Five Things Given to Christ

I'm going to speak to you today
on this subject, Five Things Given to Christ. And my text
will be taken from the 17th chapter of John. Now, I'd like very much,
if you will, to take your Bibles and follow along with me as I
read the scripture. I'm going to refer to the 17th
chapter of John again and again and again in this message, on
five things given to Christ. Now, there are several things
that we should mention in introducing this message to you today from
John 17. First of all, this is emphatically
and definitely the Lord's Prayer. Now, what is commonly known as
the Lord's Prayer, you're familiar with it, it begins, Our Father
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. That is really not
the Lord's Prayer, that's a disciple's prayer. The disciples had asked
the Master, Lord, teach us to pray. And this is when our Lord
said, When you pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. That's the disciples' prayer.
It's not the Lord's prayer, because the Lord could never pray, Forgive
me of my sins, as I forgive those who sin against me. But the seventeenth
chapter of John, our text that we're using for the message today,
now that is the Lord's prayer. That's the Lord praying. I feel
as Moses standing on the mountain when God said, put off your shoes,
you're on holy ground. And that's exactly how I feel
when I try to preach from the seventeenth chapter of John's
gospel. It is definitely holy ground. Now, the second thing I would
say is this. The seventeenth chapter of John
is the Lord's prayer, and it is also an example of our Lord's
intercessory prayers. Our Lord prays for us now. The
scripture says he ever liveth to make intercession for us.
If you look down in verse 9 of John 17, he says, I pray for
them, I pray not for the world, but I pray for them which thou
hast given me. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
one mediator between God and men, and he prays for us, just
like he said to Peter, Peter, I pray for you that your faith
fail not. And Christ praise. He not only
died for us, but he praised for us. He not only redeemed us by
his blood, but he intercedes for us. He, as our great High
Priest right now at the right hand of the Father, prays for
his people. And here in John 17 you have
an example of our Lord's intercessory prayer that is going on right
now. He is pleading for his people. And then the third thing, now
this is very important, I want you to listen a few moments,
if you will listen carefully. Everything in this prayer that
our Lord prayed about here in John 17 was eternally decreed. There's no question about that.
He prays about his glory. He says, glorify me with the
glory which I had with thee before the world was. Well, that was
certain. His eternal glory was certain.
He was in the beginning with the Father. He was the Word,
and all things were made by him. And he had glory before the world
was created, and all things were created for his glory. And he
shall have the preeminence, the scripture says, throughout eternity.
So his glory is certain, but he prayed about it. Also the
salvation of his people, the sanctification of his sheep,
that's certain. The salvation of his people is
certain. He said, All that my Father giveth me shall come to
me. and him that cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out." That
was certain. The salvation of his people was
certain. And the sanctification of his
people was certain. Because the scripture says by
one offering he sanctified forever or perfected forever them that
are sanctified. But he prayed about it. He prayed
for their sanctification. And then the cross was already
decreed. The atonement was already decreed.
Every Old Testament sacrifice that was offered was a picture
of Christ's sacrifice. And every atonement that was
brought under the veil into the Holy of Holies every year by
the great high priest was a picture of Christ's atonement. And he
was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, and
yet he prayed about it. And then the eternal glory of
the Church. He prayed for the eternal glory
of his Church, and yet that was already decreed and already in
the purpose and already in the plan of God, and yet our Lord
prayed about these things. I'm not smart enough or wise
enough to explain the relationship or the harmony between divine
sovereignty and human responsibility, but I believe both. There's some
people that make you believe one or the other. You've either
got to hold emphatically to divine sovereignty and not to human
responsibility, or hold to human responsibility and not hold to
divine sovereignty, but I believe both. Both are right here. And
I can't explain the harmony between divine purpose and intercessory
prayer, but I know both are true. I know God has a purpose. I know
that God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
That's true. The Bible says that again and
again. Whatsoever the Lord please, that did he in heaven, earth,
and the seas, and all deep places. And yet our Lord said, Ask, and
it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. knock
and it shall be opened to you. I know this. I know that God
will be merciful to whom he will. He says that in the Old Testament
and in the New. I will be merciful to whom I
will be merciful. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. And yet, I know that the Bible
says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. I know this. I know the Lord giveth and the
Lord taketh away. Job said that. When everything
he had was taken away from him, he said, the Lord giveth and
the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
And yet I know this is true. James wrote, you have not because
you ask not. Both are true. You have not because
you ask not. If you ask, you receive. And
then I know this. The Lord, according to his will,
gives gifts to men. The Bible says he gives them
severally as he will. And yet the scripture also says,
if any man lack wisdom, let him ask God. But let him ask in faith,
and God will give it to him. As I say, I know both are true. I know God is almighty, eternally
sovereign. And yet I know that every son
of Adam is responsible. When we try to put God in a mold,
when we try to make God fit into the logic and reasoning of human
minds, we make a great mistake. These words, look at John 17,
will you look at it with me, verse 1. It begins this way. These words spake Jesus and lifted
his eyes to heaven. Now before he prayed to the Father,
he had some words to say to his disciples. And these words are
preceding his prayer and preceding his trip to the cross, his death
on Calvary, He had some words to say to them, and you'll find
those words in John 14, 15, and 16, prior to this great prayer. He spake these words, and then
he lifted his eyes to heaven. And the reason he spoke some
words to them, the reason is given in the preceding chapters.
It says in John 15, 11, he spoke these words that their joy might
be full. And in John 16, 1, he spoke these
words that they should not be offended. When they were persecuted
and cast out of the synagogue and people sought to kill them,
he spoke these words that they would not be offended nor discouraged. And then thirdly, he spoke these
words in John 16, 33, it says, that they might have peace and
assurance and confidence. For he said, These words have
I spoken unto you, that ye might have peace. For in this world
ye shall have tribulation But be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world." What were these words? Well, he told them about his
oneness with the Father. He said, you believe in God,
believe also in me. I and my Father are one. He told
them that he would send them the Holy Spirit. He said, I go
away, but I'll not leave you comfortless. I'll send the Holy
Spirit to you, and he will comfort you, and he'll teach you. He
told them of their vital union with him. He said, I'm divine,
you are the branches. Without me you can do nothing.
He told them the Holy Spirit would be their teacher. He said,
the Holy Spirit will take the things of mine and show them
to you. He'll not speak of himself, but he shall glorify me. He told
them that he would hear their prayers. He said, whatsoever
you ask the Father in my name, it shall be done. He told them
he'd come back for them. He said, I go to prepare a place
for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will, I will
come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there
you may be also." Jesus spake these words to his disciples. Words of comfort, words of instruction. He spake these words and then
he lifted his eyes to heaven and he said, Father, the hour
is come. The hour that he would bear our
sins in his body on the tree. The hour when he would walk the
winepress of God's wrath alone. The hour when he would be separated
from the Father, bearing the wrath of God's judgment against
our sins. The hour when he would die for
our iniquities, fulfilling every type, every example, every prophecy. The hour for which he came into
this world to save his people from their sins. Eternity itself
could never fathom the depths and the heights and the fullness
of this prayer. But I want us to look at some
of the things our Lord mentions here as having been given to
him. He said, Father, the hour is
come. This hour for which I came into
the world is come. The hour has dawned. Now glorify
thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with
thee before the world was. And then he mentions five things
given to him. Five things given to him. The
first one is this. In verse 2, he says, Thou hast
given me power over all flesh, that I should give eternal life
to as many as Thou hast given me. Now, if you will take the
time to listen very carefully to what I'm going to say in the
next few minutes, I believe God will teach you something about
the work of Christ in redeeming his people. We find it right
here in this verse. Thou hast given me power over
all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as thou
hast given me. Jesus Christ, born of Mary, raised
in Nazareth, who walked the streets of Judea, who was led as a communal
criminal to the cross, who died and was buried and rose again.
Jesus Christ has received from the Father complete authority,
absolute authority, over all flesh, over all the universe. He is in complete command. He
is in complete control. He completely owns it all. It's
every bit been turned over to him. This world has been turned
over to Jesus Christ. That's right. Now, you listen
to the scripture, Matthew 28, verse 18. all power is given
unto me in heaven and earth." Now the object of this authority
put into the hands of Christ, the Mediator, is that he may
bring to his sheep eternal life. The whole world has been turned
over to Christ for this purpose. that he might give eternal life
to as many as God hath given him." Now, that's why the Father
turned the world over to Jesus Christ, that he might redeem
a people for his glory and for his namesake out of this world.
That's what he says here. That's the first thing given
him. He says, Father, thou hast given me authority, total control,
total dominion over all flesh. He died that he might be Lord
of the dead and the living, the quick and the dead, the believer
and the unbeliever, all flesh. Thou hast turned over to me this
whole world, this whole universe, all flesh, in order that, to
fulfill this purpose, that I might give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given me." Listen to Isaiah 9.6. Under us a child
is born. That's Mary's son. A child is
born, just like any other child. came from his mother's womb.
Unto us a child is born in Bethlehem. Unto us a son is given, that's
the Son of God. A child is born, that's Mary's
son. A son is given, that's the Son's
not born, that's the Son of God. He's given. He comes down and
occupies the body of that child. And the government shall be on
his shoulders. Now listen to me. in order to
save a people from their sins, out of every nation, tongue,
tribe, and kindred unto heaven. And that's what the Bible says.
The Father has taken the whole world, the whole world of men,
the whole world of flesh, the Father has taken the whole world
of flesh out from under the immediate rule and control of an absolute
God, an absolute holy and place that world under the authority
and government of Christ the Mediator. Now listen to me. In
order to redeem a people out of every nation, tribe, kindred,
and tongue unto heaven, Almighty God has taken the world of men,
the world of flesh, out from under the authority and the dominion
of an absolute God, an absolutely holy God. and put that world
under the dominion and government of a mediator, of a redeemer,
of a savior. As a result of this gracious
arrangement, a fallen race is permitted to exist. Now listen
to me. A sinful world coming into contact
with a holy God, a sinful race coming under the government and
dominion of an absolute holy God would be instantaneously
doomed to hell. It would be instantaneously consumed,
just like the angels who fell, the angels who kept not their
first estate. They weren't turned over to a
mediator. They weren't turned over to a
redeemer. They weren't turned over to a surety. Jesus Christ
took not on himself the nature of angels, but he took on himself
the seed of Abraham. And those angels, the moment
they sinned, the scripture says, they were condemned immediately.
They were reserved in chains of darkness under the day of
judgment, immediately, immediately, because they had to do with an
absolute God. They had to deal with a holy
God. They had to deal with the sovereign,
eternal Elohim of the universe. They didn't have a mediator.
But thank God, as a result of his grace and his mercy, he has
turned the world of fallen men over to Jesus Christ. He has
put us under the dominion of a Mediator. And because he has
turned us over to a Mediator, all men on this earth live only
on the virtue of Jesus Christ, who stands between a holy God
avenging justice and this fallen race. That's right. When man
sinned, when Adam fell, when the whole human race fell, God
turned this race over to Christ and put him between God's holiness
and God's righteousness and God's justice and that fallen race.
I trace to Jesus Christ, Governor of Grace, the life of every person
listening to my voice, every sinner. That's right. As a result
of this gracious arrangement, we've been turned over to Christ.
I have all authority, he said, over all flesh. I have all authority
in heaven and earth. As a result of that gracious
arrangement, the gospel of redemption is preached to you. And the call
comes, and the invitation is extended, thou to Christ. If
thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, to be what
he is. to be what God made him, to be
what he died to be. If you confess and bow to the
Lordship of Christ, thou shalt be saved. If you refuse Christ,
you shall be condemned. And one of these days, in heaven,
earth, and hell, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess
that he is God, he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
But the grand object of all of this is that he might give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him. Our Lord said, Father,
you've given me authority over all flesh, over all the world,
over every son of Adam, that I should give, in order that
I should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given me.
Here's a pagan island. A pagan island. They're poor,
they're cannibals, they're diseased, they're in poverty, they're in
superstition, they're dying. They have no hope, malnutrition
is everywhere, a missionary land. And that missionary teaches these
people to farm. He teaches them how to take care
of themselves. He teaches them hygiene. He teaches
them how to take care of their sicknesses. He teaches them how
to eat properly. He brings in some industry. And after a while the island
is a healthy place, and a happy place, and a productive place. And everybody on the island profits
by it. Some of the people believe his
message. And some of the people are brought to believe the Bible.
And some of the people are brought to believe on Christ. And some
of them are brought to eternal life. But the whole island, the
whole island has come under the favor and grace and dispensation
of mercy. Everybody benefits by it. The
whole island has been brought unto a dispensation of grace,
a dispensation of mercy and favor to everybody there. And yet a
few are called out in the name of God for eternal glory. And it's the same thing. All
men benefit from God's grace and from God turning this world
over to Christ. Thou hast given me authority
over the whole world. If Christ had not come, this
world would have perished long ago. If the Heavenly Father had
not turned this world over to Christ, it would have been consumed
in his anger and judgment and wrath long ago. If natural men
had not been turned over to Christ and the government of a mediator
who stood between avenging justice and rebellious man, they would
have been reserved already in chains of darkness, just like
the fallen angels. The second thing given to Christ.
Look at verse 4. He said, I have glorified thee
on the earth, I have finished the work you gave me to do. Christ
is the only one born of woman who can make this statement.
I have finished the work you gave me to do. He did what the
first Adam and all saints have failed to do. He filled every
jot and every tickle of God's holy love. He was born under
the law. He was made of water. He said,
I didn't come to destroy the law. I came to fulfill it. And
when he prayed this prayer, he said, Father, I've done what
you sent me to do. I've finished the work you gave
me to do. Philip said, Show us the Father.
Christ showed us the Father. He said, He that hath seen thee
hath seen the Father. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
the angel said. He shall save his people from
their sin. He saved them. He gave to them
a perfect righteousness. He went to the cross and bore
all their sins and put away all their transgressions. He did
what the angels said that he would do. He said, the Son of
Man has come to seek and to save the lost, and that's exactly
what he did. Job said, how can man be just
and justify the ungodly? That's the task that was put
into the hands of the Son of God, to enable a holy God to
be just and righteous and yet pardon sinners like you and me.
And he did it by taking our place. He did it by, as our representative,
giving us a perfect righteousness. And as our representative, before
the wrath and judgment of God, by bearing all of our sins and
our iniquities and paying the debt in full. Jesus paid it all.
All the debt I owed. Sin left a crimson stain. He
washed it white as snow. He said, Father, I've done what
you sent me to do. I finished the work you put into
my hands. I've completed the task for which
I came into the world. I've given my people a perfect
righteousness, a perfect standing, and a holy, holy standing before
thy law. The third thing, look at verse
6. He said, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou
gavest me. Six times in this chapter, John
17, our Lord talks about some people being given to him. First
of all, all power was given unto him, and a work was given to
him to do, to redeem a people, and a people were given to him.
First of all, in verse 2, that I should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given me. Verse 6, I have manifested thy
name unto them which thou hast given me. Verse 9, I pray for
them. I pray not for the world, I pray
for them which thou hast given me. Verse 11, Holy Father, keep
through thine own name. those whom thou hast given me.
Verse 12, While I was in the world, I kept those that thou
gavest me. Verse 24, Father, I will that
those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. And then
in John 6, he said, All that my Father giveth me shall come
to me, and him that cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out.
I came down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of him
that sent me. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that of everyone that he hath given me, I should lose
nothing, but raise it up again at the last day." One of the
old-timers used to say there are four ways that Christ receives
his people. He has a people. He has a sheep. He talks about them often. He
calls himself the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, the Good
Shepherd. There are four ways that he has
received his people. First of all, they were given
to him by the Father in covenant mercies. Secondly, they were
bought by his own blood. They were given to him, and then
he purchased them. And thirdly, they were brought
to him by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit called him out
of the world. And then in the next place, they were surrendered
to him by their own faith. They came to him. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. Now look at verse
8, the fourth thing given to Christ. I have given them the
words which thou gavest me. He whom God hath sent speaketh
the words of God. The words that I speak unto you,
Christ said, they are my Father's words." What are the words Christ
gives to us? Words of instruction? Words of
life? He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. Words
of grace. Grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ. This is our Lord's word. It's
not about the Lord, it's his word. It doesn't contain his
word, it is his word. From Genesis to Revelation, this
is the word of God. And then the fifth place in verse
22. The glory which thou gavest me,
I have given them, that they may be one as we are one. The glory which the Father hath
given to the Son, the Son hath given to us. That's the glory
of redemption. That's the glory of immortality.
That's the glory of being conformed perfectly someday to the image
of Jesus Christ. Our time is gone, but let me
make one announcement. If you'd like to have this message
on cassette tape, it's available to you for three dollars. There
are two messages on each tape. Write to me, we'll send it to
you. Until next week at this same time, I bid you a very pleasant
good day.

Five Things Given to Christ

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Five Things Given to Christ

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