Open, please, to John chapter
17. John chapter 17, please. I was profited greatly by Hugo's
preaching and what the Lord had to say to us in that hour. But
yet still, this is my time of need. It's our time of need.
And we have a refuge. Let's pray first. Our great God, you are the everlasting
king. You are our heavenly father.
You're the one whose word stands fast, Lord. And we have sinned,
Lord, and done foolishly, and it has not profited us. Please
forgive us for our sins, God, by the blood of your son, Jesus
Christ. Please, Lord, empower Greg today. Make your servants Greg and Hugo's
word Go out and power, Lord, and please give me a love to
this people and give me a love for your word, God. We believe
that Jesus Christ is everything we need, and he has the words
of eternal life, and we have nowhere to go but him, God. Please,
we believe that where the word of the king is, Lord, there is
power. Please be that this morning. Amen. So, I have unbelieving friends,
family, and I'm sure you can relate to this, they tell me
about good things happening in their life. And coworkers, and
you've heard it. I want to be happy for them,
I really do. I am happy, but I can almost
see this black cloud hanging over their head because the only
thing that can go through my mind is, you don't have eternal
life. What will it profit a man if
he gains the whole world but loses his soul? So what if you
get some good things in this life? What's it worth? But our
fellowship in Christ is that when a believer, when you tell
me something that God has given you, some things have been made
easier, maybe something good has come your way, I really can
be happy for you. I'm happy for you. That's the
fellowship we have and the unity in Christ. There's no black cloud.
Over in John chapter 17, what could be more important than
life eternal? The very words themselves, they
explain their own importance. They barely need an explanation.
Life is what Adam and Eve had when God said there was no shame. That's life. and eternal, that's
forever. There's a day coming where God
will say, let him that is righteous be righteous still, let him that
is filthy be filthy still, when time is no more. Mankind's history is replete
with selfish and sinful attempts at achieving immortality, eternal
life. We've all heard about the fountain
of youth and men chasing it all over the world. There was Hungarian
nobility who would bathe in the blood of their victims to achieve
some kind of eternal life. And now we hear about transhumanism,
and I don't even want to go into that. It's because we all know that
it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, judgment
there is a day coming where men know their deeds will be laid
bare and they can't put God off. They can't change this subject.
It will be the day when God will judge the secrets of men. There
are no secrets. Let's look at these first few
verses of John chapter 17. These words spake Jesus what
could be more important than life eternal, and lifted up his
eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy
son, that thy son also may glorify thee, as thou has given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou has given him. Now we know so far that eternal
life comes because the Father and the Son will glorify themselves. We can see that in verse one.
We can see that eternal life comes by Jesus Christ having
been given power over all flesh to rule the nations with a rod
of iron and dash them in pieces as a potter's vessel. We can
also see in verse two that eternal life is a thing given. It's not gotten, it's given.
And we can see in verse two that all those the father gave him
will have it. But what is it? What is it? If it's baptism, if it's church
membership, if it's living an honest, upright life, then we're
about to hear that. If it's a warm, funny feeling
going down your spine, and if it's your good deeds outweighing
your bad, then we're about to read that. It's gonna be whatever
he says next. But what does our Lord say that
life eternal is? What is it? And this is life
eternal, that they might know the only true God, and Jesus
Christ. whom thou hast sent, that they
might know. The scriptures give license to
God's saints to say amazing things. We know God, the I Am, the one
who Paul says of Him are all things, and to Him are all things,
for all His glory forever. It sounds absurd. We know God. but God said it first. The Lord
said in John chapter 15, he says, from now on, I don't call you
servants. You're not servants. I call you friends because a
servant doesn't know what his master does. We know what our
Lord does because we know him. That's what eternal life is.
If you talk to an unbeliever, you can see this illustrated
so easily because they know that God created but eternal life
knows why, to save God's people. They know that Jesus Christ died
on the cross. Eternal life knows why, what
happened when he died. They know that he rose again,
but they don't know why and for who and what happened. We know
God. If you have eternal life, you
know God. The apostle describes his preaching
as making known the mystery of Christ. He describes it as preaching
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. And whoever
believed it, he would say of them, the testimony of Christ
was confirmed in you. That's because eternal life is
to know a person, Jesus Christ. I remember like 20 years ago
when shows about food became really popular because they're
cheap to make. They would describe the taste
of food and they just keep piling on adjectives. It doesn't matter
if they use three words or 300. It doesn't really matter. I don't
know how it tastes because I've never tasted it. And God says,
see, taste and see that the Lord is good. We have to know him
ourself. That's what eternal life is in
verse three. We have to know him ourself and
may God pour out his spirit on this place that we all might
know him today. He says, this is life eternal,
that they might know thee, the only true God. Why do saints
throughout the ages suffer at the hands of men? Why are they
willing to make their foes them of their own household? Why is
it that a man who has nothing at all of any advantage or riches
in this world, why can he have joy and peace? Because the scripture
says, they that know thy name shall put thy trust in thee.
We know God. Now, it says that they might
know thee, but that's not how we use the word. Might in the
Bible means shall. It means we must know God. It
means we will know God. There is a people, a people whom
he foreknew, who must and will know him. Look back in verse
two. As thou has given him power over all flesh, that means that
we have none. That, here's the purpose, that
he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. These are all the father gave
him. God said, they shall all know
me from the least to the greatest. And this is his covenant with
the house of Israel. They will be my people and I
will be their God. It's not an offer. It's just
a lot of giving. God's glory rests on his church
coming to know him, each and every one of them, from the least
to the greatest. All that the Father giveth shall
come, our Savior said, and they come not for eternal life. They
come by eternal life that he has already given them to know
the true God the only true God. It's not to know him by law,
the knowledge of good and evil. It's not to know him by creation
or by a guilty conscience telling us what is right and wrong. It's
not a knowledge that stands back and observes. It's a knowledge
that draws. It's a knowledge that needs.
It's a knowledge that sees something about how every attribute of
God perfectly answers every weakness of ours. Everything that I'm
not is everything that he gives, and everything that I need is
everything that God is. It's a knowledge that sees how
All that God is is engaged for our soul's good, and it meets
us right where we are. He does, without money and without
price. His power is the only hope for
our weakness, and His wise providence is the only lamp for our dark
path. His mercy is the only escape
from our misery, and His grace is the only balm. It's the only
way out. of our sinful rebellion that
is completely indefensible. We're completely guilty of his
love is the only constraint to our coldness. The love of Christ
constrains us, and his long suffering is exactly what we need because
we are prone to wander. That old lady said, if I could
just touch the hem of his garment, I'll be made whole, because I
know that everything in him is everything that I need. Of his
fullness have all we received, because all we are is desolate.
But it's of his fullness. I suppose a stranger could come
up to you and give you everything that they have, most of which
you wouldn't really need. and at the end of it, he could
still be a perfect stranger to you. But can the living God become
for you everything that you need and you not know him? I think not. I really think not. Eternal life
is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has
sent. It almost sounds strange, and
the only true God and Jesus Christ. It would almost sound like knowing
Jesus Christ is a nice bonus after the fact. It would almost
sound like you could know both independently of each other.
I met this one a few weeks later, I met that one, like how we talk
about people, but you can't know God without knowing Christ. That's
not what it means. You can't know God except by
Jesus Christ. If we know God, it's because
he has taught us Christ. Go to 1 John, please. I know
of no place in scripture where this is said more clearly. 1
John 5. It's not a coincidence that what
we see John writing about in his epistles is what he writes
about so much in his gospel, the union between the Father
and the Son, and the union of God's church with God. 1 John
chapter 5, we're gonna work backwards for just a second here. Verse
9, if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater. There are things that we believe
because one or two people said it, and we never even question
it. It's only our own obstinate, sinful hearts that would cause
us to not believe God, because what He has said comes with stronger
authority and reason to believe than anything we've ever heard
in our life. And what is the witness of God? This is the witness
of God, which he hath testified of his Son. What God has to say
is about his Son. Go back up to verse 7, we'll
see the witness. There are three that bear record
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these
three are one. This is what God knows, known
unto God. are all his works from before
the beginning of the earth. This is the three persons of
the Godhead knowing what he will do to save his people in heaven. Verse eight, and there are three
that bear witness in earth, the spirit and the water and the
blood. And these three agree in one. This is God making known his
son in our hearts. in earth. Go to verse 10. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave
of his Son. The point is that to believe
God is nothing short of believing the record that He has given
of His Son. And if a person does not believe
the record God gave of His Son, he does not believe God. Verse
11, and this is the record that God hath given to us eternal
life. and this life is in his Son,
that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent. This is eternal life. He that
hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life." We don't know God except by Jesus Christ. He says, that they might know
thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent,
not because they are inseparable, or not because they are Christ's
secondary, but because he is inseparable to knowing God. He said, if you had known me,
you should have known my father. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life. That's what it is. know him is
to hear him and they shall never perish neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand my father which gave them me is
greater than all neither shall any man pluck them out of my
father's hand that's why he says and Jesus Christ because what
he's about to say next especially he says this to a group of men
who, by their own law, he should be put to death for saying this,
what he's about to say, except it's true. Then he finishes this
statement by saying, I and my father are one. Eternal life is knowing God and
Jesus Christ, who he has sent. God bore witness of his son long
before John wrote his gospel, you know that. God showed Moses
what eternal life is. He hid him in a cleft of a rock.
Let's go to Exodus chapter 33, please. Exodus chapter 33. To have eternal life is to know
God. Christ. Everything God is to
his people, he is that in Christ. Everything that he gives, it's
through Jesus Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. Let's start in verse 12. Moses
is asking, you're gonna send me? Who are you gonna send with
me? And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, bring
up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt
send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee
by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now I've heard
people say that this is Moses being faithless and sinfully
doubting God. I hope no sheep hear that. because this is the same place
that I find myself. I know what God has said. I know
he said it to me. I need to hear it again, though. 13, now therefore, Moses says,
I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now
thy way. Show me your way that I might
know thee. Moses knew that to know God,
There was only one way, and God must show it. And God's way is
Jesus Christ. God's about to show Moses the
answer to his question. God's way is Christ, the way,
the truth, and the life. That I may know thee, that I
might find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation
is thy people. And he said, God said to Moses,
my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. There's God's answer, my presence.
Who is God's presence but Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. His last words were, lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the world. How could the
one true God go with this sinful nation, this sinful, unbelieving
people. It says, Isaiah says, in all
their affliction, he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence
saved them. And I will give thee rest. Come unto me, all you that labor
and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He won't tell you how
to get it. He'll give it. And he said unto him, if thy
presence go not with me, carry us not up hence, for wherein
shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in
thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest
with us? So shall we be separated, I and
thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the
earth. And the Lord said unto Moses,
I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for thou hast
found grace in my sight, And I know thee by name. And he said,
I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Show me your son, the brightness
of your glory. And God answers now. And he said,
I will make all my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim
the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy. And he said, thou canst not see
my face, for there shall no man see me and live. Christ is God's
goodness. I will make all my goodness pass
before thee. That's Jesus Christ. Christ is
God's goodness, and God's goodness is his glory. All my goodness,
when God gives eternal life, he holds nothing back. I'm not
talking about how much of the scriptures you can explain. I'm
talking about you love what God has shown you. He holds nothing
back. All things are delivered unto
me of my father, Jesus Christ said, and he gives that to his
servants, his people. What goodness is it in God to
bring us, people like us, sinners, soiled in our sin, our eyes fixed
on the earth, and our determined rebellion to bring us to his
feast as immutable love and goodness and spread the feast. It's the
love that drew us in to it. It's the love that says thou
shall eat bread at my table continually. What goodness of God and Jesus
Christ is his goodness. Great is our Lord and of great
power. His understanding is infinite
and that God would use his power and understanding to find a way
to be just and the justifier, showing goodness to sinners.
That's his glory. The Proverbs of Solomon say that
it is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression. We should pass over and neglect
to do anything about those sins against us generally. not hold
it against people, let it roll off. It doesn't matter. It's
one sinner against another. You don't have the rights you
think you do. But when it's a sin against God, he can't pass over
it just because he wants to, just because he decides to. He
had to send Jesus Christ. That's how bad sin is. When I
see the blood, Then, then and only then, I will pass over you. This is God's glory. Jesus Christ
is God's presence, God's rest, God's glory, God's goodness. And he is God's rock. Verse 21, and the Lord said,
behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock. God is the rock and his work
is perfect. How could we not be saved when
he's promised to save his people? Christ is the rock that we stand
on. He's the rock that we hide under,
and he is God's right hand. And it shall come to pass, while
my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cliff to the rock,
and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by. And I will take
away my hand, And thou shalt see my back parts, but my face
shall not be seen. God said, thou shalt stand upon
a rock. Christ is the rock of God, and
he is God's right hand, his right arm, and his Right hand and his
holy arm hath gotten him the victory, scripture says. And
what is that victory? That they might all know thee,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Back to John chapter 17, please. Whom thou hast sent. To have eternal life and to know
God is to worship one who has been sent. The whole gospel is
in that word sent. The word sent puts God in the
right spot in our hearts. High and lifted up, the one who
came to do a work and was successful. The word sent puts us in the
right spot too, as earthy and doomed and unable to go anywhere,
needing one to come to us. Every person who knows the only
true God and has eternal life knows that Jesus Christ being
sent is the only way to be saved. And if we know Jesus Christ,
who God sent, we love hearing all that that word must mean.
If God took on flesh and was sent to this earth, that means
something. There are things that must be
true if that is the case, and it is. Why was he sent? because man sinned, so man must
pay the penalty. Sin is so awful that only the
blood of God himself can take it away. It is so awful and sinful
that God sent his only son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for sin to be made a curse in our place, that he might condemn
sin in his flesh, in his body, by being condemned himself. Man
sinned, so man must pay the penalty. Why was Jesus Christ sent? Because
for unrighteous to be made righteous, it can only be by a sinless man
living in their place. Scripture says, wherefore, as
by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation,
even so, by the righteousness of one, Jesus Christ, the free
gift, came upon all men unto justification of life, life eternal. Since man sinned, man must die
for it, but only the perfect sinless man dying for it is able
to satisfy God's demand. Only God can appease God's anger. He says, Lebanon is not sufficient
to burn, nor the beast thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. If this world was sunk to the
fires of hell, it would not move God's heart to pity in one degree,
not the least. It would only be what we deserve.
And now, it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sin. So when God sent his son into
the world, when he cometh into the world, he said, sacrifice
an offering for sin thou wouldest not, but a body. hast thou prepared
me. He were reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death. And every priest stood daily
ministering the same sacrifices, which could never take away sin.
But this man, and as far as I'm concerned, that could be written
on the front page of every Bible. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God sent because if God's elect are forgiven and made righteous,
God himself had to become one of them. Eternal life is knowing the one
who was sent, knowing he wasn't alone when God sent him. God's elect were in Christ when
he came, even as Abraham paid tithes in Levi. Chosen in him
before the foundation of the world, Jesus Christ was not alone
when he did what he did. Do you see how this word sent
holds the entire gospel in it? All that the father saw Jesus
Christ doing, he saw his church doing in him also. And it wasn't
pretend. If Christ was sent, then he lived
a perfect life. He said, I do always the things
that please the Father, and that means that we did in him. That's
why the church is called by God the people of my holiness. If he was sent, then he died
on the cross, and justice for sin was poured out on him, and
we in him. Paul said, I, through the law,
am dead to the law. I am crucified with Christ. The law demanded the death of
Jesus Christ when he was made to be sin, and it got what it
demanded. And now we are dead to it because
you cannot be penalized for the same thing twice. We already
gave it what it needs in him. This is what it means to know
that Jesus Christ was sent If he was sent, it must mean, because
he's God, that he perfectly accomplished everything he was sent for. How
could he not? Eternal life knows that it is
finished. That's why he rose from the dead,
but God raised him from the dead, because every sin of every child
of God was put away. He was delivered for their offenses,
because of their offenses. and raised again because of their
being justified from their offenses. These are glorious things, to
know God, to know what he's like and what
he's done and why, to know why he's all that we need. The verse says that the flesh
is weak, and we know that, but I want to encourage your hearts
today The second part of that verse is just as true. And it's
right in front of us. But the spirit is willing. If you have eternal life, you
know that everything that you've ever thought, heard, done, said,
had, lost, it's nothing. It's nothing compared to the
excellency of the knowledge of God. What's the confidence that we
can all have that he will bring us to know him? Look back in
verse one of John chapter 17. This is our confidence. These
words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven. He lifted
up his eyes to heaven. This is his confidence that he
had done everything God required of him. He had fulfilled the
law. The father was well pleased with
him. Our confidence comes from his
confidence. We can know God. John ends his first epistle by
saying, and we know the Son of God has come and hath given us
an understanding that we might know him, that is true, and that
we are in him, that is true. This is, this, what I just said,
this is the true God and eternal life. And all of his people will know
him from the least to the greatest of him. That is eternal life.
Go to him today. He's everything that you need. He's everything you're not. Amen. Let's close with hymn number 44, 44,
which is Firework.