Sermons

Give Me the Glory

May 12, 2013 Speaker: John Hansen Series: The Gospel of John

Topic: Glory of God Passage: John 17:1–17:5

Hook: Gospel w/o the Resurrection: Sometimes in our witnessing, we forget that the gospel is not just about sins being forgiven. Sarah, one of the Intervarsity leaders at the JC, told me about a time when she was sharing the gospel. She told this young lady about how Jesus died on the cross so she could be forgiven of her sins. The lady responded, “That’s depressing. So your God died on a cross!” Sarah admitted to me that she had completely forgotten to share about the resurrection. The gospel story does not end with a dead Jesus hanging on a cross. No! According to Romans 6:4, “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.” Then, Jesus appeared to over 500 people, ascended into heaven and then before the crowds of heaven, Jesus was crowned with glory, honor and authority. The end of the gospel is not a dead Jesus, but a glorious risen savior who welcomes us into relationship with God.
Give Me Glory!
John 17:1-5
Review: Jesus has been ministering for 3 years throughout Israel and now he comes to the final moments of his life. In chapters 14-16, Jesus has been teaching the disciples and preparing them for his departure. Chapter 17, often called the “High Priestly Prayer” is a transitional chapter between Jesus’ intimate time with the disciples and the events that lead to the cross. After this prayer, we see the betrayal in the garden, the trial and the crucifixion. Jesus, our Great High Priest, is about to take his own blood into the Holy of Holies in heaven to offer it as payment for our sins. As we read earlier…
Heb. 4:14
14 We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.
Hebrews 10:12-14
12 When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
TRANSITION: Just before Jesus goes to fulfill his role as our Great High Priest, he prays this prayer…thus it is commonly referred to as the High Priestly Prayer.
Intro to High Priestly Prayer
• Unique prayer
o Content: Often, we see that Jesus goes away to pray, but we are not told what he actually prayed. When we do hear the content of his prayer, it’s usually very short.
 Feeding of 5,000 Jesus prayed: We see Jesus gave thanks.
 On the cross, Jesus prayed: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”
 The Lord’s Prayer: Jesus teaches us how we should pray.
 But here we see how he himself prays to the Father.
 After this, Jesus goes to the garden to pray. There he encourages the disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation. I imagine there was much Jesus prayed that night, but we only have recorded that he said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
 This is by far the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. And it gives a deeper look into the relationship of the Son to the Father, and a deeper look into the heart of Jesus for his followers.
• Jesus prays for you: Did you know that Jesus actually prays for you in this prayer? In verse 20, Jesus prays, “20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” I was dazzled when I first saw that…knowing that Jesus before he even went to the cross thought of me…and he prayed for me.
• 3 Parts
o For himself (1-5) – I’ll be covering this today.
o For his disciples (6-19) - Dean
o For all believers…including YOU! (20-26) - Karl
• As I mentioned, we are looking at the first part of the High Priestly Prayer where Jesus prays for himself. I think it’s interesting how Jesus takes care of himself first!
• Airplane: “Ladies and gentlemen, should the cabin pressure drop, a panel above your head will open up and an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling. If you have little children with you, be sure to secure your oxygen mask first, and then you can help your children.” – How selfish? Why wouldn’t I do my child’s mask first? We know it’s because if you don’t do yours first, you will be of little help to your children. Similarly, I would say to you today, take care of yourself or you will be of little help to anyone else. Get yourself filled up with God’s goodness. Then, you will have much to give to others!
Intro to Text
o John Knox, a Scotsman and one of the great leaders of the Protestant Reformation described John 17:2-3 as the place where he first came to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Wife,” he said, “read the place where first I cast anchor.” According to D. James Kennedy, “With no need of further instruction, the wife of the great warrior for Christ opened the Scriptures to the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John, and minutes before his soul was to depart from his body, she read again the words from which there had long ago begun a great pilgrimage for Christ: “...that he should give eternal life to as many thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:2–3).”
Jesus Prays for Himself – John 17
1. Set Up of the Prayer
• Foundation
• Posture
• Recipient
• Purpose

2. Content of the Prayer
• The Hour
• The Glory
• The Authority
• The Gift

Outline of John 17 verses 1-5


Set Up of the Prayer (1)
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,

1. Foundation  KNOWLEDGE: Jesus instructs them first and then he prays. The foundation of great prayer is great instruction. Jesus, out of his depth of the knowledge of the Father and His plans, prays this beautiful, powerful prayer that is grounded in knowledge…of God, His Son, His Gospel and His Word!
2. Posture of Prayer
• Postures for prayer and worship
o Eyes open or closed
o Looking up to heaven
o Head bowed
o Bowing - Exodus 4:31
o Kneeling - 1 Kings 8:54
o On your face before God - 2 Chronicles 20:18; Matthew 26:39
o Standing - 1 Kings 8:22
o Arms raised
o Dancing
• The Spiritual Research Foundation Study on Prayer Positions: They looked at 4 different prayer positions and found that the position with head bowed, eyes closed, palms together yielded an 8% higher spiritual benefit and 30% more positive energy.
• I think that’s a little comical, but I do think that different postures affect our mood and our prayer life. When you are confessing sin, you may take a more bowed down posture. On the other hand, as offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving, you might look up, raise your hands and dance before the Lord. I’d encourage you to try different postures during your prayer time…use positions that complement the words your heart is expressing to the Lord.
• What was Jesus’ posture like?
• he lifted up his eyes to heaven
• Eyes to heaven: Here in verse 1 Jesus raises his eyes to heaven.
o Outside: Some say this is a sign that he was outside. Perhaps Jesus is already on the way to the garden. But I don’t think this conclusion is necessary. You can pray with your eyes toward heaven even when you are inside. Plus, it seems from 18:1 that Jesus didn’t leave the upper room until after the prayer.  “18 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.”
o Typical Jewish posture for prayer:
 God is in heaven: Looking up to heaven was common because God is in heaven. It was a way for someone to direct their attention to God.
 Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14): The Pharisee raises his eyes to heaven to tell God how good he is and how much better he is than the tax collector. But Jesus says, “the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ” Jesus concludes the story saying, “14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
o Sign of Jesus’ Righteousness: Unlike the self-righteous Pharisee, there was no obstruction between Jesus and His Father. Jesus had obeyed the Father in everything. He had no sin, no reason for shame, and no reason to hide his eyes away from His Father.
 We – On the other hand, we often close our eyes and bow our heads as a sign that we are unrighteous sinners and feel unworthy of standing in the presence of a Holy God.
 Righteous in Christ: However, in Christ we are made completely righteous. All our sins are washed away!
3. The Recipient: Jesus addresses his prayer to the Father.
• As he teaches us to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven”… Similarly, he looks up to heaven and addresses God as “Father”.
• Jesus uses the word “Father” 6 times in John 17, and over 100 times in the book of John.
• Father: Term signifies
o Strength of man
o Caring love of a Daddy
o Jesus wants us to know when we pray that we are praying to one who loves us enough to listen and care about our needs AND to one who has the power to protect us. He has the strength to take care of us and he will do so because of the Fatherly love he has for us.
4. Purpose: The chief purpose of this prayer is the same as the chief purpose of the gospel. It’s the same as the chief end of man. It’s the same as the #1 purpose of God…Glory! God’s chief purpose is not the good of man, but rather the brilliant display of His glory.
• Jesus prays in VERSE 1: ““Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.”
• Heidleberg Catechism:
o Q: What is the chief end of man?
o A: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
o My chief purpose is not to think highly of myself, but to think highly of my God. There is greater joy and greater fulfillment for me when I focus my attention not on myself and making much of me, but rather when I focus my attention on the grandeur of my God and make much of Him.
• Is God’s glory at odds with my good? Not at all! The good He shows to me is one of the ways he displays his glory. He shows how merciful he is when he refrains from giving me the punishment I deserve. He shows how gracious he is when he gives me eternal life and grants me the riches of heaven as an inheritance. He thrills my heart beyond imagination as he displays his glory for me to see and enjoy!
• My World: I’ve often pondered what the world would be like if I was its creator. The world that I would have made would have no evil. There would be no wars, no violence, no child abuse, and no murder. Everyone would get along.
o But God didn’t create a world like that. He created a world where the first couple disobeyed his only command and brought two foreigners to the planet, two foreigners named Sin and Death. Where Cain would be lead by Sin and send his innocent brother Abel to his Death. Where wars would be fought. Disease would be rampant. Floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes would kill millions. My world would have none of this. No hunger. No thirst. And no cross! There would be no need of a savior because there would be no sin. –
o The question we ask is WHY? Why would God create a world like this? In one word…Glory!
o He wanted to display His glory for all to see…the glory of his goodness, power and strength…
o And the glory of his graciousness, mercy and love.
o In my world of ease, God could not have displayed his glory like he does in this world.
 In my world, he couldn’t have shown his mercy and grace because there would be no sinners to pardon.
 He couldn’t have shown his justice and wrath because there would be no wicked to judge.
o Love Him or Hate Him, this is the God who is: As Romans 1 declares, you know in your heart that the creation is proof that there is a creator. And as you look around this world, you see that the creation is not the incarnation of the Utopian dreams of John Hansen, but it is the reality of the designs of the creator God as described in the scriptures.
• The Purpose or Aim of this Prayer in 1 Word: Glory! Glory for the Son and glory for the Father on display for every being in heaven and on earth.
• Set Up of the Prayer:
1. Foundation: Knowledge
2. Posture: Eyes to Heaven
3. Recipient: Father
4. Purpose (or Aim): Glory!

The Content of the Prayer

1. The hour (1)
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
• Does not mean a literal 60 minute time period.
• The hour has come or the time has come. The events leading up to the cross, resurrection, ascension and glorification of Christ are about to occur. It’s time!
• Jesus begins his prayer by acknowledging that. Basically he’s saying, “OK Father, here we go. It’s time!”
• Jesus knew it was time and knew what it was time for. Jesus was fully aware of what was about to happen. It had been in the plans of the Father from before the creation of the world. Jesus lived his whole life knowing that he was born to die. He had told his disciples ahead of time and now he acknowledges before the disciples and the Father that the time is NOW.
TRANSITION: Time for what? We know it’s time for Jesus to go to the cross, but Jesus describes this as a time for glory.
2. The Glory

• Glorify me (1): Jesus says, “Glorify your Son”
o Give Me My Reward Daddy: Often, we’ll tell Chloe that she can have her dessert AFTER she eats her vegetables. And with every bite of greens she’s imagining the vanilla ice cream to come. Then she’ll say, “Daddy, I ate my broccoli. Can I have my ice cream now?” NOT “Can I have THE ice cream?” BUT “Can I have MY ice cream?” She knows she’s got it coming to her. It’s already hers. Similarly, Jesus knows he’s about to receive glory and honor from the Father. He has completely obeyed the Father at every moment during his life-time and now he has set his sights on the events that are about to transpire where he will be glorified.
o Is Jesus being selfish here? Some have questioned whether it may have been selfish for Jesus to ask the Father to glorify Him. I’d ask you this, is it selfish to cash your tax refund when it comes to you? Is it selfish to expect your employer to pay you at the end of the month? Jesus knew what was required of him, he completed his task perfectly and now he looks to the Father for his reward…Glory!
o 2 Types of Self Focus: We need to make a distinction between sinful selfishness and good self-interest.

Selfishness versus Self-interest

 There is a sinful selfishness where we do what is wrong to get what we want for ourselves. But there is also a GOOD self-interest that we want to instill in our children.
 We teach them to Take Care of Themselves:
 Get enough sleep.
 Bathe.
 Eat well.
 Exercise.
 Read your Bible.
 God to church.
 Take care of yourself! No one else is going to do it for you.
 Worship Service: I’m here this morning at church because I love being in the presence of the Lord. In a sense, I’m here for myself. I get a lot of pleasure out of being here.
 I love praising the Lord.
 I love being with you.
 I love to preach.
 I’m here for me… Yes, I’m also here to Glorify God and to be a Blessing to You. 2 other things that I love to do! It’s a WIN-WIN-WIN! We ALL benefit.
 And I hope this is your heart as well. That you come because you personally benefit by being in the presence of the Lord, by praising Him, by being with the body and by being a blessing to the body.
 This is what I would call GOOD self-interest.
 Scriptures Appeal to Our Self-Interest:
 Love your neighbor as you love yourself.(Mark 12:31)  A love for self is assumed.
 Jesus says, “Flee from the wrath to come.” (Luke 3:7)  You better turn to Jesus Christ or you will be toast. Judgment day is coming for this sinful unbelieving world. You gotta take care of yourself! So…Flee from the wrath to come.
 Jesus says, “Store up for YOURSELVES treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:20)
 Solomon OVER AND OVER in the Proverbs appeals to people to choose wisdom based on the argument that you would gain self-benefit by being wise.
 Proverbs 3:2-3: “3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”
 Proverbs 5:3-5: “For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.”
 Proverbs 6:10-11: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you.”
 Proverbs 15:22: “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
 Proverbs 18:12: “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”
 Proverbs 20:7: “The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him!”
 Proverbs 20:13: “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.”
 Proverbs 28:13: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
 Jehovah all through the Old Testament appeals to his people to obey his commandments to avoid curses and to gain blessings.
 Deuteronomy 30:15-16: 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
 Deuteronomy 30:19: Moses says… "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”
 Jesus Self-Interest: Here in John 17, Jesus is displaying righteous self-interest when he says to the Father, “Glorify me”. He is pursuing benefit or happiness for himself…and he is pursuing glory for the Father.

• VERSE 1: Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you
o Jesus wants to be glorified. And he wants to glorify the Father.
o Some commentators will say at this point, “Jesus redeems himself here because he doesn’t really want the glory for himself; he just wants to give it back to the Father.” Glorify me so I can glorify you.
• It’s as if they’re saying, “Woo, that was a close call. It looked like Jesus was being selfish there, but now we know that he was asking for the glory…not really for himself…but just so he could glorify the father.”
• And for a moment the selfishness police are satisfied…I say “for a moment” because they usually aren’t satisfied too long; they’re always on the lookout.
o Before we get the selfishness police too comfy, let me say this.
• Jesus wanted the glory for himself so that he could thoroughly enjoy the glory that he deserved…that he had earned!
• And, He wanted the glory for the Father because it pleased him for the Father to be glorified.” He wanted pleasure for himself at every turn…the pleasure of the glory he deserved for himself…and the pleasure of glorifying the father.
• Also, when Jesus used his glorified position to glorify the Father it did NOT diminish his own glory one iota.

o VERSE 5 – When does Jesus want this glory?:
 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
 Jesus not only says to the Father to give him the glory, but he specifies when he wants it…NOW!
o Why glory? Why now? Because this is what is right. Jesus has earned the glory through his righteous life and will continue to earn glory through his sacrifice on the cross. And it’s time to start heading to the cross where Jesus will accomplish the greatest rescue effort the world has ever seen. Jesus will be lifted up and he will be seen as MOST GLORIOUS!
o Hebrews 12:2 - “For the joy that was set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
o Jesus says “It’s time!” And he moves toward the cross, knowing the suffering he will endure, but going joyfully because he sees beyond the suffering to the glory he will receive, the good he will accomplish for us and the glory he will bring to his Father.
o Is it ok for us to receive glory?
 Not only is it ok, but it’s good. This is the design and the desire of God to in a huge way bring glory to himself, and I would say in a smaller way to share his glory with us.
 John 5:44: How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
 John 12:43: John warns about those who “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
 Luke 2:32: Simeon prophesied in his prayer to God that Jesus would bring glory to God’s people.
 Man Pleasers: The warning is to those who value the praise of man more than the praise of God. It’s not saying to discount the praise of man, but rather to value God’s praise more highly.
 But it is not inherently wrong to want to receive glory, praise or honor: Especially from God. But even there are appropriate times for us to honor men and to receive honor from men as well. There’s a time to give someone an award or a trophy or a word of commendation.
 Romans 13:7 (ESV) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
 Philippians 2:29 (ESV) – Paul speaking of Epaphroditus who almost died for the gospel, says… “So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men”
 1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV) Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
 The scriptures give instances where it is good to honor people and where even God himself honors people.
o Side Note  It’s OK to Receive a Compliment: What is a compliment, but simply a little bit of glory. (Maybe you don’t agree with me on this, but…)
• I find that often when Christians get a compliment that get all weird on you. They freeze for a moment not sure what to say. You can see the little hamsters are running really fast in their brain. “I’m getting a compliment what do I do? It feels good, but should I feel good getting a compliment? Is it wrong for me to enjoy this compliment? Maybe I’m being selfish? Oh no, what do I do?”
• All this conflict is going on in their brain…and then a second or two later that get out an awkward, “Praise the Lord.” …as if to say, I’m not supposed to take any glory for myself…it’s all supposed to go to God…therefore I better not act like I enjoy the compliment…I better put up my compliment shield and make sure it doesn’t land on my ego. I better deflect it so it so I don’t get a big head.
o Disclaimer: I think that people that do this are well meaning. BUT! Often, they make the other person feel bad for giving them a compliment…as if it was wrong for them to say, “You did a good job!” What I would say to you is this…I say work for the Lord and enjoy the compliments and encouragements you get … AND … glorify God!
o Look at Jesus Here: He says unabashedly and unashamedly, “Give me the glory!” and then he also expresses his desire to glorify God.
o So how do you respond to a compliment? There’s different ways. Someone says,
• “You did a good job!” You might simply say, “Thanks” or “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
• Or, someone says, “Thank you so much for all your help!” I like to respond, “It was my pleasure.” – I took pleasure in serving you. It wasn’t a burden. It made me happy to make you happy.
• AND… I think it’s also good to look for an opportunity to give glory to God as well. You might add, “God is so good!” or “Praise God.” Enjoy the encouragement and enjoy using it as an opportunity to give God glory.
o But if you don’t say, “Praise the Lord” every time you get a compliment, I don’t think God will be offended as long as your heart is in the right place.
o Football Players: In the NFL, it’s a bit controversial as to how these football players bring God into the sport. Sometimes you’ll see a player score a touchdown and just gloat before the world with his arms up as he takes it all in. Other times, he’ll point to heaven as if to say, “Don’t give the glory to me. Give it to God.” I prefer a little hybrid. “Mr. Football player feel free to enjoy the applause. You scored a touchdown. Good job! But also, feel free to point to heaven and thank God for the abilities he’s given you. You got it right! He does deserve the glory!” It’s not wrong for the crowd to applaud you, and it’s not wrong for you to enjoy the applause you earned by scoring that touch down.
TRANSITION: And Jesus is like that football player. The Father throws a hail Mary pass down the field, Jesus catches the ball, evades the tacklers and takes the ball into the end zone. He smashes the ball into the ground! And he gets the applause! Jesus has completed the work that the Father gave him to do. And he executed it flawlessly. He is completely worthy of the glory that he is asking the Father to give him. Not only does he know this in his own heart, but he says it. Look at [VERSE 4].
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
• No Confession: Notice that there is no confession of sin like in the Lord’s prayer. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” But he doesn’t pray that way. He has no sins to confess.
• Confesses Righteousness: But rather Jesus confesses His righteousness. If he were to pray the Lord’s prayer, he’d have to modify it: “Don’t forgive me of my sins because I don’t have any to forgive. Rather for give the ones you have given me, the ones that I have redeemed by my death on the cross, the ones who now stand clothed in my righteousness.”
• Jesus asks for glory and Jesus is completely worthy of that glory!
TRANSITION: Why should the Father glorify Jesus? We can give a lot of reasons, but Jesus gives two that we might not have thought about in [VERSE 1-2].
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh…”
Why should the Father glorify Jesus?
 So Jesus can glorify the Father. – Jesus is appealing to the Father’s desire to be glorified. Glorify me so I can glorify you.
 Because the Father has already given Jesus authority over all flesh – The Father has already given Jesus authority over all the people of the earth, so why not give him the glory that is due that position of authority.

3. The Authority of Christ (2)
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh...
• The Father gave Jesus authority over every human being.
• Why? So he could build his kingdom. Not an earthly kingdom with crowns, armies and fortresses, but a heavenly kingdom in the hearts of men. Jesus needed to have authority over all of humanity so that he could give eternal life to some of them. The 4th thing Jesus prays about is the gift of eternal life.

4. The Gift: Eternal Life (2)
2 You have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
• There is only 1 who is the dispenser of eternal life. Only one faucet out of which you may drink. Only one loaf of which you may eat. Only one door. Only one bridge. There is only 1 person who can give you eternal life.
• As determined by the Father, that 1 person is Jesus Christ. He and he alone gives eternal life.
• And he doesn’t give it to everyone. Jesus says he will give eternal life ONLY to those whom the Father has given him.
o Imagine it’s your child’s birthday… After the meal and before the cake, you bring out the presents. Look what I got for you!
 Often, I think the parents enjoy giving the gifts as much as the child enjoys opening them.
 It’s not Jesus’ birthday, but rather his death-day… After the passover meal and before the resurrection, God the Father brings out the presents. Look what I got for you! I have Karl and Nate and Carolyn and Michelle and Harriet and…
o God gives a gift to Jesus and that gift is US! – Every one of God’s chosen children is a gift that the Father gives to the son.
o And of those God gives, Jesus says, “I will give eternal life to every single one of them.”
o John 6:37: All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
o John 6:39: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
o Here’s how the process works ------ #1 --------- #2

God's gift to Jesus

2 You have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
• The Father gets it all going.
• The Son is the 1st the recipient of a gift and 2nd the giver of a gift.
• We are 1st the gift from the Father to the Son and 2nd we are the recipient of the Son’s gift of eternal life, which he gives to us by dying in our place on the cross.
TRANSITION:
Here Jesus defines eternal life. You may have thought, “I don’t really need a definition of eternal life. Seems pretty straight forward, you’ll live on forever.”
But Jesus wants us to know that the eternal life he will give us is not a monotonous existence where we just continue on and on in boredom forever.
But the eternal life he gives is an exhilarating, satisfying, loving relationship with God…a relationship with the infinite personality…the one who will ravish you with his glory and astound you with his joy forever.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Eternal Life = knowing God (3)
• Not the false gods of this world, but the ONE TRUE God. – A God whose glory is beyond your wildest imagination.
• And Jesus Christ – You will get to know more intimately than ever before the redeemer of your soul, the one has opened heaven to you and given you the abundant life that you would never have known without him.
• Sometimes unbelievers are asked, “Where will you go when you die?” And they respond lightly, “I’m going to hell with all my friends where there will be a big party.”
• The problem is they have it all backwards. They see hell as a place of relationship, when in reality it will be a place of isolation and loneliness. They see hell as a place of glee and fun, when in reality it will be a place of sorrow, pain and despair. Everything that they like about hell isn’t true of hell, but rather true of heaven.
• Heaven: The party will be in heaven. The joy, the laughter, the fun, the excitement, the friendship and the relationship will be in heaven.
• This is eternal life…knowing God! You’ll draw closer to God than you’ve ever drawn close to your most intimate lover her on earth. You will know Him and he will know you. You will love him and He will love you. This is the stuff of heaven. This is eternal life. Cherished. Loved. Complete. Satisfied. Happy. Forever.

Conclusion
It is Jesus hour of glory (5): He concludes this first section of the prayer where he prays for himself in [VERSE 5].
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
• Jesus View of His Hour of Glory: Jesus has in view not just the cross, but a series of events: the Cross – resurrection – ascension – enthronement
o [2 clicks] The Cross – where Jesus will be the hero of the universe and save the day, dying that we might live
o The Resurrection – where Jesus will prove that he has conquered death. Yes, Christianity is depressing if you end at the cross. The reason we know that Good Friday was truly good is because Jesus proved it by rising from the dead 3 days later.
o The Ascension – Jesus rises into the sky doing what no man has ever done. No jet pack on his back. No iron man suite. No flubber on his sandals. Jesus the God-man ascends into heaven to show the world that heaven is where he came from and where he belongs.
o The Enthronement – In heaven, Jesus is enthroned. He sits down at the right hand of the father and with all heaven watching and applauding and worshipping he is crowned with glory and honor and splendor and majesty.

• Glory Jesus had before the world existed (5)
o All the newbies, all those deceased saints who died in the last few thousand years before the cross, those believers that arrived in heaven with Jesus must have been shocked out of their minds by the splendor of Jesus Christ.
o But not the angels. They’d already seen his glory. Because as Jesus says, “This is the glory that I had before the world existed.”

Application
1. Stand in awe of the glory of your God.
2. Be generous with your glory as your God is generous with His glory.
o He lavishes glory and honor on Jesus. Jesus lavishes it back on the Father. God lavishes his glory on us.
o Do not be afraid and do not hesitate to as Romans 13:7 says “give honor to whom honor is due.”
o But she’ll get a big head? No, she won’t. Humility leads to honor and honor leads to humility. Look at Jesus! He went from his glory in heaven, humbled himself coming to earth, and then was glorified again in heaven.
o Compliments Humble: Watch what happens when you give someone a compliment.
 They don’t usually puff up their chest and say, “Yeah, you got that right. I’m the great one!”
 NO! Often, when someone receives a compliment, you’ll see their face turn red and you’ll hear them say, “Thank you. You humble me.”
3. Enjoy your relationship with your God!
o Remember that eternal life is knowing God, and you have it now.
o People say, “It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship.” – Well Christianity is a religion. It is the only religion that will get you into relationship with the one true God. Christianity is a religion that is obsessed with getting you into relationship with your God.
4. Look forward to heaven.
o It’s going to be incredible…every moment of it!

 

More in The Gospel of John

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Breakfast Fit for a King!

July 28, 2013

Skeptic to Evangelist in 4 Easy Steps
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