As we do each week, I would ask you, in honor of God's Word, if you're able, if you would
stand as we read the passage this morning out of John, the book of John, chapter 17,
verses 1 through 5.
When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and He said, Father,
the hour has come. Glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You've 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 me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence,
with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. Let's pray. Lord,
I pray that Your Word would come alive in our hearts. I pray that You'd open our eyes to see
and our ears to hear spiritually what it is You'd say to us this morning. Father, bless this time as
we lift up Your Word. We pray in Your name. Amen.
What a privilege for me to be able to preach out of this chapter of John, chapter 17, this beautiful
prayer that Jesus prays to the Father. We get a glimpse into the intimacy of their relationship.
Often, this has been called the high priestly prayer of Christ. He prays for His disciples,
and we see later in this chapter, He also prays for those who will trust in Him after,
meaning you and I. Those of us who are in the kingdom, Christ has lifted up a prayer in that
day on our behalf as well. But this morning, we look at the first five verses of this,
chapter. And this is a request that He makes not for His disciples and not for those who will know
Him in the future, but He is speaking to the Father with an open heart. There's an intimacy that we can
feel here as we read the passage. And He's pouring Himself out to the Father as He is getting ready this
very night. The night that He said this to the disciples, the night that He prayed this to the
Father, is the very night that He would be arrested. The next morning, He would be taken to Caiaphas,
and He would be tried, and He would be flogged, or that is, beaten, and He would be ultimately the
following day placed on a cross, and He'd be crucified the following day. So we're very, very close to all of
that happening. And this prayer is spilling out of Christ as He communes with the Father before that
time. And so I want you, if you will, to read with me again this passage, a verse at a time.
As we read it, there are many questions that would come out of this text. And that is my goal this
morning that we would look at those questions and answer the questions as we look at the truth
that's woven here in this prayer. So verse 1, I'll reread again. And I would ask, if you will,
hopefully you have your Bible open and you can read along with me. Verse 1, it says this,
when Jesus had spoken these words, and I will hesitate and ask a few questions here,
what words, Jesus? What words are you talking about? Really, John has wrote this as an entrance
before Christ has prayed to the Father. What words, John, are you talking about? He lifted up his eyes to
heaven in this posture of prayer and said, Father, the hour has come. What hour are you talking about,
Christ? What hour? So first, this question, what words? John, you said that when Jesus had spoken
these words, what are you referring to, John? He's referring to the words that Christ has been
sharing with them to prepare them for this moment. In a sense, the disciples know that there's coming a
time when Christ is going to be crucified. Christ has already shared that with them. But you know,
it's as if it hasn't stuck. It's as if they haven't understood the depth of what Christ has been
sharing with them. Christ has been sharing all these things to prepare them for the ministry that
he's calling them to. For three years, they've walked with him. They've experienced Christ personally.
They've eaten with him. They've slept with him. They've traveled with him. They've ministered with him.
They've watched him perform miracles. They've seen the signs as they've been with him. And Christ
has brought them along for a purpose. We've, if we were to look forward into the book of Acts, and we were
to look at the first chapter and the second chapter of Acts, we would see what Christ was doing. He was
preparing them to be ready to minister the gospel. That they would know Christ in such a way and they would
understand truth in such a way that God would use them to take the gospel to the world.
You know, Acts 1.8 says this. He says to his disciples, he said, you will be. He didn't say you ought to be or you should be,
or you might want to think about being. He said, you will be my witnesses. First in Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, and in Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world. But you know what he said to them
after he died? He said, wait in Jerusalem. There's something you lack. Yes, you've walked with me. Yes,
you've seen the ministry. Yes, you really do understand that I'm the Messiah, and you have truly believed in me.
But there's something you need. You need the power of the Holy Spirit. And Acts 1.8 says,
is when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, then you will be my witnesses. You know, Christ has spent all this
time with them in this last week of Christ's life. When they entered into the upper room, he begins sharing
things that are extremely important for them to hear in order that when he dies, when he's no longer with
them on a daily basis, that he would have equipped them to be the witnesses he's called them to be.
Those are the words that he's referring to here.
He's foretold them already that there's coming a time when he's going to be crucified, when he's going
to be taken away from them, when he's going back to the Father. They haven't totally understood.
But now it is the very night that he'll be arrested. And he prays this with his eyes
lifted to heaven, meaning in a spirit of reverence that his total focus is on heaven and the heavenly
kingdom and the Father. There are no distractions going on for Christ as he lifts up his eyes to
heaven. And he says this, Father. How intimate is that? To recognize the Father.
Not only here in this verse, verse one, but if we were to look forward, we would see this intimacy
also in verse five. And we see it again in verse 11 and verse 21 and verse 24 and verse 25 again and
again and again and again and again. He calls out saying, Father, the sovereign one, the holy
one, the one worthy of worship, Father. He says this, he says the hour has come. And the question
that rises from the text is this, Christ, what hour? What hour are you referring to? You know,
I would say this for us in our ears that it is the greatest hour in the history of humanity.
It is the greatest hour that has ever been or will ever be. This hour that he's referring
to. And he's talked about it already in the book of John. If you turn back to, you don't
have to flip, but I'll flip back to chapter seven. In the history of Israel, there are three travel
holidays, three travel festivals where all the males are required by the law of Moses to return
to Jerusalem to celebrate three festivals. One of those festivals was the Feast of Booths. And
in chapter seven, his brothers were getting ready to travel and they turned to Jesus and say,
come on. They didn't believe that he was the Messiah. He was raised with them as a boy. They
watched him grow up. And now as a Messiah, they can't quite get there. And so in a sense of ridicule,
they said, why don't you go? Why don't you tell everybody who you are? And he says this, he says,
my time has not yet come. He says, you go, you go ahead. Now, did Christ ultimately go? Yes.
He followed them. But he said this, my time has not yet come. My time has not yet fully come. He says
again, what time are you talking about Christ? It's this hour that he's always pointing toward this hour,
this culmination of all of biblical history, this hour that he's referring to in his prayer to the
father. We see again in later in chapter seven, it says this, there were many among the Pharisees
and the religious leaders of the nation of Israel that were seeking to kill Jesus. And we've heard
about those stories as we've worked through the book of John, but they were seeking to kill him.
And the word of God says this. So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him. Why?
The word of God declares this because his hour had not yet come. There is an hour that is coming
where they will lay their hands on Christ and they will arrest Christ and they will beat him and
flog him and they will ridicule him and mock him and they will hang him on a cross. But the hour at that
point had not come. Chapter 12. The disciples were talking to Christ. And as they shared, trying to
understand the truths that Christ would share with them, Christ said this and Jesus answered them,
the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.
It goes on to say, now is my soul troubled. What do you mean? What does Christ mean? His soul is troubled.
Christ came into this world for this very hour. And yet, as he approaches this hour, the word of God says it is
heart was troubled. There was a heaviness that laid upon him. You and I would know the heaviness is when
he approaches this time where he will take on the sins of the world. The word of God says the father
turns his back on Christ and Christ for the first time ever would lose the fellowship with the father.
And that is the trouble that he refers to. And he says, what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.
But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. What does he mean?
As I approach this hour, may you be glorified in the sacrifice that I'm getting ready to step into.
The suffering that I'm getting ready to endure. And a voice came from heaven and said to the
son, I have glorified it. That is your name. And I will glorify it again. I've glorified my name
in you, Christ, and I will glorify it again. 13.1 says this now.
Now, before the feast of Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour has come to depart from this world to the
father, you know, he, it was the very feast of Passover was the event that had brought Christ
into Jerusalem. And you remember Palm Sunday where they met him on the roads as he rode in on a donkey
as the Passover lamb. And they took these branches and they, they, they sang hallelujah.
They laid him in the street and they laid Jackson Street on a donkey approaches Jerusalem as the Passover lamb.
And Christ says this now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him. Now, this is the hour
that he's referring to. And so we look back in chapter 17 and we enter back into this prayer of Christ.
And again, he says this father, the hour has come.
This hour that was prophesied in the Old Testament. What do you remember about the prophecies?
Do you know Christ knew every element of this hour? Do you know that it was all foretold the things that
were going to happen to the Messiah? Do you think that he knew who he was? Do you think that he realized
that he was the Messiah? Yes, of course. Matter of fact, if we glance down at verse five,
we will see something that confirms that. So in verse five, it says this, and now father glorify me in your own
presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
You know that Christ.
In some way that I can't understand, he remembered the glory. He understood the glory that he had with
the father, the intimate fellowship, the union, the oneness that he had with the father. He understood
who he was. He understood that he was with the father in eternity.
It is the hour that has been foretold. I could turn literally to hundreds of passages in the Old
Testament, but I will turn to just a couple. And I want you to hear the prophecies that foretell of
this very hour that Christ would have known.
Isaiah 52.
Says this.
Behold, my servant shall act wisely.
He shall be high and lifted up. Who is his servant? His servant is his son.
The one who perfectly serves him. The Messiah.
Behold, my servant shall act wisely.
He will always honor the father in every way. He will never sin.
He shall be high and lifted up. In what way will this servant be high and lifted up?
It's Jesus who will be high and lifted up on a cross.
He will be elevated for all to see.
High and lifted up on this cross.
And shall be exalted.
In what way exalted?
The father will say, this is my son in whom I am well pleased.
And he will be exalted when the father causes him to be resurrected from the dead.
He will be exalted.
We move to verse 14.
It says, as many were astonished at you,
his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.
You know what this is talking about?
It's talking about the time when Christ would be staked,
and the Roman guard with a whip would beat him almost to death,
and would so rip his flesh and so bloody his body that you could hardly recognize that he was human.
Christ knew that this awaited him at the cross.
The heaviness of the physical beating that he would take,
of the ridicule that he would take,
was even less, if we can imagine, than the separation between him and the father.
The fellowship he had always known,
he would be separated from that.
Chapter 53 of Isaiah says this.
This is familiar to all of us,
but it points to this very hour.
Listen at what this hour entails.
As I read a few verses out of chapter 53.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground.
Who is this?
It's talking about Christ.
He grew up from a child.
He was born as a babe.
Emmanuel, God with us.
And he grew up as a root.
You remember the prophecies of the Old Testament talked about the root of Jesse?
It's through the line of Jesse that the Messiah would be born.
And this is Christ is referring to.
That he was born as a babe.
He had no former majesty that we should look on him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
even his own people.
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Even his friends turned their back on him.
It is greatest hour of need.
This very hour we're talking about.
And as one from whom men hide their faces,
he was despised and esteemed not.
His people did not see him as the Messiah.
The leaders of the nation refused to accept him as the Messiah,
and sought to kill him, which they did.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
Have you heard this during Christmas?
Does this impact you as I read this?
Do you hear the power of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf?
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God.
Can you believe that God would turn his back on the Son?
Can you believe that Christ would be faithful all those years,
every single year to be faithful to the Father?
The Word of God says this.
He never said a word.
That God didn't place in his mouth.
He never did a thing that God didn't lead him to do.
Always he was faithful.
Always he was obedient.
And yet,
he was pierced for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
Upon him was a chastisement that brought us peace.
Do you see what Christ knew?
Christ knew that he would come as a babe,
Emmanuel, God with us.
He would live a life of obedience,
in order that later he could go to a cross.
This cross,
this curse,
is anyone who hangs on a tree.
And Christ would be cursed,
and placed on this tree.
Why?
To take our sorrows,
and to take our iniquities upon himself.
Why?
That we might receive the gift of salvation.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth,
like a lamb,
even a Passover lamb,
I will add.
Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that's before its shearers is silent,
he opened not his mouth.
You know that's true about Christ?
When he was flogged,
he never opened his mouth.
When he was ridiculed,
he never opened his mouth.
When they spat upon him,
they never opened his mouth.
When they laughed and mocked,
and put this robe on him,
he never opened his mouth.
You know that he could have called down legions of angels,
to come to his aid,
and he didn't.
You know why he didn't?
Because he knew,
that that's the reason he had come.
He had come,
that you and I,
Christian,
might know him.
That he might redeem us,
by his sacrifice,
and his blood,
on this very hour that he's praying about.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him,
and to put him to grief.
It was the will of the Father,
to crush his very own son.
And we look back at chapter 17,
at this beautiful prayer,
with that understanding,
in the heart of Christ,
we hear him pray intimately to the Father,
and he says,
Father,
the hour has come.
This hour that I've known about from creation.
You know that Christ existed all throughout the Old Testament?
All those long years,
he's waited to the time when he would take on flesh,
when he'd be born as a babe,
in order to live 33 years,
ultimately to go to the cross,
and to suffer on our behalf.
And now he says this,
here's the request,
here the request is for himself.
And the request is this,
Father, glorify your son.
What does he mean?
What does Jesus mean when he asks the Father to glorify him?
It begs the question,
doesn't it?
Is it Christ already glorious?
Wait a minute.
This is Emmanuel God with us.
This is the one who's come,
and he's sinless.
He's never committed a sin.
Isn't he already glorious?
Why does he ask God to glorify him?
You know,
there is a passage in Philippians
where Paul addresses this truth,
and I want us to look at it.
So if you have your Bible,
I would ask you to flip over to chapter 2
of Philippians
as we look at the way Paul articulated this.
I would ask you to look starting at verse 6
of Philippians chapter 2.
And I'm just going to read and make a few comments
as I read down through several verses,
and I want you to see it for yourself
as we're in Philippians.
I'm stalling a little bit for you to get there.
Verse 6.
Christ Jesus,
though he was in the form of God,
the form of God,
he was God the Son.
He was in the form of God,
and when he was born,
he was Emmanuel,
God with us.
He did not count equality with God
a thing to be grasped,
but he emptied himself
by taking on the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.
Christ took on flesh,
and his glory was veiled in humanity.
You know,
when he took on flesh,
he did that so he could commune with his people.
It's a form of God
in order that he might be able
to stand face to face
and commune with the disciples and others
where he could interact.
Because you know the Word of God declares
in Exodus,
when Moses asked to see his glory,
you remember the response of the Father?
No man can see my glory and live.
You remember the story where Moses said,
please, I desire to see your glory.
He said,
I'll allow you to see the hinder parts
of my glory,
the radiance of my glory.
You can't see me face to face.
And he sets him in the cliff to the rock,
and he, in a sense,
symbolically holds his hand
over the eyes of Moses,
and as he passes by,
it's as if the stardust
that trails behind him,
Moses sees.
Because God said,
you can't see me and live.
But Christ takes on humanity
that he can engage in relationship
with his people.
And in so doing,
he veils his glory.
So am I saying that Christ was not glorious?
I'm not saying that at all.
Matter of fact,
we get a glimpse of his glory,
don't we,
on the Mount of Transfiguration.
You remember the story?
Peter, James, and John
go up with him on the Mount,
and right before their eyes,
he is transfigured.
Everything about him was brilliant
so that they had to hide their face.
We get a little bit of a glimpse
of who he really is
in the glory of Christ.
The same glory,
verse 5 in our text,
that he had with the Father
before the world began.
This glory,
this radiance,
this awe-inspiring light.
Equal with the Father,
yet veiled in humanity.
We go on.
He humbled himself,
verse 8,
becoming obedient
to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
He became obedient
with his eyes always pointed
to the cross that he knew
he would be nailed to.
Why?
For you and me,
brothers and sisters.
And we continue,
therefore God has done what?
Listen to this beautiful picture
that Paul has
of what happened
when Christ died on the cross,
of what happened
when that hour was completed.
Paul's looking backwards
and he's saying this,
God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him
a name that is above every name.
Does that sound glorious to you?
A name that is above every name.
You know that there's no other name
in all of creation
whereby a man might be saved?
One name named Jesus.
There's no greater name
than that name,
Jesus.
It's by Jesus that we're bought.
It's by Jesus that we come to know him
as Lord and Savior.
It's by Jesus that we receive salvation.
There is no greater name.
And we continue.
And at that name,
that greatest of all names,
that Jesus,
every knee should bow
in heaven
and on earth
and under the earth
and every tongue confess
that what?
The glorious Lord Jesus
has been raised.
That Jesus Christ is Lord.
Do you think God was honored
with his sacrifice on the cross?
Do you think God celebrated
his sacrifice?
Well, the resurrection declares it.
You know, the resurrection
is as if God says,
well done, my son.
You've done it.
You've accomplished
what I sent you to do.
I'm going to place you
in the position
of the highest authority.
Every knee
in all of creation,
every animal,
every created thing
will bow their knee to you
as Lord of all.
You will receive the glory
that you had with me
before the earth
was even created.
Back to chapter 17.
Father,
the hour has come.
Glorify your son.
Why does he want the father
to take him to this place
of great suffering?
Why does he want the father
to strengthen him
to accomplish the thing
that he's come for?
Here's ultimately
why he wants it.
Listen to what he says.
Will you glorify your son,
Father?
In order that
you might be glorified,
that the son might glorify you.
Ultimately,
Jesus is saying,
my greatest of all desires
is that, Father,
you be lifted up.
You be magnified.
You be glorified.
Be glorified.
Not me.
Glorify me
in such a way
that you send me
to the cross.
You give me the strength
to be faithful
and you put me to death
that my people
might be redeemed.
That you might receive
the glory
that you would provide
a way
that your people
could receive salvation.
Do you see it?
Glorify your son.
Why?
That the son
may glorify you.
You know what his desire was?
To bring glory to God.
Brothers and sister,
what is our desire?
What is your greatest desire?
Does this ring true
for you as well?
Do you find that
in your life
your greatest desire
is that God
might be glorified
through your life?
You know,
it's very humbling
to consider the truth here
is that Christ
was willing
to go to the cross
and be willing
to surrender
and sacrifice his life.
Why?
That God might be glorified.
Brothers and sister,
what are we willing to do
that God might be glorified?
Where do you find yourself today?
What's true for you?
How much do you sacrifice
that he might be glorified?
How much are you willing
to endure
that he might be glorified?
I understand
we can't be Christ
and redemption
doesn't come through us
but isn't God worthy?
Isn't he worthy
of our life?
Isn't he worthy
of our sacrifice?
Isn't he worthy
that we would lay down
our bodies
as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to him?
Isn't he worthy
that we would set our mind
on things above?
Isn't he worthy
that we would present
our body
as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to him,
which is our reasonable
expectation of worship?
You know what it means
to truly worship?
It's not just to sing.
You know what it means
to worship?
It's to bow the knee.
You know what it means
to bow the knee?
It says,
I see you as my Lord.
I choose to do
whatever you lead me to do.
Lord, give me strength
to be faithful to you.
You know that's the call
to us Christians?
It's a call
to faithfulness.
It's a call
to his glory.
It's a call
to surrender.
It's a call
to sacrifice.
That's the high call
of God in Christ Jesus.
That's the high call
for you and me.
You know what's true?
We can't do it on our own.
You and I
on our own willpower
will fail every time.
But you know what God says?
Greater is he
that is in you
than he that is in the world.
There is a need.
It's the need
for the Holy Spirit.
The supernatural power
of the Holy Spirit
can produce his fruit
in your life
and my life.
When we yield to him
and say,
here I am,
whatever you desire,
I'm willing.
You give me strength
to do what I'm not able
to do
that you might be glorified.
You know he's called us
to worship him?
And do you realize
that the sacrifice
of Christ
was the greatest expression
of worship?
That he'd be willing
to lay down his life?
You know,
the Word of God
says this,
as greater love
has no man than this
that he'd be willing
to lay down his life
for his friend.
Are we church
willing to lay down
our lives for the kingdom?
I don't sugarcoat this.
I just speak
the Word of God.
The Word of God
calls us
to love him
in such a way
that we'd be willing
to lay down our life
for the kingdom
and for the king of kings.
You know,
the martyrs
counted it
a privilege
to die
for the name of Christ.
The disciples
counted it
a privilege
to suffer
for the name
of Jesus.
How about us?
I continue.
I want you to see
this beautiful,
beautiful thing.
He talks about
eternal life.
And I see
several things
about eternal life
here
that I want us
to see.
It's powerful
what he says.
Read again
from beginning.
He says,
Father,
the hour has come.
Glorify your Son
that the Son
may glorify you
since you have
given him authority
to give
eternal life.
You have given
him,
Jesus,
authority
to give
eternal life.
You know
what's interesting here?
Nowhere in this passage
does it talk
about earning
eternal life?
You know
what it talks
about?
It talks
about giving
eternal life.
You know
that lines
up with
the rest
of the scriptures
very well.
Even when
we were dead
in our trespasses
and sins,
God made
us alive.
You know
what?
He initiated
and he
accomplished.
we didn't
do anything
except perceive
what he
started
and accomplished.
And here
we see
that the
Father
who has
all authority
has given
that authority
to the Son.
He is placed
into the position
of authority
and the Son
can give
eternal life
to whom he will.
And the
scripture
shows us here
even in this
very prayer
who receives
eternal life.
it tells
us.
There is a
qualifier
here.
I want
you to
see.
Who is it
Lord Jesus
that you will
give eternal
life to?
And here
it is
to all
whom you
have given
him.
Hear the
prayer.
Father
the hour
has come
glorify your
Son that
your Son
may glorify
you.
Since
you have
given
him
authority
to give
eternal
life to
the ones
that you
gave him
out of
the world.
Look at
the phrase
in verse
6.
The people
whom you
gave me.
And in
verse 9
I am not
praying for
them that
is the
world.
I am
praying for
those whom
you have
given me
out of
the world
for they
are yours.
It is
interesting
and maybe
hard for
our ears
to swallow
but it is
beautiful
when we
see it
in scripture.
we hear
the ring
of it
when we
read
Revelation
it says
the Lamb's
book of
life.
It is
talking about
names being
written in
the Lamb's
book of
life.
You know
the book
of Romans
gives us
a clear
picture.
You know
there is
in the
belief of
some
everybody
that was
a part
of the
nation
of Israel
in the
Old
Testament
days
some
believe
that
every
one
of
them
are
going
to
be
saved.
That
every
one
of them
are going
to receive
eternal
life.
That
all
Israel
is going
to be
in heaven.
You know
that's not
what the
word of
God says?
So I
read out
of Romans
briefly
because I
want us
to hear
the
beautiful
picture
of who
Christ
died
for.
And so
I ask
the question
did Christ
die for
everyone?
Will all
people be
saved?
No.
Do we
have a
choice?
Yes,
of course.
Every
person
that's
ever
been
born
has
a
choice
whether
they
choose
to
believe
or
not.
But the
word of
God
says not
everyone
will
believe.
Romans
chapter 9
verse 6
through 8
says this,
For not all
who were
descended from
Israel belong
to Israel.
Listen to
that.
Not all
who are
ethnic
Jews belong
to Israel.
Wait a minute.
Isn't that by
definition
correct?
He's speaking
spiritually here.
Not all
who were
descended from
Israel belong
to Israel.
Not all
who are
children of
Abraham.
Not all
are children
of Abraham
because they
are offspring.
Listen at
the message
that the
word says
here.
Just because
you're
ethnically
Jew doesn't
mean you're
truly a
child of
Abraham because
Abraham is
the man of
faith and
only those
who have
faith are
considered part
of the
family of
Abraham.
Spiritually
speaking.
It says
this,
but through
Isaac shall
your offspring
be named.
This means
that it is
not the
children of
the flesh
who are
children of
God,
but the
children of
the promise
are counted
as offspring.
Hear it again
out of the book
of Isaiah.
And Paul,
when he's
writing his
letter to the
Romans,
he quotes
Isaiah and
Isaiah says
this,
Isaiah cries
out concerning
Israel,
though the
number of the
sons of
Israel be
as the
sand of
the sea.
Listen,
though the
ethnic Jews
be many in
number,
here's what he
says,
only a remnant
will be
saved.
Only a
remnant.
Does that
surprise you?
Does it
surprise you
that not
everyone will
be saved?
You know,
Christ didn't
come to save
every single
person that's
ever been
born.
You know who
he came to
save?
The ones
that the
father had
given him.
Well,
who did you
give him,
father?
Who did you
give Christ?
Who did he
come to die
for?
Chapter 11
of Romans
gives us a
real clear
picture.
Here it
is.
And so
Paul,
understanding
the
defensiveness
of the
Jews,
he says
this,
I ask
then,
Paul being
a Jew
himself,
then has
God rejected
his people?
verse 2
says this,
God has
not rejected
his people
whom he
foreknew.
So I
want to tie
two things
together for
you.
This concept
of God
foreknowing.
Have you
heard it
before?
That God
foreknew
them.
What does
it mean
to foreknew?
Fore means
before.
To know
is not
just a
cognitive
understanding.
to know
is a
word that
has a
deeper
meaning
in the
scriptures.
You
remember
the
passage
on the
Sermon
on the
Mount
when Christ
said,
many in
that day
will say
to me,
Lord,
have we
not
prophesied
in your
name?
Have we
not done
many works
in your
name?
And Christ
will say,
depart from
me for I
never knew
you.
What does
he mean?
That he
didn't know
who they
were,
didn't know
their names,
never seen
them before,
didn't recognize
them?
That's not
what he
means.
I never
knew you.
I never
had
relationship
with you.
I was
never
united
with you.
You know
that if
we're not
united with
Christ,
we won't
be in
heaven.
Only those
who are
united
through the
blood of
Christ,
through the
sacrifice of
Christ,
through the
salvation
that he
offered,
through
faith,
you know
that apart
from faith
we'll never
be saved?
Apart from
trusting in
the work of
Christ on
the cross
will never
be saved.
And you
know who
is going
to trust
in this
work?
Here it
is.
So God
has not
rejected his
people whom
he foreknew.
There is a
remnant
chosen by
what?
By grace.
There is a
remnant
chosen by
God
through grace.
There is a
remnant
chosen by
grace.
It is by
grace of
God that
we receive
salvation.
You know
that in
chapter 17
again, it
defines really
well what
eternal life
is?
Look at it
with me.
In verse
3.
Verse 2
said that
Christ can
give eternal
life to
those whom
God had
given him.
And this
is eternal
life.
What is it?
That they
know you,
the only true
God in
Jesus Christ.
You know
that unless
we're related
to the
Father,
unless we're
related to
the Son,
unless we
know them
relationally,
we'll never
be in
heaven.
And so
brothers and
sisters,
I ask you
this,
do you
know him
in that
way?
Do you
have eternal
life?
Has he
given eternal
life to you?
Have you
come to know
him?
Have you
recognized
there's
nothing you
can do
in your
own ability?
There's no
works you
can do,
there's no
good things
you can do,
there's no
task you
can do
that's going
to earn
salvation.
You know
that salvation
is not
earned,
it's given?
And you
know what
is the
means by
which it's
given?
To those
who believe,
to those
who bow
their knee,
to those
who trust
in Christ,
to those
who recognize
that his
death on
the cross
was in
payment,
a
substitutionary
death on
our behalf.
For those
who bow
their knee
and say,
God,
I don't
have anything
to offer.
I recognize
that I'm
not worthy,
I recognize
that I'm
a sinner,
but Lord,
you have
sent one
to die
on my
behalf.
Your word
says that
Christ died
that I
might live.
I trust
in the
work of
Christ in
order that
I might
live.
Notice
in chapter
17 here
this prayer,
this is
eternal
life,
that they
would know
you,
Father,
the only
true God.
Do you
understand
that Christ
is saying
to them,
I see
the result
of this
hour.
As I
walk this
walk that
you've given
me to walk
and I
am elevated
on this
tree,
on this
cross,
and I
die this
death,
that Father,
because you're
true to your
word,
that all
of those
whom you've
given me
will receive
salvation.
They will
know you
and they
will know
me.
And now,
Father,
glorify me
in your
own presence.
Isn't that
interesting?
He says,
in your own
presence.
What is he
saying?
Lord,
I know I'm
at the door
of death.
I know I'm
at the door
of the cross.
I know that
this very night
I'm going to
be arrested.
I know that
I'm going to
be rejected.
I'm going to
be betrayed.
I'm going to
be on my
own.
I'm going to
be unfairly
tried.
I'm going to
be flogged
almost to
death and
I'm going to
be taken
to a
hill and
I'm going
to be
elevated
on the
tree to
die this
death.
The word
of God
says that
Christ,
who knew
no sin,
died and
took on our
sin in order
that we might
receive his
righteousness.
It's this
great exchange.
We were the
ones that should
have been on
the cross.
We were the
ones that are
guilty and
what did
Christ do?
He lived for
this very hour
that he would
say,
he's mine.
Yes,
he's guilty,
but I choose
to go to the
cross on his
behalf and
father,
would you take
my righteousness
and would you
bestow my
righteousness on
him and I
will go to the
cross for him
so he didn't
have to,
that he might
know you,
that you
might take
him as a
son.
Brothers and
sisters,
do you all
realize we've
been adopted
as sons and
daughters of
the almighty
glorious God?
And there's
coming a day
if we're truly
in the kingdom
where we'll see
him face to
face.
No longer
will he veil
his glory.
You know what
he's going to
do?
He's going to
reveal his glory
to all of us.
When we show up
in the heavenly
kingdom,
you know what we're
going to see?
We're going to
see something we
have no idea
how grand and
glorious it is.
You know,
I think the
shepherds,
when they were
abiding in the
fields,
when Christ
was born,
I think they
got a little
glimpse of the
glory of the
worship.
When all the
angels were
worshiping,
they were like,
what is going
on?
So moved
they were,
they left
their sheep
and they went
to find where
this Messiah
was.
They got a
little glimpse.
The Mount
of Transfiguration,
they got a
little glimpse.
Have you
gotten a
glimpse of
the glory
of God?
Do you
have any
idea of
how grand
and awesome
it's going
to be to
step into
eternity and
be able to
worship him
and love him
and speak to
him and have
fellowship with
him face to
face?
Let's pray.
Amen.
Father, how
powerful is
your word
and how
great is
your gift
that we
could receive
eternal life.
That Lord
Jesus, you
would open
our eyes
to see, you
would stir
our hearts
to recognize
our own sin
and our need
for a savior.
Our need
for someone
to go to
the cross
on our behalf
that Lord,
we're not
sinless.
instead, we're
hopeless in
need of
salvation.
And so, Lord,
I just thank you
that Christ, my
Lord, my Savior,
was willing to go
to the cross
that we might
know you,
that we might
be in
relationship with
you, that we
might be adopted,
we might be
heirs,
and we might
have the hope
of heaven.
God, I pray
that you would
stir our heart
to be willing
to live for
you and not
live for these
counterfeit glories
of this world
that are nothing
in comparison
to how great
you are.
They're nothing.
God, help us
to fix our eyes
on Jesus,
the author
and perfecter
of our faith,
the one who
has accomplished
salvation that
we might live.
Help us to
present our bodies
as a living
sacrifice,
holy and
acceptable to
you.
God,
help us
to be willing
to be martyrs,
to be willing
to suffer ridicule,
to be willing
to suffer even
death in our
desire to be
faithful to you
because you're
worthy of praise.
We thank you
for this morning.
We praise you
in Christ's name.
Amen.