I want to focus this evening on the first three verses of John chapter 17. If you have done any study on this, you know this is the Lord's Prayer, and several commentators have made mention of the fact that when we come near this passage of scripture to read it and to study it, we should approach this as Moses did when he drew near to the burning bush that was not consumed. And he heard the voice saying, take off your shoes. Where you stand is holy ground. And surely, if there's holy ground to be found anywhere, it's in our Lord's high priestly prayer.

Our God was pleased to record the words that he spoke. The Lord was pleased to have 11 men listen as the Savior poured out his heart to the Father and prayed for them. And even as he prayed for these men, so he prayed for us. Because he said, I pray for them, I don't pray for the world. Then later he said, and I pray for those that shall believe through their word. So he prayed for us.

And I want to just get right into this passage of Scripture. Verse 1, it says, These words spake Jesus. That's a reference to his message that he brought to his disciples in chapters 12, 13, and 14. He has been speaking to men who were chosen of God to believe the gospel, men chosen to go forth and set before the multitudes the way of life, the way of salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. And in chapters 14, 15, and 16, he gave to these men much needed instruction. For as you know, our Lord, after this night, The next day, he will face death and lay down his life for his people to satisfy justice. He will then be raised from the dead, and 40 days later, after his resurrection, he'll be ascended back to heaven. And it will fall upon these men to set forth the glorious gospel of the grace of God.

So our Lord Jesus gives them needed instruction for the awesome task that lay upon them to preach the gospel and evangelize the people to whom they would preach. These words speak Jesus. You ought to read John chapters 14, 15, and 16 quite often and hear the master speak, not just to these 11 men, but hear him speak to you. Hear the instructions that he gives to you.

He says this in verse one. As he lifted up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour is come. And I don't have to remind you, but I will remind you that this hour is that season appointed from old eternity when he will offer himself unto God. as that perfect sacrifice that will put away the sins of his people. He often referred to this hour. You remember when our Lord performed his first miracle at Cana of Galilee, changing the water into wine. He said to his mother, to Mary, he said, mine hour is not yet come. He said that was his hour. It wasn't the devil's hour. It wasn't the hour of Pilate or the hour of Herod or the hour of the Sanhedrin. He said, this is my hour. He ordained it in old eternity. He didn't die at the hands of men because they purposed to kill him. He died at the hands of men, primarily at the hands of God because he ordained it. This was written in the covenant of grace in old eternity. This was not an accident. This was not bad news for him that he must die. He came to die. He's born to die. The scripture says he's the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world.

It says, he said, this is mine hour. This is my time, my time. Let me give you a reference, hold your place there, but look back in Luke 22. And sometimes we think that only in the gospel of John that he mentioned the hour, but he mentions it back here in Luke chapter 22. Look at Luke 22, 14 and 15. And when the hour was come, definite article I would have you to notice, when the hour was come, the hour when it was ordained for him to lay down his life, the hour, the time, the season for his suffering. He said, when the hour was come, the Spirit of God has Luke right, when the hour was come, he sat down and the 12 apostles with him, and he said unto them with desire, with longing, with longing, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

This is why he came into the world. He looked forward to this time with anxiousness. He knew what would befall Him. He knew the anger of men. He knew the wrath of the Sanhedrin. And He knew what would happen to Him as a result of the judgment of God upon Him because He would bear our sins in His own body on the tree. But He looked forward to this time to redeem us, to redeem those that He loved. to save us by the shedding of His blood.

So the hour was come, and He says, over here, Father, the hour is come. I've looked forward to this hour. This is the hour appointed to Him from old eternity. And then he says, glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee. Now understand this, no glory can be added to the glory of the son of God. He has infinite glory and infinite glory cannot be added to. But he speaks here in this passage of scripture, in his prayer, he speaks as our advocate. He speaks as our mediator. He speaks as our great high priest. And he says to the Father, glorify thy son. Glorify me in sustaining me. Glorify thou me as I hang upon the cross, suffering the wrath of God in my soul for the sins of my people. Glorify thou me as I bear the iniquities and the indignities that the soldiers will heap upon me. Glorify thou me. Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. Help me, O Father.

He speaks as the man Christ Jesus. Here's a truth that we will never begin to really fully comprehend. How the Son of God joined Himself with our humanity. He is the Son of Man. And as the Son of Man, He looked upon this time of His death, the time of bearing our sins in His own body. He looked upon that and He quivered in His soul. He even said in his prayer in Garden of Gethsemane, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me, the cup of wrath, the cup of indignation, the cup of God's justice and judgment, the cup of God's fury. Let this cup pass from me. Why would he pray that? Because he's praying as a real man to the Father. He prayed to be glorified. He prayed to be sustained, to be strengthened with might in his inner man. He said, glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee by fulfilling that which you purposed before the world began. Glorify thou me as I fulfill the salvation appointed for our people by bearing their sins, by enduring the hell, the indignation, the very fury of God in my soul. Glorify me as I seek to glorify thee.

This was the outward. The animal sacrifices couldn't put away sin. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 4 says that. All the blood of bulls and goats couldn't remove any iniquities, couldn't remove any sins, couldn't pay for any transgressions. Rivers of blood flowed. On those special days, hundreds, hundreds and hundreds of sacrifices died. But all of them together could not avail to put even one sin away. The Father will be glorified as the Son of God is upheld and as He lays down His life for His people, thereby honoring and satisfying divine justice.

It's something that most religious people don't know anything about, is the necessity of our Lord Jesus satisfying the very justice and law of God that demands death for sin. They don't know anything about that. That's why Christ had to die. Without the shedding of blood is no remission of sins.

Our Lord Jesus, yes, he was born, he was a little baby, but as a baby, he didn't put away sins. When he was circumcised, he shed a few drops of blood, but that didn't put away sin. It had to be the shedding of his blood to his death. Death, that's the wages of sin. Death, that's what justice demanded. And here's what we know, when Christ died for our sins, we were in Him. So we died in Him, we have already died to our sins in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the law of God only requires one death for sin, and that's Christ Himself.

Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee. Notice what he says in the second verse. As thou has given him power, and the word is authority, or here's another good word, jurisdiction. As thou has given him power, dominion, authority, jurisdiction over all flesh. If you're flesh, he's got authority over you. If you're flesh, he's got jurisdiction over you. If you're flesh, he has all power over you. This just is simply saying He has power, He has jurisdiction, He has authority over everybody. There's nobody who has ever lived that Christ, the Son of God, doesn't have authority over. He is the Lord and He is the King.

In England, they have a king, King Charles III, I believe it is. But He's a King only in name and kind of a ceremonial thing. He doesn't make the laws. He doesn't enact the statutes. He's a King in a ceremonial way, in name only. But our Lord Jesus, He is the King. He's the Lord, not only in name, but in fact, in reality, He rules over all. He rules as the potter who has power over the clay. We're all clay in the potter's hands. And he will mold us and make us to be that which he has designed for us, that which is predetermined for us. He has power over all flesh. That means he can do with you and with me according to the good pleasure of his will. He has absolute authority.

Preachers today say, won't you make Jesus your Lord? Let him be your Lord. Let him rule over your life. You can't let him do anything. He's God. He's the Lord. He's the sovereign. He rules over all flesh. Learn this. He doesn't need us. We need him. He got along just fine before we was ever born. He'll still be getting along just fine after we're dead and gone. When the memory of us fades away, which will surely happen if time continues to go on. It isn't that he needs us, he doesn't need us to do his work.

When his disciples, when Peter especially wanted to relieve him of the agony of going to the cross, Peter was ready to defend him with his sword. And our Lord Jesus said, put your sword in the sheath. Don't you know, if I wanted to, I could call 10,000 angels. They'd come to my aid as if I needed them. He doesn't need the angels. He doesn't need you and me. He could cause the stones to rise up and praise him. He could have had the angels preach the gospel. but he uses worms of the dust who have learned about redemption to preach him. The angels, they desire to look into redemption, but they can't comprehend it. They can't understand it because they haven't sinned. They don't need a savior. They need somebody to preserve them, and Christ does. He preserves them. He keeps them. But He didn't redeem angels. He didn't save angels. He didn't appoint angels to eternal salvation. There was a group of angels who fell according to His sovereign will, and there was a group of angels who did not fall. But they do not stand in need of His salvation, but we do.

So the angels really couldn't preach the gospel of good news of satisfaction and substitution by Christ for a guilty race of people. They can't comprehend that. He died for sinners. He died for his people. He has been given all power, all authority, all jurisdiction over all flesh. For this purpose now, watch it, that He should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him.

As you read through, especially the Gospel of John, but really all through the Bible, it's the Lord gives, He gives, He gives. It's not you earned it. Salvation is not a prize to be earned. Forgiveness of sins is not something you work toward and merit and earned. It's a gift. He gives, he gives, he gives. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Bible keeps reminding me that which is good, that which is everlasting, that which is God's salvation, He gives, He gives, He gives. He even gives more grace as we need it. And someone then speaks up and says, yeah, but we got to receive the gift. Well, he's taking care of that, too, because he gives faith. He quickens us. And with the quickening grace comes the ability and the willingness to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

He says, as thou hast given him power, authority, jurisdiction over all flesh. We shouldn't get upset about what anybody does. Because whatever people do, it's all under the authority of and under the jurisdiction of and under the power of King Jesus. You may not like or you may love a certain leader. I worry about it. I don't get involved in it. You know why? Because every leader, from the national leaders to the local leaders, they're there by God's appointment.

What's the use in me? I hardly give it a thought, to tell you the truth. People want to get active in these things, worry about global warming and worry about things like that. I don't worry about things like that. Of what concern is that to me? You see, it's like the Lord said to Noah, the four seasons are going to continue to the end of time. What do you want to worry about that for? What about thinking about eternity? What about thinking about Jesus Christ and His glory and that great salvation that's of God?

We worry about things we don't have anything to do with. Whoever's in charge, locally, on the council, on the state level, on the national level. Let me tell you something, they're under the jurisdiction of, the power of, the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why should I get involved in that? Why should I waste my time? Why should I waste my energy on those things? I don't worry about that. I got enough to be concerned about with my own heart, my own sinfulness, and the ministry to which God has committed this sinner.

The other things, if somebody is flesh, I know who the Lord is over them. So I need not concern myself with that. I'm not saying bury your head in the sand, I'm aware of what's going on. Of course I am. I just pray about it. I got bigger fish to catch. I got bigger matters to be concerned about.

He has power, dominion, and jurisdiction over all flesh. in order that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. When were these given to him? In covenant grace, in the election of mercy. God chose a people unto salvation. There's no question about that. You're a fool if you deny that. You have blinders on if you can't see that. The gift of salvation is a gift purposed by God in old eternity for certain designated individuals. The Lord knows those who are His. He chose them. He elected them. And He predestinated them to be the sons and daughters of God.

Salvations of the Lord. I said that this morning, quoting Jonah. It's not of you, it's not of me. If it was of us, well, we wouldn't have any hope whatsoever. But it's of God. The Lord said, He told Moses, I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. Now you can take issue with that if you want to, but you're a fool. You go ahead and try to argue with God. See how far that gets you. Moses said, show me your glory. And God said, I cause my goodness to pass before you. I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. I'll be merciful to whom I'll be merciful. That's His glory. He's God. He does what He pleases. He rules in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of men. He always does His will. He doesn't need your permission. He didn't need anybody's permission for you to come into this world. And He doesn't need anybody's permission to take you out of this world. And you may be a picture of health. You may be young, you may be old, or you may fall somewhere in between, because I don't really know what age is really old. But you're flesh, and He has the authority over you. And I wish that I believed that more than I do. And I wish that you did too. We wouldn't worry then. We wouldn't have fits of anxiety. We wouldn't lay awake at night thinking about what could be, what might happen. Eh, this might happen.

He gives his children sleep and rest. as we rest in Him. You see, the Father gave us to Him. That means something to me. Before He ever made the world, He gave me to the Son of God. And the father said, I love him. I entrust his eternal welfare to you. You must go and live for him. You must in his stead honor my law. And you must bear his sins in your own body on the tree. and you must suffer the very fury of my wrath in his stead. And then after dying for him, you will be raised from the dead and you must represent him at the right hand of the majesty on high. Christ has done all that for us. See, he entrusted me The Father entrusted me to Christ, and you too, you too.

Election. Election wasn't, well, I choose this great mass of people to salvation. No, individually. Individually. That's why the Bible pictures us as having our names written down in the Lamb's Book of Life. We were chosen as individuals. I know we were redeemed as a church, we were redeemed as those gifted to the Lord Jesus Christ, but we're loved individuals. That loving kindness we sang about a while ago. The Lord said to Jeremiah, you wanna know how personal this is? The Lord said to Jeremiah, I have loved thee. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore in loving kindness have I drawn thee. It's a very personal thing. It wasn't, you know, I've heard people say this about elects. Well, God said, okay. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. I choose this one. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, I'll choose this one. That's not the way election was. God chose a people under salvation whom he loved eternally. You want to know how long God has loved you? As long as he has been God. And that's forever. And that's how long ago he purposed that you would have a substitute to live and die for you.

The Son of Man has jurisdiction over you, has power over you, has authority over you to give you eternal life. And I know there's a sense in which eternal life is the length of it. But it's more than that. You know, in John 10, Christ said, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life. There's that give again. Give, give, give.

Though eternal life is forever, it's more than just the length of this life. And as far as the length of life that God gives us, everlasting life, spiritual life, we've already got that. Do you know that? Already got everlasting life. God has given you a life that will never die. That's why physical death is said to be in the scriptures, sleep. Them which are fallen asleep in Jesus.

We've been given a life that'll never die, it'll never end, never cease. But here, our Savior gives us a more definitive meaning of eternal life. It's not just the length of it. It's endless. There's no question about that. But here's what he says, and you won't get a clearer statement anywhere in the Bible. And this is life eternal. Well, I'm listening, Lord. What is life eternal? The Savior says, I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you what life eternal is.

that they might know thee, the only true God, eternal life is number one, to know God. And secondly, it is to know Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. It's to know God and to know Christ. Who is God? Most people don't know. But the Lord's people know. Because that's eternal life, and we'll know him. Not know about him, not just know that he exists. I believe there's a God, well whoop-dee-doo, the devil believes that. And he goes a step further, he trembles. People say, I believe in God, I believe God exists. Devils are ahead of you.

It's not just to know that God is, but that God is an eternal being. You see, a knowledge of God will create reverence in your heart for him and great respect. He's the great infinite, invisible, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal Jehovah who made the heaven and the earth. Who is God? He is the incomprehensible Trinity. Mr. Spurgeon said this in one of his messages on this. And he had just written about the incomprehensible trinity. He said this, I would not worship a God that I could fully understand. If I could put my religion in my pocket like a box of lozenges, I should soon suck it all away. He said, there is in God an infinite depth of mystery, an infinite height of wonder, and an infinite wideness of fullness that no creature can ever comprehend.

Well, that's a powerful statement. We believe that God is. and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him. He's God. To know God, that's eternal life. Well, who is God? Well, he's the one who upholds all things by the word of his power. He is the one who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Who is God? He is the one in whom we live and move and have our being. Who is God? He's the one who reigns everywhere, over everybody and over everything. Who is God? He is the one whose will you cannot resist. To know God is to believe Him as He's revealed Himself in the Word of God. And to know Him as the only true God is to know Him as my God. That's got to be personal now. My God. The God that I just described to you in a few words, that's my God. I bow the knee to Him. I honor Him. I'm aware of His presence everywhere. I worship Him with reverence. I worship Him with all.

I believe Him. I trust His Word. I hang my soul upon His Son. I love His Word. And I'll tell you this, to know God is to know Him as my Father. My Father. That's why we read in Romans 8, we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Father, Father. And in Galatians, we call Him Abba. Father, that's even more personal. That's why we pray. The Savior said, now you pray this way. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

My Father, he's the one I trust. My Father, he's the one I seek to obey. My Father, He's the one I love. He's the one I reverence. I'm aware of His power as well as His peace, His righteousness and His redemption, His justice and His mercy. And I'll tell you this, If God Almighty is my Father, and He is, all is well, all of the time.

One old writer said this, permit me to quote. He said, God being my Father, you may strip me, but I'm still clothed in the righteousness of Christ. You may put me in prison, but I'll still be free in Christ. You may pluck out my eyes, but I'll still see His glory. You may cut out my tongue, but I'll still sing His praise. You may forsake me, but I'll never be alone. I may be sick in body, but it is well with my soul. I may be pressed under the load of a thousand, thousand snares, but they'll all work together for my good. And I may at this moment be at death's very door, but that will just lead me into the presence. of my God.

What is eternal life? It's to know God. And lastly, what is eternal life? It's to know Jesus Christ whom God has sent. To know God outside of the Lord Jesus Christ is a frightening thought. To stand before God without a savior would scare me to death. In fact, somebody said, and I heard a preacher say this, he said, here's what hell is, appearing before God and not having a savior. God's consuming fire. I don't want to appear before him without a mediator, without a redeemer, without an advocate.

You see, God without Christ, he couldn't bless me because I violated his law. And without Christ, I have no law keeper. God without Christ, He surely couldn't walk with me and fellowship with me because I'm filthy in my sin. God without Christ, He could never be pleased with me because I'm just a mass of iniquity. But since Christ is my wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, I'm accepted in the beloved. No matter what thoughts I may be having, no matter if I'm behaving myself or misbehaving. And I'm certainly not advocating sin. But let me tell you something. We are sin, we sin all the time. And we always have an advocate.

Who's he an advocate with? The Father. Who is our advocate? Jesus Christ, don't leave out the end, the righteous one. I must know Jesus Christ, whom God has sent. I must know Him as my mediator, as my savior, as my redeemer, as my righteousness, as my go-between, as my salvation. The Lord Jesus, He is my salvation. And I'll give you this and quit. What is it to know Christ? It's to realize the glory of His person. God and man. What is it to know Christ? It's to trust the power of His blood. His blood that appeased God's justice. His blood that washed my sins away. His blood that paid my debt to the justice of God.

What is it to know Christ? It's to believe in the merits of His righteousness. He is the Lord, our righteousness. I'll put it this way. He's the Lord, my righteousness. He's my righteousness. Everything God demands, Christ is to me. I tell you, I'm real well off. I hope you are too. What is it to know Christ? It's to depend on His faithfulness, to guide me through this wilderness with all of its twists and turns. What is it to know Christ? It's to be confident that in the end, whenever my end comes, the end of this physical life, He will take me safely into His presence and I shall be with Him forever.

this is eternal life, to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom God has sent. May the Lord bless these few words that I've spoken to you tonight, and encourage your hearts, and further instruct you in our God and Savior, Christ Jesus.