And we'll just look at this last
remarkable phrase and promise from our great Saviour. And as we well know and as we'll
see in the coming weeks, this is The prayer that was prayed
just before he began to shed his blood as the weight of all
the sins of all of his people bore down on him in Gethsemane's
garden and his heart was broken. And he owned those sins according
to Psalm 40 as his own sins. And he's done here as he's promised.
In John chapter 17 he says, I have declared unto them thy name,
and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved
me may be in them, and I in them. The great psalm of the cross,
one of the great psalms of the cross, there are many of them
of course, but Psalm 22. The Lord Jesus Christ declares
that He will declare the name in Psalm 22, He said, I will
declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation,
will I praise thee. Ye that fear him, praise him,
ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him and fear him, all ye seed
of Israel. For he has not despised nor reward
the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hid his face from
him, but when he cried out, he heard. He cried unto him, he
heard. My praise shall be of thee in
the grave. I will pay my vows. This is the
declaration of the name of God. You can read about the rest of
it in Psalm 22. He says, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? And he answers that question
in verse 3 of that Psalm. But thou art holy. Thou art holy. Thou art righteous in all that
thou do. All that you do. He's declared
the name. He's declaring that name on the
cross of Calvary. If you want to know about any
of the attributes of God, you take them to the cross of Calvary.
And there they are in glorious, glorious display. sign and sealed
and declared with the blood of our dear and precious God and
Saviour. But listen to what he goes on
to say. He says, I've declared thy name, declared unto them
thy name. I've made known unto them who
you are. on the revealer of who God Almighty
is. And I will declare it, thank
God that he is continuing to declare his name, that, and this
is the end result of him declaring his name, that the love wherewith
thou may be in them and I in them. That speaks of the purpose of
our great God and Savior coming into this world. That the love
wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them. It's an extraordinary It's extraordinary
how our Lord says so much that's so deep and so profound with
the simplest words you could possibly imagine. Isn't it remarkable? We'll never ever plumb the depths
of this. We need all eternity to plumb the depths of what He's
just saying here. It's interesting, isn't it, what
he says and what he doesn't say. This is at the height of this
prayer. This is the culmination of this prayer and it's about
love, isn't it? It's about love. It's about union. It's about communion. It's about
the security of all of his people. It's just interesting what he
doesn't say, isn't it? He doesn't say that the Father's
love might be set upon them, or that the Father's love is
moved towards them. God loves because he loves. Deuteronomy 7.7, I've set my
love upon you because I've set my love upon you, is what he
says. We don't need to go any further. God doesn't love us
because we know Him, for He loved us before we knew Him. He loved
us eternally. He loved us infinitely. Jesus Christ didn't come to set
His Father's love upon the Chosen. Because the Father's love is
upon the chosen from everlasting. And that's the love that he's
talking about here, isn't it? The love wherewith thou hast
loved me. He's loved his Son eternally.
The Father himself loveth you. Christ did not die to make the
Father loving, or to make a way for the Father to love us. But because He loved us, the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the outflow of the very heart
of God toward us. So it's really interesting how
this prayer finishes, isn't it? He's not speaking of divine love
in itself, because God is love. But he's speaking of that love
in us. It's remarkable, isn't it? That
the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I
in them. The love of God is just such
an immense thing, isn't it? We love to contemplate how God's
love is particular and purposeful and eternal and God's love is
all in the Lord Jesus Christ. And those who aren't in the Lord
Jesus Christ have no reason from the scriptures to think that
God loves them. But this love is shared abroad
in our hearts. Turn with me to Romans 5. Romans
5 is such a glorious description of the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the outworking of that finished work. Verse
24 of the previous chapter says, He was delivered for our offences. He was delivered because of our
offences and He was raised again Because of or for our justification
we are declared righteous in what is done. Therefore, therefore,
verse 1 of chapter 5, therefore, being justified, that's where
the comma should be. We've already been declared to
be justified in the previous verse. Being justified. Having
been justified. We didn't do anything to earn
the justification. He did all the justifying. That's
what it is. It's passive. being justified
by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, this is where we stand brothers and sisters in Christ,
and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but
we joy in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope
maketh not a shame because, listen to it, because the love of God
is shed abroad, where? In our hearts, by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, but yet peradventure for
a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth. His love toward us in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He commended His love
toward us. Much more then now being justified
by His blood shall we be saved from wrath through Him. For if
when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by His life. See, love brings joy, doesn't
it? Those that have been in love know about the joy, isn't it?
And not only so, verse 11, but we also joy in God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. We have the love of God shared
abroad in our heart. It's God's own love in us. Isn't that remarkable? God's
love in us. The love wherewith we love Christ
is God's love to Christ. That the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them. All true love. such as the Father
delights in and accepts at our hands is nothing but his own
love, which came streaming down from his heart into us. Shed
abroad where? In our hearts. This is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased. I'm sorry I'm feeling unwell.
There is so much that's so beautiful in all this and so much that
I've spent hours and hours contemplating and thinking and wanting to bring
to you, but this is one of those moments where we just pray that
in weakness the Lord will do the speaking. The Lord Jesus Christ. is here
declaring to his sheep, those that are called and those that
are believed and those that come to know his name and those that
are kept and those that are drawn, those that are sanctified, those
that are given glory, those that are hated by the world, those
that are loved and prayed for, those that are perfectly kept
secure, they're all the objects of the grace and love of God
Almighty. And he wants us to rest in his
love. To rest in his love. To find
our peace with God in his love. That he's the one who is the
God of all grace. He's the one who is the fountainhead
of all mercies and all love. He loves us. And we love Him
because He first loved us. He is the source of all that.
But I love what He says, isn't it? That this should be in them. He wants His people. And just
remember what these disciples are going to go through that
night. We talk about the trials that we have, and we do have
trials, and we're going to have more trials as they come along.
But do you think of the trials that these apostles are going
to have in those next three days? Extraordinary trials, aren't
they? They've witnessed Judas go from them and they will know
that he's gone to hell and God is righteous in what he does.
They'll witness all of them failing miserably. all of them making
great promises, all of them failing miserably. Peter, we pick on
Peter a lot, but the others did almost exactly the same, didn't
they? And Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ in the very presence
of God Almighty, in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
swore and blasphemed and made it as evident as he possibly
could that he had no association with him whatsoever. How must these words have been
amazing to them? How powerful must they have been,
not just when they fell this time, but when they continued
to fall? Isn't it wonderful that God the
Holy Spirit causes those who are coming out of trials, being
in trials, going into a world that will hate them, going into
trials that are just inexplicable in so many ways. And these are
the words of comfort that he brings before he goes to the
cross. He's saying, this is what I'm going to the cross for. This
is what's going to result. from me going to the cross and
he wants us to be carried away as it were. My Jesus, I love
Thee, I know Thou art mine. For Thee, all the follies of
sin are resigned. This love draws us to Him. This love draws us away from
the world. But this love, this love has
a companion. This love has someone with it.
Listen to what he goes on to say. That the love wherewith
Thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. This is such a constant theme
throughout the scriptures that we just should be resting in
the fact that this is just the truth, whether we see it or not,
whether we feel it or not. It's the truth because he declares
it to be the truth. Colossians 1.27 we quote often,
don't we? Christ in you, the hope of glory. Throughout this prayer, he speaks
again and again of this love that's in them, isn't it? Verse
23 of this same chapter. I in them and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that
thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. He says, He whoever participates
in eating his flesh and drinking his blood, he that eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him. The only possible reason there
can be an indwelling of God Almighty in the hearts of people like
us is that we've been made as holy as God Almighty. It's no
assault to his righteousness and his dignity and his glory
and his holiness for him to dwell in us. John 14, he says in verse
20, in that day, at that day, you shall know that I am in my
father and you in me. and I in you. This is something
that believers know. This is what he's praying here,
isn't it? He's declaring the name of God Almighty to them.
He's declaring the name of the righteous Father, that the love
wherewith ye have loved me may be in them and I in them. It's
such a constant theme in his thoughts as he goes to the cross. He says in verse 4 of chapter
15, he says, Abide in me and I in you. Remain, abide in me
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except
ye abide in me. Without me you can do nothing,
but I'm abiding in you. I'm abiding in you such that
you can believe. I'm abiding in you such that
you can rejoice in who I am. I'm abiding in you such that
you'll know who God is in his true character. We live because of him living
in us. The life I now live in the flesh,
I live by what? not my abilities, not my righteousness,
not anything I've done. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless,
I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me." Christ takes up residence
in his people. And we love his character, and
we love his name, and we love his residence. But of him are
you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom. I'm looking at some extraordinarily
wise people. The wisest people in all of this
country are right here. And they're righteous. He's made unto us wisdom and
righteousness and sanctification. I'm looking at people that God
declares to be sanctified, completely holy. And redemption, I've redeemed
them. One day I'll redeem their bodies
perfectly and completely. I want us to read a story of
the Father's love. The best illustrations are God's
illustrations. So turn with me to Luke chapter
15 and verse 11 and we'll just read this story. But I want us
to see what the love of God the Father is like and what it is
like for us to be loved by the Lord Jesus Christ and loved by
the Father. Verse 11 of Luke 15. A certain man had two sons and
the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion
of goods that falls to me. He's saying, I wish you were
dead and I want all of my inheritance right now. How wicked. And he divided unto them his
living, the father. And not many days after, the
younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far
country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
He might have been an extraordinarily wealthy young man. He might have
had millions of dollars in our money today. And when he'd spent all, there
arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country,
and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain
have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat.
This is a description of man-made works religion. It has no life
in it. The life is in the kernel, not
in the husks. The life is in Christ and not
in the husks. And no man gave unto him, and
when he came to himself, wouldn't it be wonderful if the Lord would
cause us to come to ourselves? Come to ourselves. He said, how
many of my, how many high servants are in my father's house? This
is the first time he thought about his father. had bread enough
and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to
my father and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy
son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came
to his father." Can you imagine what thoughts must have been
in the mind of that young man when he got there? Will he be
accepted? Will he be rejected? having done what he's done to
his father. This is seen described for us
here, isn't it? And he rise and came to his father,
but, this is the glorious description of the gospel, isn't it? But.
When he was a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion
and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And in the original,
it's kissed him with many kisses. There he is smelling like the
pigsty. And the son said unto him, father,
I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and I'm no more
worthy to be called thy son, but The Father said to his servants,
and I just love this description of what God's servants are to
say, you bring forth the best robe. What's the best robe? The
robe of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is the
best robe. And you put it on him. You don't get him to put it on
himself. You put it on him. You put it on him. And you put
a ring on his hand, a ring, the symbol of eternal love, the eternal
covenant of grace and love in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
you put that on his hand. And shoes on his feet, the shoes
that are the gospel of grace for him now to walk in this world. And you bring hither the fatted
calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry. And this is the
reason. This is the love of the Father. It's the only time in
all the scriptures where God is ever declared to be in a hurry. He ran to him. He ran to him
and he fell on his neck and he kissed him and he kissed him
and he kissed him. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. You can read the rest of the
story at your leisure. What a glorious picture of the
love of God the Father for sinners like us. He saw us through all
of that journey. He sees us a long way off, and
He comes to us, and He's the one that embraces us. And this is the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ in the hearts of His people, to declare the name
of God the Father to them. to declare that there is this
extraordinary love of a righteous father for his righteous children,
made righteous in the blood of his dear and precious son. that
the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and
I in them. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his
death on the cross of Calvary, has made every single one of
every member of his body a perfectly fit place and being for him to
dwell in. What a glorious gospel. What
a glorious God. What amazing love. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we pray
that your name would be continually declared before us, Heavenly
Father, that we would be led again and again back to this
glorious prayer of your dear and precious Son before we went
to the cross of Calvary. and that we might find our comfort
and our peace in who you are and who he is and your electing
love and grace, your eternal love, that there is amongst your
people in this world a union with you in who has washed us from all of
our sins and robed us in the very righteousness of God, that
we might spend now and eternity in your presence, our Father. Make His blood precious. Make
His broken body precious to us. Make the fellowship that He brings
amongst His people precious in our sight, Heavenly Father. And
bless Your words to our hearts, and we thank You for writing
them down, because we are forgetful. And You call on us to take these
elements and do this in remembrance of me. Oh, our Father, how wonderful
it is to remember Let us do so, our Father, in
faith.