Please turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of John, John chapter 17. John 17, we'll read the chapter. And then our focus will be on verses one to five. So John 17, beginning in verse one, Jesus spoke these words, lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, father, the hour has come. Glorify your son, that your son may also may glorify you, as you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from you, and that they have believed that you sent me. "'I pray for them. "'I do not pray for the world, "'but for those whom you have given me, "'for they are yours. "'And all mine are yours, and yours are mine, "'and I am glorified in them. "'Now I am no longer in the world, "'but these are in the world, and I come to you. "'Holy Father, keep through your name "'those whom you have given me, "'that they may be one as we are. "'While I was with them in the world, "'I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me, I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you gave me, may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which you have given me, for you love me before the foundation of the world. Oh, righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you sent me. And I have declared to them your name, and will declare it, that the love with which you love me may be in them, and I in them. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, thank you for your Word. Thank you for that incarnate Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for the mind of Christ, even now, by the power of the Spirit, that we may be blessed and encouraged by this high priestly prayer. We praise you, God, for the gospel of our salvation, for what you have done in terms of the life and the death and the resurrection of our beloved Savior, and how that has been applied to us. We know that we have been forgiven, we have received that righteousness not because of good that we've done, but solely and alone due to your sovereign grace. We praise you for that. We bless you for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We pray now that you would forgive us for all of our sin and unrighteousness. We pray that you'd open dead hearts to receive the truth as it is in Jesus. We pray that today would be the day of salvation. And for those in Christ, may we be edified, may we grow in our understanding and may we see the essence of eternal life is the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. And we pray this in his most blessed name, amen. Well, we come now to what we call the high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ. And essentially what Jesus does is he prays first for himself in verses one to five. He then prays for his immediate disciples in verses six to 19. and then for all believers in verses 20 to 26. He makes specific petition on behalf of the disciples. But as I said, he first starts with himself. So I wanna look first of all at the petition or rather the occasion of his prayer. And that's just in the first part of verse one. And then secondly, the content of his prayer in verse 1B to verse five. There's a lot going on in here. This is indeed holy ground. Remember that the time frame we'll look at in just a moment more, but there's not a lot of time until chapter 18. In chapter 18, notice the connection in verse 1, when Jesus had spoken these words. So Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room discourse in chapters 13 to 16. On the heels of that, he prays according to the chapter 17 verse 1 and following and then he's arrested he has tried and he is crucified so the hour is imminent he's already announced that he understands that he speaks in this particular section as if it's already occurred that's called to be proleptic or prolepsis he's speaking as something or speaking of something that is future as if it's already accomplished he is a man of on a particular mission, and He is going to accomplish it. So notice first the occasion of His prayer. Verse 1 tells us Jesus spoke these words, the upper room, chapters 13 to 16. And remember, what we saw there was Christ encouraging, fortifying, and strengthening His disciples. He's going to be put to death. He's going to be raised again. on that third day, but he's going to ascend on high and in his name and for his glory, they are tasked with going out, making disciples and planting churches. In other words, taking the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. There's going to be persecution for them in John 15, 18 to 16, four. He tells them that he alerts them to that. He tells them that at the close of the discourse in this world, you will have tribulation. So there's going to be a time of hardship and affliction and suffering for the disciples of Christ. And so he takes this opportunity in the upper room to instruct them and he encourages them, but he as well discloses something true of the father and of the spirit. In other words, he speaks concerning the triune God as the primary means with or which they will be encouraged and strengthened and helped in order to go about that worldwide task. So with reference to these words, it's the upper room. And then notice the particular theological context. It says, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. So the object of his prayer is the Father. And some suggest that he's simply setting forth an example here. It is an example. This is a great pattern. If ministers preach and teach such that we find in chapters 13 to 16, it's good to follow up with prayer. It's good to pray those things home, to seal them in. But I don't think it's simply an example that Jesus is doing here, but rather, according to his humanity, he is praying to the Father. Matthew Henry commenting in Mark's gospel says, though as God he was prayed to, as man he prayed. And that is precisely what we would expect of true humanity. So Jesus addresses the father, that one he has a special relationship to, that one who sent him, that one who begot him, and that one in the incarnation who clothed him with humanity, such that he could carry out that particular mission. He as well lifts his eyes up to heaven. Again, in terms of example, that's a good thing. Not all true prayer or all prayer necessarily means we lift our eyes to heaven, but I think it invokes at least the idea that Jesus addresses the God of heaven and earth with reverence and with respect. He doesn't just rush in and throw up this quick prayer, but rather there's a time of reverence. So when he comes to pray, he then says, Father, the hour has come. We've identified that hour several times as we've moved our way through the gospel narrative. And that hour is his death. It is his resurrection. It is his ascension on high. It is his current session. It is the purpose for which he came into this world. The hour has come, he says. And when we notice what he says continuing in this brief section, he says it as if it's already completed. It is a most blessed reality. He set his face like a flint. He was steadfast in all that he did. He was a man under God, committed to doing the service of God, never relenting, never withdrawing, confident and completely resolved to do what the Father had given him to do. And so he speaks to the father in this instance, and he says, father, the hour has come. The specific meaning was his passion. And then he says specifically, or rather in terms of the content, there are two things that he says in verses one to five. First, he requests glory, and then he gives reasons why he should get that glory. Not reasons in some sort of a bartering way, but the rationale, the ground, the foundation, the petition. Glorify your son, that your son may glorify you. And here's the reasons why. Again, not the way I might ask, but in a holy and in a righteous and in a godly way. So with reference to the request for glory, he first says that, glorify your son. If you turn back to chapter 12, we've seen him make this petition already. Chapter 12, specifically at verse 23. Jesus answered them saying, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. And then in verse 27, Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father saved me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. He prays specifically that he would be glorified in the act of mediation. He is not praying here according to his divinity. As God, he is prayed to. As man, he prays. And as man, he prays specifically for his own glory, because that will reciprocate in the glory of the Father. It is a wonderful thing that we see displayed here, stressing the divine nature, the unity of the divine nature, and the trinity of persons in the Godhead. As Gil says, as man and mediator, for as God, he needed no glory, nor could any be added to him. You can't glorify God more. And in fact, when we read in scripture that we're supposed to give glory to God, that does not speak to his essential glory. That does not mean God gets more glorious. Essentially, God is glory. But with reference to declaration and demonstration and an inscription of it, that's what we do when we glorify the Father. And so the Lord Jesus, according to His humanity as the mediator of the New Covenant, is praying for that glory. And again, that glory obtains in His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His session on high. All of that is purposed to bring glory to the Son and glory to the Father. So after that petition in verse two, I'm sorry, verse one, glorify your son that your son also may glorify you. If we look back at John 12, after Jesus says what Jesus says in verse 28, he says, father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. In the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus, He brought glory to the Father. In fact, turn back to John chapter 7. John chapter 7, specifically at verse 18. John 7, 18, he who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. So Christ prays as man to be glorified by the Father, so that Christ as the God-man, the mediator of the New Covenant, can glorify the Father. And he speaks specifically of that in his earthly ministry. Notice in John 8 at verse 50. John 8, 50. And I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. John 11 at verse 14, dealing with the eventual case of Lazarus. Lazarus, notice in John 11, specifically at verse 4, when Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. There's this reciprocity. And kids, that simply means back and forth. If we go out to play ball, I put a mitt on my hand, you put a mitt on your hand, we throw the ball one to another, that's reciprocity, that is reciprocal, it is back and forth. And we need to understand that with reference to the unity of the divine nature. It's not as if there's a parceled out glory. The Father has 33 and a third, the Son has 33 and a third, and the Spirit has 33 and a third. That's not it. In fact, the very ministry and mission of the Spirit, according to John 16 in that upper room discourse, is that He glorifies the Son. There's this reciprocal glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is most glorious. And so notice, He speaks in verse 14 then, "'Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes "'that I was not there, that you may believe. "'Nevertheless, let us go to him.'" And then once more, notice in verse 40, just building the case. Verse 40, Jesus said to her, "'Did I not say to you "'that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?' "'Well, how do they see the glory of God? "'It's through the person and the work of the Son of God "'on behalf of sinners.'" So back to our text, the primary petition of our Savior is glory. Glory for himself and glory for the Father. Because glory for himself means glory for the Father. In terms of a parallel to this particular concept, you can turn to Philippians chapter two, the next section we will be coming to in Philippians chapter two. traces out the incarnation of the Son, the one who was in the form of God, took on our humanity. Notice in chapter two of Philippians at verse five, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. This is the hour. This is his passion. This is that series of events that he was purposed to undertake, dare I say, predestined before the foundation of the world to undertake. Notice verse 9, therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth. Sounds like the glory of the sun, doesn't it? Sounds like what one would do if they were gonna glorify their son. Remember that bit in the book of Esther when Haman says, or rather the king asks Haman, what is it that you think would be appropriate for one whom the king wants to honor? Well, he'd put a great robe on, Haman's thinking it's Haman, of course. He'd put a nice robe on him, he'd put him on the horse's steed, he'd parade him through the city, and he'd say, this is the one. And of course, Haman, much to his chagrin, it turns out to be Mordecai, and that really upset that man. But notice, in terms of the incarnation of the son, the one who was in the form of God, the second person of the triune God, the one who has the same nature as the father, nevertheless, takes on our humanity to himself. and with our humanity lives for us, here he dies for us, he's raised again, the Father glorifies the Son, and then we see that reciprocal nature in verse 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We need to make sure we don't mistake the glory of God as being parceled out or some sort of a competition. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit glorify one another. And so the Lord Jesus Christ, according to His humanity, not His divinity, is praying for glory as a result of His finished work. That brings us then to the reasons for His glory in verses 2 to 5. And there's two things I want to bring out. First, the predestined mission of Christ in verses 2 to 3. He wasn't earthly, manly, or had a humanity at the foundation of the earth. God, when He purposed all of this, there was a scheme, a plan, a purpose, predestination. And Jesus, according to His humanity, was part of that particular plan. So we see the predestined mission of Christ in verses two and three, and then we see the completed mission of Christ according to verses four and five. But notice this predestined mission, and here he speaks concerning those things unique to his humanity. First, the provision of authority. Look at what he says in verse two, as you have given him authority over all flesh. cannot be true of him according to his divinity, because he already has authority over all flesh. The glory of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is seen in the Incarnation, that He assumes to Himself our humanity, with all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof, and yet without sin. It's in this condition, it's as the Mediator, it's as the God-Man, that He has these prerogatives, these blessings, or these things. But notice that God the Father grants Him authority. Again, the nature of the provision, God the Father gives it to him. Daniel 7, 13 and 14. What happens at the ascension of Christ? The king, the ancient of days, gives to this one all authority. You see that in Matthew 28, 18 to 20. All authority has been, what? Given to me in heaven and on earth. Again, it's not according to his divinity. He always possessed that. But it's as the mediator of the new covenant. He's praying as a man here. He's praying as the God-man. And the reason why I'm bringing this up is because this passage has been kind of turned on its head over the last couple of years, especially with verse 5. The idea being is that Christ had glory, he gave up glory, and now he wants glory back. That's not what the passage is teaching. The passage is simply teaching that as the mediator, according to his humanity, based on or predicated on his finished work on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension on high, his session at the right hand, glorify the Son, so that the Son then glorifies you. It's a glorious and wondrous thing. Gil says, it is not that original power over all things that he has. So again, verse two, as you have given him authority over all flesh, it's not that original power over all things he has as God and the creator of them, which is natural, essential, and underrived, but it's a derived and delegated power, which he has as mediator, as subservient to the ends and designs of his office. See, brethren, what John is doing here, or Jesus is doing here, and John is recording it for us, is perfectly consistent with the prologue. How do we have, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us? How do we make sense of that? The rest of the gospel! We learn that Jesus and the Father are one. We learn that Jesus has true humanity. We're going to see that he bleeds. We're going to see that he suffers. We're going to see that he dies, which is not true of God, cannot be true of divinity. But according to this blessed person who has a divine and human nature, he can and does do this. This is the rationale behind, or rather the demonstration of the prologue. This one who was God and assumes our flesh is able to go through all these things for the glory of the Father, for the good of his people, and in this instance he says, you have given me authority over all flesh. something true of him according to his humanity. The emphasis is on his unique person, that he is both God and man. As well, note the comprehensiveness of this authority, as you have given him authority over all flesh. That's encouraging, isn't it? By the way, for those who were attending the confession study this morning, that's how we're supposed to understand 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28. When Christ is subject to the Father and God is all in all, that's as mediator. That's not as the second person of the Trinity. He's doing that as the mediator of the new covenant. But with reference to this all flesh, As I tried to make it practical this morning, we've covered chapter 31 in the Confession of Faith, eschatology, or the doctrine of last things, or end times. What do we do in the church? We fight about premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. And I'm not suggesting that's necessarily a bad fight. But one of the things that biblical eschatology does is it promotes hope. It promotes encouragement. It promotes the steel in the backbone so you can get out of bed and do the things that God has called you to do, even in the midst of hardship and affliction and suffering and woe. I used the very real and relevant example this morning. I'm sure it's all in your heads, hopefully not right this moment, but tomorrow you can think about that. Trade war with the US, that seems unwinnable. Do you know what? This is momentary light affliction, and it will give way to an exceeding weight of glory. Whatever happens to us, whatever difficulties economically, whatever difficulties in terms of any persecution or opposition, whatever hardships we face, we can face them in the spirit of the apostles in Acts 5.41, that they left there having been scourged, rejoicing, why? Because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Savior. We can live in light of 2 Timothy chapter 3, that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Why? Because we have a hope in heaven. We have Christ the bridegroom. We have the blessedness of the eternal state. We have all that the Lord Jesus Christ has promised to us. And we have that Jesus Christ who has authority over all flesh. There's no randomness out there. There's no government leader or persecutor of the church or a soul of Tarsus that exists untethered from the sovereign reign of our Lord Jesus from the right hand of his father. When he says all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, he really means it. He absolutely positively means it. When Paul says that the Father has raised him up and given him that name which is above every name in Philippians chapter 2, he means it. Or in Ephesians chapter 1 where he has comprehensive authority over all things and he specifically had to the church. Scripture means that. Scripture means it in the book of Revelation when we see the contrast with the beast from the sea and the land to the lamb and his fair army standing on Mount Zion in Revelation chapter 14. The scripture means it when it says the Lord God omnipotent reigns. The scripture means it when it says the nations of the earth are gods and the lambs. Brethren, Christ was given authority over all flesh, he says here, as the mediator, as the God-man, as the surety of a better covenant. This is one of the things that he's rehearsing by way of rationale, glorify the Son, because the Son will glorify you. And one of the reasons why is because you have given me all this authority. But he doesn't stop there in terms of the authority. He makes that specific application in terms of redemption. He has comprehensive authority over every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation. He has comprehensive authority over every man, every woman, every boy, every girl. There's not one untethered from the sovereign reign of our blessed Savior. But he then hones in specifically on the salvation of sinners. Notice in verse two, as you have given him authority over all flesh, that. Why did the Father give him authority over all flesh? Yeah, to maintain the universe. Yeah, to govern all his creatures and all their actions. Yeah, to engage in the messianic reign. Yeah, all that, but with a specific focus upon the salvation of his people. Notice in verse two, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. This was the purpose for his coming. We can't ever forget that. Brethren, we're not, you know, early 20th century neo-Orthodox liberal theologians or modern Christians. The Lord Jesus wasn't first and foremost an example. He is an example. I think Paul says that in Philippians. Well, I know he does. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. But the primary emphasis upon Jesus' mission was to save His people from their sins. So He got all this authority over all flesh that, that He may give eternal life to as many as you have given Him. This is the purpose for which He came. Look at John 1. John 1, already referred to the prologue, verses 1 to 18. We move from that theology to the economy of redemption in verses 19 and following. I think one way to summarize the entirety of the economy with an Old Testament allusion is chapter one, verse 29. The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Notice in John three, John three, specifically at verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And then turn to John 6, verses 37 to 40. John 6, verse 37, all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of the father who sent me, that of all he has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. Notice he doesn't say this is the will of the father who sent me, that I set a good example and call all my comrades to follow me by way of example. Again, brethren, the fact that Jesus is an example is not an unbiblical thought. He is an example. The primary emphasis is upon His living, His doing, His dying, and His rising again. Notice in verse 40, and this is the will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise Him up at the last day. So when we go back to John 17, and Jesus makes the petition to be glorified so that the Father may be glorified, He then goes on to say, you have given Him authority over all flesh, but that specific reference is that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him. So the purpose of his coming is redemptive in nature. The purpose of his coming is with reference to salvation. Notice the beneficiaries of his coming, the ones that you have given him. So notice we've got all flesh and then a subset of all flesh. Jesus is not a universalist. Jesus does not teach that every man, every boy, every woman, every girl will be saved. The Bible doesn't teach universalism. It doesn't teach that every single human being is going to go to heaven. So Jesus speaks of this comprehensive authority, but a subset of that is that are those whom you have given me. This is particular. This is the priest functioning in terms of his intercession for those he's interceding for. Notice in verse nine, I pray for them. I do not pray for the world. Could you imagine the modern response to that if they actually knew what he was saying? Well, that's not fair. He's Jesus. He should pray for everybody. But he's not. As I mentioned before, by way of analogy or by way of parallel, the priest on the day of atonement in Leviticus 16, when he lays his hands upon the scapegoat, he confesses the sins of Israel. Not the Hivites, not the Hittites, not the Jebusites or any of the other Canaanites. He confesses the sin of Israel. When they cut the throat of their animals, it's a substitute. It's a substitute for the one going back in Leviticus who is bringing that animal to be sacrificed. This one I'm cutting the throat of is taking my place. That ram caught in the thicket with Abraham and Isaac in Genesis chapter 22 is the substitute. He goes in the place of Isaac. So we see here particular redemption. We see limited atonement. Not limited in its efficacy, but limited in its scope, and that according to the Father. Now with reference to this, the rest of scripture highlights this. So again, you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. In the birth announcement of our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter one, We read, you shall call his name Jesus. Why? For he will save who? Every single human being, every tribe, tongue, people, and nation comprehensively? No, he will save his people from their sins. John 6.37, I read it about five or seven minutes ago. All that the Father gives me will come to me. How do you deal with that as an Arminian? How do you deal with that as a Pelagian? How do you deal with that as a Universalist? You don't. You just skip it. You just bypass it. And I've seen this in theological debate and just, well, yeah, can't really mean that. Whosoever loves, you know, whoever, whoever, whosoever believes in him, they just totally evade it. You can't evade it based on John 6, 44. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. You can't evade it in light of Ephesians 2, 1 to 3, lifeless, helpless, hopeless. You can't evade it in light of a Jeremiah 17, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. You can't evade passages like these. Rather, you should embrace them and say, praise God, because I wasn't seeking Him. I wasn't looking for Him. I wasn't trying to fetch blessing from Him. He sought me. He found me. Doesn't Jesus say as much in Luke 19 with reference to Zacchaeus? Everybody's grumbling. Everybody's complaining. They're murmuring that Zacchaeus gets to be a guest with Jesus at supper. Jesus says, the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. That's always been the pattern. When Adam and Eve sin, they run from God. It's God who seeks them out. When the tower builders at Babel want to build a name for themselves and rise up into the heavens, what does God do? He scatters them by giving them many lips, many languages, and then he calls Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans. Why? Because in you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. The glory of the Christian gospel is not that we accept Jesus into our hearts, but that God is reconciling the world to himself through his blessed Son. It's not that we accepted Jesus, it's that God the Father purposed before the foundation of the world in predestination and election to be saved by the redeeming power and work and blood of our blessed Savior. Jesus is praying here in the way or in the manner of men. As you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. Now, that brings us then to this explanation of eternal life. I'm trying to think through it. It's almost parenthetical. Or he just amplifies this. when he mentions that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And then in verse three, and this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent. He amplifies this concept of eternal life. And in this, I think he's glorifying the Father and glorifying the Son. Wherein doth eternal life consist? Heaven, yeah. Exceeding weight of glory, yeah. The communion of the saints without sin, without problems, without difficulties, yeah. All that's true. Where in death eternal life consists? Well, those gates of pearl, those streets of gold, Emmanuel's land, yeah. But even more foundationally and fundamentally, wherein doth eternal life consist, it's the knowledge of God. And Jesus, in his amplification here, I think is very instructive for all of us. I think, one, this emphasizes his consubstantiality with the Father. He puts himself on the side of the Father. In the hand of heretics, this passage is turned on its head and made to teach that Jesus isn't God. That's precisely what it's not teaching. The true God here is not in exclusion, the Father in exclusion to the Son and the Spirit. It's the false gods of men. They may know you, the only true God, and could a creature say that? Could one of us say that? The knowledge of the essence of eternal life is to know the Father and the Son. Rather than disavowing his equality with the Father according to his divinity, he owns it. He is the object of knowledge, which is the essence of eternal life. Again, in the hands of heretics, they make this text stand on its head. Jesus stresses consubstantiality, one in being with the Father, through this compound object of knowledge, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. As well, He gives us a window in to the relations that obtain between the Father and the Son. This sending of the Son by the Father reveals something to us of God in Himself. The Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten by the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. And as well, with reference to gospel blessing and salvation, the supposition or assumption is, you don't know the Father without the Son. You don't know the Father without the Son. Look at the text, and this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Now, general revelation, God revealing himself to us in the creation, creational order and providential order, that's real knowledge. We truly learn of God's righteousness through the heavens that declare that. The creation around us teaches us something of God's eternal power, of his Godhead, and of the reality that it's righteous with God to punish and judge sinners. That's all from Romans chapter one, around 19 to 21, and then 32. The light of nature is a wonderful instructor for what it instructs us in. It tells us there's a God, that that God is awesome, and that we must worship that God. Of course, we suppress those truths in unrighteousness. We try to evade the created order. We try to explain it all away. But according to Paul, God says that man knows that he is. So general revelation gives us a notion, true notion, about who God is. The law of Moses teaches a lot about God, doesn't it? If I said to you, what does Moses' law teach? Well, it teaches us that God brooks no competitors. You have no other gods before me. It teaches us that God doesn't wanna be blasphemed. God says to keep a Sabbath day. God says to be subordinate to lawful authority. God says do not murder. God says don't commit adultery. God says don't steal. God says don't lie, don't covet. We know something of God's justice and righteousness. And if you read through the Old Testament, you'll learn a lot about his judgment, So the law of Moses teaches us much, general revelation teaches us much, but the way to the father is through the son, John 14. No one comes to the father except through me. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. So Jesus here is showing us that the way to the father is through the son. And then some might say, well, with all this sort of Trinitarian stuff going on in the passage, where's the Holy Spirit? Where's the spirit in all of this? Well, I'd say he's in chapter 16 and he's in chapter 15, but he's right here too. Thomas makes this observation. No mention is made of the Holy Spirit because whenever the Father and the Son are mentioned, and especially in matters pertaining to the grandeur of the divinity, the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of the Father and the Son, is implied. It doesn't have to be specifically referenced or mentioned. Where you see the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are there. Where you see the Son, the Father, and the Spirit are there. Where you see the Spirit, the Father, and the Son are there. The unity of the divine nature, not parceled out, not divided up, not 33 and a third percent, not God Inc., but the one true and living God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now, for those of you who are wondering if we're gonna make it to verse five or not, we'll put verses four and five, God willing, into next Sunday morning. But I wanna just explore this in a practical way. Again, look at verse three. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Huh. The knowledge of theology matters? You had to know I was gonna go this way. You had to. The knowledge of Christology matters? You mean it's not just about five principles on how to be a better me? No, not even a little bit. This is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Jesus puts himself on the side of the Father as the only true God. John identifies him as the only true God in 1 John 5, 20. And so what Jesus is saying here, when you boil it all down, yes, you're forgiven of your sins. You've been accepted by God as righteous in his sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to you and received by faith alone. All that's true. So now what? We're believers in Christ, now what? Learn, study, meditate, contemplate, dive in. You've been brought out of darkness into marvelous light. Enjoy the view. Enjoy the scene. Enjoy the data given by God that instructs us on who He is. I think at times as believers, we get pretty well caught up in what God has given to us or what God has done for us. And I'm not suggesting we shouldn't get caught up in that. It's glorious. He's given us life. He's given us justification. He's sanctifying us. He's going to glorify us. It's good to contemplate the gifts of God. Specifically, that chief gift in the provision of His Son, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. We always think about what God has done. Let's think more about who God is. The God who is what He has done. In fact, in the prophet Jeremiah, God says this is really what's important. In Jeremiah chapter nine, specifically in verses 23 and 24, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches. That's pretty. contra or paradoxical with reference to reality, what do wise men usually glory at? Their wisdom, right? And they'll tell you, I'm so wise. You should hear my nuggets. Sit at my feet, plebe, and listen to me ooze wisdom. Notice, let not the mighty man glory in his might. Isn't that precisely what the mighty man does? A guy with the 18-inch guns and the rocket chest puts a tight t-shirt on because he wants everybody to see his might. He's at the gym doing more weight than he should do because he wants them to see his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches. Well, that's kind of not the way it actually goes. I've got this, and I've got that, and I've got these, and I've got those. That's all fleeting. Notice the contrast, but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight. See, what God does is not remove from who God is. But who God is, is a crucial investigation for those who have benefited from what God gives. And in the church today, we need to think through the doctrine of God. We need to think about the triunity of God. We need to think about the essential nature or unity of God. We need to think about who Jesus is. We need to make this our pursuit. These are good things. Listen to Gill's explanation of this knowledge. He says, but this is to be understood of an evangelical knowledge of God as the God and Father of Christ, as the God of all grace, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, and of Christ as mediator, not a general, notional, and speculative knowledge, but a practical and experimental one, a knowledge of approbation and appropriation, a fiducial one, whereby a soul believes in Christ and trusts in his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice for salvation, and which, though imperfect, is progressive." Now, brethren, I just want to end on this. The Westminster Divines asked, what is the chief end of man? Chief end of man isn't your happiness. That's not a bad thing. Chief end of man isn't a bigger portfolio, more wisdom, more strength. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. How do we glorify God and enjoy Him forever? Well, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we're dead in our trespasses and sins, miserable wretches under God's wrath and curse, we don't glorify God. We don't know God savingly. We don't look to God experimentally or experientially. We don't usually care about God. But when we're saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus, when we come to grips with the reality that Jesus gives eternal life that all the Father had given to Him, when by that grace we believe, what is the reflex of that? It's to study and to know and to learn of God so that we may glorify Him and that we may enjoy Him forever. Isn't that the way it ought to be? And if you're wondering, is he gonna hammer me right now that I need to read my Bible tomorrow? Yes, he is. The Bible isn't a chore. One of the things we noticed in our studies in Numbers, Numbers 21, a talking donkey. I defy anybody in the universe to tell me that the Bible is a boring book. It's not a boring book. You got a donkey reproving his master. That's exciting, brethren. That's good stuff. You got the story of Jonah, swallowed by the great fish. You got the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. You've got the kings of Israel. You've got Elijah on Mount Carmel, mocking the prophets of Baal. Maybe your God's on the toilet. You've got glorious truth in the Bible. I'm not gonna lambast, I'm not gonna harangue, I'm gonna encourage. There's everything in the Bible that you should want to read. Everything about that book you should want to value and prize. Understand the Old Testament and promise and anticipation and the New Testament and fulfillment and realization. Understand that when the apostle says, in the fullness of time, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, all that is behind that in terms of the Old Testament, in terms of a Genesis 3.15 promise, a Genesis 22 typology of the finished work of the Lord Jesus, the announcement of a prophet like Moses, but not in Deuteronomy 18.15, The Psalter, I've been struck with one of the old brothers that I've been reading recently. And he just says, Christ says of himself in the Psalms. Christ says of himself in the Psalms. Christ says of himself in the Psalms. If the essence of eternal life is the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, if that is it, that ought to affect the way that we live, our pursuits, our desires. I'm not telling you, quit your jobs, brothers. You know, come here every day and just study the text of scripture up there in the fellowship hall, shave your heads too, and learn to drink really dark black coffee and get yourself a Jetta, and we'll just all do this together. That's all I'm saying. I know that life is busy. I know that there's a lot of hands on our time. I get all that. But in many ways, brethren, we have been more help than any generation ever before us. We don't even have to physically wash dishes or clothes. We don't have to do things that people used to have to do by hand. We don't have to do that. We don't have to walk 10 miles to work. Ah, man, it's 10 miles. I struggle with having pulpit swaps with my, just a little outing of myself here, because it's such a far drive. And I get home late. Please don't rat me out to the Surrey people. I love them. Whenever I'm there, I'm happy. They meet at six. I'm home at nine. It's just a big thing. The point is, it's an air-conditioned, heated vehicle. Why does it never occur to us that in our pursuit of theology and the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, we could actually get up a little earlier? We could actually not read something else that we were going to read? We can actually not watch something else that we were going to watch? We can actually not go to a sporting event that we were otherwise going to go to? Again, I'm not calling it a monkery. I'm not calling you to withdraw from the world and just study the scriptures. I mean, if you can do that and finance it, more power to you. But all of us, in every single day, have a little bit more time than we think. If the very essence of eternal life is the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent, that really ought to affect us at some level individually with reference to the intake of scripture. I would suggest as well church attendance. Be a David. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Let us go to the house of the Lord. The Wednesday night study. If you've ever learned or read or heard of the book of Numbers or been anywhat familiar with it, there's a lot we don't know. There's a lot at the end. I say, comments? I don't want questions and comments because I don't think I can answer the questions. If you want to comment, comment till the cows come home. But it's getting us into the ballpark with what's happening in redemptive history. Why? Because the very essence of eternal life is that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. The God of Numbers 21 is glorious. You should want to know him, who causes an ass to talk and rebuke his master that's very upset with him. That God is the most exciting object for investigation that there could ever be. So it ought to affect us at the individual level. It ought to affect us corporately. And if you're not a believer, my encouragement to you is to believe. The essence of eternal life is the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent The way to the father is through the son, so believe on him and you shall be saved. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, thank you for your word. Thank you for our Lord's prayer here in John 17. We ask God that you would just encourage our hearts, build us up in our most holy faith and cause us to take the prophet's admonition and not to boast in our wisdom, to boast in our might or to boast in our riches, but to boast in the reality that we know you. that we know your divine perfections as they're revealed in the created order and even more so in special revelation, and that we know your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came out of heaven or from heaven for us men and for our salvation. We thank you for your mercies to us. We thank you for your grace. Pray for your blessing upon the gospel wherever it is preached, that many would come to a saving knowledge of the Lord of glory. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, you can stand and we'll