I want you to turn in your Bibles this morning to John chapter 17.
!
John 17, verse 1.
Let's pray together.
Father, this morning as we take your word in hand, and we remind ourselves at the very
outset that this word that we have is your clear and direct revelation to us, telling
us about our Lord Jesus, telling us all that we need for life and godliness.
And this morning as we hold this word and as we study it together, we are reminded that
we are dependent upon your spirit.
I'm dependent upon your spirit in preaching the word.
And your dear people are dependent upon the spirit in understanding and applying it that
their hearts may grow in affection for our Savior.
And that those who are here that do not know Christ this morning by your spirit would first
be convicted of their sin and drawn to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in whom alone is salvation.
And we pray, Lord, this morning that the Lord Jesus would be the one that is exalted and lifted up,
and those of us that know him would grow in our affection and our love and our desire to please him.
And we ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
As we take up our study of John, we are coming towards the end of the book.
And if I were to ask you this morning what is the central unifying theme of the book of John,
you would tell me that we find that stated very clearly in the very end of the book.
Am I right?
These things are written that you might know that Jesus is the Christ
and that knowing and believing you might come to faith.
And so we are looking at a portion of the Scripture
and underlying the study this morning is this desire
that you who sit here under the hearing of the word of God
would grow in your love for the Lord Jesus.
And as a result of growing in that, you would be transformed from glory to glory,
as it says in 2 Corinthians, and grow to be more like him.
I trust that this morning as you look at this passage in John 17,
you realize that the gospel of John is different from the other synoptics in this sense.
John's gospel focuses primarily on the deity of Christ.
Christ.
The synoptics tell us more about what Jesus did,
what he did in his public ministry,
and how those things played out in the 33 years of his ministry here on earth.
And probably one of the characteristics that helps us see this so radically,
I mean, the difference between the two,
is particularly right here in the hours before the cross.
What we're looking at in John 17 is Jesus' prayer
before he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane.
The synoptics, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
all tell us about the prayer in the Garden.
They don't tell us about this prayer,
which many Bible scholars refer to as Christ's high priestly prayer.
Now, that's an interesting comparison, isn't it?
Stop and think with me just for a moment.
What was the spirit that Jesus had when he was praying in the garden?
What was it like?
Can you think?
Let me have you refresh your memories by having you turn.
Keep your finger there in John.
But turn over, if you would, just for a moment to Mark chapter 14.
Mark chapter 14, verse 32.
And they went to a place called Gethsemane.
And he said to his disciples,
Sit here while I pray.
Stop just for a moment.
The prayer that we are going to study the next three weeks
is prayed prior to the Garden.
And we are going to note the radical difference between the two.
So here in verse 32,
Sit here while I pray.
And he took with him Peter, James, and John
and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
And he said to them,
My soul is very sorrowful.
Even to death, remain here and watch.
And going a little further,
he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible,
the hour might pass from him.
It tells us in the book of Luke
that as he prayed in this very, very earnest
and passionate appeal to the Father,
it says that he was suffering to the point
that great drops of blood came.
And as you read the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane,
you get a picture of Jesus suffering
in a fashion that we can sympathize with as human beings.
We can understand what it is
to have a certain level of anxiety
for what lies in front of us.
We've all been there, haven't we?
With one thing or another,
we're not sure how this is going to work out.
And there's a little bit of anxiety
and, oh man, do I really have to do this?
I have on many occasions
been with different people in our fellowship
prior to their going in for surgery.
And those who are not frequent flyers,
and by that I mean those who have
maybe one surgery in their lifetime,
some of us have been kind of in the environment
where, yeah, you can cut on me.
I know how that worked out last time.
Others like, I've never been here before.
Do I really have to do this?
And a little bit of anxiety.
And here's Jesus in the Garden praying his heart out.
In John, we see a completely different spirit.
And I want you to recognize
that the prayer in John 17
and the prayers in the Garden
were only separated by mere moments.
Very interesting.
In John, remember,
John's goal was to show us
the deity of Christ.
And here in John 17,
you're getting a window
into the heart of the Lord Jesus
as he prays prior to the cross
and he is thinking about the cross
with a divine perspective.
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
he is praying
with a very human understanding
of what is coming.
Now, as we put these two together,
we have to recognize
that the Scriptures
see Jesus as entirely human
and entirely God.
Not part human and part God.
Entirely, completely, in totality.
And we, in our finite minds,
struggle with keeping those two pieces together.
Isn't that true?
How many confess
that dealing with something
of this theological nature,
it's hard for us to press together?
We can focus on this part
or this part.
And John is going to help us
focus on the divine.
But remember
that the larger picture
of the Scripture
gives to us
the picture of the Lord Jesus Christ
as our Savior,
the God-man.
With that kind of as a background,
I want you to step now
to what we do find
here in John 17.
We're going to spend time
looking at Christ's prayer
prior to the cross
and a prayer that is not marked
by a single moment
of hesitation or caution.
We find, first of all,
in verse 1,
a personal request.
Here at this stage,
Jesus is praying to His Father,
and He is praying
without lament,
without anguish,
and He is praying
in a very objective way
about what lies
in front of Him.
Here,
He makes a statement there.
He says,
the hour has come.
If you were to work
your way back
through the life of Christ,
you would find
at various times,
He had made the statement,
the hour is not now.
It's not the time.
And there were various instances
in His public ministry
where He had made it clear
that this was not the moment,
the primary purpose
of His coming.
It was something
that was in the future.
And now,
here He is
in the shadow of the cross.
He says,
now,
the hour has come.
And as you think
about our Lord's ministry,
I want you to recognize
that from the very moment
of His arriving here
on the earth,
His face was set
towards Golgotha
and towards the ministry
on the cross
and Him dying
for my sins
and for your sins
as the remedy
for the fall.
We look here
and we find
that Jesus looks
at the cross
and look what it says there.
He says,
the hour has come.
Glorify your Son
that the Son
may glorify you.
He looked at the cross
and instead of seeing it
as a gross injustice
and a denial
of His basic rights
as a human being,
He looked at it
and said,
that's going to be my glory.
Instead of looking
with this heartache
and this sorrow
as we sometimes do
and not inappropriately so,
but remember,
there has to be a balance.
Jesus looked at the cross
and He looked at this thing
and He says,
this is the most glorious moment
of all of eternity
in history
and it is the moment
when God's amazing work
of salvation
is going to come
to full fruition.
So listen to what
Jesus says there.
Glorify your Son
that your Son
may glorify you.
Let's take those two pieces together
or one at a time here
just for a moment
and think them through
as we look at the passage.
We mark that Jesus
as He is making this statement,
He looks at
what was going to happen
and He sees
that His dying on the cross
was going to be
for our benefit
and for His glory.
He was glorified.
He was glorified
by dying on the cross
for our sins.
Now what is the glory in that?
Stop and think about it.
What is the glory
of Christ dying
for our sins
on the cross?
If you do something
that is necessary
and is an obligation,
is there any glory in that?
What's the answer?
Not really.
I think about the passage
in Luke
where it talks about
the servants
who served all day
and they did their work
and they did what was expected
of them
and even in the evening
when they came in
from the fields
the master says
I want you to take care
of cleaning up
and then cooking for me
and serving me.
And he says
does the master
thank them?
No.
Just hey,
you did your job.
You did your job.
There is no glory
in one sense
in doing that
which is understood
to be our responsibility
and so where is the glory
in Christ dying for us?
The glory lies in this.
It was something
that he did not need to do
in the sense of
divine obligation
other than the plan of God
and he did it
because of his love for us
and his willingness
to be part of what
the Father,
the Son,
and the Holy Ghost
had planned for our salvation.
It's interesting
that when you stop
and think about
this issue of salvation
as being a moment of glory
you stop and set it
against some other
of the spectacular works
that God has done
namely the matter
of creation.
And I want you to think
of what we find
in the book of Job
when it talks about
the angels observing
God in the creative acts
and as the angels
watch the heavens
come into being
and watch every aspect
of this creation
it says that they kind of
burst out in applause,
right?
They were pretty excited
seeing what God
was doing.
They appreciated
that evidence
of his power.
They appreciated
what they were
watching God create.
But when it comes
to the matter
of our redemption
and our salvation
I want you to stop
just for a moment
and think of how
it humbled them
to ponder this
imponderable thing
for them.
Turn over in your Bible
you're going to keep
your finger there
in John 17
but turn over
to 1 Peter chapter 1
we're talking about
the glory of Christ
and dying for our sins
and I want you
to understand
that it is a glory
that is transcendent
it is unbelievably
significant.
1 Peter chapter 1
verse 12
1 Peter chapter 1
verse 12
I want you to look
at verse 8
one of those verses
that even this morning
as I was praying
and preparing my heart
for this morning
this verse came
to my mind
though you have not
seen him
you love him
though you do not
now see him
you believe in him
and rejoice
with joy
that is inexpressible
and filled
with glory
your thoughts
of Jesus
rightly framed
are characterized
by satisfaction
and delight
let me say that
slowly
your thoughts
of Jesus
rightly framed
are characterized
by satisfaction
and delight
is that true
the answer is
yes
so if you're
sitting here
kind of dull
and indifferent
in your thinking
about Jesus
is the problem
with him
or is the problem
with a heart
that is distracted
by the moment
and distracted
by the life
that you're engaged
in
and you need
to reconcile
yourself
that you need
the enabling
of the Holy Spirit
to think properly
of Christ
that your heart
might be filled
with incredible
delight and satisfaction
Jesus
the very thought
of thee
with sweetness
fills my breast
we look here
and Peter says
listen
you believe in him
and rejoice
with joy
that is inexpressible
and filled with glory
obtaining the outcome
of your faith
the salvation
of your souls
concerning this salvation
wow
it's spectacular
that we're saved
the prophets
who prophesied
about the grace
that was to be yours
searched
and inquired
carefully
inquiring
what person
or time
the spirit
of Christ
in them
was indicating
when he predicted
the sufferings
of Christ
and the subsequent
glories
it was revealed
to them
that they were
serving not
themselves
but you
in the things
that have now
been announced
to you
through those
who preach
the good news
to you
by the Holy Spirit
sent from heaven
things which
the angels
what does it say
long
to look
have you ever
really wanted
to understand
something
really wanted
to understand
something
but it just
wasn't clicking
you ever been there
Andy Manweller
in his Sunday
school this morning
that was a phenomenal
little video clip
it's called
a speed artist
how would we look
it up on Google
or YouTube
a man painting
upside down
in a minute
and a half
it is just
really
phenomenal
he paints
this picture
upside down
in literally
one minute
and thirty seconds
and the last
millisecond
you're sitting there
thinking
what is that
and he turns
it around
and whoa
it's a picture
okay
apart from
God
giving to us
an understanding
of his son
and salvation
through grace
we would be
brain dead
would we not
the angels
don't get it
the angels
don't get it
they look
at the issue
of the holiness
of God
and the justice
of God
and the judgment
of God
and the reality
of sin
and what do
they understand
this
once and done
we
have received
a measure
of grace
and forgiveness
that angels
cannot get
their heads
around
and here
is Jesus
before he
goes to the
cross
saying this
father
glorify
your son
make me
spectacular
why
that I may
make you
spectacular
doesn't that
give you
cold chills
make me
spectacular
that I may
make you
spectacular
that's
Jesus'
prayer
we're
moments
away
from my
sacrificial
death
for the sins
of the whole
world
and in that
moment
make me
spectacular
that I
can make
you
spectacular
Jesus
was not
only glorified
on the cross
but he also
glorified the
father
in planning
our redemption
and so as
you think
about this
matter
this morning
and you
think about
the example
that Jesus
is to us
you look
at the
model
that our
savior
sets
of having
a singular
desire
that his
father might
be glorified
isn't that
right
and here
is Jesus
praying
I want
you to be
glorified
how
by glorifying
me
and so I
ask the
question that
I want
you to
ponder
in your
own
heart
am I
passionate
about his
glory
about him
looking good
now stop
and think
about that
am I
passionate
about his
glory
am I
interested
in him
looking good
hey
you know one
of the things
I know
from personal
experience
when I spend
a lot of time
thinking about
myself and
my glory
I invariably
end up
quite unhappy
does anybody
identify with
me
how many
of you
understand
the more
you become
a navel
gazer
the less
happy you
become
do you know
what I mean
by a navel
gazer
do I need
to go into
biology
we'll stop
there
here's the
deal
father
I'm really
interested in
your glory
and you
work in me
that you
might get
glory
am I
passionate
like Jesus
was
about the
father's
glory
well let's
look secondly
at verse
two and
three
since you've
given him
authority over
all flesh to
give eternal
life to all
whom you've
given him
we can't
miss the
fact that
Jesus understood
that he was
the sovereign
lord of all
and that the
father had
given him
complete authority
one of the
interesting
lines of
logic in
relationship
to this
is that
in the
apostolic
preaching of
the cross
on
Pentecost
Peter as
he's preaching
to the crowd
he says
listen
the ones
who you've
been
who you
crucified
is the
one who
now has
authority
to judge
you
I mean
can you
imagine
just I
want you
to imagine
this just
temporarily
that you
have been
apprehended
for some
vile
criminal
deed
and you
are in
Franklin
County
court
and you
see some
guy
trundling
through the
lobby
on his
way
and you're
having a
bad attitude
and so you
say something
snarky to
him
you get into
the judge's
chambers
and the guy
who was just
ambling across
the lobby
now has a
black robe
on and in
comes the
bailiff and
he says
oh yeah
whatever they
say you
know stand
up
it's the guy
I offended
that now is
my judge
like bad
decision
Peter
preaching
says listen
the one you
crucified is
the judge
the one you
crucified is
the judge
here is
Jesus saying
you have
given me
authority
over all
flesh
and in
relationship
to this
authority
he says
there to
give eternal
life to
all whom
you have
given him
in a
broad sense
what Jesus
is talking
about here
in verse
two and
three is
the fact
that what
lay in
front of
him was
the work
of redemption
and the
cross that
he was
referencing
earlier was
really all
about this
work of
salvation
and I want
you to
understand
several things
that are
here in the
text for us
to kind of
get our
hands around
for one
salvation is
something he
gives not
something we
earn
look at what
it says there
in verse
two
since you
have given
him authority
to give
eternal life
to all who
you have
given him
where does
eternal life
come from
is it
something that
I earn
is it
something that
I decide
is it
something that
is entirely
up to me
and what is
the answer
in this
passage
it says
hey
it is
something that
I have been
given by his
grace
not something
that I've
ever earned
individual came
up to me
earlier today
and said
you know
pastor
I had an
opportunity to
share the
gospel with
somebody
and actually
I had somebody
say to me
they've been a
pretty good
person
you know
it's like
hey
really
are you
going to go
to heaven
because you're
a pretty good
person
what's the
answer
is this a
Baptist crowd
it is
here's the
secret
you're not
going to heaven
because you're
a pretty good
person
you're a
lousy rat
a couple
weeks ago
when I had
the privilege
of presenting
the gospel
at a
graveside
you know
I have
no hesitation
of telling
people
we're all
miserably sick
and sinful
and apart
from Jesus
we have no
eternal hope
right
and here
is Jesus
explaining the
reality that
salvation is
something that
he has given
to us
we don't earn
it
he gives
us eternal
life
furthermore
mark what
it says
here
the saved
ones are
the ones
that the
father has
given to
Jesus
look at the
passage there
to give
eternal life
to all whom
you have
given him
now
I have to
tell you
that the
passage is
pretty explicit
in explaining
that the issue
of salvation
is something
that is in
God's hands
it is in
God's hands
now can I
put together
the reality
of the
sovereignty of
God in
salvation
and the
responsibility of
man in
calling out
for salvation
and the answer
is no
and I don't
have to
I accept
both of them
equally
the same as
I accept
follow me
carefully
that Jesus
is all
man
100%
and he is
all God
I accept
it
I accept
it
and I don't
have a problem
with that
and when
we get
carried away
on one side
or the other
of this whole
thing
we end up
with attitudes
invariably
that reflect
the fleshliness
of our own
hearts
and argument
of the spirit
and it's
not of the
Lord
I want you
to look a
little bit
more as we
go into
the passage
here
and mark
what it
says there
in verse
3
and this
is eternal
life
that they
may know
you
the only
true God
I want you
to recognize
this morning
listen to me
carefully
so you don't
miss this
everybody
lives
forever
everybody
lives
forever
do you
understand
that
everybody
lives
forever
and so
the real
blessing
is not
that we
receive
eternal
life
the real
blessing
is what
kind of
eternal
life
we
receive
death
would not
be frightening
if those
who died
apart from
Christ
were
annihilated
and
disappeared
into
nothing
the Bible
gives us a
clear indication
that those
who die
apart from
Christ
suffer for
all of
eternity
they have
eternity
they have
eternal
life
and it
is something
that should
give us
pause
when we
stop and
think about
those that
we love
that do
not know
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
our prayers
should be
incessantly
begging for
their redemption
and their
salvation
because apart
from Christ
they will
live forever
and it will
be a heartache
of unbelievable
imagination
so here we
look at the
passage
and we
understand that
Jesus is making
a statement
and this is
eternal life
that they may
know you
the only true
God and
Jesus Christ
that you have
sent
so how is it
that I end up
knowing God
oh brains
yeah
really
really brains
it's just all
about me being
so smart
that I figured
it out
do you follow
that
turn back
in your
Bible
just for a
moment
not turn
back
turn forward
in your
Bible
to 1
Corinthians
chapter 1
just take
a second
here is
Paul
explaining
the issue
of salvation
and how
it is
that we
have come
to appreciate
the Lord
Jesus Christ
as our
Savior
where is
the one
who is
wise
verse 20
1 Corinthians
1 verse 20
where is
the one
who is
wise
where is
the scribe
where is
the debater
of this
age
has not
God
made
foolish
the wisdom
of this
world
did you
figure it
out on
your own
in fact
if you
look around
you recognize
that God
chose
as it
says
there in
verse 28
what is
low and
despised
in the
world
even things
that are
not
to bring
to nothing
things
that are
and verse
29
so that
no human
being may
boast in
the presence
of God
and because
of him
you are
in Christ
Jesus
who became
to us
wisdom
from God
righteousness
and sanctification
and redemption
why
as it is
written
let
know
the one
who boasts
boast in
the Lord
so I want
you to
understand
going back
to John
chapter 17
we mark
what it says
there in
verse 3
the blessing
that we
have
of our
eternal life
is that
our eternal
life is
marked by
knowing
God
knowing
God
there's one
other piece
that I want you
to recognize
in this passage
and we pick up
on it there
in verse 4
and 5
I have
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
did Jesus
want to come
here to this
earth
yes he did
because of us
because of the
plan of redemption
but here he was
just moments
away from the
cross
and as he was
thinking about
this large
plan of
salvation
and redemption
he was thinking
and when I
finish this
I get to
go home
that's pretty
neat
one of the
things that
has happened
to me on
various occasions
is I'll be
away for a
couple days
from Judith
and from
home and
there's something
about my car
when I turn
towards home
do you know
what it's like
there's one
unrelenting
interest in
my life
it's get
back home
Doug's a
truck driver
the journey
out is not
half as much
fun as the
journey back
am I right
it's man
I am coming
home
and here is
Jesus
looking forward
to the divine
reunion
he's looking
ahead
to being with
his father
again
in his
presence
and having
that absolute
unfettered
communion
in the presence
of the father
he says
I've done
my work
I finished
the job
you sent
me to do
I'm coming
back
and I want
to be glorified
in your presence
with the glory
that I had
with you
before the world
existed
I gotta stop
and ask you
this question
how often
do you think
about the
pleasure and
satisfaction
that you
will have
as a believer
in the presence
of Christ
for all
eternity
does it
occupy
any of
your thinking
does it
let me give
you a couple
passages
to kind of
hold on to
here as we
think this
through
for one
in Psalm
17
verse 15
it says
for me
as for me
I shall
behold
your face
in righteousness
when I
awake
I shall
be
are you
ready
I shall
be satisfied
with your
likeness
hey
Tim
Kenoyer
understands
what it
is to
be a
moody
person
without the
enabling
of the
Holy Spirit
let me
read
Psalm
17
15
again
and listen
to me
carefully
there is
no remedy
for the
soul
apart
from the
sweetness
of the
word
of God
with the
enabling
of the
Holy
Spirit
will you
get that
settled
Psalm
17
verse 15
as for
me
I
shall
behold
your
face
in
righteousness
when I
awake
and I
shall be
satisfied
with your
likeness
turn in
your Bibles
to 1st
John
chapter 3
1st
John
chapter 3
and just
follow
as you
read the
text
and follow
along
see
what
kind
of
love
the
father
has
given
to
us
that
we
should
be
called
the
children
of
God
and we
are
the
reason
why
the
world
does
not
know
us
is
that
it
did
not
know
him
beloved
we
are
the
children
of
God
now
and
what
we
will
be
has
not
yet
appeared
but
we
know
that
when
he
appears
we
shall
be like
him
because
we
shall
see
him
as
he
is
and
everyone
who
thus
hopes
in
him
purifies
himself
because
he
is
pure
it
doesn't
yet
appear
where
we're
going
to be
or
who
we're
going
to
be
like
or
how
it's
going
to
all
work
out
but
I
got
to
tell
you
this
it
tells
us
here
that
we
are
going
to
be
like
Jesus
will
that
satisfy
us
will
that
satisfy
us
will
that
satisfy
us
absolutely
and
here's
what
it
says
he
that
has
this
hope
in
him
purifies
himself
even
as
he
is
pure
thinking
about
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and
how
the
story
ends
makes
a
world
of
difference
in
the
way
you
think
thinking
about
the
Lord
Jesus
and
the
way
the
story
ends
makes
a
world
of
difference
in
the
way
you
think
here's
Jesus
the
cross
right in
front
of him
and
instead
of
just
he
says
all
right
Lord
father
this
is
the
hour
make
me
look
good
so
I
can
make
you
look
good
thank
you
for
giving
me
the
blessing
of
bringing
salvation
according
to the
plan
that
you
and
I
and
the
Holy
Spirit
put
together
and
Lord
father
I
am
looking
forward
to
coming
back
home
let's
pray
our
father
God
this
morning
we
are
in
awe
when
we
think
about
Jesus
in
the
face
of
the
cross
being
so
caught
up
by
the
glory
of
what
you
had
sent
him
to
do
that
at
this
time
and
in
this
moment
that
we're
pondering
today
we
do
not
see
sorrow
but
we
see
hope
and
joy
and
ambition
and
we
ask
that
you
would
work
in
our
lives
we
who
know
Christ
that
we
would
have
a
same
desire
that
the
glory
of
the
father
would
so
consume
us
that
we
would
find
our
delight
in
everything
that
exalts
your
name
I
ask
this
because
of
Jesus
Amen