Series: Four Requests
Title: Christ’s Fourth Request
Date: January 25, 2015
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
In John 17, our great Intercessor and Advocate with the
Father made four requests:
First,
Christ prayed for God to receive all the glory in the salvation of his people—“Father,
the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” (Jn 17:
1) God must and shall receive all the glory
in the salvation of his people.
Secondly, Christ prayed for those he had
given faith, to be kept while they remained in this world—“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.” (Jn 17: 11) The Lord intercedes for believers who he has already
quickened and called by his grace.
Thirdly, Christ prayed for his people who
shall believe. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word.” (Jn 17: 20) The reason any sinner believes
on the Lord Jesus is because Christ has reconciled us to God by his blood and
intercedes for us to hear the gospel and to be called to faith in him.
Our subject is “Christ's Fourth Request."
John 17: 24:
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am;
that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me
before the foundation of the world.
THE POWER OF CHRIST’S
INTERCESSION
First, to whom and
with what power does Christ pray? He says, “Father, I will…”
First,
the Lord Jesus prays with the power of the Son. He is God the Father’s only
begotten Son. You fathers, suppose a
stranger asks you to do such and such a thing and suppose your son asks the
same thing. Which are you more pleased
to answer? God the Father said of Christ, “this is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.” (Mt 3: 17) Christ has power with God as a Son to say, “Father, I
will.”
Also, Christ prays in the power of the firstborn Son
fulfilling the will of the Father for his whole house. Before the world was
made, God the Father purposed to manifest to his sons and daughters, his
righteousness in glorifying his Son—so that his Son might have all preeminence
in the whole family of God, “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.” (Rom 8: 29) God the Father chose his people and gave his children
to his Son to redeem us from the curse of the law, to justify us, to purge our
sins, to make us the righteousness of God, to gather all the children together
in Christ, that we might praise and glorify God our Father and his Son in all
these things. “Then cometh the end, when
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall
have put down all rule and all authority and power.” (1 Cor 15: 24)
Brethren, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way.” (Is 53: 6) We are all prodigal sons. We sinned away our substance in Adam. We would
have remained separated if left to ourselves. But by the successful work of
Christ on our behalf, by his work within us, by his intercession for us, we
shall at last be brought home to our heavenly Father. So Christ prays as the
Firstborn among many brethren, fulfilling the will of God his Father toward his
whole family.
In addition, Christ prays in the power of the one whose
will is one with the Father. Knowing this is the Father’s eternal purpose,
knowing this is the Father’s sovereign, unchanging will, Christ prays, “Father,
I will.” It is never our place, as children of God, to pray, “Father, I will.”
Our prayer is to be, “Not my will, but thine be done.” But when Christ has made
our will to be one with his will then we delight in God; then we desire for his
will to be done. When our will is for God’s will to be done—when we can truly
pray, “Not my will, but thine be done”, then we receive what we ask for. God
says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD.” We delight ourselves in the LORD by
delighting for his will to be done. God says, “Delight thyself also in the
LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Ps 37: 4) That is
what we see here: the will of God the Father and the will of God the Son are
one. When Christ prays, “I will” he is praying the Father’s will.
Also, Christ
is praying in the power of the successful Mediator. Remember, while Christ
walked this earth, he never prayed for his will to be done, “For I came down
from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (Jn
6:38) But now, Christ is praying as that faithful servant who has finished the
work God gave him to do. (Jn 17: 4) He is the faithful GodMan, Mediator, who
purchased his people with his own blood. Christ has the authority and right to
state his will to the Father.
FOR WHOM DOES CHRIST PRAY?
Secondly,
notice that Christ prays for God’s elect, “they also whom thou hast given me.”
(Jn 17: 24)
It is
not wrong to labor this point because in this prayer, repeatedly, Christ
distinguishes who it is he prays for: verse 2, “that he should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him;” verse 6, “the men which thou gavest me
out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me;” verse 9, “I pray
for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for
they are thine;” verse 11, “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are;” verse 12, “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.”
Scripture
declares that before the foundation of the world, God the Father gave to his
Son the particular people who God shall save. They are called those God “ordained
to eternal life” (Acts 13: 48), the “elect” (Mt 24: 24, 31; Rom 8: 33, 1 Pet 1:
2); the “beloved of God” (Rom 1: 7), “the Israel of God,” (Gal 6: 16), the “holy
nation”, his “royal priesthood”, his “chosen generation” (1 Pet 2: 9), “a
number no man could number” (Rev 7: 9), the “travail of Christ’s soul” (Is 53:
11), his “purchased possession” (Eph 1: 14), his inheritance (Deut 32: 9), they
all shall come to Christ, all she be raised up, none shall be lost. (Jn 6:
37-39) The reason is because Christ intercedes for them. By his grace alone,
without respect of persons, God the Father loved them, chose them and gave them
to Christ for Christ to redeem them, sanctify them, perfect them, to be
glorified everlastingly in them and by them. Christ says here that these and
these alone are the object of our Savior’s prayer.
To those who object scripture warns us not to object to
God’s good pleasure. “O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why
hast thou made me thus?” (Ro 9: 20) Who would could dare say God is their
Father and object to him doing what he will with whom he will? Who could
object, especially when it means our Father and Savior receives all the glory
and not one of his children shall be lost!
Instead, the scripture teaches us to seek to know if we
are one of God’s elect. (2 Pet 1: 10) Has the Holy Spirit made you bow to God’s
will? Has the Lord made you to know your need of this sure Savior? Do you
delight that Christ shall not fail but shall save his people from our sins? If
we know our own sinfulness there will be no objections; we will beg God’s
mercy; and delight to be one God chose and saved freely by his grace. Believers
rejoice that the promises of God are ordered and sure in all things in Christ
for this is all our salvation!
CHRIST’S PETITITION
Next, see what it is that the high priest prays for. He
wills that each one the Father gave him, “ be with me where I am; that they may
behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world.” (Jn 17: 24)
Christ
prays for his people to receive what we long for, our great eternal
inheritance, our reward, the very joy of heaven, “Father, I will that they
also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” He does not say, “I will, they be where I am;”
but, “I will, they be with me where
I am.” What is heaven? It is “to be with
Christ where he is!” That is the definition of heaven. What is our inheritance?
It is “to be with Christ where he is!”
Where
is Christ? He is seated at God’s right hand. We are seated there now in Christ.
Sometimes, he makes us behold it in our hearts. But it is soon interrupted. Not
then! Soon we will be with Christ where he is and there will never again be any
interruptions.
Also Christ
prays, “that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” It is the
Father’s glory given to the Son. Yet, the Lord Jesus calls it “my glory,”
because it is truly his own. Each saint shall behold his glory.
Believer, imagine seeing the glory of God in his face. For now, believers see his glory in the glass
of the gospel. We see by faith; we know and are assured Christ is glorified in
heaven. But the moment we die, in our own persons, with our own eyes,
the first thing we shall see is Christ as he is—“Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1Jo 3:2)
Believer,
Iimagine beholding the glory of his person. When he arose he told his disciple “Behold
my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” (Lu 24: 39) In the day we are
raised to glory we shall behold Christ’s hands and feet. We will handle him. We
will behold the glory of his person.
Believer,
imagine beholding the glory of his throne. John said, “he that sat was to look
upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there
was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Rev
4: 3) Kings of this earth sit in great glory with all their pomp. But imagine
the glory of Christ’s throne in glory.
Believer, imagine beholding the glory of his praise. John
said, “every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Rev 5: 13) What a day it will be
when we hear every creature praising our Savior with one voice.
Believer,
imagine beholding the glory of his love and care, “For the Lamb which is in the
midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains
of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Rev 7: 17) He
will constantly reveale more of himself, more of his love, more of his grace
and mercy to us. This is the new wine we will drink with him in his kingdom; this
is how we will eat and drink at his table.
Believer,
imagine the glory of his endless life within us.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing his praise
Than when we first begun
I wish I could say more about it but right now, I’m just
a toddler dipping my finger in the ocean. I have never beheld his glory as we
shall in that day.
Sinner if you do not have this sure hope, Seek Christ
while he may be found: in his word, in his gospel, in prayer. Call ye on him
while he is near.
THE CERTAINTY
Lastly, here is the certainty that Christ shall have his
petition, “for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (Jn 17: 24)
This speaks of his glory but it also tells us why Christ
shall have what he prays for. God the Father loved and looked to Christ before
the foundation of the world when he gave Christ the glory of being the perfect
and righteous Mediator for his people. God has loved and viewed his people in
Christ since before the foundation of the world—perfect and righteous in our
Head. Christ said God “hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (Jn 17: 23)
Christ prays as one who has pleased the Father. He said, “for
I do always those things that please him;”(Jn 8: 29) Before the foundation of
the world, when the Son agreed to be Surety for his people, to redeem his
people, to glorify God, it pleased God. In time on the cross, Christ highly
glorified God his Father when he accomplished the will of the Father, manifest
God’s righteousness, declared God just and the Justifier of true every
believer. When God the Father raised Christ and gave him glory, the Father
said, “[I have] set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. (Ps 2: 6) Christ said, “I
will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day
have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (Ps 2:
6-8) So it is the Father’s good pleasure to give Christ his will as Christ
everlives to make intercession for his people.
The reason the Father shall give Christ his petition is
because the Father looks to our Advocate at his right hand and sees what he saw
from before the foundation of the world our propitiation, atonement
accomplished, satisfaction in full, sin blotted out, his elect redeemed, his
covenant ratified in his own blood.
Augustus Toplady wrote:
“With
cries and tears he offer’d up
His
humble suit below;
But
with authority he asks,
Enthroned
in glory now.
For
all that come to God by him,
Salvation
he demands
Points
to their names upon his breast
And
spreads his wounded hands.
“His
covenant and sacrifice
Give
sanction to his claim;
Father,
I will that all my saints
Be
with me where I am.’”
Believer, look on this prayer as a promise which shall be
fulfilled. What Christ asks for in this
text, he asks at God’s right hand now, and shall receive. No doubt about it! The
will of God is the supreme law, “He doeth according to his will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or
say unto him, What doest thou?” (Dan 4: 35) Christ prays for us right now at
God’s right hand, “Father, I will! that they also, whom thou hast given me, be
with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for
thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
Amen!