John 17:1
terry phillips
March 4, 2018
We trust that indeed the Lord will be speaking to us this morning as we open his Word together. I want to ask you to turn if you would with me to John's Gospel once again and this morning we are going to be looking at the first verse in the 17th chapter. Last time you recall, we looked at the closing words that our Lord specifically directed to His disciples at the end of the upper room discourse proper. Jesus offers to them and to us a very blessed assurance, in the world you have tribulation, take courage, I have overcome the world.
In this world tribulation is a given isn’t it - something we can be sure of. We are going to have tribulation this world, but even more certain is the comforting reality that we have a Savior who has indeed triumphed over this world - over death and over the devil. As his followers, we have every reason to heed our Lord's exhortation in this passage to take courage, do we not? - every reason for us to take courage. Having made this definitive statement Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven, we notice in chapter 17 verse one, These things Jesus spoke and lifting up his eyes to heaven He said “Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that the son may glorify thee”. The transition here seems quite fluid as the Lord instinctively turns His attention to the Father and His glory. Their shared glory in relation to the assurance He just imparted to his disciples. The certainty of our Lord's prevailing over the world and all of its opposition to God leads inevitably to God's great purpose behind it all.
One of the things that I would imagine almost all New Testament saints can agree on is the importance of the glory of God. We often remind one another that this should be our overriding objective in life in the things we do and say and think. In fact, it may be one of those things that we become so familiar with we rarely think it through to the extent that we should. For if we are not careful, it can easily become one of those Christian clichés, if you will, that we sort of habitually insert into our speaking without being purposefully aware of its meaning and its necessary prominence. God's glory! This is what's on the Lord Jesus's mind as he begins this prayer to the Father. Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee.
God's glory is the self-manifestation of His holiness, His greatness, the perfections of His goodness. It is sometimes described as splendor, majesty, brilliance. The majesty that is witnessed in His presence. There are specific aspects of God's glory that are emphasized in different contexts of God's Word, but there are fundamental realities concerning God's glory that I believe are important for us to understand - crucial really for us to understand as we begin the Lord's prayer to the Father. It is a tremendous portion of God's Word. There is really nothing quite like it in the Scriptures, as we are given the privilege of listening in, as were, on this communion, this close communion and interaction within the Godhead between the Son and the Father.
Several things that I think is important for us to mention as we consider God's glory together this morning - God's purpose as this hour is finally come upon the Son. The first thing that I think is important for us to recognize and be reminded of and that is that God's glory is exclusively deserved. God alone deserves all glory. I think all of us would acknowledge that - I trust we would. It's good to be reminded of this fact that it is right, it's proper, it's fitting, it's appropriate that God receives all glory. In fact, it is something that is due Him. In the 29th Psalm - Psalm 29 beginning with verse one, ascribe to the Lord of sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. Later on in the same Psalm the ninth verse, the voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve and strips the forests bare; and in his temple everything says glory. God's glory is deserved. It is deserved by God alone. God's glory is evidenced in his perfect goodness.
You recall, in the passage in Exodus, a moment of real crisis for Moses and the children of Israel, and that their disobedience to the Lord had reached really a crisis point, if you will, and the interaction between the Lord and Moses is quite remarkable in this passage in Exodus chapter 33. And Moses his pleading on behalf of the people, and ultimately on behalf of God's honor that He would not discard and destroy this nation, but that He would go with them and fulfill his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Moses then cries out in the 18th verse and he says I pray thee show me Thy glory. And God said in verse 19, I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. And then in the 34th chapter, this is indeed what God does. The Lord passed by in front of Moses, Verse six says, and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. Yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.
God's deserved glory as evidenced in His perfect goodness. I’m reminded also that God is determined to preserve the exclusivity of His Own honor. This is something that God makes especially clear through the prophet Isaiah - Isaiah chapter 42 and the eighth verse, God says through the prophet, I am the Lord. That is My name. I will not give my glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. God is fiercely protective about his Own glory. I will not give My glory to another, The Lord says in the 48th chapter of Isaiah and the 11th verse, For my own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And My glory, I will not give to another. God alone is as the psalmist declares in the 24th Psalm, He is the King of glory. The last four verses of that Psalm five times the Lord is referred to as the King of glory. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory.
God's glory is first-of-all, exclusively deserved – it’s due Him. The second thing that I want to mention this morning as we consider this matter, and that is that God's glory is His ultimate purpose and priority in everything. We’ve talked about this before. We mentioned it some weeks ago, some months ago I guess now, but it's something we need to be reminded of, and sometimes I think it's important we be reminded of it often. God's glory is His ultimate purpose and priority in everything. I remind you of the passage in Romans chapter 11, at the end of the chapter, the 36th verse says this, For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever, Amen. Ephesians chapter 3 the very last verse 21, To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. God's glory is His ultimate purpose and priority in everything. This is especially seen in God's plan of redemption. Back in Ephesians chapter 1, we see this made clear time and again. Verse five - He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Verse 12 - To the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Verse 14 - The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, for what purpose, for what ultimate cause, to the praise of his glory. Our tenancy many times is to look at salvation, God's plan of redemption and think they were the center of it all. God's ultimate purpose is His own glory. It's His ultimate purpose and priority and everything and we need to keep that in mind. So often times we get off just a little bit, and it doesn't take getting off but a little bit to get in quite a bit of trouble.
A third thing that I want to mention this morning concerning God's glory and that is that His glory is particularly seen in the person of His own beloved Son. God's glory is particularly seen in His Christ. The incarnation gives to mankind and unsurpassed view of the glory of God in flesh and blood. Verse 14 of John's Gospel, the very first chapter, the Lord Jesus is presented in the beginning of that of the John's Gospel as the Word. The Word Who was with God, the Word who was God. And then in verse 14 John says, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father full of grace and truth. These men who spent the three years of public ministry with the Lord Jesus. They saw the glory of God in His Christ. Jesus made known His glory to His disciples. You go to the second chapter John's gospel and the narrative concerning the Lord turning the water into wine. In verse 11 says, This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory and His disciples believed in Him. Later on, in the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 1 says, God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in Son, literally, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world and He is the radiance of His glory. Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God.
But it seems to me we need to go one step further when it comes to God's glory. God's glorious particularly seen His Son. The incarnation gives to us a remarkable view of the glory of God. But Christ's atoning work on the cross on our behalf provides the pinnacle of the glory of God. Jesus says in this verse - He begins His prayer to the Father. Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee. Jesus recognized that this hour of suffering and death on our behalf as agonizing as it would be for Him, would also be a moment of the manifestation of God's glory like no other. We see this very clearly in the extent to which Jesus anticipates the glory of the cross more intensely as the time drew ever nearer. I remind you of John's Gospel back in the 12th chapter. Jesus says in verse 27, Now My soul has become troubled, and what shall I say, Father, save Me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven. I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. A voice out of heaven, confirming the significance of our that was coming upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That this would be a moment of divine glory like no other. Jesus says in the beginning of the upper room discourse - John chapter 13 you recall, we went through this not too long ago, beginning with verse 31. Jesus makes a statement and this is right after Judas has gone out to betray the Lord - When therefore he had gone out, that is Judas, Jesus said now is the son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him immediately. That's a lot of glory Lord talking about there. It's almost difficult for us to fully appreciate and follow the fullness of what Jesus is saying, but one thing we can be sure of, Jesus is anticipating more and more that the time has come for God to be glorified in a most remarkable way. And now when we come to the 17th chapter and the hour is much closer, almost upon the Lord, and Jesus says, Father, the hour has come, as he prays to the father. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee.
The extent to which Jesus is anticipating this glory is also evidenced most remarkably, in the tenses that He uses throughout much of His prayer to the Father. I want you to notice several things that Jesus says in this prayer. The fourth verse. He said, I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. That work is not yet completed but He speaks of it as though it has been completed. Verse 11 - I am no more in the world. Yet they themselves are in the world. Jesus still is in the world and yet He's anticipating with absolute certainty and with great joy, the joy that set before Him that the glory of God will be made known in this hour in a remarkable way. Verse 12 - while I was with them I was keeping them in My name, Jesus is still with them. Not for much longer, but He's anticipating a perspective that's about to come. Verse 18 - as Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. He's anticipating something that's yet to come. It's going to take place. Verse 22 - and the glory which Thou hast given to Me, I have given to them that they may be one, just as We are One. The presence of the Spirit in the church, the New Testament church, had not yet been manifested and given. And yet Jesus is praying as though it had already been accomplished. His anticipation of the glory of the cross and the implications issuing from it is most instructive it seems to me.
God delights frequently in describing an important work that He's going to accomplish as though it had already happened. Seems to me that God delights in doing that. We saw this just last week in the 33rd verse - Take courage, I have overcome the world. Well in point of fact, chronologically is that true yet when Jesus says that? It's as good as true from God's perspective. I have overcome the world. Take courage. It’s as good as done. I was reminded of this too. I was thinking of the passage in Ephesians chapter 2. Someone read from the passage earlier. Another portion of this chapter, but one portion of it that comes to my mind in this same respect - Ephesians chapter 2 - Paul details our terrible plight and predicament apart from Christ, being dead in our trespasses and sins, but God verse four, Being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ. Past tense -seated us with Him in the heavenly places. We often say, well positionally that's true, and that so. But in terms of reality, it hasn't yet happened. God delights in speaking of those things that have not yet happened as though they had. God is not bound by time and space as we are. When God's purpose to accomplish something, it's as good as done. God delights in often revealing this perspective to us. He delights in exhibiting His glory, and He delights in calling us to anticipate His glory. We’re anticipating God's glory now, are we not? I hope we are. The day is coming very soon.
Now from the natural man's perspective, God's glory is a completely different matter isn't it? A very different matter. Sinners are so strongly predisposed to ignore and disdain God's glory that they will regret they will aggressively resist the manifestation of God's glory with every bit of their being. Have you noticed that? – something to pay attention to? There's no greater deficiency in sinners than our disdain for and determined opposition to the acknowledgment of God's exclusive right to all glory. No greater deficiency in sinners than that. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I was pondering this thinking about this - couple things came to my mind. A quote that I read not too long ago from a man by the name of Frederick Nitschke. Many of you, some of you at least might be familiar with the name, a man from the 1800s an exceedingly godless and atheistic man, a proponent of humanism and whose works, writings, still continue to have quite an influence on our society. He's the man who coined the phrase God is dead. But in one of the statements that he makes was brought to my attention some time ago and it really struck me. This is what he said. He didn't believe in God, he believed there was no God, there is no God. But he says this, if there were gods, how could I bear not to be a god? I want you to think about that. If there were gods, how could I bear to not be a god? You see what that's exposing in the human heart? I cannot stand the concept of God, a God, because that God will deserve glory and I have to have some of that. I can't stand that thought. It's amazing to me what people will even in acknowledging that there may be a God, and there may be some consequences for not subjecting themselves to Him, they refuse to bow to His glory. The glory that is due Him. I was reading an interview of a legendary rock 'n' roll star who has lived for a long time and continues to live his life for himself or his own glory, doing whatever feels right. And I noticed a quote in a recent interview of him. It just jumped out at me. It's a sort of a chilling thing. He says, I'm sure I'm going to pay in the next life. And then he says this - hell is really going to be hell for me. Imagine acknowledging that, but refusing to repent. I'd rather face the consequences than give God the glory that is due Him. I hope you understand I'm not exaggerating this point, and I want to prove the point even more by asking to turn with me to Revelation chapter 16. Revelation chapter 16 verse eight we’re told that the fourth angel pours out his bowl of judgment upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. This is speaking of something that is yet to come. Now notice Verse nine - Men were scorched with fierce heat and they blasphemed the name of God, who has the power over these plagues. Now I want you to notice the last phrase in this ninth verse - and they did not repent. Why? What's the problem? so as to give Him glory. That's the problem. When you come right down to it, this is the real struggle between God and man. God says all glory is due Me. Man says no way. But you know it's interesting when you think about it. The truth is that apart from a genuine longing and love for the glory of God, man is empty. Man is condemned. He's in bondage to the moment in his own depriving desire for his own glory. That's all there is, apart from the glory of God. God’sglory is a very precious thing, but men are consumed with their own glory. Do you recall what Jesus said earlier? John recorded in John chapter 5 verse 44 - how can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not see the glory that is from the one and only God? Jesus explains this as being the reason these men cannot believe in Him. They love glory from one another. They are quick to receive glory from one another, but they do not - they will not seek the glory that is from the one and only God. This is what the God of this world is doing continuously. Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse four - and whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond servants for Jesus sake, for God, who said light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
I wonder this morning how much to what extent we appreciate the glory of Christ, and especially in relation to His sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus saw this hour as the hour in which God's glory would be made known in a remarkable way. The Father's glory and the Son’s glory. A shared glory if you will - a reciprocating glory. The hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee. Their glory is enhanced. The father's glory, the Son’s glory is enhanced in the triune distinction. Father and Son. I was thinking about this. I don't know if you've ever meditated upon this thought, but I was thinking about the glory of the atoning work of Christ and the extent to which it has continued to be and is continuing to be acknowledged, praised, sung about, proclaimed, and remembered through every means possible. Have you ever thought about that? What a wonderful thing that is. I was just reviewing in my mind one song after another that has been written with this glory in view. It’s in the cross of Christ that we glory. Song after song has been written and sung from the heart. The glory of the cross has been proclaimed and continues to be proclaimed. There's nothing like it. Ted made mention this morning in our previous service that all of the perfections of God were made known on the cross. And certainly that is true. What a glory. Have we seen that glory? Is that glory very special to us? Do we remember that glory as we should?
For something I read not too long ago, I was reading the story of a man and the witness he was bearing to events that he had personally witnessed a long time ago. This man's like 93 years old right now. When he was 19, he was an American soldier over in Europe towards the very end of the of World War II. And his detail had been assigned to go around and free, liberate prisoners of war from these camps. He was telling about how they had liberated a group of British prisoners of war in one area, and I can’t member the exact location, but these men were telling them of another camp that they'd heard of that was some distance away. It was a Jewish extermination camp is what it was. And so they began to make their way towards there and the description this man gives is really unbelievable. He says as we got closer, the stench became so bad we were covering our faces. As they go to enter this camp there is one German guard who refused to surrender and this young man shot him, and they went and entered into the camp. And he described what he saw - a pile of bodies on the left, a pile of bodies on the right. There were some other things he described I won’t relate, but one thing he described that just struck me. An old man, frail man, came running out, and bowed down the ground and started kissing this man's boots. He said my boots were covered with mud and blood and human waste. He said I understood why he was doing it but it made me so uncomfortable. He reached down and he lifted this man up - got under his shoulders - lifted him up and then he realizes he looked him face-to-face. The man's face was covered with open sores, lice crawling out of the sores. The stench was overwhelming. But this man just had to hug him and he said I let him hug me. He said those, those pictures were locked in his mind and he didn't talk about it for the longest time. Apparently, a few years ago, he determined that he needed to start talking about it, that people wouldn't forget. And he’s gone around and told school children his story. It’s not a pretty picture for sure, what he wants them to remember.
Now, I would ask you this morning of how much greater significance is the death of our Lord Jesus Christ? I would suggest to you that it is of infinitely greater significance than the combined deaths of billions of people on this planet. To what extent are we determined to remember? Jesus has asked us to remember. One of the things that I have really rejoiced in in our body. For most of my adult life growing up, The Lord's supper was something that was tacked onto the end of the morning service - not a lot of time was allowed - we didn't really have a lot of time to focus attention on the death of our Lord. Recognizing in several other different groups of saints that they did things differently. They set aside a time just for this, and we’ve tried to emulate that. It has become a blessed time for me. One of things it has really encouraged me is different ones in our body making a comment every once in a while. I think this is one of the highlights of our time together - is when we come together to observe, to remember the death of Christ. What a privilege that is. Is it somewhat inconvenient to get here an hour earlier? Yeah, little bit. But is it worth it? I think so. We've been called upon to remember, and we have the privilege of remembering a glory that far outshines all the other glories of this life could ever offer us. Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven, and He says, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee. I trust even this morning that we will rejoice in what the Lord has done for us, and as we work our way through this prayer that we will have this firmly established in her mind, that this the hour that is coming that is drawing near to the Lord Jesus is an hour of great glory. And we will see more of that I trust as we proceed. Let’s bow together in prayer.
In this world tribulation is a given isn’t it - something we can be sure of. We are going to have tribulation this world, but even more certain is the comforting reality that we have a Savior who has indeed triumphed over this world - over death and over the devil. As his followers, we have every reason to heed our Lord's exhortation in this passage to take courage, do we not? - every reason for us to take courage. Having made this definitive statement Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven, we notice in chapter 17 verse one, These things Jesus spoke and lifting up his eyes to heaven He said “Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that the son may glorify thee”. The transition here seems quite fluid as the Lord instinctively turns His attention to the Father and His glory. Their shared glory in relation to the assurance He just imparted to his disciples. The certainty of our Lord's prevailing over the world and all of its opposition to God leads inevitably to God's great purpose behind it all.
One of the things that I would imagine almost all New Testament saints can agree on is the importance of the glory of God. We often remind one another that this should be our overriding objective in life in the things we do and say and think. In fact, it may be one of those things that we become so familiar with we rarely think it through to the extent that we should. For if we are not careful, it can easily become one of those Christian clichés, if you will, that we sort of habitually insert into our speaking without being purposefully aware of its meaning and its necessary prominence. God's glory! This is what's on the Lord Jesus's mind as he begins this prayer to the Father. Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee.
God's glory is the self-manifestation of His holiness, His greatness, the perfections of His goodness. It is sometimes described as splendor, majesty, brilliance. The majesty that is witnessed in His presence. There are specific aspects of God's glory that are emphasized in different contexts of God's Word, but there are fundamental realities concerning God's glory that I believe are important for us to understand - crucial really for us to understand as we begin the Lord's prayer to the Father. It is a tremendous portion of God's Word. There is really nothing quite like it in the Scriptures, as we are given the privilege of listening in, as were, on this communion, this close communion and interaction within the Godhead between the Son and the Father.
Several things that I think is important for us to mention as we consider God's glory together this morning - God's purpose as this hour is finally come upon the Son. The first thing that I think is important for us to recognize and be reminded of and that is that God's glory is exclusively deserved. God alone deserves all glory. I think all of us would acknowledge that - I trust we would. It's good to be reminded of this fact that it is right, it's proper, it's fitting, it's appropriate that God receives all glory. In fact, it is something that is due Him. In the 29th Psalm - Psalm 29 beginning with verse one, ascribe to the Lord of sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. Later on in the same Psalm the ninth verse, the voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve and strips the forests bare; and in his temple everything says glory. God's glory is deserved. It is deserved by God alone. God's glory is evidenced in his perfect goodness.
You recall, in the passage in Exodus, a moment of real crisis for Moses and the children of Israel, and that their disobedience to the Lord had reached really a crisis point, if you will, and the interaction between the Lord and Moses is quite remarkable in this passage in Exodus chapter 33. And Moses his pleading on behalf of the people, and ultimately on behalf of God's honor that He would not discard and destroy this nation, but that He would go with them and fulfill his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Moses then cries out in the 18th verse and he says I pray thee show me Thy glory. And God said in verse 19, I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. And then in the 34th chapter, this is indeed what God does. The Lord passed by in front of Moses, Verse six says, and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin. Yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.
God's deserved glory as evidenced in His perfect goodness. I’m reminded also that God is determined to preserve the exclusivity of His Own honor. This is something that God makes especially clear through the prophet Isaiah - Isaiah chapter 42 and the eighth verse, God says through the prophet, I am the Lord. That is My name. I will not give my glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. God is fiercely protective about his Own glory. I will not give My glory to another, The Lord says in the 48th chapter of Isaiah and the 11th verse, For my own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And My glory, I will not give to another. God alone is as the psalmist declares in the 24th Psalm, He is the King of glory. The last four verses of that Psalm five times the Lord is referred to as the King of glory. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, He is the king of glory.
God's glory is first-of-all, exclusively deserved – it’s due Him. The second thing that I want to mention this morning as we consider this matter, and that is that God's glory is His ultimate purpose and priority in everything. We’ve talked about this before. We mentioned it some weeks ago, some months ago I guess now, but it's something we need to be reminded of, and sometimes I think it's important we be reminded of it often. God's glory is His ultimate purpose and priority in everything. I remind you of the passage in Romans chapter 11, at the end of the chapter, the 36th verse says this, For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever, Amen. Ephesians chapter 3 the very last verse 21, To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. God's glory is His ultimate purpose and priority in everything. This is especially seen in God's plan of redemption. Back in Ephesians chapter 1, we see this made clear time and again. Verse five - He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Verse 12 - To the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Verse 14 - The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, for what purpose, for what ultimate cause, to the praise of his glory. Our tenancy many times is to look at salvation, God's plan of redemption and think they were the center of it all. God's ultimate purpose is His own glory. It's His ultimate purpose and priority and everything and we need to keep that in mind. So often times we get off just a little bit, and it doesn't take getting off but a little bit to get in quite a bit of trouble.
A third thing that I want to mention this morning concerning God's glory and that is that His glory is particularly seen in the person of His own beloved Son. God's glory is particularly seen in His Christ. The incarnation gives to mankind and unsurpassed view of the glory of God in flesh and blood. Verse 14 of John's Gospel, the very first chapter, the Lord Jesus is presented in the beginning of that of the John's Gospel as the Word. The Word Who was with God, the Word who was God. And then in verse 14 John says, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father full of grace and truth. These men who spent the three years of public ministry with the Lord Jesus. They saw the glory of God in His Christ. Jesus made known His glory to His disciples. You go to the second chapter John's gospel and the narrative concerning the Lord turning the water into wine. In verse 11 says, This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory and His disciples believed in Him. Later on, in the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 1 says, God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in Son, literally, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world and He is the radiance of His glory. Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God.
But it seems to me we need to go one step further when it comes to God's glory. God's glorious particularly seen His Son. The incarnation gives to us a remarkable view of the glory of God. But Christ's atoning work on the cross on our behalf provides the pinnacle of the glory of God. Jesus says in this verse - He begins His prayer to the Father. Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee. Jesus recognized that this hour of suffering and death on our behalf as agonizing as it would be for Him, would also be a moment of the manifestation of God's glory like no other. We see this very clearly in the extent to which Jesus anticipates the glory of the cross more intensely as the time drew ever nearer. I remind you of John's Gospel back in the 12th chapter. Jesus says in verse 27, Now My soul has become troubled, and what shall I say, Father, save Me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven. I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. A voice out of heaven, confirming the significance of our that was coming upon the Lord Jesus Christ. That this would be a moment of divine glory like no other. Jesus says in the beginning of the upper room discourse - John chapter 13 you recall, we went through this not too long ago, beginning with verse 31. Jesus makes a statement and this is right after Judas has gone out to betray the Lord - When therefore he had gone out, that is Judas, Jesus said now is the son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him immediately. That's a lot of glory Lord talking about there. It's almost difficult for us to fully appreciate and follow the fullness of what Jesus is saying, but one thing we can be sure of, Jesus is anticipating more and more that the time has come for God to be glorified in a most remarkable way. And now when we come to the 17th chapter and the hour is much closer, almost upon the Lord, and Jesus says, Father, the hour has come, as he prays to the father. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee.
The extent to which Jesus is anticipating this glory is also evidenced most remarkably, in the tenses that He uses throughout much of His prayer to the Father. I want you to notice several things that Jesus says in this prayer. The fourth verse. He said, I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. That work is not yet completed but He speaks of it as though it has been completed. Verse 11 - I am no more in the world. Yet they themselves are in the world. Jesus still is in the world and yet He's anticipating with absolute certainty and with great joy, the joy that set before Him that the glory of God will be made known in this hour in a remarkable way. Verse 12 - while I was with them I was keeping them in My name, Jesus is still with them. Not for much longer, but He's anticipating a perspective that's about to come. Verse 18 - as Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. He's anticipating something that's yet to come. It's going to take place. Verse 22 - and the glory which Thou hast given to Me, I have given to them that they may be one, just as We are One. The presence of the Spirit in the church, the New Testament church, had not yet been manifested and given. And yet Jesus is praying as though it had already been accomplished. His anticipation of the glory of the cross and the implications issuing from it is most instructive it seems to me.
God delights frequently in describing an important work that He's going to accomplish as though it had already happened. Seems to me that God delights in doing that. We saw this just last week in the 33rd verse - Take courage, I have overcome the world. Well in point of fact, chronologically is that true yet when Jesus says that? It's as good as true from God's perspective. I have overcome the world. Take courage. It’s as good as done. I was reminded of this too. I was thinking of the passage in Ephesians chapter 2. Someone read from the passage earlier. Another portion of this chapter, but one portion of it that comes to my mind in this same respect - Ephesians chapter 2 - Paul details our terrible plight and predicament apart from Christ, being dead in our trespasses and sins, but God verse four, Being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ. Past tense -seated us with Him in the heavenly places. We often say, well positionally that's true, and that so. But in terms of reality, it hasn't yet happened. God delights in speaking of those things that have not yet happened as though they had. God is not bound by time and space as we are. When God's purpose to accomplish something, it's as good as done. God delights in often revealing this perspective to us. He delights in exhibiting His glory, and He delights in calling us to anticipate His glory. We’re anticipating God's glory now, are we not? I hope we are. The day is coming very soon.
Now from the natural man's perspective, God's glory is a completely different matter isn't it? A very different matter. Sinners are so strongly predisposed to ignore and disdain God's glory that they will regret they will aggressively resist the manifestation of God's glory with every bit of their being. Have you noticed that? – something to pay attention to? There's no greater deficiency in sinners than our disdain for and determined opposition to the acknowledgment of God's exclusive right to all glory. No greater deficiency in sinners than that. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I was pondering this thinking about this - couple things came to my mind. A quote that I read not too long ago from a man by the name of Frederick Nitschke. Many of you, some of you at least might be familiar with the name, a man from the 1800s an exceedingly godless and atheistic man, a proponent of humanism and whose works, writings, still continue to have quite an influence on our society. He's the man who coined the phrase God is dead. But in one of the statements that he makes was brought to my attention some time ago and it really struck me. This is what he said. He didn't believe in God, he believed there was no God, there is no God. But he says this, if there were gods, how could I bear not to be a god? I want you to think about that. If there were gods, how could I bear to not be a god? You see what that's exposing in the human heart? I cannot stand the concept of God, a God, because that God will deserve glory and I have to have some of that. I can't stand that thought. It's amazing to me what people will even in acknowledging that there may be a God, and there may be some consequences for not subjecting themselves to Him, they refuse to bow to His glory. The glory that is due Him. I was reading an interview of a legendary rock 'n' roll star who has lived for a long time and continues to live his life for himself or his own glory, doing whatever feels right. And I noticed a quote in a recent interview of him. It just jumped out at me. It's a sort of a chilling thing. He says, I'm sure I'm going to pay in the next life. And then he says this - hell is really going to be hell for me. Imagine acknowledging that, but refusing to repent. I'd rather face the consequences than give God the glory that is due Him. I hope you understand I'm not exaggerating this point, and I want to prove the point even more by asking to turn with me to Revelation chapter 16. Revelation chapter 16 verse eight we’re told that the fourth angel pours out his bowl of judgment upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. This is speaking of something that is yet to come. Now notice Verse nine - Men were scorched with fierce heat and they blasphemed the name of God, who has the power over these plagues. Now I want you to notice the last phrase in this ninth verse - and they did not repent. Why? What's the problem? so as to give Him glory. That's the problem. When you come right down to it, this is the real struggle between God and man. God says all glory is due Me. Man says no way. But you know it's interesting when you think about it. The truth is that apart from a genuine longing and love for the glory of God, man is empty. Man is condemned. He's in bondage to the moment in his own depriving desire for his own glory. That's all there is, apart from the glory of God. God’sglory is a very precious thing, but men are consumed with their own glory. Do you recall what Jesus said earlier? John recorded in John chapter 5 verse 44 - how can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not see the glory that is from the one and only God? Jesus explains this as being the reason these men cannot believe in Him. They love glory from one another. They are quick to receive glory from one another, but they do not - they will not seek the glory that is from the one and only God. This is what the God of this world is doing continuously. Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse four - and whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond servants for Jesus sake, for God, who said light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
I wonder this morning how much to what extent we appreciate the glory of Christ, and especially in relation to His sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus saw this hour as the hour in which God's glory would be made known in a remarkable way. The Father's glory and the Son’s glory. A shared glory if you will - a reciprocating glory. The hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee. Their glory is enhanced. The father's glory, the Son’s glory is enhanced in the triune distinction. Father and Son. I was thinking about this. I don't know if you've ever meditated upon this thought, but I was thinking about the glory of the atoning work of Christ and the extent to which it has continued to be and is continuing to be acknowledged, praised, sung about, proclaimed, and remembered through every means possible. Have you ever thought about that? What a wonderful thing that is. I was just reviewing in my mind one song after another that has been written with this glory in view. It’s in the cross of Christ that we glory. Song after song has been written and sung from the heart. The glory of the cross has been proclaimed and continues to be proclaimed. There's nothing like it. Ted made mention this morning in our previous service that all of the perfections of God were made known on the cross. And certainly that is true. What a glory. Have we seen that glory? Is that glory very special to us? Do we remember that glory as we should?
For something I read not too long ago, I was reading the story of a man and the witness he was bearing to events that he had personally witnessed a long time ago. This man's like 93 years old right now. When he was 19, he was an American soldier over in Europe towards the very end of the of World War II. And his detail had been assigned to go around and free, liberate prisoners of war from these camps. He was telling about how they had liberated a group of British prisoners of war in one area, and I can’t member the exact location, but these men were telling them of another camp that they'd heard of that was some distance away. It was a Jewish extermination camp is what it was. And so they began to make their way towards there and the description this man gives is really unbelievable. He says as we got closer, the stench became so bad we were covering our faces. As they go to enter this camp there is one German guard who refused to surrender and this young man shot him, and they went and entered into the camp. And he described what he saw - a pile of bodies on the left, a pile of bodies on the right. There were some other things he described I won’t relate, but one thing he described that just struck me. An old man, frail man, came running out, and bowed down the ground and started kissing this man's boots. He said my boots were covered with mud and blood and human waste. He said I understood why he was doing it but it made me so uncomfortable. He reached down and he lifted this man up - got under his shoulders - lifted him up and then he realizes he looked him face-to-face. The man's face was covered with open sores, lice crawling out of the sores. The stench was overwhelming. But this man just had to hug him and he said I let him hug me. He said those, those pictures were locked in his mind and he didn't talk about it for the longest time. Apparently, a few years ago, he determined that he needed to start talking about it, that people wouldn't forget. And he’s gone around and told school children his story. It’s not a pretty picture for sure, what he wants them to remember.
Now, I would ask you this morning of how much greater significance is the death of our Lord Jesus Christ? I would suggest to you that it is of infinitely greater significance than the combined deaths of billions of people on this planet. To what extent are we determined to remember? Jesus has asked us to remember. One of the things that I have really rejoiced in in our body. For most of my adult life growing up, The Lord's supper was something that was tacked onto the end of the morning service - not a lot of time was allowed - we didn't really have a lot of time to focus attention on the death of our Lord. Recognizing in several other different groups of saints that they did things differently. They set aside a time just for this, and we’ve tried to emulate that. It has become a blessed time for me. One of things it has really encouraged me is different ones in our body making a comment every once in a while. I think this is one of the highlights of our time together - is when we come together to observe, to remember the death of Christ. What a privilege that is. Is it somewhat inconvenient to get here an hour earlier? Yeah, little bit. But is it worth it? I think so. We've been called upon to remember, and we have the privilege of remembering a glory that far outshines all the other glories of this life could ever offer us. Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven, and He says, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee. I trust even this morning that we will rejoice in what the Lord has done for us, and as we work our way through this prayer that we will have this firmly established in her mind, that this the hour that is coming that is drawing near to the Lord Jesus is an hour of great glory. And we will see more of that I trust as we proceed. Let’s bow together in prayer.
