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The Manifestation of the name of God

john 17:6-9 ~ terry phillips


April 8, 2018

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                    I will ask you to turn to John chapter 17 once again, as we continue our study, our consideration of the Lord's prayer to the Father just prior to His being arrested and led away to be falsely accused and condemned to death on a Roman cross. These are words that the Lord spoke in the presence of His disciples at the conclusion of His discourse with them as He had been preparing them for the suffering, the shame that He was about to endure. Let's begin this morning by reading from John chapter 17 and the first 11 verses this morning.
 
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, Hesaid, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, Hemay give eternal life. 3“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.  6“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7“Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9“I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11“I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
 
 
This is a most unique portion of God's word. We are granted an insight into the mindset and the perspective of the Lord Jesus, the Son of the living God as He comes face-to-face with the event that He had been anticipating from eternal ages past.  As Jesus is anticipating the defining moment for all of time and eternity He is very focused on the accomplishing of God's purpose, God's will, in the moments that are very soon to follow. Jesus in this passage is looking at the cross from the divine perspective. As we've said, and we've noted before, this is not the perspective that you and I would have come up with on our own. We could not have seen, no man on their own, sees the cross in this light. This comes from God. This perspective is God's perspective, it reaches far beyond anything human insight could have ever discovered. And so, in this portion of God's word and really if you stop and think about in all of God's word we’re called upon to very carefully, continually ponder the cross of Christ. In the previous four chapters Jesus is directly exhorting His disciples you recall -- chapters 13, 14 15 and 16, Jesus is directly exhorting and encouraging His disciples and is doing so from the perspective of Him being their Teacher, their Master, their Lord, their Leader. In this 17th chapter, Jesus turns His attention to the Father. He is now embracing the reality that the hour has come regarding the things that he's been talking about and warning His disciples on and trying to encourage them about regarding what's to happen now. As the hour has come upon Him, He turns His attention to the Father as the Father's beloved Son, as the only Savior of sinners, as the perfect Advocate interceding on behalf of those He came to save, as He approaches this point in time, recognizing it to be the ultimate manifestation of divine glory.
 
We move into the sixth verse this morning; we've been looking at the first five verses up to this point, and I want you to notice how the sixth verse begins. I manifested Thy Name.  Jesus has been even in His prayer to the Father describing what is to come. Anticipating the great glory of the cross, rejoicing in the authority that had been granted to Him to save sinners, lay down His life on our behalf, and authority that reaches extensively over all of mankind, sovereignly over all that the Father had given Him. Jesus is rejoicing in this fact. The fact that He would impart eternal life. Then He speaks in the fourth verse of this fact when He said
 
I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given me to do. And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself Father with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.
 
and then He makes this statement as He continues on, I manifested Thy name. As we have already noted, the cross is really the crux of everything that really matters. I have become more and more enthralled with this truth as I've been studying through and pondering this precious portion of God's word. This is the one thing that matters. You think of the state of affairs in this world today, or any given time throughout human history. What a sad state that humanity has been in ever since the fall. You think of the hatred, the animosity, the continuing problems and difficulties that we face in this world, the frustrations of mankind, realizing at certain points that were not getting anywhere. The harder we try, the more we struggle in the flesh in our in our own wisdom. The further we decline, the further we descend into the abyss of human depravity. Here's the answer; it’s the only answer is the cross. The cross makes known to us the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. If we haven't been convinced of that yet, here's another opportunity as we move into the six verse. I manifested Thy name. Jesus anticipates, Jesus is rejoicing in this reality that He is manifesting the name of Almighty God, making it known. The name of God is a clear reference to the fullness of God's Person, His character, His nature, His very essence, His perfections, His excellence, His honor. Everything that makes Him who He is in His exclusive exultation is bound in His name. The name is a very important thing, is it not?  We often emphasize the importance of someone's name in a somewhat similar fashion in our lives and our world and our dealings with one another in this world. A name can be a pretty important thing. We recognize that. I'm sure all of us are to be more aware than we like to be of a local litigator in our area who reminds us quite often of the importance of the name, one name says it all. There is a truth there.  A name can make a significant statement in the case of Almighty God. What a statement, what significance is in His name. A name can speak volumes, speaks of reputation, of character, of stature, esteem, distinction, accomplishments, position, ability. God obviously takes His name very seriously.  He is very protective of His name. It is an integral element of His glory, the Lord’s statement in this passage that were looking at this morning is really a profound declaration when you stop and think about it. I manifested Thy name Remember how this gospel begins when were told that no man has seen God at any time. No man can see God and live. But what is that statement followed up with in that first chapter in the 18th verse, The only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father. He has explained Him. We've talked about a number of times as well in that first chapter, those first few verses in the book of Hebrews.  In the Son of God we see the very radiance of God's glory. I manifested Thy name.  And this is the moment in which that declaration comes to its greatest extent. This is the apex of that manifestation of the name of God. I made known your Name.
 
God's name is the primary revelation of who He is. Stop and think about this this morning, especially going back all the way throughout the Scriptures and being reminded of the significance of the name of God. It’s the fundamental revelation of who God is. You notice the prominence of the name of God from the very beginning and I was reminded of this is I was just searching through some of the Old Testament, in this regard, the prominence of the name of God when men began to pursue spiritual things. After the fall, you have a number of ramifications of the fall and most of them extent exceedingly sad, but at the very end of the fourth chapter after the record of Cain killing His brother in the record of men, a number of descendents, we have this verse in the 26 verse of Genesis 4 Seth, to him also a son was born. He called His name Enosh – then men began to call upon the name of the Lord. This is the first statement we have about man's pursuit of spiritual matters and the name of God is front and center. I noticed this as well in the calling of Abraham, God set His affection on this man, set him apart as the one who would be the father of multitudes, as the one through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed, that is, through His seed that is Christ. We see the prominence of the Lord's name in the life of Abraham. Verse eight of Genesis 12. Very shortly after we read of His call, he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, pitched His tent with Bethel on the West and AI on the east and there He built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. Genesis chapter 21 verse 33. After Abraham had entered into a covenant with Abimelech. Verse 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and there He called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.  We see the prominence of the Lord's name in the man Moses in the Lord’s leading His people out of Egypt. Recall that when God sent Moses to the nation of Israel, one of Moses's greatest concerns is verse 13 of Exodus chapter 3. He said the God, Behold, I'm going to the Sons of Israel. I shall say to them, the God of your Fathers has sent me to you. Now they may say to me what is His name? What shall I say to them?  You see the emphasis on the name of God. God's name reveals to us the primary revelation of who God is, God identifies Himself there as the eternally existing One. The I Am. I Am Who I Am. I'm the God of your Fathers, the God who is God, and always has been God, and always will be God. I'm also reminded of the significance of the name of God in the life of Moses, a passage that I trust is dear to many of us, when Moses cried out to the Lord in a moment of really a great crisis in his leading, his leadership, of the children of Israel, and He longs to see further manifestation of the glory of God. Moses said in verse 18 of Exodus 33, I pray Thee, show me Thy glory.  Now this is a man who has already spent 40 days and nights on the mountain in the presence of God. This is a man who's already stood before the burning bush. This is a man who has seen the power of God in remarkable ways. A man to whom God has spoken face-to-face and yet He makes this request of the Lord and notice what God says to Him, His response:
 
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 will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.
 
Notice how closely God's name is tied to His character. I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you.  Through Moses, God warned the children of Israel to be very careful that they not profane His name. See Leviticus chapter 22 verse 32 verse 31 and 32.
 
So you shall keep My commandments, and do them. I am the Lord, and you shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel.
 
 These passages remind us of the significance of the name of God. It is of extreme importance to the Lord that He makes Himself known to us through the manifestation of His name, and He does so in many ways, in many instances, through many warnings as well. As encouragements, as admonitions. Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 58, Moses warns the Sons of Israel. If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book to fear this honored and awesome name of the Lord your God than the Lord will bring extraordinary place on you.  It's also very interesting when you go back to Deuteronomy chapter 18 a prophecy that is attributed in the New Testament directly to the Son of God. Moses says this in Deuteronomy 18:18. I will raise up a Prophet from among their countrymen like you and I will put my words in His mouth and He shall speak to them all that I command Him and it shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words which He shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of Him.
 
Jesus said I manifested Thy name. The name of God is of singular of exclusive importance. We could trace it at great length to the life of David who speaks often of God's holy and awesome name. Ascribe to God the glory due to His name, the psalmist says. Solomon says The name of the Lord is a strong tower.  The righteous run into it and are safe.  Through the prophet Isaiah, God makes some very solemn declarations concerning His name in relation to who He is and His honor, His glory. Isaiah 48 verse 11 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. The manifestation of the name of God is serious business, indeed a very solemn thing. Isaiah 57 verse 15 For thus says the high and exalted one who lives forever whose name is holy.  And in looking ahead prophetically. The coming of God in flesh through the prophet Isaiah the seventh chapter the 14th verse. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child, and bear a Son, and she will call His name Emmanuelle God with us. Isaiah chapter 9 verse six for a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us in the government will rest on His shoulders and His name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, Prince of peace. When Jesus says I manifested Thy name, He is making a profound declaration and specifically in relation to the cross. That's what Jesus is referring to in this passage very clearly. The hour, that is, for the Son to be glorified in His death on the cross. I manifested Thy name. Think of all the great I AMs in the Gospel of John, Jesus declaring Himself to be the manifestation of Almighty God, I am the bread of life, the living bread come down out of heaven. I am the light of the world. I am the door. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, the life, the true vine. There are the numerous times in John's gospel where Jesus simply states the matter plainly I AM.  Jesus is making a declaration that really is without precedent. The name of God being made known to men in a most extraordinary way through a degree of revelation that can be seen nowhere else, can be evidenced nowhere else.  When we speak of the importance of the cross, it seems to me that more and more, we need to be very careful to really consider what we see on the cross. What we see of God. What we are able to understand concerning who God is. We have noted this before, that Jesus is anticipating this very aspect of the cross.  I remind you again passage that we looked at a couple of weeks ago John chapter 12 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. In this hour, the name of God would be made known and would be manifested like no other. After Jesus had risen from the dead, He gives to His disciples what is commonly referred to as the great commission, but what I would like to emphasize here in the last few verses in Matthew's gospel is indeed this emphasis again on the manifestation of the name of God through His Son’s sacrifice. Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. How so? Through the cross. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Go and manifest the name of Almighty God's Son, His Holy Spirit in proclaiming the reality of the cross, the word of the cross is dealt with in the first chapter of first Corinthians.
 
Now going back to the passage before us here in John 17 I want to direct your attention to something this morning. Something we talked about before, but it's extremely important, it seems to me as we continue to make our way through this passage.  I manifested Thy name. The tense is definitely past and as we've been noticing this as we’ve been working our way through this already and if you're paying attention as we read through these first 11 verses this morning you just can't help but notice something is not chronological as we would think of it.  I'm almost uncomfortable with the tenses here. It's surely from a human chronological perspective. Jesus is speaking of things that have not yet happened as though they already have and he's doing so consistently in this passage. If we’re not careful, it can be difficult for us to really see what's one of the great exhibitions if you will, of God's glory. This is one of the ways that Jesus in these very words is manifesting the exclusive majesty of Almighty God. It's in the very perspective from which He is praying to the Father. He speaking of the cross. He's looking ahead, He is anticipating the cross as though it were already accomplished. You can't get around that in this passage, the past tenses everywhere. I manifested Thy name, Jesus is speaking about things that are about to happen, as though they already have. And really this is a well-established pattern that is seen quite often in God's revelation to mankind and is not something new by any means, but we do need to recognize that it is seen most frequently in matters relating to the cross and in matters regarding the direct implications of the cross, God speaks of this as though it were an accomplished reality. Some of the implications of the cross that we've not yet experienced that we are yet to experience, are spoken of in the Scriptures as though we already have them and possess them. Why is this? Why is this the God speaks in this way? Surely there is a very crucial reason for the Lord taking this very unique approach in His word. Surely God knows we are creatures who are bound by time and chronology. We can't see the beginning from the end. We don't know what's coming next, we’re bound by the clock in many respects; time rules our lives, does it not? Not so with God. There is in these distinctive passages, and in this passage in a special way, it seems to me a very overt declaration of the sovereign wisdom and power of God on display. Here is God making known beforehand the purpose, the plan of the Almighty so that there can be no doubt whatsoever of His authority, and His unsearchable greatness. I noticed this principle even earlier on, and I think we mentioned it before but I remind you of it again this morning. It’s something that sometimes we don't really pay a lot of attention to. In His upper room discourse you recall, in John 14 verse 29, He says this: And now I have told you before it comes to pass that when it comes to pass, you may believe.  This is not to suggest that these men did not already believe in Christ.  That is not what Jesus is saying here, is it?  Jesus is speaking of a confirmation of and a strengthening of our faith. What does it do for you and I when God speaks of something yet future as though it were already accomplished. What should that do for us?  Especially in respect to the many times He's done so in the past and followed through faithfully, time and again. What comfort, what encouragement. The Lord is encouraging His disciples through these things.  He speaking to them of things that have not yet occurred so that when they occur, their faith would be strengthened, confidence in the Lord would be stabilized if you will. John chapter 16 verse four, But these things I have spoken to you that when their hour comes, You may remember that I told you of them. In remembrance of the Lord in His infinite wisdom and sovereign authority. I remember that that's exactly what God said would happen.  Can you imagine how much of encouragement this must've been to these men? They had no idea what they were about to experience. They just did not. Their hearts were heavy. They were beginning to realize how bad it was going to be, or at least have some idea of how bad and yet when all of these things have transpired, they could go back to these words and they can be mindful of the fact that this is exactly what our Lord told us would happen. What a confirmation of the power and the wisdom the authority and the sovereignty of Almighty God. 
 
I’m reminded of the passage there in the 33rd Psalm when we read these words in the ninth verse four. For He spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. The Lord nullifies the Council of the nations. He frustrates the plans the peoples.  When men say things and make statements it's on a completely different plane, is it not?  It really is interesting to me how often men and some men are obviously more prone to this than others. Some men love to make statements about what they are going to do with great certainty, I will win this victory, whatever it may be, some sports or political event.  What absolute folly. Almighty God says something and it stands, and in doing so He nullifies the Council of the nations. He frustrates the plans the peoples; the counsel of the Lord stands for ever. That's the point. The counsel of the Lord stands for ever. He established His throne in the heavens as the psalmist says, and His sovereignty rules over all. So we see from the very perspective in which the Lord is speaking in this passage, a manifestation of God's Name. This is Almighty God, who is speaking. This is Almighty God with the authority the sovereign authority and wisdom by which He can declare these things to be. Though, from a human perspective, they are not yet accomplished.
 
There’s second thing that I'd like to point your attention to this morning. This is not a coldhearted sovereignty.  I manifested Thy name. This is not just simply a declaration of the greatness, the unsearchable greatness and power of the Almighty, as it is that, indeed, but I want you to notice this morning and this is so important that there is in the cross, not only a declaration of the power the sovereignty of the wisdom of God. But there is in the cross, the making known of the very heart of God. Maybe we could say it this way.  If you and I really want to know who God is and what He is like, then we need to carefully ponder the cross, Jesus goes on. He says I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest me.  There is an overwhelming focus throughout this prayer, and we’re going to begin to see it more and more as we work our way into it, an overwhelming focus on the Lord's joy over those for whom He has been granted the authority to accomplish eternal redemption. Notice how often Jesus speaks of those who have been given to Him.  In verse two He speaks of the authority that God has given Him, the Father's given, Him over all mankind that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. The sixth verse I manifested Thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to me. Notice the ninth verse. I ask on their behalf. I do not ask Him to half of the world, but of those whom thou hast given me. Verse 24. Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me.  Here are five separate times that Jesus is delighting in this fact, that the Father has given to Him those who have belonged to the Father from all eternity past. They’ve been given to Him, so that He says behold, I and the brethren whom Thou hast given Me as He's bringing many sons to glory.  There’s a delight, here you see in the Lord Jesus, whereby we see further manifestation of the name of God, the very heart of God. Jesus is not complacent or ambivalent in what he's about to do. He's not so concentrating, so focused on the sovereignty of Himself and the Father that He has no heart for what he's actually doing, about to accomplish. You notice here, a genuine joy in the heart of Christ for the fact that He is about to say, that He has already in effect accomplished eternal redemption for these whom the Father has given to Him.  It’s a tremendous perspective.  It's one that’s easy to miss in this passage, even though it's repeated frequently, Those whom thou has given me. It's obvious that Jesus is not just speaking of these men, very clearly from the rest of the current overall context even of this one chapter, from all of mankind. Those whom the Father had given to Him.
 
I want you to notice something else in this passage. I want to read through verses six through nine and I want to ask you to look for something, there's something missing here something that should be very noticeable.
 
I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me and they have kept Thy word. Now they have come to know that everything Thou hast given me is from Thee for the words which Thou gavest me I have given to them and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from Thee and they believe that thou didst send Me. I ask on their behalf. I do not ask in behalf of the world, but of those whom thou hast given Me, for they are Thine.
 
What's missing in those words?  What a blessed omission. The Lord has not one, not one negative thing to say about these men and in fact the statements He makes about them are little difficult to read. Would you not agree?  Wait a minute, look what Jesus says:  They kept Thy word. Now they have come to know that everything Thou hast given Me is from Thee; these men don't even understand what's going on. Yet these same men within a matter of moments are going to all desert the Lord Jesus Christ.  Peter within a matter of hours will have publicly denied even knowing Jesus. How can Jesus say these things about these men? This is a most blessed truth, it seems to me.  These men are filled with all kinds of weakness and vulnerabilities and failures. But that's not what Jesus sees and that's not what Jesus declares in His role as an Advocate on our behalf. He's already imputed His righteousness. If this doesn't encourage you, honestly, I don't know how anything else could. God Almighty in flesh, speaking of men who are as rotten to the core as every one of us. And speaking of them with not one negative word.  Not throughout this entire prayer is one word said, of a negative nature about these men and believe me books could have been written about their failures all over the pages for us to see and yet Jesus declares that these men have received His word. I find this absolutely to be amazing.
 
You want to see the heart of God, you look at the cross, because it's only in the light of the cross that these kinds of statements could be made of sinners. You notice these are men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world.  Are you and I better than these men, better than anyone else or everyone else in the world? By no means. Certainly they came into this world, just like all of us doing the desires of the prince of the power of the air following along with the children of disobedience completely enslaved by our own lusts and pleasures, children of wrath as all the rest of us in the same boat, God haters at heart. And yet these words are spoken by our Savior to the Father concerning those whom the Father's given to Him. This is the heart of God. What mercy, what love, what grace, what righteousness, what justice is accomplished on the cross. All of the perfections of all the divine attributes come together on the cross and not one of those attributes contradicting the other because of the infinite wisdom of God. He had devised the means by which every one of His attributes could be satisfied, demonstrated, manifested, on the cross in saving wretched sinners out of this world.  There is no other way that could have been done and no one of us could have ever devised such a plan.  God did, and in doing so He demonstrates, He exhibits, if you will, exposes His very heart to us. This is He who didn't even spare His own Son. Think about this. Think about what God declares about sin in His word and the fact that His wrath must be poured out on sin and think about this that as Jesus, His own Son hangs on the cross. God made not one, not one modification of His in His character by which He would somehow let up on or ease the fullness of that wrath that He poured out on His Son. Every ounce of the wrath of God that we, you and I deserve was poured out in full on His Son. There's the heart of God. Behold what manner of love.  You and I think we know love.  If you don't see, if you haven't seen the cross from the divine perspective, you don’t even know what love is. You can't know the love we know and its experience apart from Christ is pretty shallow. I’m not saying it isn’t real but it can be a real mess because in the end it just cannot help but be overwhelmed and overcome by the love of self. This is not what we see on the cross; we see the love of sinners overcoming the Father's instincts, natural instincts toward His Son, punishing Him to the full on our behalf. When the close of the passage from Isaiah 43rd chapter has Jesus mentioned in this chapter. In this passage and will look at a little bit more, I trust, in the future. Not only has He manifested the name of Almighty God in His life and His sacrifice on the cross, He bestows that very name upon us. Marvel of marvels. I want to just enclose a reminder of this passage in Isaiah 43 verse five.
 
Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the West. I will say to the north given them up into the South do not hold them back, bring my Sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, every one who is called the hot my name and whom I have created for my glory…
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