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[Music] I [Music] [Applause] h [Music] all [Music] I [Music] h and if you don't catch the ball ask me afterwards uh the main is you're Sunday morning Sunday evening you're going to catch the most important things visit us in our time of worship together so evening service this evening is at 5 p.m as usual and Wednesday night bible study happens 7:30 p.m. theall our annual general meeting is coming up this coming Saturday at 700 p.m. so that's the 15th of February this coming Saturday then immediately after that next Sunday we have the baptism of Wendy Harrison and that's next Sunday morning and we also have applications for membership by five other um attendees that are going to be brought in for membership the following Sunday so that would be the 23rd of February Brandon Havey southernland Bob Ray AR and Rachel cam they're all coming in the membership Bo on the 23rd of February now also on the 23rd of February we have a visiting pastor Pastor Ed rine from proo Utah he will be preaching that morning and the day before this is why I say I take out your hand to mark this all down the day before Saturday he's going to be doing a presentation here on CH Spurgeon we look forward to that BS at to 10:30 in the morning we've invited the church for as well to join us to form Baptist Church so we're looking forward to that kind of fellowship and then the confessing the faith Conference of course keep that in your in mind and in prayers there are still more brochures at the back that's April 24th and 25th and there's plenty of opportunity for volunteers to help out I mentioned that we need some housing for villing visiting pastors but other things like we have some International visitors that are going be flying in will need to be picked up at the airport so you're able to do that any anything like that housing or oring please talk to charl she's in charge that so those are are our announcements for this morning we're now going to turn to worship by turning to the book of Isaiah Isaiah [Music] 42 Isaiah 42 1 get e e I declare before they for I tell you of them amen to sing from the psalm 110 a is Al Psalm 110 a is [Music] my at my your SE until I make and I my fo to for your the Lord will make your Rend from with Mighty through your fight against your will when youpl your your people to you and g r Hol glorious will come like you the Lord SW and all and will not change his life you for of PR forever now DES [Music] in the Lord your right hand and there will ever stay be on his will CR the K to to on his way the Antion he will [Music] J each will Mighty Jesus all the Earth he shatter and destroy the be the way his thirst will Safi and thees [Music] Willen you may be seated let's turn to the Lord in prayer our gracious and merciful god in heaven we do thank you for this glorious day thank you for the privilege of being here of gathering with your people thank you for this house of worship and thank you for the gospel that is preached here and that you have sha as a light into our hearts Lord we thank you that Christ continues to build his church as he promised all over the face of the Earth and thank you that for each of us who have believed we have this privilege of being adopted into your family and this is not because of our goodness but because of your own decree we thank you that you have given to Christ given Christ as a light to the Gentiles as we just read this morning thank you that you have brought us into this Covenant we know the same God as Abraham Isaac and Jacob and yet you have not limited to the house of Israel but these promises extend to every people on every continent we pray oh God that as the gospel is preached this day all over the face of the the Earth you would draw in a great multitude of Sinners and cause them to believe and cause them to hear and understand the gospel to have their sins forgiven and to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ we pray even here in this building this day there would be those who have heard the gospel perhaps many times but have not yet had that light shine in their hearts we know this is a work of the Holy Spirit we know we cannot make even our own children into Christians to follow in our footsteps we thank you that Christ is in that work of making Believers and we pray that that would happen this day give Pastor Butler anointing as he comes to the pulpit later to preach to us I pray Lord that he he would not hold back any of the full counsel of God and I pray that we would be receptive to those words Lord we pray for sister churches in this city of chillak today where the gospel is preached bless your ministers and bless your congregations and Lord we pray for this nation of Canada we know that it is the gospel that will change the fabric of society and we pray oh God that that gospel would be powerfully preached all across this nation this day we pray oh God for our sisters and brothers in places where they're being persecuted for the cause of Christ we know that there are many places in the world because we know that Satan hates the church and he may use a different tactic here than he does in Saudi Arabia or in North Korea and yet wherever the gospel is preached he is out to try and destroy your people we thank you that he cannot Prevail but we pray that you would encourage those who are under attack by Civil Authorities or by religious leaders Rel leaders of false religion be merciful to your people this day be merciful to those who are in prison for the cause of Christ encourage them on this year Lord's day I pray Lord we pray for the churches in Kenya thank you for those that we have contact with and we pray that you would continue to bless them as they seek to train men and send them out across the continent we pray oh Lord that a great great multitude would be drawn in across that continent of Africa Lord we do pray for our association here of Reformed Baptist churches in West western Canada and for the conference that's coming up in April we pray that this would be a tremendous blessing and we pray Lord that you would cause us to be knit together with these Brethren who are coming from all over Canada and from other parts of the world we pray Lord that it would be continue to grow and continue to be a blessing to your church as we are united together Lord continue with us in worship we pray oh God that you would cleanse us from all sin and cause our worship to be acceptable in your sight because of what Christ has done on our behalf and we ask this in Jesus name amen amen please turn with me in your alter again to Psalm 22 c 22c as in Charlie and stand with me as we sing [Music] [Music] before my [Music] Breen his name will I confess come Praise Him the children of his prise with his and be GL the sorrow the Lord will he has from those [Music] who to their goodness where s his PR will and there will my [Music] be and S me shall live and praise the Lord to his mer they of all the Earth the na SE the Lord they worship with the king of K in Earth and heav Lord [Music] may I be seated please turn to Mark chapter 14 as we continue our morning scripture reading in the New Testament we'll pick up where we left off so we're starting in verse 32 of Mark chap 14 and we'll read through verse 50 this morning we are reading the account of the disciples and Jesus in The Garden of Gethsemane Mark 14:32 then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I pray and he took Peter James and John with him and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed then he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death stay here and watch he went a little further and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him and he said Abba Father all things are possible for you take this cup away from me nevertheless not what I will but what you will then he came and found them sleeping and said to Peter Simon are you sleeping could you not watch one hour Watch and Pray lest you enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing the flesh is weak again he went away and prayed and spoke the same words and when he returned he found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to answer him then he came the third time and said to them are you still sleeping and resting it is enough the hour has come behold the son of man is being betrayed into the hand of sinners rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand and immediately while he was still speaking Judas one of the twel with a great multitude with swords and clubs came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders now his betrayer had given them a signal saying whomever I kiss he is the one seize him and lead him away safely as soon as he had come immediately he went up to him and said to him Rabbi Rabbi and kissed him then they laid their hands on him and took him and one of those who stood by Drew his sword and struck the servant of a high priest and cut off his ear then Jesus answered and said to them have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to take me I was daily with you in the temple teaching and you did not seize me but the scriptures must be fulfilled then they all forsook him and fled let us pray gracious Father in Heaven what a scene that we see before us as we read these words we thank you for Christ's determination to carry out the plan to redeem a great multitude we know it was an agonizing thing to go through for him so that we could be spared Eternal Agony we thank you for what he did on our behalf and we thank you that his work was completely efficacious that every sinner for whom Christ died will be gathered in to glory and we look forward to that day when we will stand Before the Throne where the Lamb of God sits the lamb that was slain from the beginning of the world and we will celebrate with people from every tongue and tribe and Nation who have also been redeemed thank you for that glorious day and I pray even now we would have a taste of it here as we gather and as we worship and we ask this in Jesus name amen amen let's turn now to our final hymn which is 284 in the Himel hymn 284 you Servants of God your master Proclaim let us Stand Together [Music] we Ser of God your hasim and my shall his wonderful name the name all glorious on Jesus tful his kingom is for and R over all R and all Mighty to S and still he is time his presence we have the Great ration his trium shall singing salvation to Jesus our King salv to God who sits on the throne and all cry and the son the greatest of Jesus the angels fall down on their and worship [Music] L Lord and give him his all glory and power and and all and blessing with angels of God and never ceasing GL [Music] well please turn in your Bibles to John's gospel John chapter 17 our Focus this morning will just be verses four and five but I do want to read the entirety of the high Priestly prayer that's what we call this section in John's gospel after the upper room discourse Jesus prays remember the prayer probably well I know it didn't take as long as it's going to take for us to work our way through it so when Jesus speaks of the hour having come he is going to then be ushered into uh the passion specifically in terms of his suffering and death you see that in chapter 18 after he prays the high Priestly prayer when Jesus had spoken these words he went out with his disciples over the brook kedron where there was a garden so we move quickly or the history of Our Lord at this point is mov moving somewhat quickly as I said he takes this time to pray so I'll read 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 Also may glorify you as you have given him authority over All Flesh that he should give him uh 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 finished I have glorified you on the work on the earth I have finished the work which you have given me to do and now oh 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 receed 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 while they or 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 predition 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 all 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 loved 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 loved me may be in them and I in them amen well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for this beautiful day we thank you for the demonstration of your wisdom and your power and your goodness in the created order as well we acknowledge your your glory in the provid IAL order that you govern all your creatures and all their actions and on the Lord's Day in particular we remember you in your Redemptive work we thank you for the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his perfect life of obedience his death as a sacrifice and substitute in his resurrection again the third day and we pray now that the Holy Spirit would guide us as we consider these very solemn words prayed on this particular occasion prior to his arrest in Gethsemane forgive us now for for all of our sins and all unrighteousness cleanse Us in that precious blood of the Lamb cause us to live in light of the Gospel of our salvation and to always remember that when we do sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous and God for any and all who've come here this morning dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them by your spirit cause them to see their sin before a holy God and may they may they see in Christ that one in whom alone there is forgiveness the righteousness that that avails with you and we ask this in jesus' name amen well as I said this is a wonderful passage of scripture not just by way of example Jesus teaches instructs his disciples and then he prays that's a good model or a good example for preachers of the word we should pray that God's blessing would come upon that but when Jesus prays he prays first for himself that uh in verses 1:5 he then prays for the apostles in verses 6 to 19 and then he prays for all believers in verses 20 to 26 as I said it's been called the high Priestly prayer of Our Lord so last time we saw in this petition for himself the occasion notice in 171 Jesus spoke these words primarily The Upper Room chapters 13 to 16 and then he lifted up his eyes to heaven and he said father the hour has come now the hour refers to his death the hour refers to that that Main purpose for which the son of man came certainly Jesus came to set forth a good example and we'll look at that a little bit later the primary emphasis upon jesus' mission is that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world he didn't just come to show us how to live and how we ought to treat one another but no he came in order to fulfill all of God's law that was placed upon us with reference to how we should live and how we should deal with one another we don't do that because we sin in Adam we're dead and as a result of that actual transgressions proceed from our heart and what we find in scripture is that all of us all of our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked so we didn't just need a bit of an example from a really good man but we needed the perfect Obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ imputed to us and receed by faith alone we needed blood atonement for as the Apostle says in Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no remission if you're familiar with the old Covenant or the Old Testament you will see that that was the the yearly reminder of their sin and the necessity for atonement was on that day of atonement so Christ comes to save his people from their sins and as he's praying the hour has come upon him his death his resurrection his Ascension on high and his session at the right hand of the father now after the occasion we notice the content of his prayer he requests glory in verse one father the hour has come glorify your son that your son Also may glorify you now remember he's praying this as the God man he's praying this as the mediator he's not praying this according to his divinity as God he has prayed too as man he prays to God and so here he is speaking specifically in that context that the father glorified the son and then reciproc uh uh what's the word here in reciprocal nature yeah that word's too tough for me right now reciprocally reciprocally whatever whatever yeah thank you whatever they said back and forth one to another the glory of the son magnifies the father and we see that specifically purpose in the Triune God so Jesus is praying according to his ity and he requests glory and then he gives specific reasons why he should receive that glory and thus the father be glorified in him we noted last time the predestined mission of Christ in verses 2 and three notice as you have given him authority over All Flesh we know he's speaking according to his Humanity as the second person of the Triune God he always has Authority but he's speaking in that capacity as the mediator of the new Covenant wherein God the Father gave to the son all that Authority and he doesn't just have this comprehensive authority over every tribe and tongue and people and ntion but it has a specific focus on the salvation of the elect notice in verse two as you have given him authority over All Flesh that why does the father give authority to the son over All Flesh so that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him not to every single human being without exception but all men women boys and girls without distinction that the father had purpose to save just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world in love having predestined us unto adoption as Sons by Christ Jesus our lord Jesus speaks this language in John 6:37 he says all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will not cast out this is absolutely crucial because in John 6:44 he says no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him so if dead Sinners are to be saved it's not owing to the wisdom the Ingenuity the good works or the the the good decisions of those dead Sinners it's owing to God's grace The Riches of his grace and so Jesus acknowledges here at the outset of the hour that the father will be glorified in the son as a result the the son will glor uh uh the father will glorify the son and then he gives this statement in verse three this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God in Jesus Christ you whom you have sent it's the sum and substance of eternal life that's the essence of eternal life certainly Heaven's going to be glorious Gates of Pearl and and streets of gold and all the saints from every age gathered together before the lamb but the glory of Emmanuel's l and is Emmanuel himself and the essence of eternal life is the knowledge of the father and the son and the spirit is obviously included because wherever the father and the son are there the spirit is as well so now notice he moves from the predestined mission to the completed mission in verses four and five note what he says I have glorified you on the earth I have finished the work which you have given me to do and now oh Father glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was so he speaks here again with reference to the glory of the father but he speaks what we'll call proleptically that means that something is as good as done your wife might say I want you to mow the lawn tomorrow and you say it's as good as done well here Jesus is referring to the hour as having been fulfilled having been completed that's the emphasis there in verse 4 I have glorified you on the earth certainly his life and Ministry up to this point the signs and the Wonders that he had done the healing Miracles the raising of the Dead the saving of Sinners glorified the father but remember he's living now or he's speaking now in light of that hour and he sees that hour and he sees that it's accomplished so he's speaking proleptically he's also speaking coven entally the father gave to the son a certain number of persons the son Covenant Ed to come into this world to save those persons by his grace and for his glory he's speaking Covenant the specific Covenant we would refer to is the Covenant of R uh Redemption I would suggest as well he's speaking resolutely there's no sort of uh I'm I may possibly not go through with this I I I I may back out at the last moment if the the pain and the suffering is too much or or the increase is too much that then I I I I I leave that exit gate as an option no he doesn't speak that way I have glorified you on the earth in the prophet Isaiah in the third servant songs so our brother read was it the first or second was it 42 or 49 4 49 42 the first Servant Song of Isaiah then there's another one in 49 and then in chapter 50 and then in chapter 53 and the servant there is Jesus it's the Messiah we know that from lots of things going on in the prophet Isaiah but we know it as well from that meeting of Philip with the Ethiopian unit remember when Phillip happens upon in God's Sovereign Providence that Ethiopian unic and the Ethiopian unic is reading the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53 and Philip asks him a question asks him if he understands and he says how how would I unless somebody explains it and so the place where the the unic was reading was Isaiah 53 and so it says there that Philip preached Jesus to him and then in Isaiah 50 that third servant song listen to the resoluteness of the Messiah that is to come for the Lord God will help me therefore I will not be disgraced therefore I have set my face like a flint and I know that I will not be ashamed so prophetically the mouth of our blessed savior speaking through the prophet Isaiah all through the prophets everywhere all through the Psalms of David he speaks concerning his mission he's not going to shrink back he's not going to deny he's not going to go not go through with it he speaks resolutely uh Luke 9 when he's when he when it's time to depart to Jerusalem it says it came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem he steadfastly he set his face like a flint he's not shrinking back he will not be prevailed upon even by Simon Peter Matthew chap 16 the Lord announces that he's going to go to Jerusalem he must be tried he must be found guilty he must be crucified and Simon Peter tries to forbid it and prohibit him and so Jesus rebukes him and says Get Behind Me Satan you're not setting your mind upon God's things you're rather setting them on man's things Jesus announces that again in Matthew 17 he announces it again in Matthew chapter 20 and then the several references to the hour in John's gospel indicates to us that he's Resolute and I think that's encouraging the reality that Jesus came into this world not to be frustrated not to be thwarted not to be stopped but to conquer to give his life a ransom for many to bring that forgiveness of sins that you and I desperately need and to give us that righteous robe that that that we desperately need so that we can stand in the presence of God Almighty he didn't haphazardly kind of obey in order to accomplish this he was Resolute he was determined every step of the way he lived in light of that hour and that's what John is telling us as we get this window into the the the the high Priestly prayer of our Lord and I would say he spoke comprehensively I have glorified you on the earth as I mentioned earlier in his public Ministry in his raising of the dead in his feeding of the the the thousands in in all that he did it had glorified the father up to this point but here he is speaking Beyond his life to the death to the resurrection to the Ascension and to the session I have glorified you my Ministry has been blessed I have fulfilled all that was given to me Matthew P says God could not be glorified by Christ so look at the language I have glorified you on the earth listen to what P says there's a lot of theology In this passage going to lean on P and Gil and maybe another one or two along the way but he says God could not be glorified by Christ by the addition of anything to his essential Glory the theologian of old and hopefully the ones of new make that distinction between the essential glory of God and the declarative or demonstr uh demonstrable glory of God when Paul says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ that means to speak well of God it doesn't mean to add anything to God so what Paul is saying is that Jesus life death Resurrection Ascension and session don't make God more glorious essentially God is glorious there's no increase there's no diminishment there's no uh addition or subtraction we don't make God more glorious and I think that P is on the right path here he's not suggesting that through the work of the Savior through the work of the son that the father gets more glorious no the son's work Reve reveals more of that glory to us it is a manifestation it is a demonstration it is evidenced God could not be glorified by Christ by the addition of anything to his essential Glory only by manifesting to the world his father's goodness Justice Mercy truth wisdom and other of his attributes all attributes which are manifested in the Life Death and resurrection of the Blessed son but but then notice what Jesus goes on to say after he says in verse 4A I have glorified you on the earth he then says I have finished the work which you have given me to do I have finished the work which you have given me to do what's that work hopefully everybody right now is thinking in their head Life Death Resurrection uh Ascension session I have finished the work which you have given me to do now specific Al I think the context or rather the reference is to his Earthly Ministry and here we see something of what we call in theology the active Obedience of Jesus Christ some in the history of the church and probably today in a Pulpit somewhat similar to ours at least in construction I don't know this a pretty nice Pulpit but um somebody's preaching that in Jesus there is forgiveness to be had we preach that too you believe that the psalmist said if thou Lord should Mark iniquities oh Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared that day of atonement when that high priest laid his hands upon that scapegoat and he confessed the transgressions of Israel and then sent it out into the Wilderness it was a blessed blessed picture type and prefigurement of what we have in our lord Jesus but the Forgiveness of sins is one part of the doctrine of justification it's not only forgiveness that we have in the gospel but it's also a righteousness that we have in the gospel remember Paul in Romans 1 he says I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek and then he says for in it the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed that doesn't just mean the Perfection of God's rightness but it means in comparison with other texts with reference to this theme the righteousness that God demands and the righteousness that God supplies so he opens his Declaration of the great gospel there in Romans chapter 1 on that note so we call The Obedience of our Lord Jesus in his Earthly life the active Obedience of Our Lord so notice again in verse four I have finished the work which you have given me to do Jesus was an example when we get back to Philippians 2: 5-1 there is great great christology there in the context of the exhortation in verses 1 to 4 about being humble about being unified about being loving have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus so the Life of Christ is certainly an example Peter invokes it that way in 1 Peter chap 2 as well suffer the way that Jesus did but that's not the only part of it and in fact we ought not to miss the most significant part of it which is his active obedience under the law Jesus was not only our substitute on the cross he was our substitute in that 33 years of blessed obedience to the father we need righteousness we need forgiveness but we also need righteous and Jesus is amplifying that thought here for us turn back to John's gospel CH 4 just to see an emphasis on the active Obedience of Our Lord just by way of it being fulfilled or being done and then we'll look at a bit of Theology and some other passages to show the significance behind it notice in John 4:34 my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to to finish his work Brethren again don't misunderstand me that should exemplify the way that we live our food should be to obey God but let's just be honest it's not and not and and that's why it was for Jesus now I'm saying we should get better it's God's people be better you know everybody loves that phrase they love to hear that be better you're going to hear that this morning be better uh but but with reference to Jesus he he actually did it my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work notice in 530 John 5:30 again the fact that Jesus does what the father sent him to do I can of myself do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me notice in John 6 at verse 38 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 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 look at 829 829 all the way through John's gospel we've been in it for a bit we've seen Jesus obedience to the father here in 174 in the high Priestly prayer he says I I have have fulfilled the work we shouldn't be surprised in 174 because we've seen him fulfilling that work every step of the way notice specifically in John 8 at verse 29 he says and he who sent me is with me the father has not left me alone for I always do those things that please him we needed that because we didn't always do what pleased him it's the Forgiveness of sins that we have in that Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world but it's that robe of righteousness laid upon us such that we're fit to enter in to God's presence it's the glory of the Gospel justification by faith alone and hopefully right now you're saying we hear this a lot Brethren I'm of a Martin Luther I preach justification by faith alone every Sunday because people forget it by every Sunday it is something that we have to keep fresh in our minds it is the doing and the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ he was delivered up for our offenses he was raised for our justification so we have the accomplishment of the act of obedience of our savior note the theology in Romans chapter 3 Romans chapter 3 Romans 3 is a contrast 3:21 with 118 118 begins with the wrath of God revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth truth and unrighteousness and then Paul goes on to condemn the Gentiles and he goes on to condemn the Jews and he comes to bring that to conclusion in chapter 3: 1 to 19 by saying all men everywhere are under the just and and and uh just condemnation of a holy God and then in verse 21 he shifts directions he says but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed again Brethren it's not the Perfection or the attribute of God's rightness but it's how God not only is righteous but supplies a righteousness to needy Sinners so that God can be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus that's Paul's Point here before Paul gets into the beauty of justification by faith for The Sinner Romans 4 end of Romans 3 and into Romans 4 he first says how this vindicates demonstrates and glorifies God God's justice and his righteousness they're not compromised in the gospel they're upheld in the gospel notice again in 3:21 but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets in other words this isn't some brand new thing when he gets to proving it he goes to David he goes to Abraham it's witnessed in the law and the prophets even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus notice in 518 518 again we've got the AC of obedience of Jesus spoken of as fulfilled and completed in John 17:4 we see the Theology of active obedience applied to the elect in the New Testament Epistles notice in 5:18 therefore as through one man's offense judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life in Adam all die in Christ all shall be made alive God deals with man on the or or through the framework of the first Adam or the last Adam notice in verse 19 for as by one man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous better constituted or reckoned righteous it's the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the elect forgiveness of sins we associate that with what we call passive obedience to the law but we have this imputed righteous in some or metaphor form we're cleansed in his blood clothed in his righteousness notice in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 2 Corinthians chapter 5 this is a necessary emphasis Brethren I know you hear it a lot but it something you need to hear a lot we don't compromise on this aspect of the imputation of Christ's Act of obedience it is crucial that we get this forgiveness and righteousness in justification by faith notice in 2 Corinthians 5:21 for he made him Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him and then one final text not the final text there's other text but notice in Philippians 3:9 Philippians 3:9 he speaks concerning gaining Christ that's what he says at the end of verse 8 he says and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is from the law but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness which is from God by faith so the Theology of Christ's words here in the high Priestly prayer works out in this way through his Bloodshed you have forgiveness through his life lived you have righteousness in other words you have everything in Jesus Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 13-31 he is our our our the wisdom of God is our righteousness our our sanctification our Redemption all that a sinner needs is to be found in Christ and for us as Sinners saved by grace hopefully this is a time to Muse and reflect and say man praise God that Jesus in this High Priestly prayer was able to glorify the father and fulfill the work of all that the father had given to him but if you're not a Believer realize that Jesus is a real Savior for real Sinners he doesn't get frustrated do doesn't get thwarted he doesn't get stopped he does say and make sure we understand this in John 6:37 all that the father gives me will come to me and then he goes on to say the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out so there might be especially depending on your church background as you're represented here well how do I know I've been given to the father how do I know that I'm elect how do I know that I've been chosen in him before the foundation of the world other words you feel like you have have to sort of square that edge before you'll believe the gospel may may I just suggest believe the gospel let God deal with the sovereignty issues let let God deal with all that the father has given will come just listen to the will come or or or or and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out in other words he is a real Savior for real Sinners there's everything in Christ The Song of Solomon describes them as is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 he's the one that's described by the Bride In The Song of Solomon in such a way that the daughters of Jerusalem say where is your beloved that we may find him too in other words he is everything and so when he speaks here concerning his hour and he says I have finished the work which you have given me to do the Blessed reality is is that our confession of faith is not making this up when it speaks of what salvation or or justification by faith is not it then goes on to say but by imputing Christ's active obedience under the whole law and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith which Faith they have not of themselves it is the gift of God it is Most Blessed most wondrous what we have in justification by faith now notice in our text Jesus continues and speaks once again of the glory of the son he does that in verse 5 moves from glory of the father in terms of completion the finishing of the work and then in verse 5 and now oh Father glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was now there is an incorrect incorrect interpretation of this passage and it kind of goes like this Christ had Glory Christ gave up glory and now Christ wants glory back that's in correct Christ had Glory Christ gave up glory and now Christ wants glory back the the the word is kosis okay we'll get to this in Philippians 2 which I had hope to be tonight but it's not going to be tonight but in in Philippians chapter 2 in the ESV for instance it says and he emptied himself the King James tradition has he made himself of no reputation which is a good inter interpretation I I'm going to suggest you can use emptied himself as long as you Nuance it and share it or explain it properly but kosis is basically the Greek word for empty oneself it's become a theory or a Doctrine where Christ got rid of or divested himself or put out of view completely his divinity and hence his glory and so the idea is say is that he had Glory he gave up glory and he's now praying for Glory to return to him in verse 5 I don't think that's correct remember the the whole emphasis in the section is that Jesus is praying according to his Humanity as God he is prayed unto as man he prays to God and so what Jesus is not doing here is evidencing or demonstrating that he was Glory lless at any time time in his work of mediation in fact turn back to John 1 just to show that this is incorrect that he had Divinity gave up Divinity and the glory associated with it and then now there's a modified kosis those who say that he gave up the glory uh probably don't mean I hope they don't mean that he gave up the Divinity as well I'm sure there are those out there but notice in John 1:14 and it's speaking of the mediate mediatorial Office of the word and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth look at 211 211 just to show that he didn't have Glory give it up totally and entirely and now asks for it back in verse 5 of chapter 17 2 11 this beginning of signs Jesus did in canaa of Galilee and manifested His glory and his disciples believed in him look at 12:41 12:41 12:41 in terms of Isaiah these things Isaiah said when he saw his glory and spoke of him probably not the best example because that's a bit of a tricky one to explain but look in the context of the the high Priestly prayer in 1722 17:22 and the glory which you have you gave me I have given them that they may be one just as we are one so the idea that Christ was completely devoid of Glory is not correct he had Glory the word became flesh dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth the idea however is that it's associated with his work as Redeemer his work as mediator just like in verse two when it says that the father has given the son authority over All Flesh that cannot speak to Christ concerning his divinity because he always had authority over All Flesh and even in verse 5 the glory that is restored or given or upt it's not according to his divinity Christ as God is never devoid of a of a drop of Glory but Christ as God man Christ as mediator of the New Covenant Christ at the brink of the hour that he is going to fulfill that he's going to accomplish the the the work that the father sent him to do being completed glorify me as the God man glorify me as the mediator glorify me on the condition of me having fulfilled all that was laid upon me with reference to the Covenant of redemption it's obviously not a had Glory no glory wants glory back had Glory continued to have glory and says with reference to the glory based upon the hour the glory of the god man who has fulfilled everything that the father had given him to do it's the glorification of Christ as mediator it's the glorification of Christ as Redeemer it's the glorification of Christ as triumphant Lord remember in John 16:33 he says in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I I've overcome the world he's not speaking there according to his divinity as God he's always overcome the world but he speaking there as triumphant Lord as successful servant as the one whom the prophets had spoken as the one who is the Y and amen of all the promises of God and on that he says glorify you your son glorify me with that Glory which I had with you before the world was Gil this is a bit of a lengthy uh quote but I think he gets it I'm sure he'd love to hear my affirmation that he got it I mean this guy forgot more theology than I'll ever know his footnotes show a breadth of reading that is amazing I doubt he ever slept um I don't know maybe was the chocolate that he ate didn't he eat chocolate for breakfast maybe that energized him and empowered him such that he could read old you know rabbis and the history of the church and he was a he was a machine he was a machine but he says nor is the glory of the divine nature abstractly consider here meant he says this Glory indeed Christ had from Everlasting so think back with me to John 1:1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God Christ had Glory as the word who was with God and who was God what is being commented on is the John 1114 reality the word became flesh how do we deal with that well the history of the church has shown us how we deal with that and thankfully have given us some good strategies or tips or tactics we call those in theology hermeneutics to deal with it in fact 2025 is the 1700e anniversary of the Council of NAA you're probably going to see lots of books this year on NAA uh articles on NAA and that that's good in fact Grant just recently had one on NAA everybody's celebrating why cuz NAA made up the doctrine of the Trinity no no no no no they articulated what the Bible teaches concerning the doctrine of the Trinity so Gil says this Glory Christ had from Everlasting he had it with the with his father in common with him being in Union to him and it is true that it was in some measure veiled and covered in his state of humiliation nobody's arguing that nobody says well you know he didn't just walk around glowing like a light bul of course not the the Incarnation itself was a veil right he he he walked Among Us he ate he drank he he he he suffered he died he bled yeah the glory of the the the unchanging God was veiled again that's not the issue as long as you're careful and you Nuance you can talk about veiling you can talk about even hiding it's hid through the the Incarnation the Assumption of our flesh so he says it is true that it was in some measure veiled and covered in a state of humiliation for though there were some breakings forth of it in that state think Mount trans uh the Mount of transfiguration remember that this wonderful glorious sort of vision or or reality of Christ and His glory but that wasn't the norm we we look at the Mount of transfiguration as a unique event because he didn't walk down the streets in in Israel shining as a light no the prophet tells us he has no form no cess there's nothing in him that would attract attct us to him it wasn't that he had you know all these things he says these were seen but by a few wherefore he is sought by some to pray here for the manifestation of this Glory he says but this Glory was essential to him as God it was essential to him that's not how he's praying in 175 he's praying as the mediator he says it was his natural right and not to be prayed for and which he then had as much as ever and of which there could be no suspension glory in the Divine like love in the Divine like righteousness in the Divine like justice in the Divine we could do this for a while all the Perfections of God they don't get turned on and off they don't increase or diminish God is his Perfections all that is in God is God there's no variation there's no turning there's no uh uh mutability no all that is in God is God all the time and Christ as God the son was true of him he says but this designs the glory of him as God man and mediator he was not only predestinated to be a mediator but was really set up as such from Everlasting and had a me mediatorial fullness of Grace put into his hands and had the honor and Glory of that office given unto him by the other two persons and now that he might appear to be what he was to be made that is made manifest that he was both Lord and Christ he he praise which was to be done upon his Ascension to heaven and session at the right hand of God by the pouring down of the Holy Ghost it's an obvious reference to Acts 2 therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this uh Jesus both Lord and Christ it is for that as the mediator one other quote from Matthew P it's a bit shorter might stretch the mind at least in One Direction but it needs to be stretched in that direction let the glory which as to my divine nature I had with thee before the foundation of the world be communicated also to my human nature that my whole person may be made glorious from hence is easily concluded against those who deny the god head of Christ that Christ was glorified with his father before the world was which he could not have been if he had not been Eternal God he here begs of his father that that Glory might shine upon his person as mediator that's the point not Glory no glory want Glory back but Glory like I had with you before the foundation of the world that is particular with reference to my office as mediator as the successful God man and by successful I don't mean like a businessman success successful having glorified the father having fulfilled the work having completed the mission glorify me and that is precisely what happens on the day of Pentecost should happen every single day in our hearts it should happen every Lord's day as we sing together we reflect on the doing and the dying and the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ and it causes us to ascribe glory to him which then glorifies the father and the spirit because God most high is worthy well in conclusion we have the reciprocal glory of the Triune God it's so clear father glorify your son that your son may also glorify you how does the son do that through the hour his life death Resurrection Ascension and session we have the re reciprocal glory of the Trinity we have the me mediatorial Office of the son listen to sirel he says this Glory runs from the father to the son and back from the son to the father it's beautiful they're not at odds they're not in competition there's not you know jockeying amongst the persons of the Trinity the glory of the father is the glory of the Son and the spirit the glory of the son is the glory of the father and the spirit the glory of the spirit is the glory of the father and the son you you get that in this Divine and infinite being there are three subsisten one God in terms of essence or substance three in terms of person how do we distinguish those persons it must be by subjection it must by must be by obedience no it's by what's called Eternal relations of origin the father is unbegotten the son is begotten by the father and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son that's the way we distinguish it's the way NAA taught and that's the way the uh 16th centur or 17th century confessions picked up on it in this Divine and infinite being in terms of substance or Essence one but in terms of person or subsistence three what distinguishes those three I I bet it wouldn't surprise you that some people suggest that it's the subjection of the son of the father that that distinguishes that they do they do do that that that's been common place for for probably 2,000 years uh it's come with avengeance in our own generation it's called Eternal functional subordination of the son or Eternal relation uh relations of authority these are wrong you won't find the church fathers distinguishing the son from the father in terms of theology in terms of who God is in himself with subjection or with authority that that they don't do that why don't they do that because the Bible doesn't do that with reference to the distinction it is unbegotten begotten and procession from the father and the son that's how we distinguish the persons and I would suggest as well we note consubstantiality the one substan of the three persons but in terms of just the Practical emphasis in our passage and I want to close here let us not forget what Jesus says in verse three you're probably going to say oh he's going to tell me to read my Bible and pray yeah read your Bible and pray but notice in verse three this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent I sufficiently hit that nail with the hammer last week about read your Bible and pray sought to you know inform Our Lives as Christians the essence of eternal life is the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom you uh whom you have sent then what we ought to be or what should we be about as Christians in pursuit of that knowledge the understanding of who God is understanding the Trinity understanding now when I say understanding obviously through revelation we won't ever understand the way God knows himself but I just want to end with this emphasis to any that may not be Believers here this morning a day like this teaches you a lot about God it teaches you a lot about God you you you may not reflect upon that you may not say well that Sunshine's really teaching me a lot about God but according to the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1 the creation itself teaches Sinners a lot about God it it teaches something of his eternal power it teaches something of his godhead and it teaches something of the fact that it's righteous with him to punish Sinners so so in the created order you get lots of knowledge about God if you stumbled on a Bible and you read the law of Moses mes you'd learn a lot more about God you learn he's just you'd learn that he's righteous you would learn the attributes or Perfections that are clearly revealed in the the Old Testament but it's the knowledge of Jesus and that's why Moses's writing is to point us to Jesus but it's the knowledge of Jesus no not what he says this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and and who says and and puts them in the same sentence as God the Father could you do that could I do that you turn to the Book of Revelation and where's the lamb sitting on the throne how can that possibly be because the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us that word that was in the beginning that word that was with God and that word that was God John 173 not only emphasizes for the believer to pursue the knowledge of God because that is the essence of life uh of eternal life but it calls to the unbeliever to come to the Lord Jesus Christ there's no saving knowledge of the true God apart from the one sent creation doesn't tell you about blood atonement or the active obedience the law of Moses died but by way of Shadow by way of prefigurement by way of type the gospel teaches us that it's through faith in Jesus that we're saved that they may Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent sirel says that is because the only way one can attain perfect knowledge of the father is if the knowledge of his offspring son that is the son comes along with it and is intimately connected to it it's not just vague Notions that there's a deity out there but it's the knowledge of God the father and God the son it's the knowledge redemptively that Christ came into this world Sinners to save it's the knowledge that Christ shows forth in John's gospel if you have seen the father or if you've seen me you've seen the father I am the way the truth the life no one comes to the father except through me so while this text calls Believers to study more it calls unbelievers to look to Jesus and be saved to believe on that one who has come to reveal the father and this completely kind of finishes or or brings to full circle that John 1:18 emphasis no one has seen God at any time the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father has what he has declared him he has demonstrated him he has manifested him so if you are dead in your trespasses and sins if you know in your heart of hearts you are a transgressor that you are Lawless that you are a rebel sinner that you are part of that Confederacy that raises its fist at God I'm going to encourage you to believe on the one in whom alone there is forgiveness and there is a righteousness that comes that clothes and that prepares you to enter in to the presence of God most high because this is eternal life that they may Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for what Jesus prays In this passage concerning himself and what we learn and what a glorious savior we have who assumed our Humanity with all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin that he lived for us that he died for us that that he was raised again for us and we have that great promise in John 14 that he will come again in glory to receive us unto those Mansions prepared we bless you we praise you we ask for your grace to be upon Saints and Sinners in this place cause us to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior cause Sinners to look unto him and to be saved and we ask this in Jesus name amen will you can stand with me as we sing or conclude our service by singing the doxology page 568 568 we'll stand as we sing [Music] together all blesss prise him all Crees [Music] Praise Him PR Son and Holy [Music] Ghost the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation [Music] s for