Jesus prays for eternal life

Now, if you turn with me to John chapter 17, page 1085, we return to this prayer, often

John 17 · chapter mention

! known as the High Princely Prayer of Jesus. And we hear him in verse 2 and 3 pray about eternal life.

We'll again read the first five verses. After Jesus said this, he looked towards heaven and prayed,

Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him

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.

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father,

glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

So, we're thinking about eternal life. And let's paint a picture as much as we can to create a

sense of longing, to build anticipation, and to give focus. It's something we do in everyday life. We

have summer holidays coming soon, perhaps. So, at some point, we will look at the holiday brochures,

we will check TripAdvisor, or we're going to the cinema. So, we might find ourselves looking at the

reviews of new films, watching trailers, or maybe we've got just a day trip planned. So, we'll check

the weather. We'll make sure we've got our picnic supplies. There are things that we do that create

longing, that build anticipation, that give focus. And it's really important for us as Christians that

we do that with eternal life. This really lies at the heart of our faith. So, what is eternal life?

At one level, it's the promise, the reality of a happy life forever. A life where there are no

troubles or fears, where there will be no losses, there'll be no unmet longings, there will be no

intermissions or intervals to break our perfect happiness forever. It is also going to be a

glorious life forever. It is a future reality without disease or death. There will be no aching joints or

chronic ailments. Every single person will have a perfect, glorified body, and that picture will never

fade forever. Eternal life also speaks to us of a loving life forever. It is a community where there

will be no envy, no gossip, no arguments. Nobody will ever be misunderstood. No one will ever be slandered.

We will never find ourselves crossing the street to avoid that awkward neighbor. Rather, everyone will be

sharing perfect, open, loving relationships. Even as we begin to paint the picture, who doesn't want this?

There is a goodness to this that we all recognize, and the book of Ecclesiastes tells us why.

Speaking of God, the author says, you have set eternity in our hearts. That's why we ache

for joy like this. That's why we find ourselves searching. That's why we have sadness when those

good things go in this life. And Jesus says to us that when we find our joy in Him, we find joy that

lasts forever. But we need to push further in our picture of eternal life and give it greater focus,

because the Bible also says eternal life will be a holy life forever. It will be a life forever set

free from sin. When we've been called and set apart for God and His worship, and we will find our joy

in living perfectly in His ways forever. And we'll have no sense that that limits our freedom or our joy.

eternal life will also be a God-centered life forever. The Lord Jesus, God our Father, they will always be the

object of our love and joy and delight. They are what make heaven heaven for His people. When we come to

know in a whole new way, we know in a whole new way that He alone, Psalm 73, can truly satisfy our souls.

And the truth is that made in God's image as we are, nothing else truly satisfies except life in Jesus.

So when Jesus prays about eternal life, we need to recognize that He is praying for our eternal

and ultimate joy. Jesus loves us, and so He prays for us. And what He prays for us is for our ultimate

good. Just to remind ourselves of the logic of Jesus' prayer, so we began remembering the wonderful

promise that Jesus prays for us. He is our mediator between us and God, and He's also our role model.

He teaches us how to pray, but He prays for us and for our good. And we were thinking last week,

as Jesus was praying about glory, that through His death on the cross, glory would come to Himself,

God the Son, for completing the work of salvation. And in so doing, glory would also come to God the

Father through the saving work of Jesus on the cross. And Jesus prayed that He would return to His

rightful place of glory in heaven because He is the God of eternal glory. Well, this week,

we see that glory belongs to Jesus because He is the one who gives the gift of eternal life to His people.

Glory belongs to Jesus because He brings us into life with God Himself.

And again, we'll never understand Christianity and its goal without Jesus' prayer.

We need to recognize the concern of Jesus here. His concern for our good is so great

that nothing less than our perfect eternal joy is His aim. And to understand that He prays this prayer

heading towards the cross, He will go to the cross to purchase in His death our eternal life.

So, Jesus works and Jesus prays so that you and I, by God's grace and through faith, might enjoy

relationship with God today and to enjoy that perfectly in heaven for all eternity.

So, two things, and they're very much related, and then a couple of points of application at each point.

First of all, Jesus gives eternal life. Look at chapter 17, verse 2.

For you granted Him authority. That's Jesus speaking of Himself. The Father granted Jesus authority over all

people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given Him. So, we're thinking about eternal life.

So, let's begin here with the reality that God is eternal. Psalm 90, from everlasting to everlasting,

You are God. And within this prayer, we're reminded that Jesus, as the Son of God, He is also eternal.

So, verse 5, glorify me with the glory I had before the world began. He is the Alpha and the Omega,

the beginning and the end. In verse 2, we're also reminded that Jesus has been given authority over all

people. So, we're getting that sense that through His death on the cross, then His resurrection and His

return to heaven, He is going to be appointed King of kings and Lord of lords. We've already heard Him say

that the Father has given Jesus authority to judge all people. So, He is the King and the judge overall,

whether we recognize it or not. And Jesus goes on to say that from that position of authority,

He grants eternal life to all those that the Father gave to Him. And so, we have the wonderful

interconnection between the Father and the Son. So, the Father and the Son planned an eternity past,

the way of salvation. And an eternity past, the Father knows that the Son is going to come

and Jesus will be obedient to His Father all the way to death. And because of Jesus' loving obedience,

the Father grants Him authority, a wonderful authority to then be the giver of eternal life.

And He is given this privilege because He lays down His life for us. So, His giving of eternal life

is rooted in the fact that He goes to His hour, He goes to suffer and die in our place for our sins.

And this gift of eternal life is a gift of God's grace given by Jesus to those given to Him by God,

His Father. It's gift all the way along. Salvation is a work of God. And so, here is Jesus praying that

glory will come to God the Father, glory will come to Him as the Son, as His chosen people trust Him,

and as they receive this gift of eternal life.

So, God is eternal and His Son is eternal. The plan of salvation is eternal.

But we also need to recognize that when Jesus is praying about eternal life,

it reminds us that we too, we're not eternal, but we are made to live forever.

C.S. Lewis captured it in a really striking way when he said,

there are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

And Jesus in John's gospel gives us a lot of teaching about eternity.

And from the standpoint of eternity, Jesus will say, basically, there are two types of people.

So, we heard Him in John chapter 5.

John 5 · chapter mention

There are those people who hear Jesus and they believe.

Or in chapter 10, the image is the same.

It's there are sheep who belong to Jesus and they hear and they obey His voice.

But there are also those who are not His sheep.

There are those who don't hear and believe.

But from eternity's standpoint, there's basically those two types of people.

And we've been hearing from Jesus, there are two different eternal destinies,

but both are eternal destinies.

So, John 3.16.

There is the wonderful prospect of eternal life in the presence and the joy of Jesus.

But chapter 3.16, John chapter 10, also speaks about a different destiny.

John 10 · chapter mention

The destiny, the destiny of eternal perishing in the misery of the judgment of Jesus.

Two types of people and two eternal destinies.

Turn with me to John chapter 10 and let's look at it more closely.

John 10 · chapter mention

The context for what Jesus is saying, verses 22 to 24, Jesus is surrounded by opponents.

Nehemiah this morning, surrounded by opponents.

So is Jesus.

They have a question.

If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.

But they want to trap Him because they've already decided He's not sent by God.

He is a false Messiah and so they're seeking a reason to kill Him.

Jesus knows this.

Look at Jesus' answer.

Jesus answered, on the question of Messiah, I did tell you, but you do not believe.

The works I do in my Father's name testify about me.

So Jesus is saying to them, every time I did a miracle,

every leper that was healed, every paralyzed person that walked, every blind person that

was made to see, every sinner that was granted forgiveness is an indication from God Himself,

a testimony that Jesus really is God's chosen Messiah, Savior, King.

Every miracle was a powerful, wonderful work of God to display the glory of God and to give

a window into the kingdom of God.

That world free of sin and sickness and death and suffering.

We get a glimpse in Jesus' ministry.

But Jesus said to them in verse 26,

But you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

Some of us are familiar with the idea of common grazing.

There's land where many flocks or cattle can be there to graze.

And so if a farmer comes and he gives the command to his sheep to come,

well, the rest will not bother because they don't recognize that farmer.

They don't recognize his voice.

Now, Jesus is saying there are some who do not recognize me, who do not listen to my voice.

But why do some listen to Jesus?

Why do some become his sheep?

He goes on, verse 27,

My sheep listen to my voice.

I know them and they follow me.

I give them eternal life.

Jesus gives eternal life.

It is God's grace at work in a person's heart that causes them to be able to hear and to respond to the voice of Jesus.

It's a gracious work of God.

It's that work promised in the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 31, the new covenant.

That great open heart surgery that God would do in the gospel that he would take our hearts of stone,

unwilling and unable to choose to respond towards God, to do what is good,

to take out our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh,

to give us the willingness to listen and to obey,

to place his spirit within us,

to write and to inscribe his law on our hearts,

to hear the voice of Jesus and to respond.

That's not natural.

It's a wonderful work of God.

It's a miracle of God's grace.

Achieved by Jesus' death on the cross,

that new covenant in his blood.

Left to ourselves,

we would never listen.

We would never follow.

We would never obey.

Rather, to use the language of R.C. Sproul,

we are those who violate his holiness.

We insult his justice.

We make light of his grace.

These things can hardly please him.

Like the Pharisees in Jesus' day,

we can easily flatter ourselves.

We're not that bad.

We don't really need a savior,

or we don't merit God's wrath.

And when we do that,

we ignore God's holiness.

We ignore the depth of our own rebellion.

But Jesus, when he says he gives eternal life,

presents us with that humbling,

but also wonderful reality

that he has come to give that gift.

So we need the work of our good shepherd,

and he has come,

and he has completed the work of the good shepherd

in laying down his life for us.

We need him to do that.

We need him to break the chains of sin and death,

and he is willing to do that

if we will trust him

and ask him to do it in our hearts.

He is the one who has come to exchange that stubborn heart

for a heart made willing to love and follow him.

He must act in power

so that we would become his sheep

and listen to his voice,

and he is willing,

he is ready and willing to act in power.

So there is a connection that Jesus must die

so he might receive the gift of eternal life.

And so Jesus looks at the hour of the cross,

and he is willing to go there

because he knows it will bring us salvation.

So that instead of death,

we might know life.

Now, death is not something

that we like to think about very much.

The Bible is really clear.

It is our last great enemy.

Death brings with it real fear,

and it brings with it real sadness.

But it is something we need to use

to go back to Ecclesiastes.

It's better to go to the house of mourning

than the house of laughter.

It's really important for us to think about eternity.

Now, as a society,

we don't like to think about death.

We certainly don't like to think about eternity,

so we treat it as that taboo thing.

We spend a lot of time and energy

trying to be distracted from

the great realities of life and death.

Or we try and make light of death.

We turn funerals into celebrations

rather than times of mourning.

And in this context,

the church must be different.

We must both live in light of eternity,

but also be willing to speak about death and eternity.

And when we do,

for us as the people of God,

I would suggest that there are two things that follow.

As we think about the fact

that Jesus gives eternal life,

as we think about eternity and eternal life,

it leads us to worship.

I'm thinking about it this week.

It's one of the things that makes Christian funerals

really special.

Because there we find ourselves

at a place of sorrow and grieving,

but also a time of worship.

We're praising the sovereign God

who is faithful in life

and faithful into eternity.

That collectively as God's people,

we grieve, but we grieve with hope.

We find hope as we claim the promises of the gospel,

the promise of resurrection and of new creation.

We worship as we recognize Jesus,

the one who left eternal glory,

to become one of us,

to give God glory by granting his people eternal life.

The one who paid the ultimate cost

to give his bride the ultimate gift.

That Jesus came into this world

and he suffered and died

and then he returned to the glory of heaven

to prepare for us

an eternal home,

an eternal joy

that we can scarcely imagine.

And so there's a wonderful source of worship

that are truths to make our hearts sing,

to give us hope

even in the depths of sorrow

as we consider the promise of eternal life.

But here's the second thing

that I think considering eternal life does for us.

It does something in terms of our mission.

I spent part of Monday afternoon

on a prayer walk around the neighborhood

and doing that at the same time

as asking God to be glorified in this community.

Thinking about the various types of people

that live here, thinking about the various churches.

But when you're thinking about eternity,

doesn't it give a sense of weight

to our mission

and a sense of urgency

to our mission

as we represent the one who came

to give the gift of eternal life?

Does it give us a motivation

for that ongoing task of making Jesus known?

I was reminded of C.T. Studd's words,

one of the missionaries to China.

He put it very poetically.

He said,

Some wish to live within the sound of church

or chapel bell.

I want to run a rescue shop

within a yard of hell.

For C.T. Studd,

the realities of eternity

drove his mission,

caused him to leave behind

affluent England

to go to China

to minister there,

to seek,

to make Jesus known.

The realities of eternity

are so important

for fueling our kingdom mission.

And it's important for us,

I think,

then regularly to ask,

What is God leading me to do

for his kingdom?

Maybe not like C.T. Studd

to go to China,

maybe,

but what is he asking us to do

as we share the gospel?

We share the gospel,

the good news

that while we are made

in the image of God

and we are made for relationship,

but that tragically and persistently

we sin and rebel,

God loved us

and he sent his son,

the Lord Jesus,

and Jesus laid down his life

as a sacrifice for us.

And through his death

on our behalf,

we can know forgiveness

and peace

and adoption

and eternal life

with never-ending glory.

We have good news

and we have really important news.

And so we pray

and so we proclaim

and we ask people,

Will you believe?

Will you hear Jesus' voice?

And will you follow?

Because Jesus is the one

who gives us eternal life.

Second thing to think about,

and as I said,

it's related,

is that Jesus gives us life with God.

Look back at John 17, verse 3.

John 17:3

Jesus says,

Now this is eternal life,

that they know you,

the only true God

and Jesus Christ

whom you have sent.

So the beauty of eternal life

is that it's not just a quantity,

but it's also a quality.

It's the gift of knowing

and being known by God himself.

Jesus gives us everlasting life

with the everlasting God of love.

And this knowing that Jesus speaks of,

it's not a mere head knowledge,

well, I know about God.

I've read the Bible.

I've come to church.

I know about Him.

I know about the Trinity.

I know that Jesus died on the cross.

I know that God is.

It's a personal experience

of a personal relationship.

It says,

I know Him

as my Father.

I've come to know that He is good

and that He is for me

and I trust Him

and I listen to Him.

He loves me

and He leads me

and He listens to me

when I pray

and He looks after me every day.

It's a different quality of knowing.

It's the knowing

of personal relationship.

Let me use this

by way of a poor analogy.

It's a difference maybe

sometimes you might see

in an airport.

So imagine

you're in a busy airport

and you're waiting

for a loved one.

Maybe you haven't seen them

for weeks or for months

and you know

the plane is about to arrive.

And so while you're waiting

at the arrivals gate

eager to be reunited,

you see a celebrity

and you know that celebrity.

But I imagine most of us,

unless we're slightly extreme,

the most we're going to do

is maybe give an awkward smile.

Maybe if we're really confident,

we might ask for a selfie.

But the difference between

that knowing of the celebrity

where we kind of keep our distance

and then the knowing

when we see our family member

and we run to embrace them

and there's joy

and there's tears.

That's the kind of knowing

that Jesus brings for us

with our God.

That we are known

and loved deeply.

That we enjoy

a deeply personal relationship

with God the Father,

with Jesus the Son,

through the Spirit,

forever.

And so as Jesus prays

about eternal life,

Jesus is really asking

that we would shift attention

from temporary pleasures

that can take up so much attention

but will always leave us restless

to the eternal enjoyment

of God that brings rest.

Jesus came to give eternal joy

to His people

as we are welcomed

into the loving arms

of our everlasting God.

So let's explore two things

about eternal life

with God together.

First, let's think about

the protection

that Jesus talks about.

Back to John chapter 10

John 10 · chapter mention

and verse 28 to 30.

I'm just going to read them again

and listen to how definite

and definitive Jesus is.

There is no room for doubt

in His words.

I give them eternal life

and they shall never perish.

No one will snatch them

out of my hand.

My Father who has given them to me

is greater than all.

No one can snatch them

out of my Father's hand.

I and the Father are one.

Did you hear it?

Jesus, what's the strongest force

in the universe?

The strongest force

in the universe

is the hands of God

and those hands of God

keep us safe

from here

to eternity.

That's what Jesus prays

and that's what Jesus works for.

So the promise

of eternal life

that Jesus gives to us

is secure.

Our salvation

salvation is secure

because not only

is it the work of God

but also that we are kept

by God the Father

and God the Son.

Think about Jesus

in His ministry.

The same Jesus

who took Peter

by the hand

when He was going

under the water

as His faith was shaken

and raised Him up to safety.

The same Jesus

who took Jairus' daughter

by the hand

and raised her from death

is the same Jesus

who grips and guards

His people

in His power

and in His love.

He is the good shepherd

and He makes sure

that His sheep listen

and He never loses one.

Last weekend

we took a trip

to Dalscon Farm.

I recommend

if you like farms

and farm parks.

A couple of things

as I was sort of

thinking about this text

and then thinking

about Dalscon.

One point in the middle

of the afternoon

so Dalscon's full of

lots of very cute

baby goats

baby lambs

some cute baby donkeys

as well

really busy

full of animals

but there's one point

where I was looking

and I saw the farmer's wife

and she spotted something

and she jumped over a fence

and then she signaled

to her husband

and he also jumped

over the fence

and so I was immediately

interested in what

was happening

and they were looking

to sort of corral

and catch this one sheep

and the reason why

they were looking

to catch that one sheep

was because it had got

a horn tangled

in some bailing rope

and so they were keen

to set it free.

That's what shepherds do.

Also

on that farm park

some of us will know

the story of Fiona

the loneliest sheep

in the world.

Remember that story

the sheep

near Brora

fell off a cliff

was there for ages

until it got kind of

airlifted up

had lived in isolation.

Do you know what

Fiona's not lonely anymore?

She's got two lambs

with her this year

and again

why is that?

Because of the love

and care

of the farmers

at Dalscon.

Just tiny windows

whenever we look

at a good shepherd

or a good farmer

into the much greater

love and goodness

of Jesus

our good shepherd.

God

and what he promises

to us

here in John 10

is that we are

entirely safe

and secure

in the double grip

of God.

Now Hollywood

loves

and it's great

the tension

and the drama

that you see

so often

usually in some

kind of action movie

maybe there's been

a car crash

and the car is heading

towards the cliff

and the person

gets out just in time

and they're grabbing

on by their fingertips

and you ask yourself

are they going to

survive or not

and maybe somebody

comes and catches

their hand

and still the question

remains

is it going to

turn out okay

or not?

And you know

from whether it's

a good character

or a bad character

how it's going to go.

Hollywood loves

the tension

and it makes

for great TV

but we need

to understand

it makes

for terrible theology

because when we

respond in faith

to the call

of Jesus

we have the promise

that he holds us

firm

he will not

lose one

of those

that have been

given to him

the father

assures us

that he will not

lose his grip

look at verse 30

Jesus says

I and the father

are one

they are one

because they're both

God

but they're also

one in purpose

and their purpose

is to protect

Christians

until we fully

enjoy eternal life

Jesus prays

for the gift

of eternal life

to be given

and he will

shortly lay down

his life

to secure it

for us

and he continues

to work for us

now

holding us

in his grip

so that none

of us

who are trusting

in him

will ever be lost

the hands

that hold us

firm

are the hands

that were nailed

to our Roman cross

to bear away

our guilt

and shame

to secure

our reconciliation

to God

to pay in full

our record

of debt

and with him

that is the gift

of eternal life

so there is

protection

we are secure

in the eternal life

we're given

by Jesus

and so the second

thing

as we think

about Jesus

giving us life

with God

is to think

about praise

now I wonder

as we think

about eternal life

if we were

being honest

does eternity

ever sound

a little bit

dull

do we ever

find ourselves

asking the question

won't we get

tired of it

you know we're so

used to things

being temporary

the idea of

something that

lasts forever

that's really

hard to imagine

our capacity

for joy

in God

our hearts

as it were

are so

limited

that it

may not

excite us

like it

should

the reality

of eternity

millions

billions

trillions

of years

to enjoy

Jesus

and to

worship him

together

one day

we might

find that

to be

the most

mind-blowing

and exciting

reality in the

world

and the

very next

day

it might

seem

so

mundane

I think

to help

us

we are

to remember

who it

is that

is praying

for the gift

of eternal

life

here is

Jesus

the eternal

son of

God

who has

spent all

eternity

enjoying

life with

his father

sharing the

glory of

his father

sharing of

perfect goodness

and glory

and beauty

and truth

nothing lacking

in eternal

life

and it's

as the

eternal

and powerful

son of

God

he prays

the one

with infinite

wisdom

and power

and goodness

he prays

wanting the

very best

that he could

ever give

to his people

he prays

desiring that

we would have

life and life

to the full

he prays

that we would

know eternal

life

with him

forever

and for that

to capture

our hearts

I think we need

to keep

considering the

Jesus that we

meet in the

gospels

the nature

of the

friendship

that he

shared with

his disciples

the transformation

he worked

in people's

lives

the love

that he

demonstrated

that changed

people's

identity

and destiny

that the

one who

prays for us

is the one

who is

love

and he

prays

and he

works

so we

can share

this love

of God

forever

as

Christians

Jesus

has

destined

us

for eternal

happiness

there is

an eternal

weight

of glory

beyond

compare

there is

a life

free

of sin

and sickness

despair

and death

a life

lived

with

Jesus

and as

he prays

he invites

us to

turn from

sin

to know

him

to trust

him

to live

in light

of eternity

to live

lives

of eternal

significance

to live

lives

of joyful

praise

because

Jesus

has invited

us

into

eternal

life

to know

the only

true God

and Jesus

Christ

the one

whom he

sent

well in that

spirit

let's pray

together