Well, we pick up again where
we left off more than three weeks ago in John chapter 17, verse
now. John 17 and verse one. This is the high priestly prayer
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, the one that is known
as the Lord's Prayer is really the disciples' prayer, the prayer
that the Lord taught the disciples. This is the Lord's Prayer, his
high priestly prayer. The defining battle of the war
between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan is about
to take place. The defining battle. Throughout
this created history, there is the war between the Kingdom of
God and the Kingdom of Satan. Be in no doubt, that's what it's
all about. The whole of religion, especially
that which calls itself Christian, has got this completely wrong.
They think the purpose of religion They think the purpose of the
Gospel is to make this world a better place. If only we would
live according to the principles Jesus taught, what a nice place
this would be. There would be no Vladimir Putins
invading Ukraine, or anything like that. What a nice place
it would be. That is completely, completely wrong. Completely
wrong. No. The purpose of the Christian
religion, the truth of God, is not to make this world a better
place, it's to define the way the sovereign God takes his people,
that he's loved with everlasting love from before the beginning
of time, out of this world, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, in
the middle of time, in the middle of this world. The means by which
his people are redeemed, it's come to this hour. The defining
battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan
is about to take place at the start of John 17. It's the battle
to fulfill the decrees of God. The decrees of God? The scriptures.
These are they that speak of him. The decrees of God from
all eternity as to how he will save a people for his glory,
how he will populate his eternal kingdom with sinners justified
to be there. Not with their sins, but justified.
This is how he's going to accomplish it. This is how he is going to
seal Satan's eternal ruin. Yes, Satan goes on, but The destiny
of Satan is sealed by this battle at this hour. These words spake
Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the
hour has come. We've come to this hour when
this battle will take place. He's going to accomplish the
justification of all of God's elect. All eyes in this world
at the moment are on Russia and Ukraine. And there's such anxiety
regarding how it's going to develop and what the outcome is going
to be. And is it going to be World War III? And is there going
to be a nuclear holocaust? And it feels so much like a rerun
of parts of Hitler and World War II in so many ways. And there's
such fear among mankind of uncertainty. But do you know, It isn't so
with the battle, the war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom
of Satan. That is certain. That is accomplished. Jesus had
taught his apostles, the 11 remaining apostles in John 14, 15, 16,
the end of chapter 13, 2. He taught them the eternal truth
of salvation. Look at verse 33 of chapter 16.
These things I have spoken unto you, that you might have peace. The truths of the gospel of grace
give us peace in this world of war and turmoil and sin and conflict,
but the things of the gospel of grace give us peace. These
things have I spoken to you that you might have peace. Oh yes,
in this world you shall have trouble, tribulation, but be
of good cheer. Don't let the troubles of this
world worry you, he says to his believing people, for he has
overcome the world. He'd alerted them to worldly
trouble, that they'd be not alarmed when it comes. He'd assured them
of His certain victory, and their part in that victory. And having
addressed them audibly, He is the Son of God, He is God incarnate,
God manifest in the flesh, having addressed them in those chapters,
in these hours before the hour had come, He now addresses His
Father in heaven. Just pause and mull that over
for a moment. Here is the second person of
the glorious Trinity. He who is fully God, for in him
dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Here is the one who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation. Here is the one who for a little
while was made lower than the angels, who said, my father is
greater than I just for this little moment, this little while,
while he's clothed in human flesh for the purpose of redemption.
And here he is, fully God, addressing God his Father in heaven, who
dwells in unapproachable light. And this is what staggers me. It's in the audible hearing of
a group of 11 men, ordinary, common, sinful men, whom he'd
taken out of this world for his purposes, for his grace. And
they're listening to God the Son, speaking to God the Father. Not only that, By his spirit,
he inspires John to write it down. I don't know how many years
later, but he gives him perfect recollection of how things were
and what was said. And we have it in front of us.
He who is fully God. He who is fully God. fullness
of the Godhead, dwelling bodily in Him, made for a little while
lower than the angels, made fully man, touched with the feeling
of our infirmities, yet working the works that only God can do. Just think of this. He, the Lord
Jesus Christ, working the works that only God can do. We read
in the Psalms the other morning in our readings, in Psalm 89
verse 9, the psalmist speaking to God, O Lord God of hosts,
who is a strong Lord like unto thee, or to thy faithfulness
round about thee? Thy rulest the raging of the
sea. When the waves thereof arise,
thou stillest them. Mark chapter 4 verse 39. Jesus
in the boat, the raging storm, the disciples terrified, and
Jesus says, peace, be still. What manner of man is this, that
the wind and the waves obey him? What manner of a man? He's God,
the God-man. He is God. He enters, as it were
now, at the start of chapter 17, into the heavenly war room. This is the war room of the councils
of God, the wisdom of God. It's also the council of God,
where the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit commune.
the things. You know, like you can go and
visit Churchill's War Room in Whitehall, where the great decisions
of the Second World War were taken. But here they are! the
persons of the Godhead, in the heavenly war room, rehearsing
the eternal strategy of the battle of the ages. What we've come
to, the hour has come for the battle of the ages. This is the
pivot of history. The whole of history pivots on
this. The hour is come, he says. The pivot of all history. In
the reckoning of the kingdom of God, this is the moment, it's
actually three hours, when there was darkness upon the face of
the whole earth the next morning, when the eternal purposes of
God were sealed, were fixed, were accomplished. So Christ
cried at the end of it, it is finished. Finished. And this
time, this hour that has come, for the world, it is utterly
irrelevant, isn't it? Look around you. Talk to people. For the world around, this hour
that has now come is utterly irrelevant. It disappears in
a whirlpool of assumed, invented billions of years. because Satan
will have it of no relevance to the children of this world,
of his kingdom. This is why you get the whole
of evolutionary science is bound up in billions of years, because
why? It discredits the fact that this
hour 2,000 years ago, thereabouts, was the hour that determines
the eternal purposes of God. This is the hour when, it's not
just a random happening 2,000 years ago, when a good guy who
gave us an example that we ought to follow was sadly, tragically
put to death. This is the hour when the serpent
the devil, Satan, the serpent of Genesis chapter 3 in the Garden
of Eden, in the perfection of Eden, when the serpent, the liar,
the father of lies, came and deceived Eve, and when the serpent
was permitted, this is the hour, the hour has come when the serpent
is permitted, exactly as God had said then, to bruise the
heel of the woman's seed. Who's the woman's seed? The Lord
Jesus Christ is the woman's seed. The one who will do everything
that is necessary to redeem that multitude of mankind, loved by
God with an everlasting love, to redeem them. And in the process,
the serpent is permitted, as God said there in Genesis 3.15,
to bruise the heel of the woman's seed. It's the hour in which
the serpent's head is bruised, but his head is bruised, not
his heel, his head. That's a fatal wound. He's going
to be fatally wounded. His fate will be sealed. There
will be no recovery from it. This is the hour when the prophecy
of Scripture will be fulfilled. The sword of divine justice will
smite Jehovah's fellow. Who is Jehovah's fellow? It's
the Lord Jesus Christ. Zechariah 13 verse 7. 400 years
before he came, awake, O sword. This is what God says. Awake,
O sword of justice, against my shepherd. I am the good shepherd,
said Jesus. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd. And against the man, the God-man,
that is my fellow, he is God, he is God with him. Thought it
not robbery to be equal with God? But that sword must awake
against him, and smite him with the justice of God. It is the
hour when the elect multitude that no man can number of sinners
loved with everlasting love. Jeremiah 31, loved with an everlasting
love. It's that hour when they are
redeemed. The price is paid for their purchase,
their liberty purchase from the law's curse. He has redeemed
us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us.
For cursed is every man that hangeth on a tree. What is the
curse? The soul that sins, it shall
die. The soul that sins, its lifeblood
shall be poured out, for the life is in the blood. This is
the hour when he is going to that cross, and his lifeblood
will be poured out. This is the hour when heaven
is gladdened. Rejoice, rejoice greatly. Rejoice, in heaven there is rejoicing. For the purposes of God are accomplished. This is the hour when God is
supremely glorified. For in what is God glorified?
Show me your glory, said Moses. This is my glory, said God. I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Sovereign mercy,
sovereign grace, sovereign compassion. It is the hour of accomplishment
for which the Lamb of God is eternally praised. Come forward
to Revelation 5 and verse 12 where we read, worthy is the
Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and blessing. Blessing and honor, glory and
power belong unto Him that sitteth upon the throne. Amen. It is
the hour when God's elect are armed, invincibly, to defeat
Satan and his evil kingdom. Did you hear that? Let me say
it again. This is the hour, the hour has come, this hour, when
Christ will go to the cross. and give up his life and shed
his blood for his people. It is the hour when God's elect
are armed, invincibly, to defeat Satan and his evil kingdom. How? Jump forward to Revelation 12
and verse 11. They, his people, The believing people of God,
they overcame him. Who? The devil. They overcame
him. They overcame Satan. How? How? What was their weapon? What was
their warfare? By the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony. That's it. the blood of the Lamb. This is the thing that defeats
Satan. It is the hour when Satan is
forever disarmed in his ability to justly accuse the sinners
that God makes his citizens in his kingdom. Who shall bring
any charge, says Romans 8.34? Who shall bring any charge to
God's elect? Surely they're guilty sinners.
Their sins are there before Him all the time. Who shall bring
any charge? The sins of Judah and of Israel shall be sought
for, Jeremiah 50 verse 20. And they shall not be found.
Why not? Because Christ has taken them away. How far? As far as
the east is from the west. Satan's ability The accuser of
the brethren's ability to accuse the brethren is completely taken
away because he's been disarmed, because Christ has taken their
sins away. There are no sins that he can
point to and say, these should not be in heaven. But do not
think that because it is so certain in its triumphant outcome, it
was of any the less dreadful for Christ to go through. You
know, we're inclined to slip into this, aren't we, thinking,
this was so certain, and he's all in the power of God, and
why, you know, is there any respect of it being a bit of a show for
our purposes? No, look at Luke 22 and verse
42. Well, they went out to the Mount
of Olives. This is Luke's account. And when he was at the place,
he said unto them, Pray ye, pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled
down and prayed. This is the man, and this is
the agony, the soul agony that he's going through, saying, Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, this cup I have
to drink, this cup of the judgment of God's wrath against sin, remove
it from me. But not my will. Nevertheless,
not my will. but thine be done.' And there
appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And
being in agony, he prayed more earnestly." This was real agony. This was intense agony. This
was agony like we have no concept of how deep it was. His sweat
was as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground. This is what Christ went through.
That's just a fraction of it. Don't think that because it was
so certain, it was any less dreadful for Christ himself to go through.
This was costly. This was the deepest intensity
of human suffering. It was agony, but it was all
for the purpose of God's glory, because in it, the justice of
God was upheld, the righteousness of God was upheld, the law of
God was upheld, and the sins of sinners were justly paid for,
that those sinners themselves might be made the righteousness
of God in him. The hour has come, glorify thy
son, that thy son also may glorify thee. The glory of God, the glory
of God. How is God glorified? I already
said, Exodus 33, verses 18 to 23. Moses said, show me your
glory, that will suffice me. And God said, I will be gracious
to whom I will be gracious. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. God is glorious in power. He's
omnipotent. He's holy. glorious in so many
ways, but his supreme glory is this, and he himself says it,
he is glorious in that he is gracious to sinners, for no other
reason than grace, nothing earned, not of works, lest any man should
boast. In his saving grace to sinners,
whom he purposed to qualify for citizenship of his kingdom is
the glory of God most clearly and vividly seen. And that qualification
is in the person of the Son of God alone. That's where that
qualification comes through. You could say that the whole
of created history, this creation, is the canvas on which God displays
His greatest glory, which is His grace. God, in the person
of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, became a man to be a substitute. Only a man can genuinely be a
substitute for men, and women of course. An assurity for a
multitude of mankind to answer the demands of divine justice
for their sin. so that his people who are sinners,
he who knew no sin, took their sin that those people might be
made the righteousness of God in him. The plan of God to save
a people out of this fallen world and fit them for eternal glory
is that seven-sealed scroll of God's eternal plan of redemption
that we see in Revelation chapter 5. We see there this book, in
Revelation 4 we see a book on the hand of God, and there it
is, and the call goes out, who is able to unloose the seals,
the seven seals of the scroll of the book of God? The seven-sealed
scroll of God's eternal plan of redemption for a people, to
justify them, for glory. Nobody is able to stand forward.
This world can't stand forward and come up with a plan to accomplish
it. The leaders of this world, there's silence in heaven, the
cry goes out. Who is able to do it? Who is
able to loose the seven seals of the plan of God that a people
who are sinners might be justified and in glory, populating his
kingdom? And one of the elders says to John, don't weep for
he wept much. He says, look, look into the
center of the throne of God. Look, the lion of the tribe of
Judah has prevailed. He's the one who can do it. Look
at the lion in all his strength, the king of the beast. Look at
the lion of the tribe of Judah. He's the one who can do it. Yes,
there is somebody who can unloose these seals. And John looks,
and what does he see? He doesn't see a lion. He sees a lamb as it had been
slain. For the lion of the tribe of
Judah is only able, and is supremely able, to implement the plan for
the redemption of his people in the person of the lamb as
it had been slain. Because it's only in that that
the justice of God is satisfied, and thereby those people are
qualified. So God's plan is implemented.
People who are sinners by nature I made the righteousness of God
in him. The plan is implemented. Salvation
is accomplished. All praise and glory to the Lamb. I read it before. Worthy is the
Lamb, Revelation 5 verse 12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power. He's worthy to receive power.
all power is given to him. Verse two, as thou hast given
him power over all flesh, worthy is the lamb that was slain to
receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and blessing. The unseen God who dwells in
unapproachable light that we cannot see, this God is glorified
in his salvation of his sinful people by his Son paying the
price. This is the supreme strategy
of the heavenly war room. This is the supreme counsel of
it. This is it, this seven seal scroll,
this is it. Satan is confounded and defeated
in the moment of his seeming triumph. Isn't he? Having sought
the destruction of the seed of the woman from the fall in Eden. You read that's the history of
scripture. It's Satan trying to destroy. the line from which
the seed would come, with all those empires trying to subsume
little Israel, with all the evil, with all the sin amongst the
kings of Israel, with all of that trying to defeat the purposes
of God. This was Satan's purpose, having
sought the destruction of the seed of the woman from the fall
in Eden. He finally has him nailed to
a shameful cross. Oh, he's victorious. Revelation
12, the woman giving birth to a child and there is the dragon
waiting to devour the child as soon as it's born. And all those
things with Herod and the slaughter of the innocents, with the flight
into Egypt, with all of the persecution of Christ, all of it is satanic
trying to destroy the seed of the woman. But rather than ending
all hope, This very thing, the death of the Son of God on the
cross to shed His blood in the place of His people as their
substitute and Redeemer, this very thing secures triumph. And the accuser, he who says,
look at these sinners, they're mine, the accuser is disarmed. And the body of Christ, his church,
his bride, is qualified for God's kingdom. And verse four, he says,
I have glorified thee on earth. I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. You're about to go to the crossing,
utter defeat, aren't you? No, he's glorified God. Jesus
has glorified the Father in his earthly life. He has upheld God's
law. He has worked miracles that only
God can do. Only God can do. Don't be deluded
by anybody that tries to tell you that the same miracles are
going on today, because they're not. They're not. He worked miracles
that only God can do, and he's proclaimed the gospel of the
kingdom. Christ, what did he go preaching?
He came preaching the kingdom of God, the kingdom, repent,
the kingdom of God is at hand. This is what he came preaching.
Not the kingdom of this world, not the betterment of the world,
not the sermon on the mount to make this world a better place,
but his kingdom, his kingdom. The kingdom of God. Thy kingdom.
What should we pray? Thy kingdom come. Not this world
get better. Thy kingdom come. Don't misunderstand
me. We should always take opportunity
to do deeds of charity and help and be gracious to others around
us. But that is not the purpose of the Christian gospel. It's
to rescue the people that God loved from before the beginning
of time for eternal glory in the mansions He's prepared for
them. So here he is. In a few hours, after this prayer,
he will pay redemption's price. Why will he pay redemption's
price? John 6, 37. This is the will of Him that
sent me, that of all He has given me, I should lose nothing. He's going to be perfectly successful
in His redeeming work. God's will is going to be accomplished
when the Son of God dies for the sins of His people, and thereby
they are justified. And so He, Christ, is glorified. And the Father is glorified because
Christ is glorified. Because the mercy of God and
the grace of God is shown to those who have no dessert of
that mercy and that grace. And so Christ is glorified. And
the Father is glorified in Him. So He rightly claims the restoration. He, the Son of God, this man
who they're listening to, praying to His Father in heaven, He rightly
claims the restoration of His pre-incarnate glory. There it
is, verse 5. And now, O Father, glorify Thou
me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was. Here is the one who, though he
was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, came down, he came down to great
humility. He came down to occupy a space
limited by a body, one place at a time. He came down, made
a little lower than the angels for a little while. He came down
for the purpose of redemption, that He might die the death that
would justify His people. But He's God. He's deserving
of all the honor and glory of God. He's glorious in redeeming
grace. He's glorious in sovereign grace. He's glorious in compassion.
This is God manifest before their eyes. But now, He's about to
accomplish the purpose for his mission, and he will accomplish
it, and it will be finished, to complete success. And so he
prays that that glory which is his right, the glory of God the
Father, which the Father will not share with another, Isaiah
42 verse 8, I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory I will
not give to another. So how on earth dare this man
pray that God gives him his glory? God has said he will not share
his glory with another. Surely, could there be any clearer
proof that this, our Lord Jesus Christ, the man Jesus of Nazareth,
is eternal God? He's praying for that which is
rightly his. This man is Jehovah Jesus. He's Jehovah Jesus. He's our
Saviour God. Jehovah Jesus, you could substitute
God our Saviour. We read God our Saviour throughout
the Old Testament. Jehovah Jesus, this is Him. He
is God the Lord. He is fully entitled to the glory
of God, which He laid aside for a little while. That is the war
strategy of heaven's war room. But how are the results realized?
How are the results realized? This is verse 2, As thou hast
given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent. How is it realized? It's realized
in eternal life for his people. He's got power. He's given power. God in heaven has given this
man, who is God on earth, power over all flesh. Let that sink
in. He's given him power over all
flesh. The ability to complete, to accomplish
the sovereign will of God. A power that no human flesh can
alter or frustrate. Does that not make you view the
events of the world in a completely different light? Don't fear man. Don't fear armies. Don't fear
Putin in Moscow. They're all mere pawns in Satan's
armory. But it's all on a chain whose
length is set by God. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou
art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort
me. In Pilgrim's Progress, he has to walk down that alleyway
between fearsome beasts, but they're all on chains and they
cannot get to him. In Psalm 2 and verse 8, the father
says to the Son. In Psalm 2, verse 8, the Father
says to the Son, Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen
for your inheritance, as thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. Is this not a God who is worthy
of our trust? Who is worthy of our commitment? Who What else? Don't fear man,
don't fear those who can only kill the body, fear Him, who
when He is killed can cast both body and soul into hell, said
Jesus. If you're in Christ, if you're
in the eternal blessing of God, don't fear what man can do. Psalm
37 verse 5, you know, as we read in Proverbs, God is in control
of everything. Are you frightened by events
going on in this world? Commit your way unto the Lord.
Trust also in Him. You know, Paul said to Timothy,
2 Timothy 1 verse 12, he said, I know whom I have believed and
I'm persuaded, utterly convinced that He is able to keep that
which I've committed unto Him against that day, that day of
judgment, that day of eternal reckoning. What have I committed
unto Him? The well-being of my eternal soul, I've committed
to Him, and He is able to keep it and deal with it. Secondly,
He's given Him power over all flesh that He should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given Him. Do you know it's a
gift? Eternal life from God is not
something that you work for, or you strive for, or you've
got the mental energy to embrace. It's the gift of God. It is the
gift of God. The wages of sin, says Romans
6.23, the wages of sin is death, eternal death, the second death.
That's what the wages of sin is, that's what God's justice
demands, is the payment for sin. But the gift of God is eternal
life through Christ Jesus, our Lord. There's an innumerable
multitude who've been loved eternally for no other reason than sovereign
grace. And they're destined to be saved
from condemnation. They're destined to be qualified
for heaven because of this hour and what Christ accomplishes.
They're destined for eternal, blissful, sinless communication
with God, communion with Him. Not just prayers and is there
anybody there. In the very presence, he prays
later on, I pray that those that are mine be with me where I am,
that they may behold my glory. Now here's the question for you
and for me. This is the question for you
and me. Am I among that supremely blessed number? Am I amongst
them? Do I have eternal life? He said, this is eternal life.
He's given him power that he should give eternal life to as
many as you have given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee. You see, the numbers are determined
entirely by the sovereign grace of God before the beginning of
time. Salvation isn't an opportunity. Salvation isn't an offer. Salvation
is the accomplishment of the eternal purposes of God. As many
as thou hast given him. And what is it, this life eternal?
that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom Thou hast sent. Do I have that eternal life?
That's the question. Am I amongst them? Do I have
that spiritual life by which I know God the Father, and I
know Jesus Christ whom He has sent, because I know God the
Father by Jesus Christ whom He has sent. That is the way I know
Him. I know Him by Jesus Christ. God
is the invisible God. I cannot see Him. He dwells in
unapproachable light. No man has seen God at any time,
but the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father,
He has made Him known. He has manifested Him. Do I have
the Spirit of God within me? You know, in Romans 8, 16, Paul
there is telling us of the blessings of salvation, and of the Spirit
coming, and bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children
of God. Do you have that? Do you have
that witness of the Spirit of God within, confirming and convincing
you? Yes, you are a child of God,
you are amongst that number. Has it been your case, as James
says, that God of His own will begat me with the word of truth? The word became alive. The Spirit
of God opened the scriptures and gave you eyes to see and
ears to hear. A preacher came and expounded
the truth of the gospel of grace, and you believed it. And as God
did with Lydia in Philippi by that river, As Paul preached,
God opened Lydia's heart that she might believe the things
that Paul preached, the truth that he preached. Has that been
done for you? God, of his own will, begat me
with the word of truth. Have we been, as Peter put it,
1 Peter 1.23, born again, not of corruptible seed, not with
filthy lucre, money, but of incorruptible. By the Word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. The Word of God. Do you know
the Word of God? This book that God has given. He has exalted
His Word above all His name, He says in this book. Have we
been made new creatures in Christ? you know, different from what
we were in this world. Can it be said of you and me
that old things have passed away? Behold, all things are become
new, because you see them through new eyes, the eyes of the Spirit
of God, the eyes of the Word of God. You see all the things
that are happening around us in that light. All things have
become new, not because of anything that you are, not because of
anything that you do or you don't do, but because God's grace has
enlightened you and has drawn you to Him, you say yes. Oh, I pray that you can say yes.
I pray that this is your experience, that you believe God, that you
believe His Word, that you trust His Christ, that you hear Him
speaking to you through His Word, that you know that He has redeemed
you from the sin penalty. that you have the eternal life,
which is the gift of God, and nobody, no nation, no army, listen
to me, nobody, no nation, no army, no nuclear holocaust even,
nothing can take that away from you. Amen.