Glorify Thy Son

Q: What does the Bible say about eternal life?

The Bible teaches that eternal life is the gift of God, experienced through knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:3). Eternal life, as defined in Scripture, is not merely the duration of life but its quality, reflecting the life of God which cannot perish. In John 17:3, Jesus states, 'This is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.' This knowledge is intimate and transformative, as it is through a relationship with God that believers receive the divine life that is eternal in nature. In this sense, eternal life is a gift that is not earned but graciously given by God to His people, demonstrating His mercy and grace.

Q: How do we know Jesus' authority to give eternal life is true?

Jesus has the authority to give eternal life because the Father has given Him authority over all flesh (John 17:2). The authority of Jesus to grant eternal life stems from His divine nature and His unique relationship with the Father. In John 17:2, Jesus affirms, 'As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.' This indicates that all authority in heaven and on earth has been bestowed upon Him. He is not just a rabbi; He is the Son of God, who has completed the work given to Him and has the right to bestow eternal life upon those whom the Father has given to Him. His divine prerogative assures us of the authenticity of His promises.

Q: Why is the glory of God important for Christians?

The glory of God is essential for Christians as it reveals God’s attributes and perfect righteousness through Jesus Christ (John 17:4-5). The glory of God is fundamental to the Christian faith because it encapsulates His holiness, righteousness, and the full revelation of His character. In John 17:4-5, Jesus prays, 'I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.' This underscores that the purpose of Jesus' mission was to reveal God's glory through His obedience and sacrifice. For Christians, understanding and experiencing the glory of God impacts their worship, motivates their service to others, and confirms their salvation.

Q: What does it mean for Jesus to be our mediator?

Jesus serves as our mediator by interceding for us and reconciling us to God through His atoning sacrifice (John 17). In the context of John's Gospel, Jesus is portrayed as the perfect mediator between God and humanity. His role as mediator involves several aspects: He intercedes on behalf of His people, ensuring that their needs are brought before the Father (John 17:9, 11). Moreover, His atoning sacrifice whips away the separation caused by sin, enabling reconciliation. Jesus said, 'No man cometh unto the Father, but by me' (John 14:6), highlighting that through Him we have access to God. His mediatorial work is vital to salvation, as He fulfills both justice and mercy, embodying the link between a holy God and sinful humanity.

Q: How does Jesus' prayer in John 17 emphasize God's sovereignty?

Jesus' prayer emphasizes God's sovereignty by affirming that those who will be saved are given to Him by the Father (John 17:6). The prayer in John 17 highlights God's sovereign selection and purpose in salvation. Jesus speaks repeatedly of those whom the Father has given to Him, making it clear that salvation is rooted in God's will and decree, not human decision (John 17:6). This underscores the Reformed belief in sovereign grace, illustrating that God’s initiative precedes human response. God's sovereignty assures us that our salvation is secure, as it is founded on His eternal purposes and His faithful keeping of those He has chosen.

All right, let's open our Bibles
to the 17th chapter of John. Now, this Scripture is certainly
no more inspired than the rest of the Word of God. And this
Scripture is no more His Word than the rest of the Word of
God. It's all His Word. But it's so special, this is
such a special portion of God's Word, because it allows us to
listen in as our Lord Jesus Christ speaks personally to His Father. This is our Lord's prayer before
the great awesome agony of the garden and the cross. This is the prayer of our great
High Priest. You know, our Lord told the Apostle
Peter, He said, Satan hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat,
but I've prayed for you. I've prayed for you. And this
is what he prayed for Simon Peter, that your faith fail not. This
is what he prayed for him. And this is what he prayed for
me, and this is what he prayed for you, and this is what he
prayed for all of his sheep. It says in verse 1, these words
spake Jesus, and that refers to the preceding words. I wish
I could kindle in your heart an interest in really getting
into chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16. These are the words that our
Lord spoke to His disciples to comfort them and to instruct
them and to edify them and to give them directions. These four
chapters, 13, 14, 15, 16, are the words He spoke to them just
48 hours before the cross, 48 or 72 hours, His last instructions,
His last words of comfort. And then, now that's what says
in verse 1, these words speak Jesus, what he just got through
saying. Now, he lifted his eyes to heaven. He's not talking to
his disciples here. He has been talking to them.
For several hours, he's been talking to them and helping them. Now, he lifts his eyes to heaven. And from here on in this chapter,
he's speaking to the Father. He lifted his eyes to heaven
and he said, Father, the hour has come. This is the hour of
the cross. This is the hour determined and
set in the covenant of grace. This is the hour that has been
set. This is the fullness of time. In the fullness of time,
God sent forth his Son. This is the hour designed and
decreed and purposed by God, the hour of redemption. from
before the foundation of the world. This is the hour. The
hour has come. This is the hour pictured in
the types and ceremonies. Right now, this hour, right here,
to which he refers, is the hour of the fulfillment of Abel's
sacrifice. It makes Abel's sacrifice accepted. This is the hour, this is the
fulfillment of the Passover Lent. This is the hour that fulfills
the serpent lifted up. This is the hour that fulfills
the mercy seat, the atonement, the blood sprinkled on the mercy
seat. This is the hour. Father, what an awesome, awesome
hour. The hour has come. This is the
hour to which He referred so often. You who are familiar with
the Scriptures. One of the very first things
He said when He began His ministry, When Mary came to him at the
wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, and she said, they don't have
any wine. What's the first thing he said? Woman, what have I to
do with thee? Mine hour has not yet come. This
is the hour he was talking about, John. And you know, when Peter
tried to get him not to go to Jerusalem, he told him he was
going up there and suffering and dying. He said, well, don't
go. He said, for this cause came after this hour. Cause came out
to this hour. His death predetermined, predestinated,
purpose decreed by the Father. It has to be. Father, the hour
is come. It's the hour to suffer. It's
the hour to die. It's the hour to redeem His people.
It's here. Now, read on. Glorify thy Son. Now my friends, as God, He needed
no added glory. He had all glory. He talked a
little later, glorify me with the glory which I had with thee
before the world was. As God, He needed no glory. He
needed no added glory. But I wish I could see myself,
and I wish I could help you to see the manhood of Jesus Christ. how he limited himself. Jesus
Christ was a man. In every respect, he was a man.
He has to be, he must be to redeem a man. He had to be tempted in
all points as we are. He had to suffer in all points
as we do. He had to thirst, not in figurative language, he thirsted,
Don. He wept. Our Lord wasn't putting
on a show. He was weeping. When His disciples
troubled Him and vexed His Spirit, He wept over them. And that's what He's saying here.
He's saying, glorify Me. Here's what He's saying, help
Me. As a man, as our Mediator, He prayed that the Father would
sustain Him. and support him and uphold him
and give him the strength he needed for this awesome task
upon him in the garden of Gethsemane. I don't think a lot of us really
understand that he nearly died in that garden. He prayed there in that garden
as he wept and prayed. and the realization of what he
was about to endure, bearing our sin, bearing our hell. Jesus
Christ endured hell on that cross, separation from God the Father. Somehow, the servant was separated
from the Father. He said, My God, why have you
forsaken me? Hell he endured. Sin, all the
sins of all the saints of all ages. And in that garden he was
praying, he said, Father, if it be Thy will, let this cup
pass from me. My soul is sorrowful unto death.
His blood changed directions. Isn't that right? And came out
the pores of his skin. He bled through the pores of
his skin. That's what Scripture says. That's
the agony. You ever hurt like that? Or grieve
like that? Of course not. We don't know
anything about it. You talk about depression. Devastation. Grief. Sorrow. He said, I'm sorry
for it. I'm going to die. Nevertheless,
still, He's not talking about not going to the cross. He said
for this cross came out of this hour. He said the hour has come. He's not praying for release
from the cross. He's praying for a release from
death right here in this garden. And the angels came and ministered
to Him. And he went to his disciples
and said, okay, it's alright, now let's go. I've got my strength. I've been sustained. I've got
the help I need. He's a man. And he prays for
strength, and he prays for support, and he prays to be sustained.
He prays for the ability to do what the Father's given him to
do. Now he said, glorify me. Why? that the Son may glorify
you. I want you to sustain me and
strengthen me and enable me to do what I have to do to glorify
all of your attributes. I'm here to keep your law. I'm
here to bear their sins and sorrows. I'm here to reveal every virtue
and every character and every attribute of you. I'm here to
glorify you. Now, glorify me that I may glorify
you. You see, in Christ, mercy and
truth have got to meet together and righteousness and peace kiss
one another. And God's righteousness and holiness
and God's wrath and God's mercy have all got to be revealed right
here in this man. And bless your heart, it was.
It was by the power of God, by the sustaining grace of God,
Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Mediator, He fulfilled every jot and tittle
of God's law and God's character. That's right. That's the man.
But now look at verse 2. Don't ever forget, as thou hast
given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. He's God. They're God of
their God. The earth is His. That's right. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof. the world and they that dwell
therein. Isn't that a mystery? Great is
the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
God came down here, the only begotten Son, came down here
to this earth and wrapped himself, clothed himself in a human body,
became a man, the man Christ Jesus, and yet he never left
the bosom of the Father. Somehow. Somehow. Never cease to be God. Never cease to have power over
all flesh. All flesh. He said, all authority
is given unto me in heaven and earth. He said in Colossians
1 that He made the world, everything was made by Him, everything was
made for Him, and by Him all things are held together. In
John 5, he said, The Father hath life in himself, even so hath
he given to the Son to have life in himself. And the Son quickeneth
whom he will. And the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment to the Son. 1 Corinthians 15,
Paul said, The Father hath put all things under his feet. At
the same time that I preach Jesus Christ is a man, born of a woman,
in every respect a man as if he had never been God, and yet
Jesus Christ is God Almighty, King of kings, Lord of lords,
with all authority and power over all flesh, over all creation,
over all creatures, as if he never had become a man. Somehow
that's so. I praise and extol Him. I kneel
and worship Him. He is God Almighty, and yet He's
my friend. And yet He's my substitute, and
yet He's my suffering Savior somehow. Only God can make that
possible. Only God. Only God. Thou hast given Him authority.
Look at verse 2 again. Over all flesh. Power over all
flesh that He should give. Eternal life, my friends, is
a gift. It's not earned. by the creature's merit or works
that he might give, that he should give eternal life. It's the gift
of God. Eternal life is in Christ. He
gives it. He gives it. He gives it to whom
He will. The Son quickeneth whom He will.
He'll show mercy to whom He will. He'll be gracious to whom He
will. He gives eternal life. The Son gives eternal life. Eternal
life is ordained for those, listen, that he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. The Father and the Son are
in total unity and harmony in everything that the Son does.
What the Father purposed, the Son purchased, and the Holy Spirit
applies. If you'll take your pen, I want
you to mark six verses in the Scripture. Go back later and
look at them again. Our Lord six times in this one
prayer, makes this statement, verse 2, as thou hast given him
authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given him. Six times he uses this statement,
as many as thou hast given him. Look at verse 6. I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, thou gavest
them me. Verse 9, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. That's the third time he
says, them which thou hast given me. Verse 11, and now I'm no
more in the world, but these are in the world. I come to thee,
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast
given me. Keep them. He's praying. And let me tell you, everything
he Our Lord's request, and for which He prays, is done. Always. My Father always hears
me. Verse 12. While I was with them
in the world, I kept them in thy name. Whom did He keep? Those that thou gavest me, I
kept. I kept those that you gave me. Verse 24. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. He prays for them
to be with him where he is. Who? Those whom thou hast given
me. And that's what he says in verse
2 as clearly as it can be stated. And six times in this one prayer
he refers to these people for whom he prays. those whom thou
hast given me. I pray for them. I pray for the
ones you gave me in the everlasting covenant of grace. I pray for
my sheep. I pray for them. Alright, verse
3. Now he asks, he says, have you given me power that I might
give them eternal life? Now, verse 3 tells you what eternal
life is. And this is life eternal. This
is it. You see, eternal life is not
just the length of it. I heard a preacher on the radio
one time and he said he was going to preach on eternal life. What
is eternal life? And he made it very simple. He said, well, eternal life is
life eternal. Well, it's more than that. Eternal
life isn't the length of it or even the comfort of it. It's
the quality of it. It's eternal life because it's
the life of God. And it can't die. That's why
it's eternal life. There are a lot of forms of life.
There's mineral life, dies. Plant life, it dies. Animal life,
it dies. Human life, it dies. Divine life. God can't die. It's divine life. And that's eternal life, because
it can't die. Thou hast given me authority
over all flesh, that I should give the life of God. In Him
was life, and that life was the life of men. I'm come that they
might have life, but I've got life. No, I don't. No, I don't. I'm dying. And one day I'll die
completely. But I'm come that they might
have life, Real life, true life, life that can't die. I'm the
way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. He that believeth on me can't
die because he's got eternal life. He's got the life of God. Frank, that's what eternal life
is. It's not the length of it. It's not even the joy of it or
the comfort of it. It's the quality of it. It's
the life of God. It's the life that a sinner receives
in regeneration. You have to be quickened or made
alive who were dead. I wasn't dead when He quickened
me, I wasn't dead physically, I was dead spiritually. In Adam
I died, and I have the nature of Adam, and I have the quality
of life Adam had, physical life. And it's on its way out. But
one day, by His grace, through Christ, In Christ, God gave me
the life of God. I was born not of natural flesh,
not of the will of man, not of the will of flesh. I was born
of God. That's right. And this is life eternal. Listen.
That they might know Thee, the only true God. You see, the life
of God knows God. God knows God. A religious man who has nothing
but natural life, he doesn't know the living God, he doesn't
know the true God. But a man in whom God lives,
a man in whom God has given life, the life of God, knows God. Because
the Spirit bathed witness in our spirit that we're sons of
God. God knows God. And therefore He says, this is
life eternal that they might know Thee. Watch this now. The only true God. The natural man has a God, the
physical man has a God, the religious man has a God. All these men
have gods, but a man, a woman whom God, to whom God has given
life, the life of God, the nature of God, the spirit of God, he
knows the only God. He knows the true God. He knows
the living God. That's who He knows. He doesn't
know Him perfectly by any means, but He's in the right direction.
He knows God. He knows God's on the throne.
He knows God's almighty. He knows God's omnipotent. He
knows God's omniscient. He knows God's just. He knows
God's righteous. He knows God's merciful. He knows
God's love. He knows God's grace. He knows
God. He loves God. He thinks on God. That's right. His mind and affection
is set on God. His God is great. He worships
God. He bows before God. He reverences
God. He fears God. He loves God. He's honored by God. That's right. Everything in his life is related
to God. Not just on Sunday, not just
on special days, but he knows God. Like Enoch, he walks with
God. He prays to God. That's right. This eternal life, that they
might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom God
has sent. The sent One. He knows Christ. He knows who sent Him. He knows
who was sent. He knows why He was sent. He
knows the purpose for which He came. He's not dumb. He knows God. And He knows Christ. He knows the ways of God. and
the will of God, and the mysteries of the Gospel. And this knowledge
of Christ whom He sent is explained in verse 4. This is what He knows,
I have glorified Thee on this earth. This man who knows God and knows
this Messiah whom God has sent, knows what this Messiah was sent
to do. He was sent to glorify God. And as a man, he did glorify
God. He perfectly glorified God. Now, watch it. We have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. We have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Christ glorified God. And in order to save us,
He had to. Everybody who knows God and who
knows Jesus Christ whom God has sent knows that God, in order
to save sinners, had to send Him. We can't be saved any other
way. You see, the law of God can't
be changed. It can't be altered. It's got
to be obeyed. And Christ came and became obedient
to that law. Look at that next line, verse
5, verse 4. I've glorified you on the earth
in the flesh as a man, and I have finished the work which you gave
me to do. See, a man who knows God knows
what that work is. That work is to fulfill that
law as a man, tempted in every point, perfectly obedient, perfect
submission, perfect love, and to face the justice of God. And
it's twofold. See, we've got to be justified
and sanctified. We've got to be just before the
justice of God and righteous before the law of God. And Christ,
in His active obedience, Worked out a perfect righteousness.
He obeyed every jot and tittle of God's law. And then went to
that cross. And there infinite wrath rolled
over his head. And he suffered and bled and
died. Because the soul that sinneth
shall die. And we sin, we have to die. He
died for us. And he finished it. He didn't
make an installment. He finished it. From Alpha to
Omega, from beginning to end, he said, I finished the work
you gave me to do. When did God the Father give
him this work to do? He was the Lamb slain before
the foundation of the world. You know what Scripture says?
He gave him that work as our surety back then. And all of
these pictures and patterns and promises and prophecies and types
are but preaching to us what Christ is going to do. The hour has come. Now help me
and sustain me and comfort me and strengthen me that I might
glorify you. Now you've given me authority. You've given me the covenant
headship. You've given me the kingship.
You've given me the kingdom. You've given all these sheep
into my hand that I might give them eternal life. Now I've glorified
you on this earth and I've finished I'll tell you, it was finished
too. He did it later. He died later
and he said it's finished. But he said, I finished the work
you've given me to do. I've done it. Every jot and tittle,
every bit of it, I've left nothing unfinished. And I hear preachers
say, now God's done all He can do and that's up to you. He's
done all. that you needed Him to do, the
law required Him to do, and justice required Him to do. He's paid
it all, all the debt I owe. Not some of it, all the debt
I owe. Sin left a crimson stain, He
washed as white as snow. Now watch verse 5. And now, having
done that, Father, glorify Thou me with
the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. Now, you
want to look very carefully at these words for two important
things are revealed here. He says, Father, and notice me
going over this again. You read it, didn't you? You
heard it. I've finished the work. I've glorified you. Now, it's
finished. Now, you put me back where I
was. Where was he? In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God. The Word was God. That's right. He's the exact image of God. He's the express image of God.
He's the exact likeness of God. He's the brightness of God's
glory. Proverbs 8, read it sometimes. There's no one who can even imagine,
let alone talk of the great awesome glory which the Son of God enjoyed
with the Father. Isaiah said, I saw Him high and
lifted up. His glory filled the temple.
And the seraphims covered their faces and their feet and cried,
holy, holy, holy is the Lord God. That's Christ. High and
lifted up. Now he said, put me right back
where I was. But when he returns to the presence of the Father,
listen, here's the second thing. When he returns to that eternal
glory, that eternal glory which he had with the Father, he returns
not alone. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
and the King of Glory shall come in." Who is this King of Glory?
It's the Lord Strong and Mighty. He's the King of Glory. Lift
up your heads, O ye gates, be ye lifted up, ye everlasting
doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King
of Glory? It's the Lord of Hosts! He's
coming in. He's coming in to His glory.
He's coming in to His eternal glory, which He's always had,
and He's bringing with Him every one of those people. that He
came down here to redeem. That's right. He's not leaving
not a hoof nor a hair behind. It's just like when old Moses
said, we're going out of Egypt, they didn't leave a hoof or a
hair behind. They didn't even leave a dog
behind. That's right. Everybody left. Everybody went
out. And when He takes His people
whom He came down to here, you read that first five verses.
I glorified you. And how shall not the Father
give us with him those things which he purchased? I finished
the work. And now I want my reward. I want you to glorify me with
the glory which I had with you before the world. And he goes
back as the shepherd of the sheep. He goes back as the great high
priest. We have a great high priest.
He goes back as the forerunner within the veil. He goes back
as the mediator, one God and one mediator. And my, my, you know something?
Look down at verse 21. And I pray that they all may
be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they
also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent
me. They believe you sent me. You see, this is eternal life.
That they might know God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. The
world doesn't know Him. But you do. You do. He came unto His own. His own
received Him not. He was in the world and the world
knew Him not. But He said, I want you to glorify them in such a
way that the world may know you sent Me. Look at verse 22. And
the glory which you have given Me, I've given them. that they
may be one even as we are. We don't. I in them, thou in
me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know
that thou hast sent me and you've loved them like you love me.
Who does the Father love? He loves them. Them whom he gave
to Christ, them whom Christ redeemed. And I want the whole world to
know that you love them. just like you love me. Father,
I will that they also whom you've given me be with me where I am."
Where is He? He's in His glory. He's in His
glory. You think about this now. You
glorify me with the glory which I had with you before the world
was, and you glorify them with the same glory you glorify me. What a prayer! Oh, what a prayer. I will that
they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that
they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou
lovest me before the foundation of the world. Oh, righteous Father,
the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these
have known that thou hast sent me. They know. And I have declared
unto them your name, and I will declare it. I'll keep declaring
it. that the love wherewith you love me may be in them, and I
in them." Oh, what a prospect. What a glorious gospel. That's
it. That's what we're commemorating tonight, what we're remembering
tonight, what He did for us. I've glorified Thee on the earth.
I've finished the work You gave me to do. This is my body broken
for you. Take eat. This do for remembrance
of me. This my blood shed for you. This
do in remembrance of me. That those whom thou hast given
me be with me where I am. And you glorify me with the glory
which I had with you before the world was. Think about that.
That's the reason the Apostle Paul said, I'm going to straight
betwixt the two, having a desire to go and be with Christ, which
is far better.

Glorify Thy Son

What does the Bible say about eternal life?

How do we know Jesus' authority to give eternal life is true?

Why is the glory of God important for Christians?

What does it mean for Jesus to be our mediator?

How does Jesus' prayer in John 17 emphasize God's sovereignty?

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Glorify Thy Son

What does the Bible say about eternal life?

How do we know Jesus' authority to give eternal life is true?

Why is the glory of God important for Christians?

What does it mean for Jesus to be our mediator?

How does Jesus' prayer in John 17 emphasize God's sovereignty?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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