The Glorious Christ

As we do each week, I would ask you, in honor of God's Word, if you're able, if you would

stand as we read the passage this morning out of John, the book of John, chapter 17,

John 17:1–5

verses 1 through 5.

When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and He said, Father,

the hour has come. Glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You, since You've given Him authority

over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that

they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on earth, having

accomplished the work that You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence,

with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. Let's pray. Lord,

I pray that Your Word would come alive in our hearts. I pray that You'd open our eyes to see

and our ears to hear spiritually what it is You'd say to us this morning. Father, bless this time as

we lift up Your Word. We pray in Your name. Amen.

What a privilege for me to be able to preach out of this chapter of John, chapter 17, this beautiful

John 17 · chapter mention

prayer that Jesus prays to the Father. We get a glimpse into the intimacy of their relationship.

Often, this has been called the high priestly prayer of Christ. He prays for His disciples,

and we see later in this chapter, He also prays for those who will trust in Him after,

meaning you and I. Those of us who are in the kingdom, Christ has lifted up a prayer in that

day on our behalf as well. But this morning, we look at the first five verses of this,

chapter. And this is a request that He makes not for His disciples and not for those who will know

Him in the future, but He is speaking to the Father with an open heart. There's an intimacy that we can

feel here as we read the passage. And He's pouring Himself out to the Father as He is getting ready this

very night. The night that He said this to the disciples, the night that He prayed this to the

Father, is the very night that He would be arrested. The next morning, He would be taken to Caiaphas,

and He would be tried, and He would be flogged, or that is, beaten, and He would be ultimately the

following day placed on a cross, and He'd be crucified the following day. So we're very, very close to all of

that happening. And this prayer is spilling out of Christ as He communes with the Father before that

time. And so I want you, if you will, to read with me again this passage, a verse at a time.

As we read it, there are many questions that would come out of this text. And that is my goal this

morning that we would look at those questions and answer the questions as we look at the truth

that's woven here in this prayer. So verse 1, I'll reread again. And I would ask, if you will,

hopefully you have your Bible open and you can read along with me. Verse 1, it says this,

when Jesus had spoken these words, and I will hesitate and ask a few questions here,

what words, Jesus? What words are you talking about? Really, John has wrote this as an entrance

before Christ has prayed to the Father. What words, John, are you talking about? He lifted up his eyes to

heaven in this posture of prayer and said, Father, the hour has come. What hour are you talking about,

Christ? What hour? So first, this question, what words? John, you said that when Jesus had spoken

these words, what are you referring to, John? He's referring to the words that Christ has been

sharing with them to prepare them for this moment. In a sense, the disciples know that there's coming a

time when Christ is going to be crucified. Christ has already shared that with them. But you know,

it's as if it hasn't stuck. It's as if they haven't understood the depth of what Christ has been

sharing with them. Christ has been sharing all these things to prepare them for the ministry that

he's calling them to. For three years, they've walked with him. They've experienced Christ personally.

They've eaten with him. They've slept with him. They've traveled with him. They've ministered with him.

They've watched him perform miracles. They've seen the signs as they've been with him. And Christ

has brought them along for a purpose. We've, if we were to look forward into the book of Acts, and we were

to look at the first chapter and the second chapter of Acts, we would see what Christ was doing. He was

preparing them to be ready to minister the gospel. That they would know Christ in such a way and they would

understand truth in such a way that God would use them to take the gospel to the world.

You know, Acts 1.8 says this. He says to his disciples, he said, you will be. He didn't say you ought to be or you should be,

or you might want to think about being. He said, you will be my witnesses. First in Jerusalem,

Jerusalem, and in Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world. But you know what he said to them

after he died? He said, wait in Jerusalem. There's something you lack. Yes, you've walked with me. Yes,

you've seen the ministry. Yes, you really do understand that I'm the Messiah, and you have truly believed in me.

But there's something you need. You need the power of the Holy Spirit. And Acts 1.8 says,

is when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, then you will be my witnesses. You know, Christ has spent all this

time with them in this last week of Christ's life. When they entered into the upper room, he begins sharing

things that are extremely important for them to hear in order that when he dies, when he's no longer with

them on a daily basis, that he would have equipped them to be the witnesses he's called them to be.

Those are the words that he's referring to here.

He's foretold them already that there's coming a time when he's going to be crucified, when he's going

to be taken away from them, when he's going back to the Father. They haven't totally understood.

But now it is the very night that he'll be arrested. And he prays this with his eyes

lifted to heaven, meaning in a spirit of reverence that his total focus is on heaven and the heavenly

kingdom and the Father. There are no distractions going on for Christ as he lifts up his eyes to

heaven. And he says this, Father. How intimate is that? To recognize the Father.

Not only here in this verse, verse one, but if we were to look forward, we would see this intimacy

also in verse five. And we see it again in verse 11 and verse 21 and verse 24 and verse 25 again and

again and again and again and again. He calls out saying, Father, the sovereign one, the holy

one, the one worthy of worship, Father. He says this, he says the hour has come. And the question

that rises from the text is this, Christ, what hour? What hour are you referring to? You know,

I would say this for us in our ears that it is the greatest hour in the history of humanity.

It is the greatest hour that has ever been or will ever be. This hour that he's referring

to. And he's talked about it already in the book of John. If you turn back to, you don't

have to flip, but I'll flip back to chapter seven. In the history of Israel, there are three travel

holidays, three travel festivals where all the males are required by the law of Moses to return

to Jerusalem to celebrate three festivals. One of those festivals was the Feast of Booths. And

in chapter seven, his brothers were getting ready to travel and they turned to Jesus and say,

come on. They didn't believe that he was the Messiah. He was raised with them as a boy. They

watched him grow up. And now as a Messiah, they can't quite get there. And so in a sense of ridicule,

they said, why don't you go? Why don't you tell everybody who you are? And he says this, he says,

my time has not yet come. He says, you go, you go ahead. Now, did Christ ultimately go? Yes.

He followed them. But he said this, my time has not yet come. My time has not yet fully come. He says

again, what time are you talking about Christ? It's this hour that he's always pointing toward this hour,

this culmination of all of biblical history, this hour that he's referring to in his prayer to the

father. We see again in later in chapter seven, it says this, there were many among the Pharisees

and the religious leaders of the nation of Israel that were seeking to kill Jesus. And we've heard

about those stories as we've worked through the book of John, but they were seeking to kill him.

And the word of God says this. So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him. Why?

The word of God declares this because his hour had not yet come. There is an hour that is coming

where they will lay their hands on Christ and they will arrest Christ and they will beat him and

flog him and they will ridicule him and mock him and they will hang him on a cross. But the hour at that

point had not come. Chapter 12. The disciples were talking to Christ. And as they shared, trying to

understand the truths that Christ would share with them, Christ said this and Jesus answered them,

the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.

It goes on to say, now is my soul troubled. What do you mean? What does Christ mean? His soul is troubled.

Christ came into this world for this very hour. And yet, as he approaches this hour, the word of God says it is

heart was troubled. There was a heaviness that laid upon him. You and I would know the heaviness is when

he approaches this time where he will take on the sins of the world. The word of God says the father

turns his back on Christ and Christ for the first time ever would lose the fellowship with the father.

And that is the trouble that he refers to. And he says, what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.

But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. What does he mean?

As I approach this hour, may you be glorified in the sacrifice that I'm getting ready to step into.

The suffering that I'm getting ready to endure. And a voice came from heaven and said to the

son, I have glorified it. That is your name. And I will glorify it again. I've glorified my name

in you, Christ, and I will glorify it again. 13.1 says this now.

Now, before the feast of Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour has come to depart from this world to the

father, you know, he, it was the very feast of Passover was the event that had brought Christ

into Jerusalem. And you remember Palm Sunday where they met him on the roads as he rode in on a donkey

as the Passover lamb. And they took these branches and they, they, they sang hallelujah.

They laid him in the street and they laid Jackson Street on a donkey approaches Jerusalem as the Passover lamb.

And Christ says this now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him. Now, this is the hour

that he's referring to. And so we look back in chapter 17 and we enter back into this prayer of Christ.

And again, he says this father, the hour has come.

This hour that was prophesied in the Old Testament. What do you remember about the prophecies?

Do you know Christ knew every element of this hour? Do you know that it was all foretold the things that

were going to happen to the Messiah? Do you think that he knew who he was? Do you think that he realized

that he was the Messiah? Yes, of course. Matter of fact, if we glance down at verse five,

we will see something that confirms that. So in verse five, it says this, and now father glorify me in your own

presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

You know that Christ.

In some way that I can't understand, he remembered the glory. He understood the glory that he had with

the father, the intimate fellowship, the union, the oneness that he had with the father. He understood

who he was. He understood that he was with the father in eternity.

It is the hour that has been foretold. I could turn literally to hundreds of passages in the Old

Testament, but I will turn to just a couple. And I want you to hear the prophecies that foretell of

this very hour that Christ would have known.

Isaiah 52.

Isaiah 52.

Says this.

Behold, my servant shall act wisely.

He shall be high and lifted up. Who is his servant? His servant is his son.

The one who perfectly serves him. The Messiah.

Behold, my servant shall act wisely.

He will always honor the father in every way. He will never sin.

He shall be high and lifted up. In what way will this servant be high and lifted up?

It's Jesus who will be high and lifted up on a cross.

He will be elevated for all to see.

High and lifted up on this cross.

And shall be exalted.

In what way exalted?

The father will say, this is my son in whom I am well pleased.

And he will be exalted when the father causes him to be resurrected from the dead.

He will be exalted.

We move to verse 14.

It says, as many were astonished at you,

his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.

You know what this is talking about?

It's talking about the time when Christ would be staked,

and the Roman guard with a whip would beat him almost to death,

and would so rip his flesh and so bloody his body that you could hardly recognize that he was human.

Christ knew that this awaited him at the cross.

The heaviness of the physical beating that he would take,

of the ridicule that he would take,

was even less, if we can imagine, than the separation between him and the father.

The fellowship he had always known,

he would be separated from that.

Chapter 53 of Isaiah says this.

This is familiar to all of us,

but it points to this very hour.

Listen at what this hour entails.

As I read a few verses out of chapter 53.

Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground.

Who is this?

It's talking about Christ.

He grew up from a child.

He was born as a babe.

Emmanuel, God with us.

And he grew up as a root.

You remember the prophecies of the Old Testament talked about the root of Jesse?

It's through the line of Jesse that the Messiah would be born.

And this is Christ is referring to.

That he was born as a babe.

He had no former majesty that we should look on him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

even his own people.

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Even his friends turned their back on him.

It is greatest hour of need.

This very hour we're talking about.

And as one from whom men hide their faces,

he was despised and esteemed not.

His people did not see him as the Messiah.

The leaders of the nation refused to accept him as the Messiah,

and sought to kill him, which they did.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.

Have you heard this during Christmas?

Does this impact you as I read this?

Do you hear the power of the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf?

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,

yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God.

Can you believe that God would turn his back on the Son?

Can you believe that Christ would be faithful all those years,

every single year to be faithful to the Father?

The Word of God says this.

He never said a word.

That God didn't place in his mouth.

He never did a thing that God didn't lead him to do.

Always he was faithful.

Always he was obedient.

And yet,

he was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for our iniquities.

Upon him was a chastisement that brought us peace.

Do you see what Christ knew?

Christ knew that he would come as a babe,

Emmanuel, God with us.

He would live a life of obedience,

in order that later he could go to a cross.

This cross,

this curse,

is anyone who hangs on a tree.

And Christ would be cursed,

and placed on this tree.

Why?

To take our sorrows,

and to take our iniquities upon himself.

Why?

That we might receive the gift of salvation.

He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth,

like a lamb,

even a Passover lamb,

I will add.

Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that's before its shearers is silent,

he opened not his mouth.

You know that's true about Christ?

When he was flogged,

he never opened his mouth.

When he was ridiculed,

he never opened his mouth.

When they spat upon him,

they never opened his mouth.

When they laughed and mocked,

and put this robe on him,

he never opened his mouth.

You know that he could have called down legions of angels,

to come to his aid,

and he didn't.

You know why he didn't?

Because he knew,

that that's the reason he had come.

He had come,

that you and I,

Christian,

might know him.

That he might redeem us,

by his sacrifice,

and his blood,

on this very hour that he's praying about.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him,

and to put him to grief.

It was the will of the Father,

to crush his very own son.

And we look back at chapter 17,

at this beautiful prayer,

with that understanding,

in the heart of Christ,

we hear him pray intimately to the Father,

and he says,

Father,

the hour has come.

This hour that I've known about from creation.

You know that Christ existed all throughout the Old Testament?

All those long years,

he's waited to the time when he would take on flesh,

when he'd be born as a babe,

in order to live 33 years,

ultimately to go to the cross,

and to suffer on our behalf.

And now he says this,

here's the request,

here the request is for himself.

And the request is this,

Father, glorify your son.

What does he mean?

What does Jesus mean when he asks the Father to glorify him?

It begs the question,

doesn't it?

Is it Christ already glorious?

Wait a minute.

This is Emmanuel God with us.

This is the one who's come,

and he's sinless.

He's never committed a sin.

Isn't he already glorious?

Why does he ask God to glorify him?

You know,

there is a passage in Philippians

where Paul addresses this truth,

and I want us to look at it.

So if you have your Bible,

I would ask you to flip over to chapter 2

of Philippians

as we look at the way Paul articulated this.

I would ask you to look starting at verse 6

of Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

And I'm just going to read and make a few comments

as I read down through several verses,

and I want you to see it for yourself

as we're in Philippians.

I'm stalling a little bit for you to get there.

Verse 6.

Christ Jesus,

though he was in the form of God,

the form of God,

he was God the Son.

He was in the form of God,

and when he was born,

he was Emmanuel,

God with us.

He did not count equality with God

a thing to be grasped,

but he emptied himself

by taking on the form of a servant,

being born in the likeness of men.

Christ took on flesh,

and his glory was veiled in humanity.

You know,

when he took on flesh,

he did that so he could commune with his people.

It's a form of God

in order that he might be able

to stand face to face

and commune with the disciples and others

where he could interact.

Because you know the Word of God declares

in Exodus,

when Moses asked to see his glory,

you remember the response of the Father?

No man can see my glory and live.

You remember the story where Moses said,

please, I desire to see your glory.

He said,

I'll allow you to see the hinder parts

of my glory,

the radiance of my glory.

You can't see me face to face.

And he sets him in the cliff to the rock,

and he, in a sense,

symbolically holds his hand

over the eyes of Moses,

and as he passes by,

it's as if the stardust

that trails behind him,

Moses sees.

Because God said,

you can't see me and live.

But Christ takes on humanity

that he can engage in relationship

with his people.

And in so doing,

he veils his glory.

So am I saying that Christ was not glorious?

I'm not saying that at all.

Matter of fact,

we get a glimpse of his glory,

don't we,

on the Mount of Transfiguration.

You remember the story?

Peter, James, and John

go up with him on the Mount,

and right before their eyes,

he is transfigured.

Everything about him was brilliant

so that they had to hide their face.

We get a little bit of a glimpse

of who he really is

in the glory of Christ.

The same glory,

verse 5 in our text,

that he had with the Father

before the world began.

This glory,

this radiance,

this awe-inspiring light.

Equal with the Father,

yet veiled in humanity.

We go on.

He humbled himself,

verse 8,

becoming obedient

to the point of death,

even death on a cross.

He became obedient

with his eyes always pointed

to the cross that he knew

he would be nailed to.

Why?

For you and me,

brothers and sisters.

And we continue,

therefore God has done what?

Listen to this beautiful picture

that Paul has

of what happened

when Christ died on the cross,

of what happened

when that hour was completed.

Paul's looking backwards

and he's saying this,

God has highly exalted him

and bestowed on him

a name that is above every name.

Does that sound glorious to you?

A name that is above every name.

You know that there's no other name

in all of creation

whereby a man might be saved?

One name named Jesus.

There's no greater name

than that name,

Jesus.

It's by Jesus that we're bought.

It's by Jesus that we come to know him

as Lord and Savior.

It's by Jesus that we receive salvation.

There is no greater name.

And we continue.

And at that name,

that greatest of all names,

that Jesus,

every knee should bow

in heaven

and on earth

and under the earth

and every tongue confess

that what?

The glorious Lord Jesus

has been raised.

That Jesus Christ is Lord.

Do you think God was honored

with his sacrifice on the cross?

Do you think God celebrated

his sacrifice?

Well, the resurrection declares it.

You know, the resurrection

is as if God says,

well done, my son.

You've done it.

You've accomplished

what I sent you to do.

I'm going to place you

in the position

of the highest authority.

Every knee

in all of creation,

every animal,

every created thing

will bow their knee to you

as Lord of all.

You will receive the glory

that you had with me

before the earth

was even created.

Back to chapter 17.

Father,

the hour has come.

Glorify your son.

Why does he want the father

to take him to this place

of great suffering?

Why does he want the father

to strengthen him

to accomplish the thing

that he's come for?

Here's ultimately

why he wants it.

Listen to what he says.

Will you glorify your son,

Father?

In order that

you might be glorified,

that the son might glorify you.

Ultimately,

Jesus is saying,

my greatest of all desires

is that, Father,

you be lifted up.

You be magnified.

You be glorified.

Be glorified.

Not me.

Glorify me

in such a way

that you send me

to the cross.

You give me the strength

to be faithful

and you put me to death

that my people

might be redeemed.

That you might receive

the glory

that you would provide

a way

that your people

could receive salvation.

Do you see it?

Glorify your son.

Why?

That the son

may glorify you.

You know what his desire was?

To bring glory to God.

Brothers and sister,

what is our desire?

What is your greatest desire?

Does this ring true

for you as well?

Do you find that

in your life

your greatest desire

is that God

might be glorified

through your life?

You know,

it's very humbling

to consider the truth here

is that Christ

was willing

to go to the cross

and be willing

to surrender

and sacrifice his life.

Why?

That God might be glorified.

Brothers and sister,

what are we willing to do

that God might be glorified?

Where do you find yourself today?

What's true for you?

How much do you sacrifice

that he might be glorified?

How much are you willing

to endure

that he might be glorified?

I understand

we can't be Christ

and redemption

doesn't come through us

but isn't God worthy?

Isn't he worthy

of our life?

Isn't he worthy

of our sacrifice?

Isn't he worthy

that we would lay down

our bodies

as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to him?

Isn't he worthy

that we would set our mind

on things above?

Isn't he worthy

that we would present

our body

as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to him,

which is our reasonable

expectation of worship?

You know what it means

to truly worship?

It's not just to sing.

You know what it means

to worship?

It's to bow the knee.

You know what it means

to bow the knee?

It says,

I see you as my Lord.

I choose to do

whatever you lead me to do.

Lord, give me strength

to be faithful to you.

You know that's the call

to us Christians?

It's a call

to faithfulness.

It's a call

to his glory.

It's a call

to surrender.

It's a call

to sacrifice.

That's the high call

of God in Christ Jesus.

That's the high call

for you and me.

You know what's true?

We can't do it on our own.

You and I

on our own willpower

will fail every time.

But you know what God says?

Greater is he

that is in you

than he that is in the world.

There is a need.

It's the need

for the Holy Spirit.

The supernatural power

of the Holy Spirit

can produce his fruit

in your life

and my life.

When we yield to him

and say,

here I am,

whatever you desire,

I'm willing.

You give me strength

to do what I'm not able

to do

that you might be glorified.

You know he's called us

to worship him?

And do you realize

that the sacrifice

of Christ

was the greatest expression

of worship?

That he'd be willing

to lay down his life?

You know,

the Word of God

says this,

as greater love

has no man than this

that he'd be willing

to lay down his life

for his friend.

Are we church

willing to lay down

our lives for the kingdom?

I don't sugarcoat this.

I just speak

the Word of God.

The Word of God

calls us

to love him

in such a way

that we'd be willing

to lay down our life

for the kingdom

and for the king of kings.

You know,

the martyrs

counted it

a privilege

to die

for the name of Christ.

The disciples

counted it

a privilege

to suffer

for the name

of Jesus.

How about us?

I continue.

I want you to see

this beautiful,

beautiful thing.

He talks about

eternal life.

And I see

several things

about eternal life

here

that I want us

to see.

It's powerful

what he says.

Read again

from beginning.

He says,

Father,

the hour has come.

Glorify your Son

that the Son

may glorify you

since you have

given him authority

to give

eternal life.

You have given

him,

Jesus,

authority

to give

eternal life.

You know

what's interesting here?

Nowhere in this passage

does it talk

about earning

eternal life?

You know

what it talks

about?

It talks

about giving

eternal life.

You know

that lines

up with

the rest

of the scriptures

very well.

Even when

we were dead

in our trespasses

and sins,

God made

us alive.

You know

what?

He initiated

and he

accomplished.

we didn't

do anything

except perceive

what he

started

and accomplished.

And here

we see

that the

Father

who has

all authority

has given

that authority

to the Son.

He is placed

into the position

of authority

and the Son

can give

eternal life

to whom he will.

And the

scripture

shows us here

even in this

very prayer

who receives

eternal life.

it tells

us.

There is a

qualifier

here.

I want

you to

see.

Who is it

Lord Jesus

that you will

give eternal

life to?

And here

it is

to all

whom you

have given

him.

Hear the

prayer.

Father

the hour

has come

glorify your

Son that

your Son

may glorify

you.

Since

you have

given

him

authority

to give

eternal

life to

the ones

that you

gave him

out of

the world.

Look at

the phrase

in verse

6.

The people

whom you

gave me.

And in

verse 9

I am not

praying for

them that

is the

world.

I am

praying for

those whom

you have

given me

out of

the world

for they

are yours.

It is

interesting

and maybe

hard for

our ears

to swallow

but it is

beautiful

when we

see it

in scripture.

we hear

the ring

of it

when we

read

Revelation

it says

the Lamb's

book of

life.

It is

talking about

names being

written in

the Lamb's

book of

life.

You know

the book

of Romans

gives us

a clear

picture.

You know

there is

in the

belief of

some

everybody

that was

a part

of the

nation

of Israel

in the

Old

Testament

days

some

believe

that

every

one

of

them

are

going

to

be

saved.

That

every

one

of them

are going

to receive

eternal

life.

That

all

Israel

is going

to be

in heaven.

You know

that's not

what the

word of

God says?

So I

read out

of Romans

briefly

because I

want us

to hear

the

beautiful

picture

of who

Christ

died

for.

And so

I ask

the question

did Christ

die for

everyone?

Will all

people be

saved?

No.

Do we

have a

choice?

Yes,

of course.

Every

person

that's

ever

been

born

has

a

choice

whether

they

choose

to

believe

or

not.

But the

word of

God

says not

everyone

will

believe.

Romans

Romans 9:6–8

chapter 9

verse 6

through 8

says this,

For not all

who were

descended from

Israel belong

to Israel.

Listen to

that.

Not all

who are

ethnic

Jews belong

to Israel.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Isn't that by

definition

correct?

He's speaking

spiritually here.

Not all

who were

descended from

Israel belong

to Israel.

Not all

who are

children of

Abraham.

Not all

are children

of Abraham

because they

are offspring.

Listen at

the message

that the

word says

here.

Just because

you're

ethnically

Jew doesn't

mean you're

truly a

child of

Abraham because

Abraham is

the man of

faith and

only those

who have

faith are

considered part

of the

family of

Abraham.

Spiritually

speaking.

It says

this,

but through

Isaac shall

your offspring

be named.

This means

that it is

not the

children of

the flesh

who are

children of

God,

but the

children of

the promise

are counted

as offspring.

Hear it again

out of the book

of Isaiah.

And Paul,

when he's

writing his

letter to the

Romans,

he quotes

Isaiah and

Isaiah says

this,

Isaiah cries

out concerning

Israel,

though the

number of the

sons of

Israel be

as the

sand of

the sea.

Listen,

though the

ethnic Jews

be many in

number,

here's what he

says,

only a remnant

will be

saved.

Only a

remnant.

Does that

surprise you?

Does it

surprise you

that not

everyone will

be saved?

You know,

Christ didn't

come to save

every single

person that's

ever been

born.

You know who

he came to

save?

The ones

that the

father had

given him.

Well,

who did you

give him,

father?

Who did you

give Christ?

Who did he

come to die

for?

Chapter 11

of Romans

gives us a

real clear

picture.

Here it

is.

And so

Paul,

understanding

the

defensiveness

of the

Jews,

he says

this,

I ask

then,

Paul being

a Jew

himself,

then has

God rejected

his people?

verse 2

says this,

God has

not rejected

his people

whom he

foreknew.

So I

want to tie

two things

together for

you.

This concept

of God

foreknowing.

Have you

heard it

before?

That God

foreknew

them.

What does

it mean

to foreknew?

Fore means

before.

To know

is not

just a

cognitive

understanding.

to know

is a

word that

has a

deeper

meaning

in the

scriptures.

You

remember

the

passage

on the

Sermon

on the

Mount

when Christ

said,

many in

that day

will say

to me,

Lord,

Lord,

have we

not

prophesied

in your

name?

Have we

not done

many works

in your

name?

And Christ

will say,

depart from

me for I

never knew

you.

What does

he mean?

That he

didn't know

who they

were,

didn't know

their names,

never seen

them before,

didn't recognize

them?

That's not

what he

means.

I never

knew you.

I never

had

relationship

with you.

I was

never

united

with you.

You know

that if

we're not

united with

Christ,

we won't

be in

heaven.

Only those

who are

united

through the

blood of

Christ,

through the

sacrifice of

Christ,

through the

salvation

that he

offered,

through

faith,

you know

that apart

from faith

we'll never

be saved?

Apart from

trusting in

the work of

Christ on

the cross

will never

be saved.

And you

know who

is going

to trust

in this

work?

Here it

is.

So God

has not

rejected his

people whom

he foreknew.

There is a

remnant

chosen by

what?

By grace.

There is a

remnant

chosen by

God

through grace.

There is a

remnant

chosen by

grace.

It is by

grace of

God that

we receive

salvation.

You know

that in

chapter 17

again, it

defines really

well what

eternal life

is?

Look at it

with me.

In verse

3.

Verse 2

said that

Christ can

give eternal

life to

those whom

God had

given him.

And this

is eternal

life.

What is it?

That they

know you,

the only true

God in

Jesus Christ.

You know

that unless

we're related

to the

Father,

unless we're

related to

the Son,

unless we

know them

relationally,

we'll never

be in

heaven.

And so

brothers and

sisters,

I ask you

this,

do you

know him

in that

way?

Do you

have eternal

life?

Has he

given eternal

life to you?

Have you

come to know

him?

Have you

recognized

there's

nothing you

can do

in your

own ability?

There's no

works you

can do,

there's no

good things

you can do,

there's no

task you

can do

that's going

to earn

salvation.

You know

that salvation

is not

earned,

it's given?

And you

know what

is the

means by

which it's

given?

To those

who believe,

to those

who bow

their knee,

to those

who trust

in Christ,

to those

who recognize

that his

death on

the cross

was in

payment,

a

substitutionary

death on

our behalf.

For those

who bow

their knee

and say,

God,

I don't

have anything

to offer.

I recognize

that I'm

not worthy,

I recognize

that I'm

a sinner,

but Lord,

you have

sent one

to die

on my

behalf.

Your word

says that

Christ died

that I

might live.

I trust

in the

work of

Christ in

order that

I might

live.

Notice

in chapter

17 here

this prayer,

this is

eternal

life,

that they

would know

you,

Father,

the only

true God.

Do you

understand

that Christ

is saying

to them,

I see

the result

of this

hour.

As I

walk this

walk that

you've given

me to walk

and I

am elevated

on this

tree,

on this

cross,

and I

die this

death,

that Father,

because you're

true to your

word,

that all

of those

whom you've

given me

will receive

salvation.

They will

know you

and they

will know

me.

And now,

Father,

glorify me

in your

own presence.

Isn't that

interesting?

He says,

in your own

presence.

What is he

saying?

Lord,

I know I'm

at the door

of death.

I know I'm

at the door

of the cross.

I know that

this very night

I'm going to

be arrested.

I know that

I'm going to

be rejected.

I'm going to

be betrayed.

I'm going to

be on my

own.

I'm going to

be unfairly

tried.

I'm going to

be flogged

almost to

death and

I'm going to

be taken

to a

hill and

I'm going

to be

elevated

on the

tree to

die this

death.

The word

of God

says that

Christ,

who knew

no sin,

died and

took on our

sin in order

that we might

receive his

righteousness.

It's this

great exchange.

We were the

ones that should

have been on

the cross.

We were the

ones that are

guilty and

what did

Christ do?

He lived for

this very hour

that he would

say,

he's mine.

Yes,

he's guilty,

but I choose

to go to the

cross on his

behalf and

father,

would you take

my righteousness

and would you

bestow my

righteousness on

him and I

will go to the

cross for him

so he didn't

have to,

that he might

know you,

that you

might take

him as a

son.

Brothers and

sisters,

do you all

realize we've

been adopted

as sons and

daughters of

the almighty

glorious God?

And there's

coming a day

if we're truly

in the kingdom

where we'll see

him face to

face.

No longer

will he veil

his glory.

You know what

he's going to

do?

He's going to

reveal his glory

to all of us.

When we show up

in the heavenly

kingdom,

you know what we're

going to see?

We're going to

see something we

have no idea

how grand and

glorious it is.

You know,

I think the

shepherds,

when they were

abiding in the

fields,

when Christ

was born,

I think they

got a little

glimpse of the

glory of the

worship.

When all the

angels were

worshiping,

they were like,

what is going

on?

So moved

they were,

they left

their sheep

and they went

to find where

this Messiah

was.

They got a

little glimpse.

The Mount

of Transfiguration,

they got a

little glimpse.

Have you

gotten a

glimpse of

the glory

of God?

Do you

have any

idea of

how grand

and awesome

it's going

to be to

step into

eternity and

be able to

worship him

and love him

and speak to

him and have

fellowship with

him face to

face?

Let's pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Father, how

powerful is

your word

and how

great is

your gift

that we

could receive

eternal life.

That Lord

Jesus, you

would open

our eyes

to see, you

would stir

our hearts

to recognize

our own sin

and our need

for a savior.

Our need

for someone

to go to

the cross

on our behalf

that Lord,

we're not

sinless.

instead, we're

hopeless in

need of

salvation.

And so, Lord,

I just thank you

that Christ, my

Lord, my Savior,

was willing to go

to the cross

that we might

know you,

that we might

be in

relationship with

you, that we

might be adopted,

we might be

heirs,

and we might

have the hope

of heaven.

God, I pray

that you would

stir our heart

to be willing

to live for

you and not

live for these

counterfeit glories

of this world

that are nothing

in comparison

to how great

you are.

They're nothing.

God, help us

to fix our eyes

on Jesus,

the author

and perfecter

of our faith,

the one who

has accomplished

salvation that

we might live.

Help us to

present our bodies

as a living

sacrifice,

holy and

acceptable to

you.

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

help us

to be willing

to be martyrs,

to be willing

to suffer ridicule,

to be willing

to suffer even

death in our

desire to be

faithful to you

because you're

worthy of praise.

We thank you

for this morning.

We praise you

in Christ's name.

Amen.