Series: Four
Requests
Title: Christ’s First Request (Four Requests)
Text: John 17: 1-5
Date: January 4, 2015
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Our text is in John 17. Our subject is: Four Requests. (Note: we only cover Christ’s First Request.)
In Christ’s first request he prays for the Father to glorify him.
John 17: 1: These words spake Jesus and
lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come glorify Thy
Son,…
THE REASON IS TO GLORIFY GOD
First, as
God, the Son of God needed no glory to be given to him, as God. But he is
praying as our Mediator, as the Man who represented his people. He is praying
that God the Father would uphold him as he went to the cross.
Here is
the purpose for his request, “that Thy Son also may glorify Thee.” (Jn 17: 1) The
very reason he was going to the cross was that he might glorify every attribute
of God—every attribute of his own. There is no way that God would or could deny
his request. It was promised to Christ in the covenant made between the Father
and the Son in eternity.
THE REASON IS TO GIVE ETERNAL LIFE
Here is
the second reason he made the request, “As Thou hast given Him power over all
flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.” (Jn
17: 2) God the Father has given the Son, as our Mediator and Savior, all
authority, dominion, and power over all flesh. (Jn 3:35; Mt 28:18)
Since he has power over all flesh then why does he not give eternal life to
everybody? It is because our Lord Jesus Christ may “give eternal life to as
many as Thou hast given Him” (John 6:37-39). Notice, throughout this prayer our
Lord refers to His people by this same phrase six times in this prayer (vv. 2,
6, 9, 12, 24).
Do you
want eternal life? What do you think
eternal life is? “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (Jn 17: 3)
Many think eternal life is an experience in
religion. Some are waiting for it to happen.
Some are looking back to when they think it happened. Others think eternal
life is moral or religious reformation—they changed their conduct. Some think
eternal life is something you get when you die where you go live in mansions
and drive luxury cars and get to fulfill all the lusts you didn’t get to
fulfill here.
But eternal life is knowing God in Christ, “this is life eternal, that
they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”
Eternal life is spiritual life. It is given to dead sinners making them
eternally alive. Eternal life is given by God the Holy Spirit in sovereign
regeneration.
Eternal
life is not learning a certain level of doctrine, not a church creed, not
knowing church history, not knowing man-made principles, commandments and
traditions. Eternal life is it not even knowing that there is a God.
Eternal
life is knowing God, “this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” It is a personal acquaintance
with God so that you know who God is. When you know the Lord Jesus Christ then you
know God the Father.
John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7: If ye had known me, ye should have known
my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8: Philip
saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9: Jesus saith
unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show
us the Father?
1 John 5:20: And we know that the Son of God
is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true,
and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true
God, and eternal life.
THE FOUNDATION IS THE FINISHED WORK
Here is what Christ came to do and what he
did. This is the foundation on which he prayed, “I have glorified Thee on the
earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” (Jn 17: 4)
When
did God give Christ this work to do? In eternity, before the world was made. Why
did God give Christ this work to do? Because no one else could do it because we
all died in sins and were guilty, because it was necessary that God do the work
in his Son that he might get all the glory. Did he do the work? He said, “I
finished the work!” Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is the only man who ever loved,
obeyed, and honored the eternal, holy God all the days of His life. In His life
and his death, our Savior glorified God’s law, God’s will, God’s justice, and
God’s grace. He did it for that God
might be both just and the Justifier of those he gave to his Son. (Rom 3:24-26)
What
work did Christ finish? He brought in righteousness for His people (Jer 23:6). He
accomplished eternal redemption from the curse of the law for his people. He
shall give eternal life to all that the Father gave to Him and shall not lose
one.
Therefore,
it would take God ceasing to be holy and just for God to condemn those he gave
to Christ when he already condemned them in their Substitute. So it is upon the
foundation of his finished work that our Savior prays, “And now, O Father,
glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before
the world was” (v. 5).
Amen!