John 17:1-5 “Glimpses of Glory”

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Amen.

I want to confess something to you all as we get started this morning.

I don't sing like that.

Nor do I play the piano like that.

But you knew both of those things.

I want to confess something else, which is that I oftentimes will walk around this building in the middle of the week.

It's dark and quiet.

And all of a sudden, coming out of the sanctuary will be the sound of this piano coming from a room that's otherwise empty.

And I'll stop and listen in to DJ playing beautifully.

It's inspiring, isn't it, to sit there and listen in and even to worship.

Especially to someone who plays the piano like that.

Especially if you are one who does play the piano, but just like a couple of chords with a couple fingers at a time.

Imagine for a minute that DJ was your piano teacher.

And he'd been telling you how to play this song.

Telling you that when you played it right, it was going to be so beautiful.

But you just couldn't quite hear it when you sat practicing playing with a couple fingers at a time.

It just didn't sound great.

And then you walked by here one day and he happened to be playing your song.

And you got to listen in and it was incredible and it was wonderful.

And as you listened in, you thought, I just want to play like that.

It would be beautiful.

That's a little bit of what's going on in John 17.

It's a little bit of what I want us to experience with Jesus this morning.

We're at the end of the upper room discourse.

Jesus' final teachings to his disciples before heading to his betrayal and arrest and crucifixion.

But here, Jesus stops talking to them.

He's not talking to them anymore.

He starts talking to his father.

And they get and we get this morning to listen in to this amazing prayer,

to this intimate time between son and father.

Jesus has taught his disciples how to pray, right?

We're going to hear some more echoes of that prayer that we prayed earlier this morning in this passage.

Jesus has taught them how to love God, how to live in a relationship with him.

But now he is enjoying that relationship himself.

And he's letting us, if you will, listen in.

What a glorious opportunity that is.

I tell you that because we're about to spend a few weeks listening in.

Looking at this longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the whole Bible.

Hearing what's on his heart to talk with his father about as he nears the end of his life on earth.

And there is so much here.

But it's really important that you're not listening for, you know, three easy things to do to make your life better.

Specific instructions for our lives.

There will be some practical lessons that we can glean along the way for sure.

But mostly that's not the point.

Imagine walking back there and hearing the piano music come out.

We are listening in to the master playing.

Right?

To the teacher of prayer praying.

We are glimpsing the glory of this divine relationship between father and son.

And we'll actually see that part of the glory of this relationship is that you and I are invited into it.

So what should happen is our hearts should be inspired to awe, to wonder, to anticipation of enjoying such glory ourselves to playing like that.

Our hearts should be comforted by the reality that Jesus prays for us.

That gets clearer through this prayer but we'll see it even here at the beginning.

Our hearts should be fortified that we don't go on the mission Jesus sends us on without his divine presence and protection.

I'd encourage you over the next few weeks, sit down a few times, read all of John 17 at once.

Meditate on that.

We're going to move slowly to catch some glimpses of glory.

Today, just the beginning, John 17 at verse 1, God's holy word.

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,

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 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.

Thus far, God's word.

Let's pray together.

Father, even reading these few words, such knowledge of who you are is too wonderful, too lofty for me to attain.

How high above us, we confess, are your thoughts and your ways.

And so, Holy Spirit, we ask humbly and boldly that you would lift us to see a glimpse of your glory.

And we ask in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

Before we dig into what Jesus prays for, let's not miss, as we've been talking this morning, the one to whom Jesus prays.

Jesus says, Father.

Now, maybe we're used to that.

It's not surprising because Jesus teaches us to pray, our Father.

But that was not at all the way good Jews addressed Yahweh in prayer in these days.

It is, however, the way Jesus almost always addresses his prayers.

There's a personal warmth and intimacy there in the term of address.

Later on in this prayer, Jesus will add Holy Father and Righteous Father.

But six times Father because, see, his Father is not some vague idea, some mystical force,

but rather the unique personal king of all who's totally in control.

He is the only true God, verse 3, who therefore always hears.

He's the judge who will unfailingly do what is right.

And so into the chambers of this glorious ruler, the Son comes boldly and personally.

We're listening in, right?

And what we hear is Jesus is talking to someone he knows, to someone he trusts, to someone he honors, his Father.

And perhaps the greatness of the Father makes what the Son prays for even more remarkable.

What's on Jesus' heart in this moment of all moments is glory.

Actually, it's shared glory.

Notice verse 1.

Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.

Again, verse 5.

Now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

This may be the 396th time in the Gospel of John where we've seen evidence Jesus understood himself to be God,

that he was aware of his own deity.

I'm going to point it out again.

No other good person, good teacher would ask to share God's glory.

In fact, by definition, the God of the Hebrew Bible will not give his glory to another, Isaiah 42.

Jesus knows something significant.

He's already told us.

He and the Father are one.

That therefore praying for the Father to give him glory doesn't subtract from the Father's glory because they are one and the same.

In fact, they have hatched this eternal plan of salvation together that as the Son accomplishes it,

here shortly will bring glory to both Father and Son,

who like the only true God says, he gives eternal life.

No one else does that.

But eternal life, that's where we're going to be next week.

I can't wait to peer into the glory of that eternal life.

We'll come back.

But for now, just notice that to pray for God's glory doesn't mean that we're not also praying for ourselves.

God's glory is inextricably connected to our good.

Sometimes we forget that.

Jesus is praying for us by praying for God's glory

because he knows that they're tied together.

Boy, if I really grasped that reality, how my prayers might change.

Jesus starts here the way he taught us, right?

He taught us, Father, hallowed be thy name.

Holy, set apart, glorious.

Remember, glory is weighty, that it matters,

that he's worthy, that he carries ultimate significance.

Jesus is saying, Father, show me to be worthy

so that in so doing, it will show you as worthy,

and in so doing, it will bless these people I love with life, eternal life.

They're good in my glory.

At the same time, when you come to pray for yourself or for someone you love,

do you start by praying for God's glory?

I'll be honest, I've prayed a lot more prayers for my own comfort or success or fame

than I have for God's glory.

I was praying recently for a vacation to go just the way I wanted, right?

It was good.

There were good desires that I had, and I wanted it all to go that way.

The problem was it wasn't going that way.

And as I prayed, God helped me realize that he knew better what we really needed.

I could pray for us to see him as glorious together

rather than for the weather and my health and my schedule being controlled my way.

That was actually okay for me.

It was good.

Father, forgive me for my short-sightedness.

Father, help us remember you are so good.

You love us so much that praying for your glory is praying for our good,

for our heart to be directed toward the highest good,

for our eyes to be fixed on what really matters,

for our lives to be lived with true purpose.

Father, help us.

But when you pray that way,

it doesn't mean that it will immediately involve your success and comfort,

that kind of it being good for us.

It's not what Jesus is experiencing.

He clearly has in mind glory for himself

that is shared with his Father in two different ways here.

The first is in the first verse.

It appears to be actually,

if we think about what we think about his glory,

it appears to be the opposite of that.

It's the glory of the cross.

Where instead of being lifted up,

it appears he'll be beaten down.

Where instead of being crowned with worthy jewels,

it appears he'll be crowned with shameful thorns.

Where instead of being praised for his victory,

it appears he'll be scorned for his defeat.

Somehow that's glory?

How do we know that Jesus is talking about the cross here at first

other than Jeremy told us earlier and we believe him?

Well, we've been reading John long enough

to recognize that that word hour, right?

We've seen it so many times now, haven't we?

The hour has come.

On so many occasions, it was not yet Jesus' hour.

His hour had not yet come, but now it has.

Remember back to chapter 12,

just a few days ago in Jesus' life

where we'll see Jesus' hour and his glory connected again.

John 12 at verse 23,

Jesus says to him,

the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

And he explains that for that to happen,

he's actually going to have to die.

For the hour of his glory to come,

it's gonna mean death.

He's gonna lose his life.

And as troubling as the thought of that is to Jesus,

he reaffirms his commitment to his Father's purpose

in sending him for this very hour.

It's why he's here.

What does he say?

Father, glorify your name.

Right?

All the way through this upside down idea

of the cross being the way to glory

is repeated from the lips of Jesus.

It's so important to him.

It is at the heart of Christianity.

So I just want us to glimpse the glory of the cross

for just a couple minutes.

We can't see it all,

but just a few ways we see glory

in the cross of Jesus.

For instance, glory in that on the cross,

God's sacrificial love is on display.

There is no other deity

in any other religion

that offers to humanity life

from his own death,

blessing through his own cursing.

And notice how that costly sacrifice

is shared glory for Father and Son.

The Son endures the excruciating agony.

He's the one who suffers death itself.

What a sacrifice.

While the Father endures the grief

of sending his Son to suffer,

of turning his face away

from the one he has always loved

and most longs to rescue.

What a sacrifice.

Most of us can't even imagine

making either of those sacrifices.

And yet in the moment,

when he is lifted up,

when the eyes of the world

are on the King of creation,

he sacrifices himself

to stand in their place.

It is glorious

because he is so far beyond us

that somehow he's not too good for us.

It boggles our minds.

It is God's glory.

It makes him wonderfully worthy

of all honor and praise.

Love, so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all.

It makes us want to sing,

not just think about it.

And at the very same time,

the cross also displays the glory

of God's justice, doesn't it?

Sin must be punished.

Evil, oppression, and abuse

will be dealt with, not overlooked.

Anyone who can guarantee that for me

is surely glorious, right?

Do you feel that?

But again, it's shared.

The Son sees sin

as so requiring just punishment

that he becomes sin for us on the cross,

that he bears our sin in his body

on the tree.

It would seem so much easier

to just make light of sin, right?

But no way, says Jesus.

And the Father,

I mean, come on,

certainly there is some other way,

a way that would spare your Son,

the agony.

But we see his perfect justice

gloriously displayed,

even as it's his Son

who takes the sin on himself.

It is the Father's will

to crush him,

to put him to grief

for our iniquities,

for my sin,

for your sin.

No way.

If the Son's not getting out of that,

will you or me

or the one who has mistreated us

get away with it

before this just God.

But when the Son

takes our punishment,

justice smiles

and asks no more.

He has brought us home

to God

and we could just keep going

without even leaving the cross,

the glorious wisdom of God

to plan this way

of restoring our relationship, right?

The glorious presence of God

that he's right there

in the midst of the brokenness

of his people.

The glorious grace of God

and the forgiveness and life

that are purchased

through Jesus' death.

On and on.

This is what Jesus is praying for.

It is the first thing on his heart

when he prays,

Father, glorify your Son

that the Son may glorify you.

To paraphrase it,

he's saying,

Father, sustain me too

and strengthen me

through the cross.

Can you believe this?

Are you getting a glimpse

into the glory?

This is what's coming

out of Jesus' heart.

Father, help me

go to that cross

where I'll be lifted up

to show the wonder

of our love

even as I bear

the weight of sin

and lay down my life

to give life to others.

That's what he's praying.

Do you glory in that?

My sin held him there

but his dying breath

has brought me life.

I won't boast in anything else

except the cross of Jesus Christ.

And when I think

that God,

his Son not sparing,

sent him to die,

how do you feel?

I scarce

can take it in.

How great

thou art.

Does that well up

in your heart?

God, how great you are.

I want you to know

if you came here

wondering this morning,

does God love me?

And maybe some of you did.

If you came here

wondering if God

was worthy

of your worship,

if you came here

wondering if he was able

to meet you

in the mess of your life

and love you

and change your life,

look no further

than the cross.

How great he is.

His glory is there.

His love

and justice meet.

He comes to meet you

in the cross

and he wants you

to see his glory

and feel his embrace there.

He loves you.

That wasn't in the notes.

I got lost.

Since we've seen

the Father gloriously answer

that prayer of his Son,

we can trust

that he answers

this next one too.

Jesus says in verse 4,

I am finishing

all that you sent me

here to do.

Verse 5,

and now Father,

glorify me

in your own presence

with the glory

that I had with you

before the world existed.

There's that shared glory again,

isn't it?

You see it there?

Let me paraphrase

this prayer too

because it's a little bit different

even though

some of the words

are the same.

Father,

all I have done

and said

has put your majestic greatness

and your pure goodness

on display.

So now bring me home

to the perfect life

with you

that I have known

since eternity past.

Now I think we can all

understand Jesus' longing

for that,

can't we?

Doesn't it sound

much more comfortable

than the cross

to wear the crown?

This that he's talking about

is his resurrection,

his ascension,

his return

to the glory of heaven

as the prince of heaven

is crowned

in glory

for all time

over all things

and that is all true

but let me make sure

we catch

what part of that

is especially

on Jesus' heart

here in verse 5.

It sticks out

even more

in the original Greek

that the glorifying

that Jesus

is asking for here

is all about

his relationship

with the father himself.

The words

just pile up.

He's saying

glorify me

alongside you,

with you.

The glory God,

you know,

the one before the world

alongside you,

with you,

he keeps saying.

He's not asking

merely for resumption

of his divine powers

and riches,

comforts

and control.

That's not the primary

thing on his heart.

Rather,

it's the most glorious

of all of heaven's glories.

It is the restoration

of the eternal relationship

between father

and son.

It's more about

that relationship

than it is

his location.

Now talk about

peeking into something

that we can only

glimpse.

I mean,

you could

daydream on

this relationship

all afternoon.

We're never

going to plumb

the depths.

Martin Lloyd-Jones

writes,

Jesus shared

in full

the ineffable,

indescribable glory

of the eternal

Godhead.

As a result,

Sinclair Ferguson

says that,

of course,

he's homesick

for his father's

house.

He misses

that perfection

of relationship.

I don't want to

pretend that our minds

can comprehend this,

but perhaps if we

acknowledge we're just

scratching the surface,

Christy and I

enjoyed a great

day together

on Friday.

Sitting together,

hiking together,

learning new things

about one another

because after

20 years,

there is still

so much

that we don't know.

But even that

wonderful day,

one of the best

we've had in a while,

there were moments

of disagreement,

misunderstanding,

even disappointment.

And of course,

the greatest

disappointment

that after just

a few hours,

we eventually

had to go

our separate ways.

Here, however,

is a relationship

of perfect love

with complete

knowledge,

fully known,

fully loved,

yet simultaneously,

somehow it's

infinitely rich

in things to learn

about one another.

And all those things

are shared together

with absolute unity

of mind

and heart,

total delight together

in ultimate goodness.

And all of those things

without any of the

earthly things

Jesus is experiencing

here.

Can you imagine

a relationship

with no time limits

outside of time?

No jealousy.

No weariness.

No storms.

No betrayal.

No separation.

Ever.

Oh.

Can't you feel

that must have been

the most grievous

part

for both

father and son

about that

plan of salvation

that they hatched

together

in eternity past?

Can you feel

what it must have felt like?

That separation

of the inseparable?

The break

in the unbroken

relationship?

The father

turns his face

away

from the

apple

of his eye.

It's what

Jesus knows

he's walking

toward

at the cross.

And he longs

for that return

home

to glory

to his father.

He prays for it

here.

He is longing

to return

to the one

who loves him

perfectly.

To the one

who shares

with him

all glory

all power

all grace

together with him.

To the one

who will never

cease to enjoy

walking

and talking

with him

upholding

creation

with him

forgiving

and redeeming

people

with him

governing

the rulers

of the earth

with him

righting

wrongs

with him

raising

the dead

to life

with him

forming

people

into his

glorious

image

with him

that's

what they

do

together

I mean

as you

think

about that

is there

any way

that Jesus

resists

this ultimate

crown of

glory

for one

more

moment?

It's on

his heart

it's right

there before

him

won't he

just head

straight home?

Would you

blame him

if he did?

What a glorious

relationship

awaits him

there

he can have

it

Jesus

understandably

longs and

prays for

that glory

but he

refuses

to return

to that glory

without you

did you hear

that?

he refuses

to return

to that

glory

without

you

which is

why his

glory

involves

the cross

too

he indicates

this in

verses 2 and 3

we're going to

soak in the

glory of them

next week

but notice

how even

already

as he

prays for

glory

he prays

for us

it's how

he shares

glory with

the father

at the cross

as he gives

eternal life

to his

people

it will come

up again

at the end

of the prayer

when he

prays for

us to be

with him

and share

the glory

the father

shared with

him before

the world

began

that glory

I told you

all this

relationship

that we've

been just

peering

into

wondering

at

is a

relationship

that somehow

gloriously

we ourselves

get caught

up in

we have

to be

a part

of it

we get

brought

into the

family

to call

the God

of glory

our

father

we get

that because

of the one

time in the

whole bible

that Jesus

prays

and does

not call

God

father

my God

my God

why

have you

forsaken

me

Jesus

cries

on the

cross

as the

father

turns his

face away

from the

sin

bearing

savior

and wounds

which mar

the chosen

one bring

many

sons

to glory

to glory

to a

glorious

relationship

where we

are fully

known

and fully

loved

forever

because the

father

glorified

the son

and the

son

glorified

the father

and they

shared

with us

their

glory

glory

this sacrament

is a

holy sign

that Jesus

gives to us

so that we'll

taste just a

little bit

of that

he wants to

remind us this

morning of the

glory of the

cross

that nothing

else matters

more or is

more worthy

of shaping your

life today

and this week

and forever

than his

cross

Jesus gave

it to his

followers for

that purpose

the same

night that he

prayed about

the cross

he was then

betrayed to the

cross

and he took

bread

and he broke

it

and he gave it

to his

disciples

as I ministering

in his name

give this bread

to you

he said

take eat

this is my

body

given for you

do this

in remembrance

of me

and in the

same way

after supper

he took the

cup

and said

this cup

is the new

covenant in my

blood

shed for many

for the forgiveness

of sins

drink from it

all of you

for as often

as you eat

this bread

and drink

this cup

you proclaim

the Lord's

death

until he

comes

proclaiming

the Lord's

death

means that

you see

God's

glory

in the

cross

his

unbending

justice

his

sacrificial

love

for you

and you

say

his

glory

is my

grace

Jesus

is my

only hope

of knowing

this God

and enjoying

this glory

if that's your

profession this

morning

if you are a

baptized member

of any church

that preaches

salvation

relationship

with God

by faith

alone

through grace

alone

in Christ

alone

then you

come

and glory

in the cross

again

as Jesus

invites you

to come

and eat

if you don't

trust in Jesus

if you're not

yet sure

what you

believe about

Jesus

if maybe

you have

said what

you think

about Jesus

and you love

him but

right now

you're unwilling

to let go

of sin

in your

life

or to

reconcile

with a

brother or

sister

for Jesus'

sake

then

don't come

take these

elements

this morning

pray

where you are

come up here

with us

we'd love to

pray with you

consider the

gracious offer

of Jesus

consider coming

to him

for the first

time

or coming

back to him

and sharing

his glory

he invites you

into that

through his

cross

let's pray

and we'll

celebrate it

together

holy spirit

who meets

with us

here so

that we

know

the grace

of Jesus

and the love

of our

father

so use

these common

elements

for a holy

purpose in our

hearts that we

can't

manufacture

but you do

because you

love us

meet us

here that we

might know you

more and

worship you

more

amen

for more

information

visit us

online at

southwood.org