All right, I'm going to ask you
to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of John,
chapter 17. John 17. What I'd like to do is I'd like
to look at these verses of scripture. Lord willing, I'll go as far
as we can, and if we don't get through all the verses. I want to read, basically read
each verse, make a comment or two. And if we get through them
all, we'll do it. And if not, we'll go through
the next one. We'll do the next service that
way. So let's just look here for just
a few minutes at these blessed verses. As I was looking over
this chapter, I thought how often we find ourselves saying to our
brethren, and I mean this, our brethren, because so many times
people will say, well, my thoughts and prayers are with you. And
I know that people are sincere. I realize that. I'm talking about those that
don't know the Lord. That's just kind of a catchphrase,
you know, our thoughts and prayers are with you. But only a believer
truly possesses a heart to pray. Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee and he said his prayers, but
after the Lord met him on that rode to Damascus, saved him by
grace. Then the Lord said to Ananias,
go to this certain house, Simon the Tanner, for there's one Saul
of Tarsus there, for behold, he prayeth. For the first time
in Saul's life, he truly prayed. bore his heart before God, cried
out. And during the trials of this
life, as we realize the heaviness of these trials, we truly want
God's people, we want our brethren to pray for us And so heavy are
these trials. We truly desire the fellowship
of God's people to join with us in calling upon the Lord of
heaven and earth. The apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians
5.25, brethren, pray for us. Well, in this blessed passage
of scripture, recorded by the Spirit of God, there is a prayer
that has been set forth in this book for us to read and to rejoice
in. And it was prayed by him who
said that he sticks closer than a brother to his people. Here is the heart of the Lord
Jesus Christ, our great high priest, recorded for us to read
and to rejoice in, to enjoy, find comfort, And in this prayer,
the sheep who need prayer, desire prayer, because we don't know
what to pray for, and we want the Father's ear. I want to talk
to God. I want to talk to Him. I need
to talk to Him. And I want his ear. I want him
to hear and hear in compassion and mercy. But there's only one
that he hears for the merit of the one who's
speaking. Only the Son. Only the Lord Jesus. And here he's praying for us
as people. And I want to just look at what
he said. And I want us to just pray that
God speak to our hearts this morning and just give us some
understanding. The scripture says in verse 1,
John 17, these words spake Jesus, everything that he had previously
said to his disciple. He's just a few days, he's going
to go to the cross. And he had spoken to them and
the scripture says, these words spake Jesus and lifted up his
eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy
son that thy son also may glorify thee. Here, as he lifts his eyes
to heaven, I know God is omnipresent. The earth is the Lord's, the
fullness thereof. The Lord God is spirit, and I
realize he's not confined in his essence to one place. But here, the scriptures reveal
the place of his glory that the Lord Jesus Christ knew that place
from which he had come. He lifted up his eyes to heaven
and said, interceding for us, praying for us, appealing as
our representative and great high priest, he said, Father,
The hour has come. The hour that every other hour
pointed to. The time has come. He's getting ready to redeem
in time that which the Father had everlastingly seen. Glorify
Thy son, the hour is come. Glorify thy son that thy son
also may glorify thee. Now, the glory that had been bestowed
upon him by the father to be the redeemer of the sheep, that
glorious honor, his part in the everlasting covenant of grace.
Glorify thy son, support me, sustain me now in this my hour. The scripture talks about his
hour had not yet come, his hour, his hour. Now this is his hour. Glorify thou me, display it openly. That which is according to God's
everlasting covenant of grace. In just a little while, he was
going to, on that cross, he was going to honor the law. The law in his justice is going
to be honored. The sin of his people, the penalty
of that sin, he's going to put an end to it. by shed blood,
glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. Meaning,
let your glory as the electing God, the God who has everlastingly
loved a people and chose them. In me, the Lord says. You glorify me that I might glorify
you. And display before all the honor
that you've bestowed upon me. Verse two, as thou has given
him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou has given him. Now as God, and here is God in
human flesh. As God, nothing could be given
unto him. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. But as the
God-man mediator, as he himself had taken upon himself, flesh,
made in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet without sin. As the
mediator, the Father gave him absolute power over all flesh,
not just his elect, but all flesh. All souls are mine. The Father had given him absolute
authority that he should give by ruling, reigning, ordering,
directing. He raises up and puts down. Men think that they are in such
authority and power that they have the ability to dictate change
in the direction of politics. The Lord told Pilate, when Pilate
says, don't you know I have authority to put you to, I have power. The Lord said, you don't have
any power. You don't have any power. The
only power you've got is what my father has allotted to you
in the accomplishment of his will. in the salvation of God's
sheep, His church. Nobody has any power. All authority,
all power has been given unto the Son that He should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given Him. How often the Spirit
of God brings forth the electing grace of God. God Almighty chooses
to show mercy to whomsoever he will. Show me your glory, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy. That he should give eternal
life to as many as thou has given him. Life eternal is not earned. Life eternal is given, is bestowed
by the grace of God. I love this passage, Acts 13. The Gentiles were listening to
the apostle Paul as Paul was speaking to some Jews. Acts 13,
verse 44 to 48. And the next Sabbath day came
almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But
when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy and
spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed
bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you, but seeing you put it from you and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal
life believed. These Gentiles had always heard
the Jews say that salvation was of the Jews only. No Gentiles
would be saved. But when they heard the Spirit
of God through the Apostle Paul said, it was necessary that I
came. But see, you turn away. We can go into the Gentiles.
Because God's got some people. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life, They believed. And then verse three, and this
is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God in
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. This is life eternal. Now, life eternal, life eternal
is not merely, and I say this, I'm using this word specifically,
and I say this as a rebuke to the religion of this world that
says, all you have to do, just do this. All you have to do is
repeat these words. All you have to do is just say
a little phrase. Just say, Jesus, I'm sorry. I accept. I invite you to come
in. Where is justice satisfied? Where is God's honor? Where is
the law's demand for righteousness? No. Life eternal is not merely
a profession of words, just repeat it. It's not by an act. that men can do, whether it be
walking down the aisle or getting into some water or, as I've said,
praying through. I've never understood, as I've
said before, I've never understood that. But life eternal being not an exercise of man's
will, but it is an act. Life eternal is an act. and it's an experience of God's
act upon a sinner. It is the importation, it's the
giving, it's the putting forth, it's a birth from heaven that
whereby God Almighty imparts a new man. He puts a new creature
A new man that is created in righteousness. There is a new
nature put in. The Lord moved upon Ezekiel to
say, I'm going to remove that heart of stone, that old stony
heart that is resentful, carnal, and I'm going to give you a new
heart, a new will, a new nature. And in that importation of life,
it's a giving of life, it's a giving of life, that he should give
eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. This is like
that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent. It is a revelation in the importation
of that life of who God truly is. It's to be shown who God
is, who we are. It's the revelation of the life
of Christ. Galatians 1. Here's the I hate to use the word experience,
but it's the only word I can think of, because not that we
did something, but we do experience something. In Galatians chapter
1, the scripture says, verse 15-16, the Apostle Paul speaking,
he says, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in
me, that I might preach him among the heathen. Immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood." Paul said, the Lord did something
for me that I couldn't do for myself. God created the life
of Christ in me. This is life eternal. That they might know by experience
what God Almighty has done for us. Without our, without our will, without our
work, without, this is life eternal. God saves whom he will. And then
the Lord said, I've glorified thee on the earth. I finished
the work which thou gavest me to do. I glorified thee. I finished the
work. None other could. I have glorified
thee on the earth. I have loved you as the God-man. I've obeyed you. I've fulfilled
every jot and tittle of the law. I have destroyed yours and your
people's enemies, the power of sin, Satan, and death. I've finished the work that you
gave me to do. The work is completed. Now I realize that he's soon
to go, but so complete, so sure was that work, the Lord said,
it's done. What was the work? What is the
work? John 6, 38-40. Here's the work. I've finished
the work. What did the Father send Him
to do? John 6, 38-40 says, For I came
down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him
that sent me. And this is the Father's will. This is the Father's
work. This is the Father's purpose.
which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which
seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life,
and I will raise him up at the last day." So the Lord said,
I've finished. I've finished the work. that
you've given me to do. I've glorified you on the earth. Verse five, and now, O Father,
glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I
had with thee before the world was. The Lord Jesus Christ has
always been with the Father. Before he was flesh, before he
was made flesh, he was always with the Father. He said before
the world was. Proverbs 8 verse 23, I was set
up from everlasting from the beginning. Or ever the world
was. So he didn't come into existence
when he was made flesh. He was made flesh, the one who
always has been. He's ever been. That verse I
just quoted, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. Verse 14 says in John 1, and
the Word was made flesh. So here the Lord is declaring
in his high priestly prayer, glorify thou me with thine own
self. He's soon to return into the
glorious presence of his father. And that was his will, that was
the father's will, that was his delight, to return as the glorious
and victorious God-man, mediator, one with the Father. 1 Timothy
2.5, there's one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man, Christ Jesus. And verse six, I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine
they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have, kept thy word. I have manifested your character,
your name. It's not that some men merely
know that there is God. I've said before, demons know
that. But I've manifested your character. Listen to this precious
passage. I've manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest them which thou gavest me out of the
world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me. They have kept
thy word." Before they were actually in time given unto the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord did call out some apostles. But those apostles, those men,
flesh and blood, they always belonged to the Father. They
were his, that's what the Lord said. Thine, they were, you gave
them to me. They were the Lord's also, but
look at the submission as the suffering servant of Jehovah. He said, Father, these men were
your possession. You loved them, you appointed
them. And you gave them to me, and
I've manifested your character. I've told them who you are. I've
told them what you've done. I've expressed to them why I'm
here. And he said, you gave those to
me, and listen, They have kept thy word. Do you know what's
so precious about that last statement? In that high priestly prayer,
the one who has everlastingly stood as their surety, the one
who's everlastingly loved them, the one in whom they were chosen,
and he's answering for right now, and his righteousness rose. He didn't bring up one fault. He didn't say one thing contrary
to him about him. They kept your word. I think about Peter. They doubted. We've done the same thing, but
he said, Father, They've kept your word. They've obeyed you. This is my beloved son, in whom
I'm well pleased. You hear him. And he said, they've
heard you. They've kept your word. Verse
7 and 8. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou
hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me." All these, taught of you,
loved of you, given to me, they know and they understand that
that which has been given unto me was yours in love, in covenant
love, in covenant mercy, and that they know that all of the
elect have been bestowed upon me as
your substitute, your lamb, and they believe it. And all the
words that I've spoken unto them, concerning your will and your
purpose to save them. You gave me those words. And
they have received those words as being your words. And they
know that I came from you as the Lamb to redeem them from
their sins. They know that. And I'm expressing
to you and upon the authority of my word on their behalf, receive
these words as that which is absolutely so. Verse nine, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Now here's the proof of God's
love for his people. Christ prays for. He prays for. The Lord Jesus Christ
set forth here that he has never prayed for those who would live
and die in their sins. Let God be true. Every man's
a liar. Almighty God is the potter And
we're the clay, and the potter has the right over one lump to
make that lump a vessel of honor. And he has the right to leave
another lump to be a lump of dishonor. And we have no right
to question him. We have no right to doubt or
to argue. We believe. We believe God. Because the Lord's Word shall
stand. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me, because they're
yours. And as the great high priest
of the sheep, the elect, the church, the bride. Every believer
hears that and in his heart says, Lord, it is only by the grace
of God that I am what I am, that you'd pray for me, that you'd
intercede for me. Then he said, all mine are thine,
and thine are mine. and I am glorified in them."
Look at the oneness and the unity of the Father and the Son and
the Spirit, God Himself. Christ Jesus, who finished the
work of the Father to save His elect, was glorified are made
to be shown to be glorious in their redemption. And we glorify the Son as we love Him and worship Him
and attribute all of our salvation to Him. He said, I am glorified
in them as they believe Me. as they trust me. This is who
He is. He said, yours are mine, and
mine are yours, and all these have been regenerated by the
grace of God. I'm glorified. And now, verse 11, I'm no more
in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee,
Holy Father, through thine own name, those whom thou hast given
me, that they may be one as we are." Again, he's soon to go to the
cross. He's going to suffer. He's going
to die. He's going to be buried. Three days later, he's going
to be raised. Shortly thereafter, ascend into heaven and be seated
at the right hand of the majesty on high. But his sheep are still
going to be in this world. They're going to still be living
in a world that hates what they preach. Hates them. Because the
world despises God. It's a hostile environment. And a world in which they're
going to suffer. They're going to be persecuted,
and they're going to experience some hardships and some temptations,
and they're going to be treated as the scourge of this earth. The Lord said this world wasn't
even worthy of them. But they're going to be sawn
in two, they're going to be run through, they're going to be
burned at the stake, And here, the Lord prays that the Father
would keep us, and sustain us, and comfort us, and edge us about.
That He would keep us faithful to the Gospel. Keep us in unity,
one with another, and join us together, that we might be found
to the glorious praise of His grace and honor. and that he
might be made to be shown to be the God who keeps us by faith
unto the day of salvation. He said, I'm leaving, but they're
going to have to stay. Father, would you keep them?
I think about how the Father is right now, as the Lord prayed
for us, and said, Father, keep them. And how every moment that
we go through the sufferings and trials of this life, you
think, the Father's keeping me, as the Father kept Him. And He's
sustaining us. And in this very moment, rejoice
in that which the Lord has been pleased to do. And again, we
say, Lord, it's only by your grace. If it was not for your
grace, I couldn't go anymore. But Lord, thanks be unto God,
which giveth us the victory through Christ Jesus, our Lord. I'm going
to stop right there, and Lord willing, I'll pick it up in the
next one. But I pray, God, bless these
words that we've looked at thus far, to His glory and our good
for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.