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prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus prays for himself in verses 
1 to 5. He prays for his immediate disciples 
in verses 6 to 19. And then he prays for all believers 
in verses 20 to 26. So we'll take up the first five 
verses referring to the glory of the Father and of the Son. But I do want to read the chapter 
so that we can find our bearings in the context, beginning in 
chapter 17 at verse 1. Jesus spoke these words, lifted 
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify 
your son, that your son 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 to 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 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, 
be with me where I am. that they may behold my glory, 
which you have given me. For you loved me before the foundation 
of the world. O 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 loved me may be 
in them, and I in them. Amen. Let us pray. Father, thank 
you again for the Word of God. We pray now for the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit to help us and to guide us and to lead us 
into the glorious truth of this passage. We pray for Daniel Roersma 
tonight. We just commit this young man 
to you. We pray that you would heal his 
body, that you would give him physical strength, that he would 
be able to to recover from pneumonia and from other illness, and that 
you would just bless him, bless his family and give them grace 
and encouragement to be a means of encouragement to Daniel. And 
we just pray now that you would forgive us again for our sins 
and our transgressions and help us to appreciate the glory of 
the Father and the glory of the Son. And we pray through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, our Lord 
starts first with petitions specifically about or for Himself. He moves 
to the disciples, and then He moves to all believers. So I 
want to look at the Lord's prayer for Himself in verses 1 to 5. 
First, we'll look at the occasion of His prayer. Secondly, the 
petition in His prayer. And thirdly, the reasons for 
that particular petition. But in the first place, the occasion. 
Remember that Christ has just fulfilled, or rather finished, 
what was called the upper room discourse. Chapters 13 to 16, 
Jesus is with his apostles, they are in the upper room, and Jesus 
is preparing them for his departure. And one of the ways, or one of 
the means by which Christ prepares them is with theology proper. In other words, he sets before 
them the truth of the triune God. He doesn't give them a pep 
talk. He doesn't give them some surface 
encouragement. But rather, He teaches them the 
deep things of God. And that is the way the people 
of God are to be equipped. That is the way the people of 
God are to be encouraged. That is the way the people of 
God are to be strengthened. It is with knowing God that Christ 
will define for us what the essence of eternal life is in this passage. It is the knowledge of God. Notice 
that Christ addresses the Father. It says in verse 1, Jesus spoke 
these words, lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the 
hour has come. Now, Christ has spoken about 
this coming hour. It is the hour of His departure. 
It is the hour of crucifixion. It is the hour of death. In fact, 
you can go back to John chapter 12. John chapter 12, verse 23, 
Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son 
of Man should be glorified. Drop down to chapter 12 and verses 
27 and 28. Now my soul is troubled, and 
what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. 
but for this purpose I came to this hour." In other words, Christ 
says, this is the pinnacle, this is the crucible, this is everything 
with reference to the mission of the Son of Man. It wasn't 
to start a new religion, it wasn't to set forth a moral example, 
it was rather to save His people from their sins. And the means 
by which He does this is through His death, and He specifies that 
it was for this hour that He comes to the world. going on 
in chapter 12, here, 31 and 32. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will 
be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from 
the earth, will draw all men to myself. This, he said, signifying 
by what death he would die. Notice in John 13, verse 1. Now, 
before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour 
had come, that he should depart from this world to the Father, 
having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to 
the end. Now, Christ's hour, His death 
at Calvary, while it will secure the salvation of all those whom 
the Father had given Him, will certainly mean increased persecution 
for His people. In other words, the hour of Christ 
will produce or provoke a time of suffering and persecution 
for his disciples. Notice in chapter 16. 16. 1. 
These things I have spoken to you that you should not be made 
to stumble. Verse 2. They will put you out of the 
synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that 
whoever kills you will think that he offers God's service. 
So the hour of Christ's death results in a time of persecution 
for the people of Christ. Notice in verse 4, "...but these 
things I have told you, that when the time comes you may remember 
that I told you of them." And then in verse 32, another reference, 
"...indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will 
be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone." And 
yet I am not alone because the Father is with you." Now note 
sort of his summary statement at the end of this upper room 
discourse is in verse 33. These things I have spoken to 
you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will 
have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 
We ought to appreciate the candidness of our Lord Jesus, the openness 
of our Lord Jesus, the honesty of our Lord Jesus. He is preparing 
his disciples. He points them to theology proper. 
He points them to the doctrine of the one God who is Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit, but he also tells them the truth. There 
will be tribulation. There will be suffering. There 
will be trial. If the world hated Christ, the 
world's going to hate Christ's followers. He doesn't lie to 
them. He doesn't cover that. He doesn't pretend that they're 
going to just, you know, sing zippity-doo-dah all the way to 
heaven. He warns them and admonishes them that they stand prepared 
and be ready for it. And now he comes to pray. After 
the discourse, he prays this high priestly prayer, and he 
says, Father, the hour has come. Now note specifically, secondly, 
the petition in his prayer. Father, the hour has come. Glorify 
your Son that your Son also may glorify you. Now, in chapter 
13, verses 31 and 32, He's already spoken of this as having been 
accomplished. In fact, this prayer is somewhat 
proleptic. He's already speaking of the 
cross as having been completed. He has set His face like a flint 
to go to Jerusalem. He has set His face like a flint 
to undergo all that would happen to Him in that city. He would 
be rejected. He would be denied. He would 
be cast off. He would be ultimately crucified. So prior to that particular 
hour, or prior to that particular time, he's praying as if it's 
already a done deal. And he says to the Father, glorify 
your Son. And we ought to conclude from 
that, or we ought to infer from that, that this was indeed the 
highest act worthy of glorification of the Son, namely His death 
at Calvary. In fact, John Calvin makes this 
observation. If it be objected that never 
was there anything less glorious than the death of Christ. Think 
about this. When you looked at the cross 
on that particular day, you probably didn't think glory. You probably 
weren't saying, wow, what a glorious transaction is occurring. You 
wouldn't have thought that. We've marveled at the thief on 
the cross who looked beyond the blood, who looked beyond the 
guts, who looked beyond the gore, who looked beyond the torture 
and the suffering and the pain, and he says, Lord, remember me 
when you come in your kingdom. Calvin says that's the highest 
expression of faith in all of the Bible. That man looked through 
the door and saw the king who possessed a kingdom, and he cast 
himself upon his mercy. But if you were at Golgotha on 
that day, you weren't thinking glory. In fact, the apostle in 
1 Corinthians 1 says, for the Jews, the cross is a stumbling 
block. To the Greeks, it's foolishness. 
That's how the world perceives this transaction, and that's 
what Calvin is saying. If it be objected, that never 
was there anything less glorious than the death of Christ, which 
was then at hand, I reply that in that death we behold a magnificent 
triumph which is concealed from wicked men. For there we perceive 
that atonement having been made for sins, the world has been 
reconciled to God, the curse has been blotted out, and Satan 
has been vanquished. You see, that's why Christ prays, 
glorify your son. And then note the reciprocity 
involved. As Christ is glorified by the 
father, Christ glorifies the father. This is the means by 
which God is glorified. Notice verse one, father, the 
hour has come, glorify your son that your son may also may glorify 
you. You see, the purpose for which 
God created the world was his glory. What is the chief end 
of man? The chief end of man is to glorify 
God and to enjoy Him forever. It's been rightly observed that 
that's the chief end of God as well, to glorify God and to enjoy 
Himself forever. You see, that is the apex, that 
is the goal, that is where we're moving. It's the glory of God 
Most High. You can see that in 1 Corinthians 
15, 20 to 28. The Apostle rehearses, I think, 
one of the clearest explanations of what's called eschatology, 
or the doctrine of the last things. When Christ comes in His second 
coming, He offers up the kingdom to the Father, and God is all 
in all. What does that mean except to 
say that God is glorified, God is magnified, God is exalted, 
God is praised, God is worship. God is enjoyed by the creature. And so Christ's prayer specifically, 
Christ's petition specifically, is that the Father would glorify 
the Son so that the Son also may glorify you. The entirety 
of His mission had the Father's glory as the goal. One man has 
defined glory here as to clothe in splendor. It is to ascribe. It is to attribute. It is to 
highlight. the glory of God Most High in 
this particular. Now, this serves as the basis 
for the rest of the prayer. He prays for the disciples, his 
immediate disciples, the apostles. He prays that God protects them, 
that he keeps them from the evil one. He prays that not that God 
will take them out of the world, but that God will guard them 
and govern them and stabilize them while they're in the world. 
He then prays for his immediate disciples that they be sanctified. Sanctify them by thy truth, thy 
word is truth. And then in verses 20 to 24, 
he envisages all of the elect of God having been saved, enjoying 
the unity of father and son and spirit, and as well recognizing 
and beholding and delighting in the glory of God Almighty. So if anybody ever asks you, 
what is it about heaven that really makes you long to go there? 
It's to behold the glory of God. See, some people think, oh, it's 
going to be this big basketball court in the sky, whatever your 
hobby is, a big car mechanic shop in the sky, a big hockey 
rink. That's probably more appropriate 
to Canadians, right? That's what it's going to be 
like. No. It's going to be beholding the 
glory of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's going to be 
beholding the majesty and the excellency of Him who called 
us out of darkness into a marvelous light. It is going to be praising 
Him, and worshiping Him, and serving Him, and adoring Him, 
and all that without sin. It's a beautiful prospect that 
the people of God hold, and this is what Christ prays for in verses 
20 to 24. Notice in verse 24, 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 loved me before the foundation of the world. O 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. That's our goal. That's our focus. That's our 
future. So the petition is very simple. 
Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you. Now let's 
look thirdly at the reasons for the petition. And there's three 
things I want to mention here. First, the salvation of his elect, 
the accomplishment of redemption, and the restoration to glory. But note first the salvation 
of his elect. Verses two and three. Christ 
says he has authority over all flesh. We should never dispute 
that Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He has all authority. He was the agent of creation. 
He is the one in whom all things consist. So he's active in terms 
of providence. He has absolute authority over 
all flesh. And that's what he specifies 
here in verse two. As you have given him authority 
over all flesh. Now notice he hones in now on 
the elect that he should give eternal life to as many as you 
have given him. Christ gives eternal life to 
as many as the Father has given Him. Again, this is not an obscure 
doctrine or thought, especially in John's gospel. In fact, go 
to John chapter 6 at verse 37. John chapter 6 at verse 37. We'll pick up reading in verse 
35. Remember, the feeding of the 5,000 at the very beginning 
of John chapter 6 serves as the backdrop for this discourse, 
the bread of life discourse. And specifically in verse 35, 
he says, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never 
hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. But I 
said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All 
that the Father gives me will come to me. You see, there's 
this group of people given by the Father to the Son. In Reformed 
theology, we refer to this as the covenant of redemption. It 
is that intra-Trinitarian covenant that transacted prior to the 
foundation of the world, where the Father gave a lot to the 
Son, and that Son's purpose, the Son's purpose was to come 
and save them from their sins. That's what's being shown to 
us. All that the Father gives me 
will come to me. and the one who comes to me I will by no 
means cast out." Now notice in John 6, 39, 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. You see 
how pernicious the doctrine is that teaches that we can lose 
our salvation? That doesn't reflect ultimately 
on the person having lost salvation. It reflects on the Savior having 
lost one that he was supposed to save. If we maintain that 
a genuine believer, that a real person of God, that somebody 
who has come out of darkness into marvelous light can lose 
their salvation, that reflects on the Savior. It shows that 
he was weak. It shows that he was feeble. 
We cannot allow that. As Spurgeon says, such a doctrine 
I abhor. Those whom the Father has given 
to the Son will be saved. They will be secure. Remember, 
Matthew's gospel begins on that great triumphant refrain. He 
will save his people from their sins. He doesn't fail. He doesn't 
come short. He doesn't lose a few, but rather 
specifically, he saves them. Now, when he mentions the one 
that was lost in his prayer for the disciples in that center 
section in John 17, he's talking about Judas. And it was predetermined, 
it was according to Scripture, that Judas would betray him and 
that Judas would ultimately fall away. Judas was never saved, 
it wasn't like he had it, and then he lost it. So the idea 
that one for whom Jesus died is not going to make it into 
heaven is absolutely, positively unscriptural, and we ought not 
to hesitate to say so. Back to the high priestly prayer, 
we see this distinction made within the prayer itself. Notice, 
again, verse 2, Father, the hour has come, glorify your son, that 
your son also may glorify you. Verse 2, as you have given him 
authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to 
as many as you have given him. Look at verse 6, 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. Notice in verse 9, I pray for them. I do not pray for the 
world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. If I were to ask you, what are 
the two functions of a priest? The two functions of the priest 
are intercession and sacrifice. Well, it seems to follow, at 
least in my feeble brain, that if he intercedes only for a select 
group, then he as well sacrificed for that select group. In other 
words, he shed his blood for the salvation of all those whom 
the Father had given him. The Scripture teaches what we 
call particular redemption, or particular atonement, or definite 
atonement, limited atonement, if you like that terminology. 
It's not the case that he shed his blood in vain. So he makes 
this distinction within this high priestly prayer. He has 
all authority over all flesh, but he gives life, eternal life, 
to as many as you have given him. And then notice, thirdly, 
with reference to the essence of eternal life. Look at how 
he defines this in verse 3. Now, some would teach that this 
is the way by which we enter into life. In other words, we 
know of God in Christ, and therefore we're saved. Now, we need to make sure that 
we don't sort of get befuddled in semantics, but we also understand 
that it's by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. That's what 
justification is. That's when we are saved. And 
certainly, we need to know of God. We need to know of Christ. 
We need to know of the mediator. We need to know of that cross 
work. So, you know, Romans 10, faith comes by hearing and hearing 
by the word of God. But I don't think Jesus is teaching 
the entry into salvation is the knowledge of God in Christ. The 
entry into salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. I think Jesus 
rather is describing what is really good about eternal life. 
What is the essence of eternal life? This is eternal life. That 
they may go to that great big basketball court in the sky? 
No. This is eternal life. That they may know you, the only 
true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. In other words, 
this is what we have. This is what trumps every other 
bit of knowledge. This is what is most excellent 
and most glorious. This is what the prophet Jeremiah 
spoke of in Jeremiah chapter 9. He says, let not the wise 
man boast in his wisdom, and the rich man boast in his riches. 
Let not the mighty man boast in his strength, but rather let 
him who boasts boast in this, that he knows me. That's where 
eternal life is. That's the blessing of it. That's 
the joy involved, the knowledge of God in Christ. That's what 
ought to make us get up on Sunday morning and run to the house 
of God. That's what ought to make us open our Bibles each 
and every day. This is what ought to provoke 
in us a desire to pray and to express our dependence upon the 
living and the true God. The essence of eternal life is 
this knowledge of. the true God and Jesus Christ 
whom you have sent." Notice the compound object of this saving 
knowledge. Notice in verse 3, this is eternal 
life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ 
whom you have sent. Now, typically, when a believer, 
when a Christian hears the word God, or we read the word God, 
or we theologize concerning God, we ought to think Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit. That is the Christian God, Father, 
Son, Holy Spirit. One glorious God in three persons, 
from everlasting to everlasting. There are three persons in the 
Godhead, the same in substance, equal in power and glory, as 
the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches. However, in certain 
contexts, very often in the New Testament, we see that word God 
applied to the Father. And I think that's what's happening 
here. Jesus addresses the Father in 
verse 1. He speaks of God the Father in 
John 6, 27. Jesus is not suggesting that 
he himself is not God. Jesus is recognizing the distinction 
that obtains between the persons of the Trinity, that they may 
know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. 
In other words, that they may know the glorious Trinitarian 
God of Scripture. This is what's called a compound 
object. Some actually try and take this 
passage and teach the subordination of Jesus. They teach the inferiority 
of Jesus. But I ask you, what creature 
could say that the very essence of eternal life is the knowledge 
of God and that creature? He couldn't do it. There's no 
way, even as good a creature as he may have been. The only 
one who could say this is God himself. And this is consistent 
with the prophet Isaiah that we read at the outset of worship. In Isaiah 42, verse 8, I am Yahweh, 
that is my name, and my glory I will not give to another. And 
yet here's Jesus saying, glorify your son, that your son may glorify 
you. This is the very essence of eternal 
life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus 
Christ, whom you have sent. Jesus Christ is not teaching 
his inferiority. Jesus Christ is not teaching 
his subordination. Jesus Christ, according to his 
humanity, is praying to the Father, but he never ceases being the 
second person of the Trinity. He is on par with the Father, 
and they together are the object of faith for the people of God. Isaiah 48, verse 11. For my own 
sake, for my own sake, I will do it. For how should my name 
be profane? And I will not give my glory 
to another. Now, there are instances in the 
New Testament, interestingly enough, where that name God, 
it's the Greek word theos, where we get the word theology, meaning 
the study of or the doctrine of God, there are instances and 
occasions where theos is applied specifically to our Lord Jesus 
Christ. So if anybody teaches the inferiority 
of Christ or the subordination of Christ, not according to his 
humanity, but in terms of divinity, if anybody teaches that, they 
have to wrestle with those passages where the name God or the word 
God is applied specifically to Jesus. Now, you might be asking 
the question, where does the Bible do that? Well, let's just 
look at a few. Notice in John 1.1. John 1.1, 
in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and 
the Word was God. The Word is Jesus. As verse 14 tells us, the Word 
became flesh. He dwelt among us, and we beheld 
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. 
Now, brethren, that's another very important doctrine, the 
eternal generation of the Son, the begottenness of the Son. That is employed. to distinguish 
between the persons of the Godhead. It is not employed to teach subordination. It is not employed to teach inferiority. The persons of the Godhead are 
recognized by their relations, by their distinctions, and the 
specific distinction of the son is that he is begotten. Notice 
in John 20, 28, again, just surveying some passages where the word 
theos, or God, is applied to our Lord Jesus Christ. Because 
I don't want anybody to leave here saying, well, you know, 
God the Father is God, and Jesus is sort of a little a God, or 
Jesus is sort of a little g God, or sort of some subordinate or 
inferior God. That's not the case. Notice in 
John 20, 28, it's after the resurrection when Jesus is dealing with Thomas. And in verse 27, Jesus says to 
Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach 
your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, 
but believing. And Thomas answered and said 
to him, my Lord and my God. This wasn't an exclamation, he 
wasn't blaspheming, it wasn't like he hit his thumb with a 
hammer and he just sort of said, oh my Lord and my God. It is 
directed specifically to our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Acts 
20 and verse 28. Acts 20 and verse 28. Again, 
something we ought to appreciate with reference to John 17 3. 
The compound object of that knowledge is father and son. Acts 20, 28, 
therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which 
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church 
of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Now it's the second 
person of the Trinity. It's the Lord Jesus Christ who 
shed his blood on the cross. And here specifically, he is 
called God. Notice in Romans 9, Romans chapter 
9 at verse 5. Romans 9, 5, "...of whom are 
the fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who 
is over all the eternally blessed God. Amen." Titus chapter 2 and 
verse 13. Titus chapter 2 and verse 13. 
Again, the New Testament application of the name Theos to our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Titus 2.13, looking for the blessed 
hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus 
Christ. He's described there as our great 
God and Savior, Jesus Christ. You see a similar construction 
in 2 Peter 1.1. I think it's the King James here 
that obscures this, and that's not cool. but such is life. 2 Peter 1.1, Simon Peter, upon 
servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained 
like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God 
and Savior, Jesus Christ. And then 1 John 5.20, 1 John 
5.20, and we know that the Son of God has come and has given 
us an understanding that we may know Him who is true, and we 
are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ, This is the 
true God and eternal life. So going back to the high priestly 
prayer, remember that Jesus is praying according to his humanity. 
Remember that he is the incarnate Son of God, that he is dependent 
upon the Father according to his humanity. But he highlights 
this reality that the knowledge, that the essence of eternal life 
is the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. Let me just take 
a moment to say, therefore, read your Bible, pray, and never miss 
church. Brethren, this is what it's about. We're not going to 
heaven because we're good. We're not going to heaven because 
we're virtuous. We're not going to heaven because we've somehow 
arrived. We're going to heaven by grace 
alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. It's about 
what we believe. That's what distinguishes us 
from the pagan. It's what distinguishes us from 
the Jew. It's what distinguishes us from 
the Muslim or the Buddhist or whoever. It is what we believe 
and we need to know what we believe. We need to take Peter's words 
seriously in 2 Peter 3. He says, grow in the grace and 
in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's 
not just a suggestion. That's not just for a few within 
the context of the local church. That's not just for the Saturday 
morning theology study. That's for each and every believer. 
That's for each and every Christian. Everybody who names the name 
of Christ has a responsibility and a blessed privilege. It's 
not a responsibility like taking out the trash. It's a responsibility 
that is completely a privilege. We get to know and understand 
who God is and who his son Jesus Christ is. You see, we need to 
be about that. We need to enter into this new 
year committed to reading our Bibles, to praying, and not missing 
church. You see how I do this? At the 
end of the year, we typically take a little time off, and so 
I preach sermons that I've preached before. If you follow the trajectory, 
they're usually the same theme. The last Sunday before we enter 
into the new year, I typically tell you in the morning and evening, 
read your Bibles, pray, and come to church. This morning, I pretty 
much harped on the coming to church aspect. So tonight, read 
your Bibles and pray. This is the best way to approach 
a new year. I often look at people at the 
gym. You see this rush for membership 
in the first week of January. And by February, it's the same 
old group again. We make these resolutions, and 
we're going to do it this time. And yet, we don't follow through. 
And I think believers are like that. I'm going to read my Bible 
this time. And they get to Leviticus, and they say, well, that's it. 
I'm done. It's over. Don't do that. Persevere. You know, something is worth 
having, it's worth persevering for. And the knowledge of God, 
according to our Lord Jesus, is something worth having. This 
is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and 
Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Yes, eternal life means not going 
to hell. Yes, eternal life means not suffering 
the wrath of God. Yes, eternal life means going 
to heaven. Yes, eternal life means seeing those we love. I 
have this idea that if we recognize Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in 
that marriage supper of the Lamb, we're certainly going to recognize 
each other, and that's definitely a boon to consider as to why 
we want to go to heaven. But the blessedness of heaven 
ultimately is the knowledge of God. The blessedness of heaven 
is the knowledge of Jesus Christ. And this is what he says to us. 
This is how he describes it. Now notice, secondly, under the 
reasons for the petition, the accomplishment of redemption. 
Verse 4, he says, I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished 
the work which you have given me to do. This refers to what 
is called the active obedience of Jesus Christ. The passive 
obedience is related to his death at Calvary. It doesn't mean he 
was passive in the sense that he didn't participate. Obviously, 
he participated. He bore the shame and the the 
curse of the cross, he bore the wrath and fury of God the Father. 
Just a distinction that's made. I'm not exactly sure why passion, 
but this is the distinction that's made. You've got this passive 
obedience, the death on the cross, and here he highlights the active 
obedience. These answer to the two blessings 
involved in justification. We believe the gospel, and what 
happens? We are justified freely by His grace. Justification means 
the forgiveness of sins. That is secured for us by Christ's 
death at Calvary. That is secured for us by the 
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. But in justification, 
we also receive the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, and it's received 
by faith alone. Well, what righteousness? It's 
that righteousness of the 33 years that he lived on this earth. It's that righteousness that 
he refers to here. It's that act of righteousness 
that Paul refers to in Romans chapter 5. He speaks of the one 
man's disobedience, bringing death to all. but the one man's 
obedience, the one man's righteousness brings life to all, all in him, 
and that's what Christ is highlighting here. He speaks of it as having 
been accomplished. He speaks of it as good as done. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which 
you have given me to do. Again, not an obscure doctrine 
in John's Gospel. Last week, when we looked at 
Zechariah 3, I mentioned the fellow called N.T. Wright. And 
N.T. Wright sort of mocks the idea 
of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. He mocks it 
like in a courtroom. Is there a gas or a vapor that 
the judge orders go and overcome the particular person? And as 
Ian Duguid says with reference to that scene in Zechariah 3, 
we precisely have a courtroom, and God does put these righteous 
robes upon this sinful man. If the active obedience of Jesus 
Christ is not imputed to the elect, we are forgiven, but we're 
kind of back at the tree, and we need to fulfill all righteousness 
in order for entrance into heaven. But that's not the gospel. Gospel 
is not me having to secure my salvation. Gospel is Jesus Christ 
saves his people from their sins. Jesus Christ does that by bringing 
forgiveness and by achieving a righteousness that is imputed 
to his people and received by faith alone. I hope that you 
all follow that, and I hope it encourages your heart. And I 
hope that when we die, we'll say it with J. Gresham Machen, 
I am so thankful for the active obedience of Jesus Christ, for 
there is no hope without it. John chapter 2, verses 16 and 
17. I want us to see the emphasis 
on the active obedience of Christ in John's gospel. Not confined 
to John's gospel, but certainly on display in John's gospel. 
John 2, 16 and 17. And he said to those who sold 
doves, take these things away. Do not make my father's house 
a house of merchandise. Then his disciples remembered 
that it was written, zeal for your house has eaten me up. That 
was said because zeal for God's house has not eaten us up. We're 
just not that motivated for the house of God. We're just not 
that concerned for the house of God. So if there isn't a champion, 
if there isn't a substitute, if there isn't one who secures 
this for us, we are in dire straits. Notice in John 4, 34. We saw 
this this morning in the scripture reading. The disciples say in 
verse 33, has anyone brought him anything to eat? Jesus said 
to them, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to 
finish his work. That's the food of Christ is 
to do the will of the father and to finish his work. I mean, 
imagine these disciples just perplexed. Lord, Lord, Lord, 
you gotta eat. Oh, no, no, I don't need to eat. 
Well, what do you mean? Is somebody giving him food? It's like he's 
speaking in riddles to them, because they're not tracking 
with the reality, just like we wouldn't, that there is actually 
a human being, in this case, the second person of the Trinity, 
actually wanting to do everything the Father says. It's pretty 
mind-blowing that someone said this and someone meant it. You 
see, we need that in order for our salvation. Notice in John 
6, we've already looked there, we can look back at verses 38 
and 39. 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 
in John 8, 29. John 8, 29, and he who sent me 
is with me. The Father has not left me alone, 
for I always do those things that please Him. I always do 
those things that please Him. Can you say that? No, you absolutely, 
positively can't. I am not going to argue with 
you at all, because I know there's no way that you can say this, 
but you have a champion, you have a victor, you have a savior, 
you have one who did say it and who meant it. Notice in John 
8, 55. John 8, 55, Yet you have not known him, but I know him. 
And if I say, I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you. But 
I do know him and keep his word. Do you see why these religious 
leaders didn't like him? Do you see why there was such 
enmity against the Son of God and His earthly ministry? I'll 
be a liar like you. Well, what do you mean by that, 
Jesus? Jesus wasn't, you know, he wouldn't fit in the modern 
snowflake culture. Jesus would offend people. He 
would go to university campuses, and he would offend. He would 
come into churches, and he would offend. He would say the sorts 
of things that he says, and he would offend. He would tell people, 
you are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father, 
you want to do. If you go back a little bit in 
John 8, that's what he says to the religious leaders. Now, brethren, 
again, I never justify this, but I can understand on an earthly 
level why they picked up stones to throw at him. Especially when 
he asserts that he is, I am. Before Abraham was, I am. Another ascription of deity with 
reference to the Son of God, to himself. But in terms of the 
active obedience of Christ, he always does what the Father said 
to do. John 12, we've seen it already. 
John 12, 27 and 28. Notice as well in John 12.50, 
and I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, 
whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak. John 14 and verse 31. John 14, 
but that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the 
Father gave me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. So my point is, is that everywhere 
in this gospel record, and we see it in the other gospels as 
well, Christ highlights this aspect of his ministry. Now, 
the theology behind the imputation of Christ's righteousness is 
specifically found in Romans chapter 5. You see it as well 
in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. So there's a theological explanation 
for why Christ did specifically what Christ did, and that is 
the active obedience of Jesus Christ, the righteousness of 
Jesus Christ, is imputed to believers. It's received by faith alone. 
It is one of the aspects of justification that we receive when we, by grace, 
look to Christ in faith. We're forgiven of our sins, and 
we receive that righteousness. And Christ highlights that. Now, 
I mentioned earlier, and I don't want to go too far afield here, 
but it does bear repetition, this whole idea of the covenant 
of redemption. See, what we see Christ doing 
here in the Gospel records is accomplishing what the Father 
gave Him before the foundation of the world. In other words, 
the Father said, here's a miserable lot of wretched sinners. You 
can read John Flavel on this. It's beautiful. It's glorious, 
where He personifies God. He personifies the Son. And the 
Father gives to the Son this miserable lot of sinners. And 
Christ accepts the task. Christ says, I will pay their 
debt. I will fulfill all the obligations. And I will do. everything 
required to save them. That's what the gospel records 
show us. It is that eternal transaction between the persons of the Trinity 
being fleshed out in history. In other words, it's the covenant 
of redemption that is the basis for the covenant of grace. But 
with reference to the covenant of grace, we need to remember 
that it was a covenant of works for our Lord Jesus, so that it 
would be a covenant of grace for us. The covenant of grace 
for the believer is the covenant of works kept for us by Christ. In fact, Burkoff mentions this 
relationship more in terms of the covenant of redemption. He 
says, the covenant of redemption, or though the covenant of redemption 
is the eternal basis of the covenant of grace, and as far as sinners 
are concerned, also its eternal prototype, it was for Christ 
a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace. You have 
to appreciate this. There's a sense, brethren, where 
we are saved by works. Well, we are saved by our works, 
just not our own. Because they're terrible. They're 
bad. They're horrible. They're miserable. 
The best that we can do are like filthy rags in the sight of Holy 
God. The very most virtue that you 
or I could pony up is still disgusting when measured according to Scripture. 
I mean, what's the great motivation for any good work? Love to God, 
love to our fellows. Isn't that the first and second 
great commandments? Everything you do, you do with 
love to God and love for man? Probably not. I mean, I can only 
speak with certainty for one of us in here, but I don't think 
you're a whole lot different than me. I mean, every single 
thing we do, we do with an eye to the glory of God. Most likely, 
no. If you say, well, yeah, I do 
that for 23 hours of the day. I would really like to see just 
for 23 seconds of the day that this actually transpire. You 
see, for Christ, the covenant of grace was a covenant of works. He kept this for us, all of the 
obligations laid upon Him by the Father, He does for us. He says, for Him, the law of 
the original covenant applied, namely that eternal life could 
only be obtained by meeting the demands of the law. As the last 
Adam, Christ obtains eternal life for sinners in reward for 
faithful obedience, and not at all as an unmerited gift of grace. 
And what He has done as the representative and surety of all His people, 
they are no more in duty bound to do. The work has been done, 
the reward is merited, and believers are made partakers of the fruit 
of Christ's accomplished work through grace. Now, Berkhoff 
is not suggesting license, He's not suggesting that we continue 
in sin that grace may abound. Berkhoff is dealing with justification. Christ paid the debt. Christ 
fulfilled the obligations. In justification, we are forgiven, 
we have this righteousness, and therefore the work is accomplished. 
Our salvation is wrought out It's finished. It's applied by 
the Spirit. That does not militate against 
sanctification and the people of God living in light of that 
truth and seeking, by God's grace, to be holy and to live lives 
that adorn their doctrine. But our salvation is not contingent 
upon our acts. our doings, our obedience, our 
merit, our law-keeping, for then we would never be saved. It's 
all about Him who said, my meat is to do the will of Him who 
sent me. In other words, brethren, see where your hope lies. It is in Jesus Christ and in 
Him alone. And then finally, Jesus speaks 
of the restoration of His glory in verse 5. And now, O Father, 
glorify me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with 
You before the world was. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That Word became 
flesh and dwelt among us. There's a sense where the Lord 
Christ, according to His role as mediator, is exalted now to 
the right hand of the Father. He has all authority and power 
in heaven and on earth, and He has a name that is above every 
name. And the Lord Jesus Christ prays for a restoration to that 
glory, having accomplished the work that the Father gave Him. 
Well, in conclusion, I hope that we have seen that Christ is indeed 
the second person of the Trinity. He is deity. Christ is God. And we need to know that. We 
need to appreciate that. And we need to realize that for 
our soul's safety and benefit. I think one of the arguments 
of Athanasius with reference to the deity of Jesus was that 
only God himself could save fallen humanity. I quite like that. 
I think that's a great explanation. Only God himself could save fallen 
humanity. Not creature. No creature could 
do what Christ It had to be the second person of the blessed 
Trinity who assumed our humanity with all of the essential properties 
and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. He had to undertake 
on our behalf to do what God called him to do for us men and 
for our salvation. Secondly, the essence of eternal 
life is the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God, the knowledge 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, read your Bible and pray. 
Understand certain things concerning God. The love of God. Our confession 
says that God is most loving. Have you ever pondered that? 
Have you ever just thought for a moment that God is most loving? 
What does that mean? That means that His love will 
not increase because it can't. His love is most loving. You 
don't go up for most. It's as loving as it can be. But as well, it will never decrease. All that God is, He is for His 
people all the time. This doctrine with reference 
to the providence of God. Brethren, we need to understand 
God's providence. We need to understand who God 
is. One of the things that we've seen in the studies in our confession 
of faith is that chapter 3 of God's decree comes right after 
chapter 2 of God the Holy Trinity. And you say, wow, Butler, that's 
a cutting-edge insight. There's a reason for it. The 
decree is not Islamic fatalism. The decree is not blind faith. It is the God described in chapter 
2 of the Confession that is carrying out His holy will for the good 
of His people, according to His goodness, according to His kindness, 
according to His mercy. Brethren, it's only an appreciation 
of that that leads believers to confess with Paul in Romans 
8 that God works all things for good. We have to know God in 
order to know that passage, that even the miserable things, the 
terrible things, the horrible things, God is working those 
things out for the good of His people. See, that's the context 
in Romans 8. Paul is not suggesting God works 
out, you know, bags of money for the good of His people. God 
works out vacations for the good of His people. We already know 
that. We need to know God works out misery, pain, affliction, 
and suffering for our good. And so this knowledge of God 
ought to include the providence of God. It ought to include the 
covenant of God, the covenant of grace, the covenant of works, 
the covenant of redemption. These aren't just theological 
constructs imposed by 17th century theologians on the Bible to make 
theology hard. No, once you get your mind wrapped 
around what God is doing in these covenants, you say, wow, the 
covenant of grace is the covenant of works kept for us by our champion, 
by our mediator, by our Redeemer. We need to know God and His Son, 
the Lord Jesus Christ, with reference to assurance. What's a boon to 
your assurance? You? Probably not. Do you ever 
wake up on a Thursday feeling terrible and say, but I'm a great 
guy, that's going to help me get through the day? I hope not, 
because you're not going to get through the day. On Thursday 
morning, when you wake up and it's terrible, you need to think 
about, we serve a great father, a great son, a great Holy Spirit. We need to think on this God 
with reference to our assurance of salvation. My hope is built 
on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not 
trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Why 
does Moat say that? Because sweet frames come and 
go. Sweet frames are often in demand. Sweet frames are not 
often the norm and ordinary for the people of God. If we trust 
in sweet frames, we're going to be a miserable lot. We trust 
in the blood and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. And 
then with reference to this knowledge of God and His Son, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, this is the activity of eternity. In other words, 
if you've got a problem with Bible study now, what's heaven 
going to be like? You need to start conforming 
your mind to what's going to happen in the eternal state. 
Remember, it was Rick Anderson that sort of explained heaven 
in this sort of way. You know, when you take a kid, 
perhaps, to Disneyland the first time, each corner they turn, 
their breath is taken away. They see something. It's that 
kind of a thing. And he says, heaven's going to 
be like that. It's constant, fresh understanding and knowledge 
of who God is. It's not the case that we'll 
ever exhaust it. It's not the case that you could 
put the Pacific Ocean in a glass. You could put the Pacific Ocean 
in a glass earlier and sooner and quicker than you could explain 
the glory of the infinite God to the creature. You just can't 
do it. It's not the case we're going 
to learn everything there is to know about God, and then we're 
just going to chill. No! The knowledge of the activity 
of eternity is growing in our knowledge of who God is and who 
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As mentioned this morning, we 
need to know this God. We need to know his Son with 
reference to worship. Do we come in here just to charge 
our batteries? Do we come in here just for social 
intercourse? Do we come in here for entertainment? 
Do we come in here for an emotional charge? Do we come in here for 
an experience? No, we come in here to worship 
the God of absolute holiness and righteousness, the God who 
says to the prophet Malachi, if sons honor their fathers and 
servants honor their masters, if I'm a father, I'm a master, 
where is the reverence due to my name? Well, it's the knowledge 
of this God that ought to promote that sort of biblical worship. And then the knowledge of God 
and Christian responsibility. I already cited 2 Peter 3.18, 
but grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. That's duty. Again, it's blessed privilege 
duty. It's great. It's wonderful. It's like, you 
know, your mom telling you, I command you to eat cookies. Okay, that's 
a duty that I want to engage. I want to obey that mandate. 
You see, brethren, we have that responsibility because God wants 
the people of God to be mature. God wants the people of God to 
think His thoughts after Him. God knows that for the people 
of God to represent Him accurately, they need to be a people of the 
book. This is Paul's point in Romans 
12, 2. Do not be conformed to the world, 
but be transformed by what? By emotions, by experience, by 
mountaintops, by the renewing of your mind. How is that mind 
renewed? It's by putting your nose in 
the book. It's by showing up and hearing 
sermons. It's by going to Bible study. 
It's by comparing Scripture with Scripture. It's by reading our 
Confession of Faith. It's by studying our Confession 
of Faith. It's by reading good Christian 
books. In Hosea's day, the Lord through 
the prophets said, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, 
I also will reject you from being priest for me. Because you have 
forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. Hosea 4, 6. So it's not a small 
thing. We are called to exercise this 
responsibility in dependence upon the Holy Spirit to grow 
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 
And if you're not a believer here tonight, the answer, with 
reference to belief, is to look unto Christ. It's not just to 
know that God sent his son into the world, it's to believe that 
Christ is in fact the mediator. Christ is in fact the one who 
took the sins of his people, took them to the cross, bore 
them in his own body on the tree and satisfied divine justice. Look to Christ and you will have 
everlasting life. Well, let's pray. Father, we 
thank you for your word. We thank you for your grace and 
for your mercy. And we pray that as we enter 
into a new year, that we as your people would not only profess 
the faith, but would live in light of it, and that we would 
see that great blessing of the knowledge of God and of His Son, 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Give us help in these things. 
We confess our sluggishness at times. We confess our coldness 
at times. We confess our dependence upon 
you and pray that you would supply the Holy Spirit to do that which 
is lacking in our own hearts and in our own lives. Go with 
us now, we pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation and then be dismissed.