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So welcome again on this Ascension Sunday, and happy Mother's Day.

My name is Jeff, and I'm one of the pastors here, and hopefully this will work.

Is that good to go?

I guess not.

I'll just use this.

That's great.

So my sophomore year of college, one Tuesday afternoon, my roommate Matt and I, we skipped

class and we drove to Richmond, Virginia.

And that night, at a music venue in Richmond, one of my favorite bands was playing, the

Goo Goo Dolls.

I don't know if you've heard of this band, the Goo Goo Dolls.

It might depend on which generation you're from.

They were a popular band in the 90s and the 2000s.

You may have heard some of their songs, Iris, Slide, Black Balloon.

Those may or may not be familiar to you.

But the reason why I was so excited is we weren't just going to attend a concert.

My roommate Matt, his girlfriend at the time, actually happened to be the drummer of the

band, Goo Goo Dolls.

And he had gotten us all backstage passes.

And I still remember getting there and arriving and going backstage, being escorted by security

and getting to meet all of the band members.

And I remember thinking, this is so surreal.

I can't believe this is happening.

I am getting to hang out backstage with one of my favorite bands.

I remember watching Uncle John, the drummer, drink almost an entire pot of coffee before

he went out on stage.

I remember seeing the set list of all the songs posted on a wall and all of the guitars lined

up for the whole concert.

And John Resnick, the lead singer, I remember that he clearly had way too much Botox in his

face.

And right before he went on stage, he walked past me and he said something really sarcastic,

not to me, but just as he walked past me, because he had to duct tape his mic pack to his belt

because he couldn't quite get it on.

And I still remember what that moment felt like.

I remember all of these memories and these feelings of being backstage.

It was this amazing experience because just for a moment, I felt like I was part of the inner circle of one of my favorite bands.

And the truth is that all of us have this longing.

We all have this longing to be on the inside, to be part of an inner circle.

Maybe it's at work.

Maybe there's a certain role.

Maybe there's a certain team.

Maybe there's another job that we've just always wanted to be part of.

Maybe it's a group of friends at school, a social circle.

Maybe it's a school that we're trying to get into.

In his essay, The Inner Ring, C.S. Lewis describes this dynamic.

In his essay, he says that in every person's life, we all have this desire to be on the inside of things.

And we feel a certain pleasure when we get invited in.

And we feel a certain anguish when we're excluded.

This is also Aaron Burr's character in Hamilton.

There's that song, right, where Aaron Burr sings what?

He sings, I want to be in the room where it happens.

I want to be in the room where it happens.

In many ways, this is Washington, D.C., where there are large buildings where highly exclusive conversations happen,

where only a select group of people get to make important decisions.

And there's armed guards outside these buildings to remind you that you are not one of them.

I think one of the more common features in our culture that creates this insider-outsider dynamic is perhaps the paywall.

The paywalls that tell you that the exclusive content that you really want can be yours.

If you click the subscribe button below and enter in your credit card information.

There's so many dynamics in our culture that create this insider-outsider dynamic.

And it speaks to this desire that we all have to be on the inside.

To be part of an inner circle.

And this core desire is actually what our passage in John 17 speaks to.

It's one of the most unique passages in the whole Bible.

Because it's a prayer of Jesus.

And in fact, it is actually the longest recorded prayer of Jesus that we have.

There's none other like it.

And in this prayer, what we're given is we are given exclusive backstage access

to the relationship that Jesus has with his Father.

And by studying this passage, we not only get to listen in on the inner life of the Trinity,

but we are actually invited to be part of it.

To join in on the very life of God.

So first of all, we're going to look at a few things.

We're going to look at how Jesus prays in this prayer.

We're going to look at what he prays and why it matters.

How Jesus prays, what he prays, and why it matters.

First of all, let's look at how Jesus prays.

This passage in John 17 is part of what's called the upper room discourse.

If you're following along in the Gospel of John,

you'll notice that chapters 13 through 17 are all one scene.

They're all part of Jesus in the upper room during the Passover meal,

the night before he's arrested and betrayed.

And in the upper room, following the Passover meal,

Jesus spends an extended time teaching his disciples in chapters 13 through 16.

And this prayer in chapter 17 comes at the end of all that.

And this is right before he heads to the Garden of Gethsemane,

where he is ultimately betrayed and arrested.

And this prayer of Jesus is often called his high priestly prayer.

His high priestly prayer.

And if we're going to understand what that means,

we need to do a little bit of Old Testament homework.

The work of priests in the Old Testament was complex and multifaceted work.

And it was the exclusive job of the high priest to offer a sacrifice for sin

on behalf of all the people on the Day of Atonement.

And this is a job that involved multiple detailed steps.

The first thing the high priest would do would be to prepare his own body by bathing and cleansing himself.

And then he would put on the priestly garments.

This is what is referred to in our Old Testament reading, Exodus 28, that was read earlier.

The priest would put on an undergarment, a robe, a turban on his head, a sash tied around the waist.

But what Exodus chapter 28 goes into detail the most on is the breastplate.

Exodus 28 · chapter mention

The breastplate.

On the priest's breastplate were 12 precious jewels.

And on each jewel were engraved the names of the 12 tribes of Israel.

And so this is what, look at what Exodus 28 verse 29 says.

Exodus 28:29

So Aaron the high priest shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart

when he goes into the holy place to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.

So Aaron would carry the names of Israel engraved on his heart before the presence of God

as he went to make the sacrifice of atonement.

After putting on his priestly garments, he would then make two sacrifices.

Two animals, one for himself and one for all of the people.

And these sacrifices would be made outside the sanctuary.

Outside the inner presence of God, the most holy place.

And then the priest would bring the blood of the sacrifices.

He would bring them inside, into the inner sanctuary,

and sprinkle the altar with the blood of the sacrifice.

Now, all of this is actually really important, both to understand our passage in John chapter 17

John 17 · chapter mention

and to understand what Ascension Sunday is all about.

For understanding the significance of the ascension.

See, the work of a high priest wasn't finished once the sacrifice was made.

And that's because the sacrifice occurred outside the inner sanctuary.

In order for the sacrifice to be effective on behalf of the people, it had to be brought in.

It had to be brought into the holy of holies, the inner sanctuary.

And so this is why when we think about Jesus being our great high priest,

the cross actually isn't complete on its own.

The cross isn't complete without the ascension.

In his death, Jesus makes a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

Only unlike Aaron, he doesn't make a sacrifice for himself because he was sinless.

But it's in the ascension that he presents the finished work of his sacrifice

into the inner presence of God, in the heavenly throne room,

so that it becomes effective on our behalf.

This is what much of the book of Hebrews talks about.

Listen to Hebrews chapter 9, verse 24.

Hebrews 9:24

For Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands,

which are copies of the true things,

but into heaven itself,

now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

So in his death on the cross, Jesus pays the debt for our sin,

but it's in the ascension,

the ascension provides confirmation that that check has cleared.

And this helps us understand part of what Jesus is doing in John chapter 17

John 17 · chapter mention

before he goes to the cross.

In this prayer,

Jesus is putting on his priestly garments.

He's preparing for his atoning work.

Just as Aaron bore the names of Israel on the jewels upon his heart,

so Jesus Christ is putting on a much greater brush plate.

He's bearing the names of all those for whom he would suffer and die.

He's going to the cross with your name and my name engraved upon his heart,

so much so that it calls him to pray for us,

to intercede for us before the Father.

He's saying to his Father,

this is who I love the most.

They are precious to me.

They are jewels upon my heart,

and I am praying for them.

And so this is why Jesus' prayer here in John 17

is called his high priestly prayer.

And as we'll see,

it's both a prayer that he prays for himself and for us.

It's a prayer that he prays both for himself and for us.

And that's the next thing that we're going to look at

is what Jesus prays in this prayer.

There are kind of three main things that Jesus prays for in John 17.

He prays for his glory,

for our holiness,

and for the church's unity.

He prays for our glory,

his glory,

our holiness,

and the church's unity.

So first of all,

Jesus prays for his glory.

And we see this in verses one and two.

Jesus prays,

Father, the hour has come.

Glorify your Son,

that the Son may glorify you,

since you have given him authority over all flesh,

to give eternal life to all whom you've given him.

I glorified you on earth,

having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Now,

at first,

it probably seems a bit egocentric

for someone to pray for their own glory.

And that's true

for any person who isn't God.

But for Jesus to pray for his own glory

is actually a good thing.

And I want to show you why.

Because in this prayer,

we see the mutually glorifying relationship

of the Trinity.

We see that the Son

glorifies the Father

by accomplishing the work

that the Father gave him to do

in his life,

his ministry,

his death.

And the Father glorifies the Son

by rising him from the dead

and giving him authority

over all things

in his ascension.

And even though the Holy Spirit

isn't mentioned here,

it's implied.

Because how did the Father

and the Son glorify one another?

Through the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so here in Jesus' prayer

to his Father,

we get this window,

we get this backstage access

into God's own Trinitarian life.

The Trinity is this divine dance

of mutually glorifying love.

And the incredible thing

is that we are invited to join in.

We see this later in verse 24

where Jesus prays this,

Father, I desire that they also,

whom you have given me,

may be with me where I am,

to see my glory that you have given me,

because you love me

before the foundation of the world,

that the love with which you have loved me

may be in them.

One of the deepest desires of Jesus

that he pleads for before the Father

as our great high priest

is that you and I

would get to join in

on the eternal glory

and love and life

that has existed

before all eternity

between the Father,

the Son,

and the Holy Spirit.

In the Christian tradition,

this has often been called to,

been referred to as

the beatific vision,

the promise that one day

we will see God

and behold him in all his glory

and experience loving,

joyful communion with him forever.

This same love,

the same glory

that has existed

between the Trinity

before all eternity.

And this is why

Jesus' prayer for his own glory

is good news for us

because it gives us

insider access.

It gives us backstage passes

into the glory and love

of the Trinity.

Because our great high priest

who has ascended into heaven

bears our names

engraved on his heart

and he pleads before the Father

that we would share

in his divine glory

and the prayers of Jesus

are always effective.

You might say,

well Jeff,

I know that you have to talk

about this stuff

because you're a pastor.

You know,

things like glory

and love

and the ascension.

But if I'm being honest,

this sounds like a lot

of just super spiritual talk.

What in the world

does this have to do

with my real life?

And the answer

that I would give you

is everything.

Everything.

Because you and I

were made

for nothing less

than infinite glory.

We are glory hungry creatures.

We long for recognition.

We long for applause.

We long for approval.

We long for status.

And we spend our lives

seeking it

in a thousand different places.

in power,

in fame,

success,

money,

in jobs,

in relationships,

in promotions,

in titles,

in social media followers.

But none of those

can ever satisfy

our deep longing

for glory.

Why?

C.S. Lewis offers

this answer

in his sermon

called

The Weight of Glory.

And he says this,

If we consider

the unblushing promises

of reward

and the staggering

nature of the rewards

promised to us

in the Gospels,

it would seem

that our Lord

finds our desires

not too strong

but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures

fooling about

with drink

and sex

and ambition

when infinite joy

is offered us.

like an ignorant child

who wants to go on

making mud pies

in a slum

because he cannot

imagine what is meant

by the offer

of a holiday

at the sea.

We are far

too easily pleased.

And this is

the human condition

that we are

far too easily

pleased.

The small glories

of money

and fame

and success

and power

are mud pies

compared to the

infinite glory

that we have been

invited into.

Jesus not only

prays that we will

see the eternal

beauty of God

but that we will

experience it

and be transformed

by it.

And far from being

an egocentric prayer

this is the prayer

that we most need

because the glory

of Jesus

and our deepest joy

are inextricably linked.

And what follows

in the rest

of Jesus' prayer

in John 17

flows from

this central reality.

Jesus continues

to pray

for our holiness

and for the church's unity

but all of these

things fit together

because they're all

about us participating

in the divine glory

of the Trinity.

In verses 15

through 19

Jesus goes on

to pray

for our

sanctification

our holiness

us growing

to become

more like him.

And he prays this

so that we might

share in his

nature

that we might

share in his

glory.

But this isn't

a holiness

that causes

us to escape

from the messiness

and brokenness

and fallenness

of the world.

It's actually

a holiness

that sends us

out into the world

on mission

just like Christ.

And he prays

to the Father

he says

Father as you

sent me

into the world

so I have

sent them

into the world.

As we share

in the glory

of the Trinity

we also share

in the mission

of the Trinity.

As the Father

sent the Son

and the power

of the Spirit

he sends us

also into the world.

This same logic

also applies

to the church's unity

which Jesus prays

for in verses

20 to 23.

He says

I do not ask

for these only

but also for those

who will believe

in me

through their word

that they may

all be one

just as you

Father are in me

and I in you

that they also

may be in us

so that the world

may believe

that you have sent me.

Why should we

pursue unity

in the church?

So we can have

peaceful community

and avoid conflict

so that we can

pursue common goals?

Those are all

good things

but they are not

the main reason.

The reason

that Jesus

gives us

is because

the glory

that the Father

has given him

he has given

to the church.

God himself

is a communion

of unity

amid diversity.

He's one God

in three persons.

This eternal

communion

of divine love.

And because

the church

has been invited

into this communion

this is why

the unity

of the church

is mission

critical.

Because when

the church

is unified

amidst its own

diversity

it sends a

powerful witness

to the world

that there is

a Trinitarian

God of love

who joins

a diverse people

into one body

one family

one communion

of love.

And when there

is loving unity

in the church

it reflects

the loving unity

of the Trinity.

community.

And when there's

not

it robs

the power

of our

witness.

And that's

true both

in the

universal

global church

and it's

true in

the local

church.

So we've

covered a lot

of ground

here in

John 17

so let's

bring it

home and

tie it

all together.

All of us

have this

longing to

be inside.

To be

where things

happen.

To have

insider

access.

And if

you try

to satisfy

that longing

by chasing

after the

inner circles

of jobs

and schools

and social

groups

you'll never

actually be

satisfied.

Because there

will always

be some

inner circle

that you

will be

excluded

from.

But don't

you see

that the

real inner

circle that

your soul

was made

for is

the eternal

dance of

God.

The glory

and love

and joy

of the

Father

and the

Son

and the

Holy Spirit

that has

existed

before the

world began.

And don't

you see

that everything

that Christ

did was

to give

you access

into that

communion.

And if

you know

that,

if you know

that you've

been invited

into that,

you'll be

able to

experience a

certain kind

of rest,

a certain

kind of

freedom,

a certain

kind of

security in

your heart.

and that

will be

true regardless

of whether

or not you

get invited

to that

job interview,

whether or

not you

get invited

to be part

of that

friend group

or that

school.

You can

relax.

It won't

threaten your

core identity.

It won't

threaten your

self-worth

because you

know that

you've been

given access

to the

greatest inner

circle of

all.

How many

people in

a city like

Washington,

D.C.

have that

kind of

freedom,

have that

kind of

rest,

have that

kind of

security,

that they

know their

life isn't

just this

rat race of

trying to get

in on the

inner circle.

Maybe others

of you today

need to hear

about the

assurance of

God's love

for you,

that you

really belong

to him,

that he's

with you.

Maybe you've

been doubting

whether God

actually loves

you like he

says he

does.

But don't

you see that

the great

lengths and

the extravagant

detail that

Jesus Christ

went through

for you to

bring you

into the

very life

of God.

As your

great high

priest,

he went

to the

cross

with your

name

engraved

on his

heart.

And don't

you see what

the ascension

means?

It means that

Jesus didn't

just go to

the cross

with your

name engraved

on his

heart.

He didn't

just bear

your name

on the

cross,

but he

took it

with him

into the

heavenly throne

room before

God the

Father.

And he

still pleads

for you and

intercedes for

you on your

behalf.

Think about

that.

And let

that bring

the deep

assurance that

God is with

you, that he

loves you, that

he's for you.

You're so

precious to

him.

You're a

jewel upon his

heart.

You're on the

forefront of

his mind.

And finally,

maybe there's

some of you

who would

say, you

know, my

coming in

this morning,

my relationship

with God

just feels

flat.

My prayer

life is

stale.

I just

kind of feel

like I'm

in a

spiritual

plateau.

I'm in

a rut.

What

could

motivate us

more to

experience

fellowship

with God?

What

could

motivate us

more to

pray?

knowing that

Jesus Christ

as our

great high

priest is

already praying

for us.

He's praying

for you right

now, interceding

for you before

the Father.

He's praying

for you to

experience the

glory and the

love that he

experiences with

the Father and

the Spirit.

And when we

pray, we are

joining our

prayers to

his.

We are

joining this

Trinitarian

dance, this

Trinitarian

conversation that

has already

been taking

place before

the foundation

of the

world.

And that

transforms the

way we see

prayer.

Prayer isn't

just a

spiritual

exercise, but

it's about

having access

to the

greatest inner

circle of

all, joining

Jesus in

conversation and

fellowship and

love with the

Trinity.

Prayer doesn't

always feel

glorious.

In fact, most

times we don't

feel anything.

It feels fairly

ordinary and

mundane.

But the

more that we

learn to

pray, the

more that we

get a real

taste, a real

experience of

what our future

glory will be

like that Jesus

promises here in

John 17.

And I've

already quoted

C.S.

Lewis twice, so I

figure I will end

by quoting him a

third time.

At the end of

his sermon, The

Weight of Glory,

C.S.

Lewis says this,

for if we take

the image of

Scripture

seriously, if we

believe that God

will one day give

us the morning

star and cause

us to put on the

splendor of the

sun, then we

may surmise that

both the ancient

myths and modern

poetry are true.

At present, we

are on the

outside of the

world, the wrong

side of the

door.

We discern the

freshness and

purity of the

morning, but they

do not make us

fresh and pure.

We cannot mingle

with the splendors

that we see.

But all the

leaves of the New

Testament are

rustling with the

rumor that it

will not always be

so.

Someday, God

willing, we

shall get in.

Let's pray.

Our God and

Father, we thank

you that you have

invited us into

your inner circle,

Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit, through

the work of Christ

and the power of

the Holy Spirit.

I pray that we

would, our hearts

would be fed with

the assurance that

comes from that.

I pray for those who

long to experience

you, who long to

experience your

fellowship, that you

would pour your

Holy Spirit.

Jesus, thank you

that you are our

risen, ascended

King.

You're our risen,

ascended High

Priest.

And you bear our

names on your

heart.

I pray this in the

Father, the Son, and

the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Amen.