Series:
Four Requests
Title:
Christ’s Second Request
Text:
John 17: 6-19
Date:
January 11, 2015
Place:
SGBC, New Jersey
Last
time, we saw in John 17, the first of four requests made by our Lord Jesus in
his high priestly prayer. Today, our subject is “Christ’s Second Request.”
John 17: 11: And now I am no more in the
world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep
through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as
We are.
This is
Christ’s second request. The Lord Jesus intercedes for God to keep his
believing people.
Who are
Christ’s believing people? Most everybody claims to be a believer but who does
Christ say they are? We will see who these believing people are for whom Christ
prays.
ONE TO WHOM CHRIST HAS MANIFESTED HIS NAME
First,
the believer is one to whom Christ has manifested the name of God, “I have manifested
Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world.” (Jn 17: 6) It is Christ who manifests the name of God.
John 1:18 No man
hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, he hath declared him.
Matthew 11:27 All
things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the
Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him.
God’s
name is his character, his attributes. His name is who he is. His name is Jehovah-jireh
(Genesis 22:13-14 “The Lord will Provide”); Jehovah-rapha (Exodus 15:26 “The
Lord that Healeth Thee”); Jehovah-nissi (Exodus 17:8-15 “The Lord our Banner”);
Jehovah-kawdesh (Exodus 31:13 “The Lord that Sanctifieth Thee”); Jehovah-shalom
(Judges 6:24 “The Lord our Peace”); Jehovah-ra-ah (Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my
Shepherd”); Jehovah-tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:6 “The Lord our Righteousness”); Jehovah-shammah
(Ezekiel 48:35 “The Lord is There”). This name of God is manifested by Christ
Jesus to all those who believe. We behold the name of God in Christ Jesus.
Believers
are those who believe God as he is revealed in Christ. They see their need for
God’s name to save them. They believe God’s name shall save them. They call upon the name of the Lord to save
them. God promises, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved.”
THOSE SEPARATED OUT OF THE WORLD
Secondly,
believers are those separated out of the world by God the Father in divine
election and given to Christ, “the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world:
Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me.” (Jn 17: 6) They were given to Christ
by the God the Father—“thou gavest me”, “thine they were, and thou gavest them
me.” Those who are given faith to believe were not God the Father’s merely by
creation; others are his also by creation. They are God the Father’s
particularly by electing grace. Election is the peculiar act of the Father in
Christ. They are chosen to be his peculiar people, and given to Christ as such:
chosen unto salvation by him, through the sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth.
Notice, those who are believers were given to Christ “out
of the world.” They are the “world” that God so loved, when Christ said, “For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3: 16) But God does not save his people in
the world or with the world but he saves them “out of the world.” Notice the
words “out of” in the following verse:
Revelation
5: 9: And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation.
They
shall all come to Christ and Christ shall not cast them back into the world, “All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out.” (Jn 6: 37)
THOSE WHO BELIEVE GOD’S WORD
Thirdly, believers are those who believe God’s word, “they have kept Thy
word.” (Jn 17: 6) Believers do not believe our own word. We keep God’s word. We
keep his word in our hearts, by publicly professing his word, by defending his
word against the enemies of it, by not corrupting it with mans’ traditions. These
are those who Christ prays the Father to keep—these are true believers. Are you a believer? Am I am a believer? So far I can say
yes. This is true of me. Is is true of
you?
THOSE WHO KNOW CHRIST
Fourthly, believers are those who know Christ. They know Jesus that
walked this earth is Christ, that he is of God, that he is the Son of the living
God, “Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of
thee.” (Jn 17: 7)
The
confidence of every believer is that Jesus Christ and God are one. The words he
spoke are of God; the work he accomplished is of God; the grace and truth he brought
to us is of God.
2
Corinthians 5: 18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20: Now then we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21: For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE WORD FROM CHRIST
Fifthly,
believers know Christ because we receive the word of God from Christ himself, “For
I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received
them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed
that thou didst send me.” (Jn 17: 8) Christ gives the words of eternal life
irresistibly. But all to whom he gives
them receive them. Hereby we “know surely that Christ came out from God and we
believe that God did send him.”
When a
sinner objects to Christ or to his word they manifest they have never received
the words of Christ. They reveal they have never been made new by grace and given
faith. But those who receive his words,
not only believe, we are kept by the power of God unto salvation. Are you one who has received Christ’s
word? Are you a believer?
THOSE FOR WHOM CHRIST PRAYS
Sixthly, believers are those for whom Christ
prays, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast
given Me.” (Jn 17: 9)
Again,
this is the world that God so loved. It is not the world for whom Christ would
not pray, “I pray not for the world.” But he prays for them which God gave to
Christ.
Understand
this: When sinners speak of God’s grace and love being toward the whole world,
they make Christ’s intercession, his love, his grace, his precious blood to be
meaningless. But Christ’s blood was not
shed in vain! “He shall not fail!” (Is 42: 4) “Now once in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Heb 9: 26)
Whose sin did he put away? Christ laid down his life “for
them…which thou gavest me.” He said, “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I
the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (Jn 10: 15) He purged the
sins of a particular people, “When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down
on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Heb 1: 3) Ladies, try to purge the
stain out of no particular shirt. It cannot be done. So it was that Christ purged the stain of a
particular people.
It is
the same ones for whom Christ intercedes in prayer that he interceded for on
the cross. Christ said it is those the Father gave to him, “I pray for them: I
pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me”
Everything
Christ does in providence, as well as in grace is for them.
Romans
8: 29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. 30: Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom
he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also
glorified. 31: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us?
Preacher, how do I know if I am one for whom Christ
prays? I am trying to show you from
God’s word who believers are Christ manifests God’s name to them; they are
separated by God in election; they believe God’s word; they know and believe
Christ is the Son of God, one with the Father; we know the gospel is true
because we received the word from Christ himself; and we rejoice that Christ
intercedes for us. Does that describe you?
THE POSSESSION OF
GOD
Seventhly, believers are the possession of God the Father
and God the Son and God is glorified in us, “for they are Thine. 10: And all
Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them.” (Jn 17: 9)
Christ is glorified by working grace for us and in us. He
redeemed us, purged us, justified us, made us righteous. He is formed in us
through the Holy Spirit so that we now have life. Therefore, Christ is
glorified by us in faith and obedience to him, “To the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Eph 1: 6) We will
praise and glorify him forever when he makes our salvation complete in
resurrection glory.
THOSE KEPT
Eighth,
believers are those kept united in Christ, “And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine
own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as we are. While
I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name: those that Thou gavest
me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the
Scripture might be fulfilled.” (Jn 17: 11-12) Believers are kept by God’s grace
and power. We are united as one body in Christ.
Ephesians 4: 4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even
as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5: One Lord, one faith, one
baptism, 6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and
in you all.
THOSE IN WHOM CHRIST’S JOY IS FULFILLED
Nine,
believers are those who have Christ’s joy fulfilled in us, “And now come I to Thee; and these things I
speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” (Jn
17: 13)
Believers
have the joy of his grace fulfilled in us:
1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen
[it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these
things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Believers
have the joy of his salvation:
John 16: 20: Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye
shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful,
but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
Isaiah 66:5: Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble
at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s
sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and
they shall be ashamed.
Brethren,
whatever sorrow we bear from this world, in this world, we have this promise “he
shall appear to your joy and your sorrow shall be turned to joy.” We rejoice even now in his glorious person
and grace. Oh, but think of the joy of seeing Christ face to face!
THOSE WHO ARE OBJECTS OF THE WORLD’S HATRED
Tenth,
believers are the object of the world’s hatred because we trust Christ and are
not of this world, “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15: I pray
not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep
them from the evil.” (Jn 17: 14)
Do you
see how there is “the world” and then there are Christ’s people? The world
hates us. Why? It is because we are not of the world. They hate us because of
how we are not of the world which is by God’s grace! The gospel we believe is
hated by the world and we are hated for believing it. Our God and Savior was
and is hated by the unregenerate world. It
was unregenerate men who crucified him then on a cross and now in their hearts.
We once were of the world. We hated God, his word and his people. But now we
rejoice! Amazing grace! Thank God he
keeps us from the evil. “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by
me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” (Is
54: 15)
THOSE KEPT BY THE TRUTH OF GOD
Eleven,
believers are kept set apart from the world by the truth of God, “They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth.” (Jn 17: 16-17) The same word that separated us in our
hearts is the same word that continues to separate us. But for God’s
word—living and abiding in us—we would be one with the world. His word is
truth. There is no other truth but the
word of God. “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and
instruction, and understanding.” (Pr 23:23) We say, “Lord, to whom shall we go?
thou hast the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6: 68)\
THOSE SENT INTO THE WORLD
Twelve,
every believer is sent into this world as the servant of God to do his will in spreading
the gospel of Christ, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also
sent them into the world.” (Jn 17: 18)
If you
are here and do not yet believe on Christ, if you hate what I have been
preaching, this one point should make you pay attention. Believers are not of
the world. We are hated by the world. But we are sent into the world to preach
the gospel. Why? Christ said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of
this fold: [not of Israel] them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;
and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (Jn 10: 16) Pay
attention to verse 20, this will be our third request, but you need to see it, “Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word;” (Jn 17: 20)
This is
why we preach! Why else would we suffer
the reproach from the world who hates us?
It is because Christ shall be glorified by calling out other lost sheep which
shall believe on him through the word we preach. Oh, that there might be some
here! I pray there are some here now! Do
you hear Christ speaking in your heart? Do you find these descriptions fit you?
THOSE WHO ARE OBJECTS OF EVERYTHING CHRIST
CAME TO ACCOMPLISH
Lastly,
believers are the objects of all that Christ came to accomplish, “And for their
sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”
(Jn 17: 19)
The Son
of God set himself apart to be a sin offering that God’s elect might have the
truth of the gospel of redemption accomplished. Christ was sent that his people
might be sanctified by his one offering, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever
them that are sanctified.” (Heb 10: 14) And God sent his Son that his people
might be sanctified by hearing and believing this truth of his finished work.
Galatians
3: 13: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians
4: 4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made
of a woman, made under the law, 5: To redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. 6: And because ye are sons, God hath
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7:
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ.
So that
is who Christ prays the Father to keep—his believing people. Are you a
believer? I pray Christ make you to
receive his word that you surely know and glorify Christ and be united with us
in faith.
Amen!