A Time for Glory

Well, good morning, everyone.

My name's Janet Skora.

If you haven't met me before,

I have the great privilege of being one of the wardens here

at St Paul's as well as a community group leader.

Great to be able to open God's Word with you this morning.

First, let me pray for us,

and then we're going to explore this wonderful part of John's Gospel.

Gracious God, thank you so much that you give us your Word

that we might know you,

that we might continue to have a relationship with you,

and that we might use your Word

to spread the good news of Jesus across this world.

I pray, Lord, that as we open your Word this morning,

that you would speak to our hearts

and help us to understand more of who you are

and all you've done for us.

Amen.

So if you've been with us for the past few weeks,

we've been working through this particular section

of the Gospel of John.

Last week, Nick spoke to us about the deep sense of belonging

that Jesus imparted to his disciples,

a connection that was derived from God,

but that would sustain them when they were scattered,

in their doubts,

and in the difficult days that lay ahead for them.

The chapters that we've been exploring over these past few weeks

all take place in a four- to five-hour conversation

between Jesus and his disciples over a meal.

It starts at chapter 13,

in the passage that you'll be familiar with,

where Jesus washes his disciples' feet.

And so the passage in chapter 17 that Helen just read for us

draws this time to a conclusion.

Jesus' main concern is that he wants the disciples

to understand that God should be glorified,

that everything he's done is in fulfilment of God's plan,

including the call on the lives of a people to trust in him.

And this is the last chapter before Jesus is arrested,

before he's tried and crucified.

And so what we have here is an experience of Jesus,

a experience of Jesus that the disciples had not had.

Throughout these chapters,

we've had a real sense of the emotion that they've experienced,

the grief and the fear that they have

in thinking about his departure.

It feels like quite an intimate moment in Jesus' ministry.

And in this time, Jesus has compressed some of the most confronting

and challenging and comforting words that this group of men would hear.

They've asked questions, they've listened,

and I can imagine them feeling pretty emotionally and physically exhausted.

It feels like a scene to me,

like we're standing outside a room,

standing at a window,

watching quietly,

our noses pressed to the glass,

straining to hear,

realizing that we're witnessing something that is really profound for these men.

And then along the way,

we realize that he's also talking to us.

Jesus has spoken to them about where he's going,

that he has to go,

and that they will remain,

and that they will be scattered.

He promises his spirit,

the counselor,

who will come to continue to reveal the truth to them and to the world,

and to bring God glory.

Last week,

we heard from Nick that Jesus assures his disciples

that they will continue to belong to him after he has gone.

And so at the end of this time,

Jesus turns to prayer.

It's a prayer that gives us some deep insight into the heart of Jesus

and his desire for his followers.

It's a personal conversation with his father

that he opens up for the disciples to hear and experience.

This is the only time in the Bible we get a glimpse of the prayer

of one person of the Trinity to another.

We're invited into this intimate fellowship between father and son.

So there are three parts to Jesus' prayer.

He prays for himself,

he prays for the disciples,

and he prays for those who would believe the church.

Let's start with the first prayer in verse one.

Father, the hour has come.

Glorify your son that your son might glorify you.

This request that Jesus has for glorification

is not about selfish ambition,

but fulfilling his divine purpose.

He lifts his eyes to heaven,

the posture of prayer,

but it says so much more to the disciples in the room

about the relationship Jesus has with his father.

Jesus' prayer is conveying to God

that he has done what God has asked him.

He has completed the mission,

he's brought glory to God,

and seeks that God would continue to glorify him

as he faces the cross.

Jesus understands that the hour has come for him

to complete the mission on earth

through his death and resurrection.

This is something he's spoken openly about

in other accounts in the Gospels,

making clear that the timing and purpose on earth

for him are God's timing,

not for him to choose.

Earlier in his ministry at the wedding of Cana,

Jesus responds to his own mother's request

for him to intervene, to get more wine,

by saying in John chapter two, verse four,

my hour has not yet come.

And then later in chapter seven,

his brothers urge him to go to Jerusalem,

and he says to them,

my hour has not yet come.

And yet here he says,

my hour has come,

because he knew that the timing of the plan for his life

was God's to decide,

and his purpose on earth was to bring God glory.

In verses two and three,

Jesus repeats that his purpose is connected

to our eternal life.

For you granted him glory,

authority over all people,

that he might give eternal life

to all those you have given him.

Now this is eternal life,

that they know you,

the only true God,

and Jesus Christ,

whom you have sent.

Jesus makes it pretty simple.

Eternal life isn't something that starts when we die.

It isn't something that we search for

in a great quest to Mordor,

or that we spend our lives

trying to be good to achieve.

Eternal life is for all

who know the one true God

and his son Jesus.

What Jesus is telling them

is that eternal life starts then.

Verse three assures us today

that when we come to know God and his son,

we start to experience the things of heaven.

Heaven is, after all,

about the presence of our heavenly father.

The more we know Jesus,

the more we experience what heaven will be like.

These verses really are the gospel.

If you're looking for a simple way to remind yourself,

if you're looking for a simple way

to explain it to someone,

Jesus' prayer for himself

tells the disciples and us

the good news of eternal life

that God has gifted to us by grace

and which we receive by faith.

Separation from God

is the essence of what we see

and continual experience

from the consequences of sin

in our own lives and in the world.

Jesus' prayer for himself

makes clear that his purpose

was restoring that relationship

and at its core

is the eternal life that we know now.

He reverses the effects of sin

so that we can know God

through his son.

In this prayer,

Jesus shows that eternal life

is something given of God

along with the knowledge of God.

This is the assurance we have

that faith is not a leap into nothing.

After all, faith is belief in something

and that's what he gives us,

assures us in his prayer.

Next, Jesus shifts his focus to the disciples,

praying for their protection,

their sanctification and their unity.

Jesus' desire is that God

would accomplish his plan

through the mission

and the ministry of these men.

In the context of the room he's in

alongside his disciples,

he wants them to understand

that they are God's people,

that they have been called by God,

that they are dependent on him

and that they belong to God

and as we see in verse 6,

they were given to Jesus.

Jesus makes clear

that God has been made known to them

and that they have received the message.

In verses 7 and 8, Jesus prays,

Now they know that everything

you have given them comes from you,

for I gave them the words you gave me

and they accepted them.

They knew with certainty that I came from you

and they believed that you sent me.

Here we see Jesus interceding for the disciples.

He's representing their fledgling belief to God

so that he might protect and preserve them.

It's evident that despite still being so frail as humans,

the apostles have accepted

what Jesus has told them,

that they believe,

that they have acted on

and that they have acted on what they heard.

They might still have lots of questions,

they might not understand it all,

but they trust and they believe.

In verse 9, Jesus prays,

I'm praying for them.

I'm not praying for the world,

but for those whom you have given me,

for they are yours.

Now, why wouldn't Jesus pray for the world?

It feels a bit uncomfortable,

maybe feels a bit unusual

with what we might see the world describe Jesus as.

He doesn't pray this blanket love for everyone.

He deliberately prays

for those who have been chosen.

Jesus does pray for the lost

in other gospel records in Luke 23,

and later in this chapter,

we find Jesus praying

for those who will believe in me,

for those who are yet Christians.

But here,

he's specifically focused on the disciples,

his chosen few,

in this final time with them.

Those Jesus is praying for

have come to know in truth

that Jesus came from God

and they have believed

that the Father sent Jesus.

He prays for their protection,

which we see in verse 11,

the power of your name,

the name you have given me,

has covered them.

Jesus goes on to acknowledge

that his presence with them

has provided a level of protection for them,

and once he departs,

that's going to change.

He knows all too well

what they're about to face,

and so he prays for protection,

or for God to keep them.

We know this doesn't mean

that they're going to have easy lives,

far from it.

They will continue to face persecution,

and they will ultimately

lose their lives on earth.

But Jesus prays

that they'll be protected or kept.

It's more about guarding their hearts,

opening them up

to a full understanding

of God's work for them,

and to bring them joy.

It's about perseverance,

peace that transcends understanding,

a wisdom about what they will face

that gives rise to joy.

Jesus concludes this prayer

to the disciples in verse 17.

Sanctify them by the truth,

the truth of your word.

As you sent me into the world,

I have sent them into the world.

For them I sanctify myself,

that they may too be truly sanctified.

Jesus prays that God

will sanctify the disciples,

which means set apart,

in this case,

for God's mission and purpose.

Given the opposition

that they will go on to face,

it's perhaps not surprising,

it wouldn't be surprising

if Jesus had maybe said to them,

go, flee, find a cave,

give yourself a safe haven.

But that isn't what Jesus asks

of them, nor of us.

He knows the reality

of the spiritual battle

that they will face,

but he also knows

that they are critical

to God's plan for them

to take the good news

to the ends of the earth.

And that's going to mean

persevering through hardship.

He knows that the world

will hate them

because they don't belong

to the world,

just as he did not.

Jesus doesn't ask the Father

to take them out of the world,

but protect them

and sanctify them

by the truth of his word.

Jesus' prayer for his disciples

really highlights

the importance

of spiritual protection

and growth.

As believers,

we're called to live

in the world,

but not be of the world,

which sounds really tricky.

What it means

is that we must rely

on God's word

and his spirit

to keep us holy,

to keep us set apart

for his purposes.

God gives us his word,

he gives us his spirit

and his body,

the church,

to guide us,

protect us,

encourage us,

and restore us

when we need it.

And in the final part

of this prayer,

Jesus goes on

to pray for the church.

He extends his prayer

beyond the immediate disciples

in the room with him

to include all

who would believe in him

through their message.

Now this is where

if we're standing

at that window,

listening intently,

we hear our name

and our ears prick up

because Jesus

is talking to us.

He prays for unity

of all believers

that they may be one

as he and his father

are one.

This isn't about unity

for the sake of harmony

or peace,

but for a purpose,

to show the world

that Jesus was sent

by the father

and to reveal God's love.

Unity is a safeguard

for believers

in facing the challenges

and the opposition

of this world

that would seek

to divide,

distract from God's purpose

and discourage.

In verses 20 and 21,

Jesus says,

My prayer is not

for them alone.

I pray for those

who will believe in me

through their message

that all of them

may be one.

Father,

just as you are in me

and I am in you.

These aren't verses

about denominations

or churches.

They're about

a different kind of unity.

Twice Jesus speaks

of belief in these verses.

It's the foundation

of unity,

grounded in Christ

and his mission.

It's a unity

that we see

between father and son

and a unity

of purpose and intention.

At its heart for us

is unity

for those

who will believe in me

through the message.

The unity of believers

is such a powerful testimony

to the world.

Our love

and our unity

reflect the love of God

and the truth

of the gospel.

Unity is not uniformity,

but oneness in purpose,

in mission

and in love.

And so we should seek

actively to promote unity

within the body of Christ,

working together

despite our differences

to fulfil the mission

in spreading the gospel.

This prayer challenges us

to live in such a way

that our unity

becomes a witness

to the world.

Jesus concludes this prayer

in verses 25 and 26

saying,

Jesus' final prayer

is that the world

would know God

through him

and those who believe,

the spirit continuing

to make Jesus known.

we get that strong

sense of connection,

the connection

and the belonging

that Nick spoke to us

about last week

that is deeply anchored

in God's love

for his son

and he for us.

And so as we take

a step back

from that window

and wonder,

what does it all mean?

What's our next step?

Well, there's three things.

Firstly,

Jesus' prayer

is a powerful model.

It's a model for prayer,

for how we pray,

when we pray

and what we might pray.

He prays for God's purpose,

he prays for God's plan

and his glory.

His prayer for the disciples

show how we might pray

for ourselves,

for each other,

for where our identity

is anchored,

for protection by his name

from the opposition

of the world.

It gives us the assurance

that we can pray

in confidence

as we have a sure hope

in belonging to Jesus

and remaining in him.

It's a model

for how we pray

through our lives,

lives together

as believers

and how we pray

for mission.

We don't know,

as Jesus did,

who his believers

will be.

And so our prayer

is that as much

of the world

as possible

will be reached

for the gospel

before Jesus returns

and that we pray

for ourselves

that we would be

faithful witnesses

of Jesus

in this world.

Secondly,

Jesus' prayer

reminds us

of the assurance,

the joy

and the purpose

that we find

in the gospel.

Jesus' desire

is for his followers

to know

they are connected

to the Father,

they are loved,

they're protected,

they're set apart.

In him we have

eternal life,

not by anything

that we have done,

but because of God's purpose

he has fulfilled.

In the familiar verses

from earlier in John,

in chapter 3,

for God so loved the world

that he gave

his one and only son,

that whoever believes

in him

should not perish

but have eternal life.

For God did not

send his son

into the world

to condemn the world

but to save the world.

As someone who has

been following Jesus

for most of my life,

the simplicity

of the gospel

has spoken to my heart

more times

than I could remember.

The simplicity

of what we read

in verse 3,

now this is eternal life,

that they know you,

the one true God

and Jesus Christ

whom you have sent.

That's all we have

to believe.

Knowing God,

believing in him

is enough

and in hard days

that's sometimes

all we have.

Perhaps today

the world feels like

it's weighing heavy

on you.

Let me encourage you

to turn to Jesus,

open your Bible,

read this prayer again

for yourself

and ask the Spirit

to speak quietly to you

to comfort and assure you.

And if you're someone

who doesn't know Jesus yet,

if you're not sure

that he's talking to you,

the eternal life

that Jesus gave

the disciples

and the believers to come

is open to you today.

The only step

you need to take

is to believe.

So talk to someone today

and ask about

how you can believe.

Finally,

Jesus' prayer

is that the world

might believe

because of the unity

and testimony

of those who would come

to believe

through the disciples.

This is about unity

of purpose and intention,

that glory will be brought

to God,

pointing people to him.

This basis

for the unity

and the gospel

bringing together cultures,

ages, perspectives,

background,

is a unity

to be celebrated,

to be worked on

and to be nurtured.

It's active.

It's hard work

because we're different.

It means we need

to pray together.

We need to meet together

around the Bible

to share our life

with people

who will encourage you.

And if you aren't

in a community group,

let me encourage you

to take that step today

and get into one

because they're awesome.

This is why

our vision

here at St Paul's

is that we would

treasure Jesus together

for God's glory

and the joy

of all people.

It's important

that we have the gospel

at the centre,

that we're founded

in truth.

It's important

that we acknowledge

we're different,

but it's also

our responsibility

to share the message,

even though it is God

who is sovereign

over salvation.

Our job

is to tell the gospel,

speak it,

live it,

and God will take care

of the rest.

Theologian

and writer

Martin Lloyd-Jones

says,

to us is given

the privilege

and responsibility

of being the representatives

of God,

of the Son of God

in this world.

We stand for him.

People judge him

by what they see in us

and they do so

because we are the ones

through whom

and in whom

he is glorified.

Jesus' prayer

tells us

that if you want

to know God,

get to know Jesus.

He shows the Father

to us

and by his Spirit

he continues

to make God

known through the world.

The love

that God

has for his Son

is the love

that we have

through faith in Christ,

connected,

protected

and invested in.

What love

and what a great glory.

Let's pray.

Our Father in Heaven,

thank you

that you gave your Son

that we might know

eternal life.

For all of us

here today,

may the message

of your Gospel,

may his love

and protection

and grace

continue to

spur us on

and preserve us

in the hard days

and in the joyful days.

I pray, Lord,

for anyone

who is still

trying to work out

whether they believe

in you

that they would

take their first step

today

and seek you

for the first time.

Amen.