Nowhere do we see God's glory greater or more clearly than on the cross. Nowhere do we see the marvel of love and justice meeting as we do on the cross.
[10:01] The old hymn writer wrote beneath the cross of Jesus I feign would take my stand the shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land a home within the wilderness a rest upon the way from the burning of the noontide heat and the burden of the day.
[10:21] O safe and happy shelter O refuge tried and sweet O tristing place where heaven's love and heaven's justice meet I take O cross thy shadow for my abiding place the wonder of the cross the wonder of the cross where Jesus died and the father was glorified.
[10:48] You see when Jesus prayed your will be done he was praying let my death go ahead let my death go ahead he talks about it in verse 4 he said I have completed your work well his death was still 12 hours ahead or more he but Jesus was set his will was set and in his mind he was already there he wouldn't waver even in the garden when his when his body quailed when he sweat great drops of blood in his anguish he didn't give up turn away he obeyed what a mystery to us the obedience of the eternal son to the eternal father God was glorified and is glorified by Jesus obedience and death second thing
[11:52] God is glorified in the salvation of sinners Jesus came in order to save us we've seen that his his life and death were a rescue mission in verse 2 in this chapter we read since you since you father have given him Jesus authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all who you have given him and this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent he has authority to give eternal life what a wonderful gift what a wonderful gift he has authority over all men those who mock him those who ignore him those who persecute his church he still has authority over them the terrorists in Niger persecuting the church he has authority over them a day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord and no one will miss that day but you know on that day we will meet him either as saviour or as judge because he has been given authority to judge the world
[13:15] John 5 22 moreover the father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the son today he stands and says come to me all you who are labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest today he says take up your cross and follow me come and one day he will say to those of us who have come come you blessed of my father welcome into the joy of your Lord but what a terrible thing to those who have not come to all who refuse him he will say depart from me I have never knew you how tragic how tragic to stand on the threshold of eternity and hear those terrible words depart from me go where there is no light no joy no goodness no love no hope only weeping and wailing and regret to hear the savior of the world say those words to you how terrible that would be
[14:24] Jesus has authority has power has bought freedom and has given his life that we might live he is the source of eternal life what is eternal life verse 3 tells us this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent you know eternal life isn't a matter of duration it's a matter of quality it's a matter of who we know it's a matter of knowing God knowing God Jesus said no one has ever seen God the only God who is at the Father's side he has made him known he has made him known he has revealed him to us in Hebrews 1 we read
[15:24] God has spoken to us by his son he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he has made a way that we might get to know him too he died that we might know him there's no other way to know him you can only know him through Jesus Christ our Lord Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but by me to know Jesus is to have met him to know him as saviour and Lord to know God as father and king to know the Holy Spirit as an indwelling helper and have Christ in us and that's why Jesus came that's why Jesus came and Jesus said to know to know
[16:24] God is eternal life and you can see why not to know him is eternal death to live without God is to be spiritually lifeless here to die without God is to be spiritually lifeless forever to repent and to come to Jesus brings joy in heaven that great multitude rejoice and God is glorified in the salvation of sinners and when a sinner repents and comes to Jesus God is glorified and heaven rejoices so if you don't know Jesus today you can bring joy to heaven by coming to Jesus by repenting and coming to Jesus thirdly God is glorified by Jesus enthronement in heaven Jesus said glorify me in your presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed and we know that when Jesus is glorified
[17:36] God is glorified now Jesus is enthroned in heaven right now seated at the right hand of God his saving work completed God is pleased with him a couple of times during his life God said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased the crowds of heaven praise him because of Jesus' death for sinners like you and me he's the wonder of heaven we read it in in revelation five they sing of his death amazing love how can it be that thou my God should die for me Christ's death is the great subject on the praise of heaven and the glory of the lamb glorifies the father let me read a couple of verses from a hymn to you the head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now a royal diadem adorns the mighty victor's bride the highest place that heaven affords is his by sovereign right the king of kings the lord of lords and heaven's eternal light the cross he bore his life and health though shame and death to him his people's hope his people's wealth their everlasting thing god jesus is glorified in heaven and god is glorified with him god is glorified in the enthronement of the lamb what does this prayer mean to us what should we be what should we be doing as we read this prayer well first of all we ask ourselves are we concerned with god's glory jesus was do we consider as we plan as we live our lives do we think will this thing bring glory to god what i'm about to do glorify god do we weigh up our plans i remember once reading about the 3g test 3g now that sounds like a telephone network now does doesn't it but it didn't then and it is to to weigh up our plans by asking is this will it bring glory to god is it for god's glory is it for my spiritual growth is it for others good god's glory my spiritual growth and others good the 3g test do we think about what we're doing are we concerned about god's glory if we are there will be times i'm sure when we stop and say no i mustn't do this it will dishonor god at other times we would say i must do it when we hesitate we must do it because we don't want god's name to be honored do we care for god's glory god's glorified by jesus obedience and death and there jesus is a model to us of obedience his life was much more than just simply obedience but it was a model to us of obedience we who claim to be his followers are we willing to be obedient are we willing to suffer for him are we willing to walk in god's will whatever that might mean to us again in that same hymn we read to them the cross with all its shame with all
[21:36] its grace is given their name an everlasting name their joy the joy of heaven they suffer with their lord below they reign with him above their prophet and their joy to know the mystery of his love they suffer with their lord below may god help us to live lives of obedience to him obedience is not an optional extra in the christian life we're called to obey as god was glorified in jesus obedience may we live obedient lives may you live obedient lives and god is glorified finally by the salvation of sinners heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and a new child of god is born if you're not a christian today then god invites you to come come to me jesus said all you who are labor labor and are heavy laden and i will give you rest the door the door is open the door is open know a father's welcome and pardon for your sins the angels will sing to praise god for joy and you will become a member of the family of god and god is glorified by jesus enthroned into heaven one day we will see him one day we'll sit with him in heaven when all the choirs of angels sing and the glory of god is seen by all here's something to look forward to is it not when you're discouraged when everything is going pear shaped or seems to be going wrong it will happen jesus shall reign where are the son doth his successful journeys run god will not fail all who know jesus as their savior all who have come to know god will be there rejoice and be glad for our king is on high he pleadeth for us on his throne in the sky rejoice and be glad for he cometh again he cometh in glory the lamb that was slain may god grant that we will all be with him on that day may god bless his word to all our hearts amen let's pray together heavenly father we do thank you for your word and we do thank you that you have revealed your glory to us and we can praise you today for the lord jesus and his death and his life and his resurrection and his enthronement again in heaven how we thank you lord that he has opened a way for us to come back to you and to come to you and to know you and to live our lives for you father bless your word to our hearts we pray in jesus name amen and oh bye you you you