All right, so before I go into reading it, just to kind of let you guys know this is Jesus' prayer.
And he starts off by praying for himself, and then he transitions on praying for his disciples, and then he prays for those who will believe.
And I'm going to take a pause when he's switching themes on who he's praying for, just so you guys can see that shift.
All right, so I want you all to hear the Lord, like Jesus Christ, trust in the Father's sovereignty in this passage.
So John 17, starting in verse 1.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted his eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
since you have given him authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave to me to do.
And now the work that you gave me to do, and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence,
with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.
Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.
For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them,
and I have come to know in truth that I come from you.
And they have believed that you sent me.
I am praying for them.
I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me.
For they are yours.
All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me,
that they may be one, even as we are one.
While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.
I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the Son of Destruction,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world,
that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them,
because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you,
that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me, I have given to them,
that they may be one even as we are one,
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one,
so that the world may know that you sent me and I,
and loved them even as you loved me.
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me,
may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me,
because you loved me before the foundations of the world.
O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you,
I know you, and these know that you have sent me,
I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known,
and the love with which you have loved me may be in them,
and I in them.
Amen.
So we're going to get through all that today.
Really just the first five verses.
We're going to start a series on John 17.
It's one of those passages that have just mesmerized me over the years,
and it's kind of just tucked inside the Gospel of John,
and it's really just always stirred my heart when I read it,
and really just elevated my mind toward the eternal realm.
You know, I've been feeling this week,
even as I've been studying,
for some reason,
just have felt very alone,
and very isolated.
And even though I've had people around me,
I've had my wife around me,
I've had friends around me,
I've even had a warm, furry,
little chocolate lab puppy named Doc
that was studying with me most all week,
but even he didn't really do the job.
He doesn't even talk back to you.
He just sits there and looks at you.
But I have felt just really alone,
and I just want you to look,
in chapter 16,
just before this,
and this was something that was just
brought to my attention last night.
But look at verse 31 of chapter 16.
He says,
Do you now believe?
Behold, the hour is coming.
Indeed, it has come
when you will be scattered,
each one to his own home,
and will leave me alone.
Yet I am not alone,
for the Father is with me.
And I got a little emotional last night
as I thought about this,
but not to the same intensity
or degree at all,
but I feel like God's allowed me
just to feel a little bit,
a tiny fraction of how
Christ must have felt in this hour,
to feel really alone.
But then he's like,
All of you are going to desert me.
Can you imagine just all
your closest companions
just leaving you
after they swore
they wouldn't leave you
and been just sitting
in the dark by yourself?
He says,
I'm not alone though.
The Father is with me.
And so I've tried
to keep that in my mind.
As I was saying earlier,
John 17 has been really revered
and treasured by many,
many, many people
throughout the history
of our family,
the history of the church.
And one old Puritan said this
about this prayer.
He says,
If it be lawful
to prefer one Scripture
above another,
we may say
that though all be gold,
this is a pearl in the gold.
And though all be like the heavens,
this is as the sun and stars.
And I believe that's true.
I think that many people
have found that to be true
as they've studied this passage.
On my various pilgrimages
to Scotland,
I've had the opportunity
to visit the home
of John Knox in Edinburgh
there on the Royal Mile twice.
Knox was the reformer
who brought the teachings
of the Reformation
back to Scotland.
God used him
in a mighty way
to preach the gospel.
But I've been to his house there
on the Royal Mile,
the house he actually,
I believe,
passed away in.
And while he was
in that house,
he had his wife,
mainly his wife,
but also other people,
read to him various passages
of Scripture
while he was laying
on his deathbed.
So the Psalms,
different Psalms,
Isaiah 53.
But then,
this is what he said,
But most of all,
please read John 17,
because that is the place
where I must first
cast my anchor.
And so,
God used John 17,
I think it was even
being read out loud
when he crossed over
into the next life,
to go and be with the Father.
And it's such an overwhelming,
immense passage.
And I really just want
to give you,
you can spend a whole message
on just an introduction
to this chapter,
so that you can really
get your teeth into it.
But I'll give you a little,
try to give you
a little introduction.
So,
this passage has ministered
so much to me
over the years,
and I really pray
that it does for you
as we look at it
over the next few weeks.
But,
in all truth,
this is the real,
the true Lord's Prayer.
You may say,
well,
what about,
you know,
the Lord's Prayer
in Luke 7
and in Matthew
where,
you know,
Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
etc.
Like,
isn't that
the Lord's Prayer?
Well,
first off,
the disciples
are asking Jesus
to teach them
how to pray.
So,
He's like,
how should we pray?
So,
that's how that starts.
But then,
secondly,
there's a petition
in that prayer
that Jesus
could not pray
and would not pray.
Does anybody
take a guess
at what it is?
Forgive us
our sins.
Right?
Jesus could never
pray that prayer.
He was the sinless
Lamb of God.
Peter wrote of Jesus,
He committed no sin,
neither was any deceit
found in His mouth.
So,
it's more accurately
called the disciples'
prayer in many ways
because it's a pattern
for us to follow
and for us to think of
as we pray.
And Jesus taught them
to pray in that way.
But this before us,
John 17,
is the real
Lord's prayer.
Though we know
Jesus
was constantly
in prayer
and devoted
His life
to prayer,
very little
if we don't know
much of the content
of Jesus' prayer.
What did He pray?
And here we have
a whole chapter
of what He actually
spoke to the Father.
So,
very little
is recorded
about the content,
but here we have
all of this.
And here we are
ushered into
the very throne room
of God
by Jesus,
our great
high priest.
And we are
permitted to
eavesdrop
on this beautiful,
intimate,
secret communion
with the Son
and the Father.
And the veil
is drawn back
and we are admitted
into the Holy of Holies.
it's almost,
if you remember
those of you
who have been
doing our Bible
reading plan,
if you read
some of Exodus
where Joshua
would sit
near the tent
of meeting
just watching
Moses engage
with God
and was just
mesmerized
by that interaction.
That's sort of
the privilege
in a greater sense
that we have here
to sit and listen
to this exchange
between
the Son
and the Father.
And here
we are admitted
to the secret place
of the Most High
is open
for us
to listen.
So,
a very
amazing,
amazing text
before us.
So I pray
that we would
listen to it
and go through it
with humble hearts
that we would,
our hearts
would be stirred
in reverence
towards God.
But,
again,
to get our
hands around
this fully,
we have to
look at the
setting
of where this
is a little bit.
But,
I promise
it won't
be the whole
message,
but let me
just think,
just hold your
hand there,
look at John 13.
Just go back
a little bit.
John 13
is what
has been called
Jesus'
farewell
discourse,
or even
the discourse
of the upper
room.
It's John 13
through 16.
And it's
basically
this long
discourse
on Jesus
basically preparing
to leave the
world and to
encourage his
disciples.
But if you
look at
13,
verse 1,
it says,
Now before
the feast
of the Passover,
when Jesus
knew that
his hour
had come
to depart
out of this
world to the
Father,
having loved
his own
who were in
the world,
and he
loved them
to the
end.
So this
is near
the feast
of the
Passover.
He knows
that the
time he's
been on
earth is
coming to
a close.
And I
love the
fact that
it says
that he
loved all
who were
given to
him,
even to
the very
end.
And the
disciples
are anxious,
they are
afraid,
worried,
confused,
listening to
him,
saying like
I'm about
to leave
you and
go back
to the
Father.
If any
of you
have had
a hero
or a
leader or
mentor in
your life
that's
really invested
into you
and was
getting ready
to go
and die
to be
with the
Father,
and you
would feel
so alone,
this is
how they
felt.
In John
13,
they shared
the Last
Supper,
and Jesus
humbly
washed
their feet
and gave
them the
commandment
to love
one another
as he
had loved
them.
He even
tells Peter,
you will
deny me.
In chapter
13,
you will
deny me
three times.
It's a
heartbreaking
moment for
Peter.
Then in
chapter 14,
the discourse
continues.
Jesus tells
them,
I am the
way,
the truth,
and the
life.
No one
comes to
the Father
except
through me.
And he
speaks of
the promised
Holy Spirit.
He's saying,
I'm not
going to
leave you
alone.
The
helper,
the
comforter,
the
teacher,
he's
going to
come and
teach you
all things
and remind
you of
all that
I have
said.
So a
very amazing
passage in
14 on
the Holy
Spirit.
And then at
the very end
of the chapter,
close to it,
verse 31,
he says to
them in the
upper room,
rise and
let us go
from here.
So they
leave the
upper room,
begin that
long walk
to
Gethsemane.
And in
chapter 15,
Jesus continues
to share
with his
disciples as
they walk
through the
small,
closed-end
streets of
Jerusalem.
And we
know that he
would have
walked because
of where he
was going.
He would have
walked right by
the outer
core of the
temple.
He would have
gazed up at
the temple
on that
night.
And no
doubt a
stirring
emotional
sight to
think that
all of the
lambs,
other things
that have
been offered
there,
I'm about
to bring
all of that
to a
close.
I am
the final
lamb of
God,
the sacrificial
lamb.
And he
tells the
disciples that
since the
world has
hated him,
they also
will hate
his disciples.
They will
persecute
them.
And finally
in 16,
so you can
imagine just
the intensity
of all the
stuff they've
been hearing,
they're quite
frankly panicking
in some
measures.
But one of
our favorite
verses,
some of you
are troubled
today,
some of you
are really
having a
rough time.
And I
feel like a
whole book
could be
written on
this one
verse.
But look
at just the
end of
chapter 16,
the last
verse,
before we
get into
the prayer.
Jesus
closes this
discourse by
saying,
I have said
these things
to you,
that in
me you
may have
peace.
In this
world you
will have
tribulation.
Take courage,
I have
overcome the
world.
So that's
his final
words to
them.
That's how
he wraps
up this
whole
discourse.
So that's
how he
ends up the
time of the
twelve,
and he's
like,
yes,
I'm going
to die.
Yes,
on my
account you
will suffer
and you
will be
persecuted,
but I
promise you
I've
overcome
this world.
So hold
fast to
me,
because I
will triumph
in the end,
and you
will triumph
in me.
This is what
he's told
them.
So we
look at
chapter 18,
you look at
verse 1,
and it
says that
Jesus
kind of
pauses
right before
he goes
over
Kidron
Brook
that led
to the
Garden of
Gethsemane.
He stops
right there
and he
prays.
He lifts
his eyes
to heaven
and he
prays.
And think
about the
tone of
Jesus'
prayer.
The fact
that even
just in a
few minutes
he'll be in
the garden
praying alone
and sweating
great drops
of blood
was such
a huge
cosmic
burden
laid on
him at
that time.
The thought
of the
cross
and bearing
the wrath
of his
father
all on
his
shoulders.
Yet,
okay,
yet all
that is
there.
The tone
of Jesus'
prayer is
one of
confidence
and quiet
trust in
his sovereign
father.
Deeply
intimate,
deeply
reverent,
deeply
humble
and bold.
So,
right before
he's about
to be
betrayed,
arrested,
beaten,
crushed,
crucified,
Jesus
prays.
And as
Caleb told
you,
sort of
an outline
for this
prayer is
one through
five,
Jesus prays
for himself.
The key
in this
is the
father's
glory.
And in
six through
nineteen,
he prays
for his
disciples.
And the
key for
that passage
is preservation.
And then,
this will be
an emotional
week for
me,
but Jesus
actually
prayed for
you and
for me.
And the
key to
that is
oneness,
our unity.
He prays
for that.
So,
we're going
to go over
a few
points here.
We're going
to go over
four facets
of God's
saving
purpose.
Four facets
of God's
saving
purpose.
Each that
is centered
on the
cross of
Christ and
his redemptive
work on
the cross.
Alright?
So,
number one.
Well,
let me just
read that.
Let's go back
and just read
one through
five again
really quick.
when Jesus
has spoken
these words,
he lifted
his eyes
to heaven,
a sign
of reverence,
and said,
Father,
the hour
has come.
Glorify
your Son,
that the
Son may
glorify you,
since you
have given
him authority
over all
flesh,
to give
eternal life
to all
whom you
have given
him.
And this
is eternal
life,
that they
know you,
the only
true God,
and Jesus
Christ,
whom you
have sent.
I glorified
you on
the earth,
having accomplished
the work
that you
gave me
to do.
And now,
Father,
glorify me
in your
own presence
with the
glory that
I had
with you
before the
world
existed.
So,
here we
go.
Facets of
God's
saving
purpose,
each centered
on the
cross of
Christ.
Number
one,
the
reverence
Christ
deserves.
The
reverence
Christ
deserves.
You see
this in
verses
one and
verse
five.
So,
the main
burden on
the heart
of Jesus
in this
prayer is
glory.
The
Father's
glory,
and in
turn,
his own
rightful
glory.
We could
spend forever
unpacking what
the glory of
God means,
but I just
want to say
this morning,
simply put,
God's glory
is the sum
total of
all he is
and all
he has
done.
His
attributes,
his
character,
his manifold
perfections,
his excellencies,
his works,
his accomplishments
in creation,
redemption,
how great
he truly
is,
how awesome
he is,
all summed
up into
one word,
glory.
Glory in
the Bible
is an attempt
to put into
words what
cannot be
contained in
words.
That's the
immensity of
just the
word itself.
So,
as fallen
human beings,
you and
I,
we struggle
with the
idea of
someone
asking for
glory.
So,
if I came
in here
and I
said,
worship me,
glorify me,
I am
awesome,
hopefully I
would be
kicked out
of here.
But why?
Why would
it be wrong
for me
to ask
that?
Or for
you to
ask that?
The answer
is,
every one
of us
in here,
myself,
you,
we have
countless
imperfections,
failures,
and sins.
We are
broken people.
We are
not worthy
of that
kind of
attention,
that kind
of glory.
That's why
we struggle
with that.
I like
you,
but not
that much.
You're not
worthy of
that amount
of glory.
However,
we mistake
God seriously
when we
put him
in that
category.
He's the
only being
in existence,
period,
that is
completely
flawless,
infinitely
perfect.
He alone
is worthy
of all
our worship,
all our
praise,
all our
love.
So I had
to get a
quote in
from Jonathan
Edwards,
my homeboy.
God,
in one
of his
books,
he wrote
this,
and talking
about why
we should
glorify
someone and
why we
should not.
Our
obligation
to love,
honor,
and obey
any being
is in
proportion
to his
loveliness,
honorableness,
!
and authority.
God is a
being of
infinite
loveliness
because he
is infinitely
excellent and
beautiful.
honorable.
He is a
being of
infinite
greatness,
majesty,
and glory,
and therefore
he is
infinitely
honorable.
So in
short,
what he's
saying is
that it
is right
for us
to give
glory to
someone in
proportion to
that person's
excellence.
So our
excellence ends
at some
point,
but God
does not.
He has
infinite
excellence
and therefore
worthy of
infinite glory.
glory.
Get your
head around
that.
So he
prays for
the Father's
glory and
uses the
term glorify
three times
in these
two verses.
Simply put,
again,
no big
analogies,
no much
time to
spend on
this,
but to
glorify
really just
means to
expose,
unveil,
put on
display one's
glory that
was formerly
kind of
hidden,
if you
would,
to put it
on display.
So Jesus
is simply
saying,
Father,
at this
time,
reveal,
unveil,
put on
display the
greatness of
all you
are through
this cruel
death I'm
about to
endure.
And also,
Father,
at this
same time,
expose and
reveal who I
truly am as
your Son.
If you
remember,
Christ's glory
has been
hidden.
Much of who
he is has
been hidden
throughout most
of his life.
We had
glimpses of
that from
time to
time,
but most
of you will
recall the
phrase that's
repeated a lot
throughout the
Gospels.
What is it?
My time has
not yet
come.
The hour
has not
yet come.
It's not
time for my
true identity
and my true
mission to
be revealed
yet.
Right?
But,
remember,
Christ's glory
was hidden,
but now is
it about to
be made
known.
So,
how would
this happen?
The Father
on the cross
would display
both his
perfect justice,
his perfect
righteousness,
and at the
same time
reveal love
and mercy
and grace
to sinners.
At the same
time,
he would be
both the
just and
the justifier
of the one
who has
faith in
Christ.
So,
we saw
glimpses of
Christ's glory
even at the
transfiguration,
salvation,
but the
cross,
the time
had now
come for
Jesus to
face it,
and the
cross was
the climax
of the
Son's desire
to glorify
the Father.
and it
would result
in the
Father
glorifying and
honoring the
Son.
Only a few
places to
turn,
but look at
Philippians
chapter 2.
Hold your
hand in
John 17.
And I want
you to see
in Philippians
2,
verse 6
through 11,
that Christ
had our
desire,
though He
was equal
with the
Father,
had our
desire to
glorify His
Father through
His work here
on the
earth.
But then,
the Father
would turn
around and
honor the
Son for
that work.
Look at
verse 6.
He's talking
about Jesus,
who,
though He
was in
the form
of God,
did not
count equality
with God
a thing
to be grasped,
but emptied
Himself by
taking on
the form
of a
servant,
and being
born in
the likeness
of man,
and being
found in
human form.
He humbled
Himself by
becoming obedient
to the point
of death,
even death
on a cross.
Therefore,
God has
highly exalted
Him,
and bestowed
on Him
the name
that is
above
every name.
So at
the name
of Jesus,
every knee
should bow,
in heaven
and on earth
and under
the earth,
and every
tongue confess
that Jesus
Christ is
Lord,
to the glory
of God
the Father.
Do you see
that?
This was
Christ's
humility.
He came,
though He
existed in
the form of
God,
He stepped
down from
the high
place and
came and
walked among
us in
human flesh,
took on
the form
of a
servant,
doulos,
bond
servant,
or bond
slave.
He walked
among us
and He
humbled
Himself,
He was
obedient every
minute,
every second
to the
Father here
on earth,
and that
climaxed,
right,
even to
death on
a cross.
And so
because of
that,
right,
the Father
then glorified
the Son,
gave Him
that name
above every
name.
Then eventually,
right,
every tongue
will confess
that Jesus
Christ is
Lord.
So,
amazing
passage,
amazing
passage,
that the
giver of
life gave
Himself
to die,
and that
the one
who honors
the Father
will in
turn be
honored.
So,
Jesus is
asking for
that.
But go
back to
John 17.
This is
probably one
of the
verses in
this little
small text
that I've
been particularly
caught by.
Look at
verse 5.
Jesus takes
this idea
for glory
even further
by asking,
Father,
glorify me
in Your
own presence
with the
glory that
I had with
You before
the world
existed.
Jesus is
not being
selfish here.
It's not
selfish to
ask for
what rightfully
belongs to
You.
Jesus is
praying for
that intrinsic
glory that
belongs to
Him by
virtue of
being the
Son of
God.
Do you
see that?
Do you
see what
He's asking?
Jesus
existed
eternally
with the
Father before
you and I
ever existed,
before the
world was
created.
Ponder that.
He existed
in sweet,
joyful
oneness and
communion with
the Godhead.
So that
means that He
didn't create
us because He
was lonely
and because He
needed us.
He was
perfectly
satisfied in
all His
glory before
the world
existed.
He did not
need to
create anything.
So why
did He?
St.
Augustine
wrote this,
talking to
God in
a prayer.
He said,
God,
what would
have been
lacking in
your good,
which you
yourself are,
even if these
things of
creation had
remained
unformed?
You didn't
create them
out of any
lack,
but out of
an abundance
of your
goodness.
You ordered
them and
turned them
toward form,
but not
because your
joy had to
be perfected
by them.
So out of
abundance of
His goodness
God created,
not because
of a need.
So Jesus is
saying He
existed eternally
with the
Father and
all the
splendor and
majesty that
existed.
And He's
saying,
Father,
take me
back to
that.
What I
left behind
to come
here,
bring me
back to
that place.
restore to
me that
glory I
shared in
your own
presence.
Glory to
God.
Secondly,
saving
purposes of
God on
the cross.
This is all
about Jesus.
The second
point,
the right
Christ
possesses.
The right
that Christ
possesses.
Look at
verse 2.
Since you
have given
Him authority
over all
flesh to
give eternal
life to all
whom you have
given Him.
Jesus is the
rightful King
over two
things,
over all
mankind,
over everyone
to ever have
lived.
And then it
says to
grant salvation,
to grant
eternal life
to all the
Father has
given Him.
And both
areas of
authority are
given to
the Son
by the
Father.
They're
granted to
the Son
by the
Father.
And this
is this
idea that
Jesus lived
a holy,
submissive,
obedient life,
and that
reward,
really,
if you want
to call it
that,
was that
He would
be given
authority
over all
people.
So,
God
granting
authority
to the
Son
marks the
dawn of a
new era
in redemptive
history
that was
prophesied
about by
Isaiah,
by Daniel,
700 years
prior to
this even.
Daniel
prophesied
in chapter
7,
verse 13,
I saw
in the
night visions
and behold
with the
clouds of
heaven there
came one
like the
Son of
Man.
And He
came to
the Ancient
of Days
and was
presented
before Him.
And to
Him was
given
glory,
dominion,
and a
kingdom,
that all
peoples,
nations,
and languages
should serve
Him,
His
dominion
is an
everlasting
dominion
which shall
not pass
away,
and His
kingdom
one that
shall not
be destroyed.
Christ is
that King.
He is
that King.
He was
the one
that God
granted
that authority
to.
If we
remember
toward the
very end
of the
Gospel of
Matthew,
Jesus said
to them,
all authority
in heaven
and on earth
has been
given to
me.
authority.
So,
He's been
granted
this
authority
as the
rightful
king
because of
His
obedience
to the
Father.
So,
first,
let's break
this up
over two
areas.
It says
that Jesus
has been
granted
authority.
first,
over all
creation,
over all
things,
visible and
invisible,
all mankind.
Throughout
His earthly
ministry,
Jesus
demonstrated
that authority
on multiple
occasions
through His
teaching,
through His
healings,
exorcisms,
miracles.
Divine
authority
seemed to be
coming from
Jesus,
and people
recognized
this.
Yet,
perhaps the
most shocking
to the audience
was the fact
that He
claimed He
could forgive
sins,
and claimed
that He
was God,
and that He
would judge
the world,
right?
And so,
even in our
context today
in John 17,
what's amazing
is not for one
second did
Jesus relinquish
that power.
Here's what I
mean by that.
He humbly
submitted to
His captors
and allowed
Himself to be
dragged off
to death
when He
could have
ended it
at any
moment,
but He
didn't.
Even before
the Roman
governor,
Pilate,
He said to
Pilate,
sitting there,
you know,
beaten,
bloody,
bruised,
Pilate basically
says,
I have the
power to
set you
free.
And Jesus
responds to
him,
you have no
authority over
me at all
unless it has
been given to
you from
above.
And then
earlier in
John,
Jesus says,
for this
reason,
the Father
loves me
because I
lay down
my life
that I
may take
it up
again.
No one
takes it
from me,
but I lay
it down
on my
own accord.
I have
authority to
lay it
down,
and I
have authority
to take
it up
again.
This is
the charge
I have
received
from my
Father.
So,
though He
had that
authority,
humbly
laid Himself
down to
die.
And this
would result
in the
redemptive
work that
we needed.
So,
that's the
first area
of authority
over all
creation.
He ruled
even all
things through
the Word
of the
Father.
But secondly,
and we'll
spend more
time on
this next
week and
the weeks
to come.
Secondly,
it says that
He had been
given authority
by the
Father to
give eternal
life to
all whom
the Father
had given
Him.
Verse 2,
So,
this is the
truth,
the reality,
that the
Father has
chosen and
given a
people to
the Son to
save and
to be His
people.
It's repeated
three times
in this
prayer.
Look at
verse 6,
I have
manifested
your name
to the
people who
you gave
me out
of the
world.
Yours
they were
and you
gave them
to me.
Verse 24,
Father,
I desire
that they
also whom
you have
given me.
So,
this was
God's
eternal
plan to
call out
a people
to save.
The plan
of redemption
was not
left up
to a whim.
It wasn't
left up
to the
will of
man.
It wasn't
left up
to just
luck.
It was
ordained
by the
Father.
It was
the plan
that was
being worked
out from
eternity
past.
And it
says that
he has
authority
to give
eternal
life
to all
those
whom
the
Father
had
given
him.
Amazing.
John 6.
Go ahead
and turn
there.
You're in
John anyway.
Flip back
a few pages.
Just
so eternal
life is not
something
that God
rewards
man with
is something
that's only
granted
by his
grace.
He's not
obligated
to save
anyone.
But
as we
see
it is
the
Father's
desire
that a
people
be given
to the
Son
to save.
John 6
verse 36
But I
say to
you
you have
seen
me
and you
do not
believe.
Listen to
this.
All that
the Father
gives me
will come
to me
and whoever
comes to
me I
will never
cast out
for I
have come
down from
heaven not
to do
my own
will but
the will
of him
who sent
me.
And this
is the
will of
him who
sent me
that I
should lose
nothing of
all that he
has given
me but I
will raise
it up
on the
last day.
So a
guarantee
that he
says they
will come
to me.
The people
that the
Father has
given me
to save
will come
to me and
when they
do I
will not
cast them
out.
It is the
Father's
desire that
I not
lose any
that he
has given
to me.
Let that
be a
comfort to
you.
Don't
let that
bother you.
Let it
be like
God has
worked in
me.
He
started
something and
he will
finish it.
See it
that way.
We'll talk
about this
more weeks
to come but
this is
another area
of authority
that the
Father has
given to
his Son to
give eternal
life to
all that
he has
received.
So thirdly,
point number
three, just
this one and
one more,
but this
was, as my
dad said,
this is the
big one.
The
relationship
Christ offers.
the
relationship
Christ offers.
Verse
three,
and this
is eternal
life.
They know
you, the
only true
God and
Jesus Christ
who you
have sent.
What comes
to your
mind when
you hear
the phrase
eternal
life?
Many in
our world
and even
in church
culture think
it simply
means to
not die,
to live
forever,
and to
go to
heaven,
not perish.
All true,
right?
All those
things are
true.
All those
things are
true.
But though
they're true,
that's not
exactly what
eternal life
means.
In fact,
those are
the result
of something
else that
comes.
And we see
in our verse
that it's
knowing God.
You see
that?
A long
time ago,
I was
reading a
book in
the hospital
by John
Fiber called
God is
the gospel.
He says
it's probably
the most
important book
he's ever
written.
So check
it out.
God is
the gospel.
And in
that book,
he asked
something like
this.
If you
could die
right now
and go to
heaven and
have all
the pleasures
that this
earth has to
offer you,
everything,
all the
food,
all the
rest,
all the
entertainment,
all the
sex,
whatever it
is,
have that
for
eternity,
have basically
everything in
this world
maximized
for eternity.
Would you
go there?
But the only
catch is
Jesus is not
there.
Do you
still want
to go?
And that
scared me a
little bit.
I stood
back.
What have
you turned
heaven into?
you?
Is it
something that
separated from
the Son of
God?
In our
text today,
Jesus said
eternal life
is knowing
the only true
God in
Jesus Christ
and he is
sent.
So just
being shut
out of a
relationship
with God
was a
consequence of
the fall.
So now
entering back
into that
relationship is
central to
having eternal
life.
it's that
simple.
Like what
we lost
in Genesis
3 is now
being restored.
That's what's
so central
is this
relationship.
So the
Greek word
for know
here is
an experiential
involvement,
personal
involvement.
The Greeks
used this
word to
imply a
mystical
secret
communion
with the
deity.
A
transcendent
knowledge that
went beyond
the mundane,
beyond what
the common
people knew.
And then
the Hebrew
equivalent of
this word,
know,
is an
intimate
knowledge,
union,
love bond,
and even
use of
intercourse
at times.
Very
intimate
word.
So this
idea of
know has
both the
idea of
transcendent
knowledge
with the
deity,
but also
an intimate
love bond.
What a
warming
theological
concept for
us to
have,
knowing
God and
knowing
his
son.
So I
pray this
morning that
you're not
just someone
who knows
about God,
who can
explain who
God is,
but you
actually
know God.
There's a
difference.
We know
about the
president,
but none of
us know the
president.
Bad example,
but you know
what I'm trying
to say.
None of us,
you have
to know
Christ.
This is so
central to
the New
Testament.
Many years
ago, I
saw a
book on
a friend's
shelf that
I took
off, and
it says,
the tragedy
of religion
without
relationship.
And I
read a
part of
it, and
it points
out in
Matthew
7, where
many people
will come
to Jesus
on that
day of
judgment,
and will
say to
him, we
did all
these things
for you,
Jesus, we
cast out
demons in
your name,
we did all
these magnificent
works in
your name.
So, and
then Jesus
says, I
will look at
them, and I
will say to
them plainly,
depart from
me, I
never knew
you.
The same
word, you
who practice
lawlessness.
We must
know Christ,
and we must
know the
Father through
the Son.
So, rejoice
the fact that
Jesus,
has opened
that up for
us.
What we
lost is now
being restored
by him,
through the
perfect obedience
of Christ on
the cross.
So, knowing
Jesus as our
Savior, our
Messiah,
deliverer from
the wrath of
God, but
also as our
rightful king,
who we would
die for, who
we follow on
a daily basis.
But then our
treasure, our
most prized
possession, that
nothing in life
compares to
him.
I would
have you turn
here, but I
feel like I've
had you turn
enough, but a
very familiar
text, Philippians
3, 7 and
8.
Paul says,
whatever gain I
had, I
count it as
loss for the
sake of
Christ.
Indeed, I
count everything
as loss
because of the
surpassing worth
of knowing Christ
Jesus my
Lord.
For his
sake, I have
suffered the loss
of all things
and count them
as rubbish
in order that I
might gain
Christ.
So, are you
willing to take
everything in this
world, money,
possessions,
finances, wealth,
land, houses, and
consider them as
garbage in
comparison to
knowing Christ
Jesus our
Lord?
Would you
trade a
lifetime of
spending your
days on
hobbies, books,
movies, TVs,
smartphones?
Would you
trade an
entire life
of that for
just one
hour with
the king?
Are you
willing to
take your
food, your
diet, your
exercise, your
clothes, your
physical appearance
and count them
as rubbish, as
trash compared
to being accepted
by the king?
Are you
trying to win
the approval of
man with those
things?
Or is it
enough that
Jesus accepts
you and the
you belong to
him?
Are you
willing to
take all your
earthly relationships,
your friends,
your family,
husband, wife,
children,
grandparents, all
these things,
boyfriends,
girlfriends,
can you place
them on one
side of the
scale and
then put Christ
on the other
and say that
Christ outweighs
all of them?
Could you do
that?
Could you
count all
things lost
as rubbish
compared to
the worthiness
of Christ
and knowing
him?
Some people
will be
miserable in
heaven because
they didn't
want to go
there because
of Jesus.
And then,
in fact,
they won't
be there.
Jesus is
all the
glory in
heaven.
A hymn
that's been
really dear to
me the last
couple of
years,
written by
Ann Ross
in the
1800s,
is called
The Sands
of Time
Are Sinking,
and it's
about eternity.
But,
speaking of
the bride,
us as the
church,
in Jesus
the bridegroom
it says
this,
The bride's
eyes are
not on
her garment,
but on
her dear
bridegroom's
face.
I will
not gaze
at glory,
but on
my King
of grace.
Not on
the crown
that he
giveth,
but on
his
pierced
hands.
the Lamb
is all
the glory
in
Emmanuel's
land.
I pray
that that's
our
confession,
that that's
where we
want to
go,
because
Jesus
is there.
We would
go right
now,
even if
we could.
So,
lastly,
the
requirement
Christ
meets.
Fourthly
and lastly,
the requirement
that Christ
meets.
And look
at verse
four.
I glorified
you on
the earth,
having
accomplished
the work
that you
gave me
to do.
This was
a work
that none
of us
could
accomplish.
None
of us
individually
or combined
could ever
accomplish.
The law
of God,
the holiness
of God,
totally
without of
our grasp.
So,
what work
is Jesus
referring to
here?
It's the
work of
accomplishing
all that
is required
in the
Father's
plan of
redemption.
Everything.
Jesus
sought to
glorify
His
Father
by
accomplishing
that
redemptive
plan
that
He
had
set
forth
to
save
sinners.
This was
the eternal
plan from
the Father
that would
reverse the
effects of
the fall,
that would
restore us
back to
God,
save us
from His
wrath,
and make
us be
able to
live a
life that
glorified
Him once
again.
So,
the work
of pleasing
His
Father
consumed
Jesus
His
entire
life.
My
food is
to do
the will
of Him
who sent
me and
to accomplish
His
work.
I can
do
nothing on
my own
because I
seek not
my own
will but
the will
of Him
who sent
me.
A few
places in
John where
that's
repeated.
Jesus
accomplished
that plan,
okay,
He accomplished
that plan
by living
His entire
life in
joyful
obedience
and humility
service
towards the
Father.
He lived
a totally
sinless,
upright,
and blameless
life.
And He
even challenged
His adversaries,
people that
were attacking
Him.
And He's
like,
which one
of you
can convict
me of sin?
Which one
of you?
And none
of them
could.
The writer
of Hebrews
says that
He was
tempted in
all ways,
in all
things,
just as
you and
I were,
yet without
sin.
We were
even tempted
by the devil
himself in
the wilderness,
but yet he
resisted.
And later,
the writer
of Hebrews
describes Jesus
as holy,
innocent,
undefiled,
separated from
sinners.
7, 26.
So this
life work of
Jesus glorifying
the Father
culminated,
climaxed at
the cross,
which we just
read in
Philippians.
So the result
of that work
was this
blameless life
that He lived
had two
sides of it.
first,
that perfect
life,
that perfect
righteousness
was given
to us
so that we
could stand
righteous and
clean,
blameless before
the Father.
And then our
sin was put
on Jesus,
and then He
bore the
punishment,
the wrath
of God.
We know
2 Corinthians
5, 21.
For our
sake He
made Him
to be
sin,
Jesus,
who knew
no sin,
so that in
Him we
might become
the righteousness
of God.
So though
Jesus was
sinless,
God treated
Him as if
He had
sinned.
And though
we were
sinful,
now God
treats us
as though
we had
not because
of the
perfect
righteousness
of Christ.
Huge
stuff there,
but basically
the requirement
that Christ
meets,
the work
He accomplished
was everything
needed for
the plan
of redemption.
So,
are you in
awe of
these words
today?
Jesus would
open up to
sinners like
us a
secret,
intimate place
with the
Father for
us to look
into.
And does
your soul
rejoice at
seeing these
glimpses of
glory that
are ahead
of us in
these saving
purposes that
are revealed
in the
cross of
Christ.
So,
in the weeks
to come,
we'll talk
about how
Jesus goes
on to pray
for His
disciples.
But then,
astoundingly,
He prays
for you.
In all my
years in the
hospital,
I had a lot
of people
come pray
for me.
People I
revered,
people that
I would
just tremble
when they
prayed.
I can't
imagine if
Jesus was
just sitting
there by
you and
then prayed
for you.
Could you
not face
anything after
that?
Well,
He did.
He prayed
for you.
And He
prayed for
me.
So,
glory to
God.
Let's pray
together.