Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 50:4-11

[This is the third of four Servant Songs, which anticipate the Messiah… This song focuses on the servant as a rejected prophet. (ESV Study Bible)]

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up. Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.” (Isaiah 50:4–11, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 18:12-27

“So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, ‘You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, ‘I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.’ When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, ‘Is that how you answer the high priest?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?’ Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, ‘You also are not one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.” (John 18:12–27, ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, ESV)

Introduction

Today is Palm Sunday, isn’t it? On it we mark the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This Friday is Good Friday. It is on that day that we remember the death of our Lord. And next Sunday is resurrection Sunday. On it we remember the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Put it all together and we have, what some call, a holy week. I am not opposed to giving attention to these days. And I am not even opposed to calling this week a “holy week”. But we should take care to remember that, according to the scriptures, it is not a holy week that we are to observe, but a holy day, also known as the Lord’s Day, or the Christian Sabbath. And is not once per year that we are to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, but weekly as we gather together in fellowship and give ourselves to the word, to prayers, to singing, and to the breaking of the bread. These are the things that Lord has ordained.

This is why I do not feel obligated to preach a traditional Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday sermon every year. The culture expects it, I know. But it is not mandated by scripture. And notice that where we are in our study of the gospel of John makes it difficult to preach a Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday message. The problem is that we are very near to each one of these events in John’s gospel, but we are not completely aligned. Jesus’ triumphal entry was communicated to us in John 12:12. From there we have encountered Jesus’ interaction, primarily with his disciples, in the week leading up to his crucifixion. He will be crucified in chapter 19, and we will hear of his resurrection in chapter 20. And so we are in the thick of it, aren’t we? And yet things are not perfectly aligned. If we were in, let’s say, chapter 5, I might consider breaking from John to preach three sermons on the events that transpired in the week of Jesus’ suffering. But because we are in the thick of it, I have decided to simply press on through John’s gospel.

In chapter 18 we encounter Jesus on the way to the cross. I suppose it could be said that Jesus was always on the way to the cross. The cross was always his goal. He came to die for those given to him by the Father from all the world. This we know well. But it is here in John 18 that things accelerate. He is not walking to the cross, but being dragged to it. At least that it how it looks from a human perspective. We know that he was not in fact dragged to the cross. He went willingly in full submission to the will of the Father. The point is that things progress quickly from here. Jesus will be in the grave less than 24 hours from the events narrated in John 18.

And what can we say about Jesus’ journey to the cross? Three observations seem import to me.

Jesus’ Journey to the Cross was Difficult

First of all, it should be acknowledge that Jesus’ journey the cross was difficult. This might seem so obvious that it is hardly worth saying, but I think it is good that we consider carefully the difficulty of Jesus’ journey.

I suppose it can be said that the whole of Jesus’ life was difficult. He was born in poverty. He was constantly opposed. Members of his own family did not at first believe in him. He was often a man on the run. The whole of Jesus’ life was characterized by difficulty. But here I wish to emphasize that Jesus’ final journey to the cross was exceptionally difficult.

We speak often of the fact that Jesus came to die for sinners. But notice that the death he died was not, what we would call, a natural death. He did not die of natural causes. He did not grow old for us. He did not succumb to illness for us. His life was not ended by way of, what we would call, an accident. No, he was put to death by sinful men.

There is a great deal of irony in John 18 and 19, and it is good that we recognize it.

Isn’t it ironic, for example, that it is was the Jews who pushed for the crucifixion of Christ? Later we will see that it was the Romans who carried it out. The Romans were certainly involved in the false trial, mistreatment, and the unjust killing of Jesus. In the end we must admit that all of humanity is represented here. Jew and gentile alike were involved in the killing of the Christ. But it was the Jewish people who pushed for it. And it is ironic, for Jesus was their Messiah. Of course he is the Savior of all people. Salvation is found in him, and in him alone. But he was the Messiah that the Jews had long been looking for. He came, and they put him to death.

John began his Gospel by making note of this irony. John 1:9 says, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (John 1:9–12, ESV)

As we consider Jesus’ journey to the cross – the false trial, the brutality, the crucifixion itself – we should be struck by the irony. Here is Jesus, the eternal Word of God come in the flesh, the one through whom and for whom the universe was made, the giver and sustainer of life. He comes to man, not to judge, mind you, but to accomplish salvation. And what does man do with him? Their natural impulse is to kill him. Oh, how dark we are apart from the grace of God!

Isn’t it also ironic that it was the high priest who condemned Jesus to death? Jesus was first brought before Annas. Verse 13 says, “….for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.” (John 18:13, ESV) Annas was actually the high priest before Caiaphas was. Some passages in the New Testament suggest that both Annas and Caiaphas were high priest at the same time (see Luke 3:2 and Acts 4:6). The reason for this is that Annas was high priest first and then Caiaphas, but Annas was still called by that title, though he no longer officially held the position. Why Jesus was first sent to Annas we do not know for sure. But the point is that Jesus stood before the man who had been high priest and who was still honored as such. From there he was sent to stand before Caiaphas who was in fact the high priest.

We should pause for a moment to think about the significance of the high priestly office. Why did that office exist? What role did the hight priest play within Old Covenant Israel?

Much could be said about this. For now I would simply draw your attention to the fact that the high priest was to serve as a kind of mediator between God and man. The high priest was to pray to God on behalf of the people, and to offer up sacrifices to God for the people. It was the high priest who would go once a year into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for his sins and for the sins of the people. And the thing to remember and not forget is that the priesthood of the Old Covenant was temporary and typological. By temporary I mean that the priesthood would continue in it’s Old Covenant form only until the high priest would come. And who is that high priest? He is Christ Jesus our Lord! By typological I mean that the priesthood, along with the sacrifices that they administered, were intended to serve as types, shadows, pictures, or symbols, which pointed forward to the priest who would make the sacrifice which would actually, really, and fully atone for sins. Again, this is Christ Jesus our Lord.

Listen to the book of Hebrews in 3:1: “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.” (Hebrews 3:1–2, ESV) Listen to 4:14: “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14–15, ESV) If I had the time I would read to you Hebrews chapter 5 on through to the end of chapter 13, for that is theme! Jesus is the true high priest who has made true atonement for sins! Listen to Hebrews 9:11-12, and then we will move on.“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11–12, ESV)

So picture Caiaphas the high priest of Israel and Jesus standing before him. Don’t you find it ironic that, though the office he held was intended to serve as a kind of placeholder until the true high priest would come – and though the work he did was packed with typological and symbolic significance which pointed forward to the true lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world – when the true high priest, who is also the true lamb of God, stood before him, he did not recognize him. Caiaphas didn’t get it. Not even close. He was arrogant, unjust, and ignorant. He was ignorant as to the true significance of the position he held. He was ignorant as to the significance of the man who stood before him. And he was ignorant as to the significance of the moment.

And so how did Caiaphas handle Jesus? It’s interesting that John does not provide us with as much detail as Matthew does concerning Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas. John simply reminds us of something that had been mentioned earlier in his Gospel, namely that “it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.” (John 18:14, ESV)

This is to remind us of what was said in John 11. Remember that at this point people were taking notice of Jesus because of the signs he was preforming. The religious authorities were troubled by this, so they gather together to discuss how to deal with Jesus. Their fear was that, “If [they] let him go on like this, everyone [would] believe in him, and the Romans [would] come and take away both [their] place and [their] nation.” (John 11:48, ESV) We were told that “one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”” (John 11:49–50, ESV) In other words, it is better that we put this Jesus to death rather than risk the Romans growing upset with us and coming down hard on the nation. How did John interpret these words of Caiaphas? He tells us in 11:51 saying, “[Caiaphas] did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.” (John 11:51–53, ESV)

So here is the irony. Caiaphas was high priest. One of his responsibilities was to offer up sacrifices to God on behalf of the people for the forgiveness of sins. This he in fact did. He offered up Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins, not only of the Jews, but of all the peoples of the earth. He did so in ignorance and in sin. But he did it according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

Jesus’ journey was a difficult one, that is the point. He was falsely accused, falsely tried, and mistreated. By the way, can you imagine being the guy who slapped Jesus when he answered back to Caiaphas? Imagine being that guy! He slapped Jesus! And for what? Jesus simply replied to Caiaphas’ questions about his teaching saying, “‘I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.’ When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, ‘Is that how you answer the high priest?’” (John 18:20–22, ESV) How blind these men were to the reality of things.

Jesus’ journey to the cross was indeed a difficult one. We tend to emphasize the physical suffering he endured (and it is true that he suffered in the flesh) but consider the emotional, the psychological, the spiritual aspect of all this. Think of the humility, the restraint, the submission to the Father that Jesus maintained in order to accomplish the Father’s will. He suffered for you and me and for all who believe. Thanks be to God.

Jesus’ Journey to the Cross was Lonely

Consider also the loneliness of Jesus’ journey. His journey to the cross was a lonely one.

Here I wish only to emphasize the fact that Jesus walked this difficult road alone.

Judas had already betrayed him. This we have seen.

And where are the majority of the eleven who remained? Most of them have all scattered, haven’t they? What Jesus predicted came true. He said to them in John 16:32, “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.” (John 16:32, ESV) This is what happened.

Notice that Peter followed Jesus. I suppose he should be commended for this. He did have the courage to follow Jesus. But do you remember the conversation that Jesus had with Peter in the upper room after he washed the disciples feet? “Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’” (John 13:36–37, ESV) Peter claimed to be willing to follow Jesus to the point of death. And his actions revealed that he was serious about that. What did he do when Judas let that band of soldiers into the garden? He drew his sword and started swinging! He displayed courage, did he not? But it was an ignorant courage – a misguided courage. He insisted on walking the road with Jesus when Jesus had already made it clear that he could not. When Jesus was dragged before Annas and Caiaphas, Peter was there. This was risky, wasn’t it? He was putting his life at risk. He was courageous. But again, it was an ignorant courage.

Evidently Peter was still struggling to understand Christ’s mission, wouldn’t you agree? He could not, at this time, understand the way of the cross. He could not comprehend that victory would come to Jesus by way of suffering and death.

He walk with Jesus for a while, didn’t he? But eventually he hit a will. Peter, being questioned three times, denied our Lord three times. This was to fulfill what Christ had predicted. In John 13 “Jesus answered [Peter], ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.’” (John 13:38, ESV) This is what happened.

I’d like to show you something interesting about the story of Peter’s denial in John 18, if you are willing to listen. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell the story of Peter’s denial. But, as is often the case, they provide more detail than does John. They tell us more about what was asked of Peter by his accusers. They also tell us more about what Peter said when he denied Jesus. Mark, in particular,  suggests that Peter grew more and more adamant in his denial with each question asked to the point of “[invoking] a curse on himself [saying], ‘I do not know this man of whom you speak.’” (Mark 14:71, ESV)

But what does John emphasize? How does he portray Jesus’ denial? He tells us that Peter denied  Christ three times with the simple words, “I am not”. Verse 17: “The servant girl at the door said to Peter, ‘You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’” (John 18:17, ESV) Verse 25, “Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself…” (By the way, notice the repetition of this theme. Twice it is mentioned that Peter was warming himself by the fire. This may suggest that Peter was concerned about his own comfort in contrast to Christ’s selfless suffering. But it might also be an allusion to the Isaiah 50 passage that I read at the beginning, especially verse 11. I’ll leave that to you to ponder) But as they stood around the fire “they said to [Peter], ‘You also are not one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’” (John 18:25, ESV) This happened a third time, and then the roster crowed.

So why is it significant that John’s simply uses the words “I am not” to describe Peter’s denial of Jesus, whereas the other Gospels tell us more? Think with me for a moment. How has Jesus identified himself throughout the Gospel of John? Has he not consistently referred to himself by the words “I am”? “I am the door”; “I am the bread of life”. “I am the light of the world”. “Before Abraham was, I am”, and so on. And even in the immediate context we see that when Judas and the soldiers came to find Jesus in the garden and said that it was Jesus of Nazareth that they were seeking, how did he respond except with the words “I am”? In the english it is “I am he”, but in the greek it is simply ἐγώ εἰμι – “I am”.

So that is the pattern in John. Jesus consistently reveals himself as the “I am”. Clearly this alludes to the divine name given to Moses at the burning bush, but it also communicates that Jesus is the one. He is the anointed one, the long awaited Messiah. He alone is the one who can atone for sins.

Tell me this, church. How has Peter been acting up to this point? He has been acting as if he is. He has been acting as if he could contribute to Christ’s work – as if he could walk with Christ, and even die with Christ. He at first would not let Jesus wash his feet. He claimed to be willing to die with Jesus. He drew his sword and began to fight. And he followed Jesus to Caiaphas’ headquarters. Courages? Indeed! But oh so misguided.

It is here that Peter finally comes to an end of himself. His flesh could take him so far, but he could go no further. He finally admits “I am not.”

Jesus’ Journey to the Cross was Necessary

Brothers and sisters, Jesus’ journey to the cross was indeed difficult and lonely (he was abandoned by men, but the Father was with him), but it was necessary. Only he could make the journey. Only he could walk that road and drink the cup that the Father had given him to drink. He was uniquely called, uniquely anointed, and uniquely qualified to suffer and die and rise again on the third day for your sins and mine, and for all who trust in him in every age, and in every place.

There is one other figure in this passage that we have not talked about yet and we should do so briefly before we conclude. Look at verse 15. It says, “Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest…” (John 18:15, ESV) Who do you think this other disciples is? Certainly this is John! He never names himself in his Gospel, but he appears in the narrative from time to time. Here he is called “another disciple”. In John 20 he is called “the other disciple”. He is the one who outruns Peter to the tomb. In John 21 he is “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. He is always appearing anonymously and as a kind of contrast to Peter.

Why? It seems to me that John, though he, like Peter, was willing to follow Jesus (he did not deny like Judas nor run away like the other nine) he followed in the right way. He followed, not in an attempt to rescue Jesus, and not in an attempt add anything to the work of Christ, as if that were possible. No, he simply followed and observed. He watched Jesus do the work that only Jesus could do. John, unlike Peter at this point in his life, was willing to be served by Jesus. He was willing to be loved by Jesus. That was his boast! Not that he loved Jesus, but that Jesus loved him, and gave himself up for him through his death on the cross.

 Conclusion

This seems to me to be the most crucial question of all. Will you have Jesus as your crucified Lord? Will you allow Jesus to serve you? Will you confess that you are needy – not able to add a thing to the work of Christ, but only able to receive that which he has graciously provided for you through his death, burial, and resurrection?

This is how we must come to Christ. We must repent and believe upon Jesus. We must come to terms with our need and cast ourselves complexly at the feet of Jesus, trusting in him alone for the forgiveness of sins. And brothers and sisters, this is what we must do throughout the Christian life in every circumstance. We must confess our need – confess our brokenness – and run to Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 2:4-9,15-17

“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… [Verse 15] The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:4-9,15-17, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 18:1-12

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’ Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, ‘Whom do you seek?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.’ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: ‘Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.’ Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?’ So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.” (John 18:1–12, ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, ESV)

Introduction

Whenever I read of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (I know it is not called Gethsemane here in John, but that is what it is) I cannot help but to think also of the first garden, and of the first man who was placed there. In my mind I begin to compare and contrast the two scenes, making note of the similarities and the differences, and I think it is right that we do so.

So what do the two gardens – Eden and Gethsemane – share in in common? On the most basic level it is important for us to recognize that both were a place of testing for men who served as federal heads, or covenantal representatives.

Adam was tested in Eden, was he not? And he was tested, not as an isolated individual, but as the representative of the Covenant of Works (or Life, or Creation – whatever term you prefer). His success meant success for others, and his failure meant failure for others. His God given mission was to work and to keep that garden paradise. That involved more than cultivating the ground and keeping the weeds out, mind you. His mission was to keep the garden from evil – to protect it from intruders who’s aim was to usurp the purposes of God. Adam was to abstain from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and to eat of the tree of life. These were the terms or conditions of the covent that God made with him. It was a works based covenant. Eternal life had to be earned. Had Adam kept the terms of the covenant he would have been confirmed in life. The Spirit would have ushered him into that state of glory – that state of eternal Sabbath rest which had been offered to him by his Maker. Failure meant the entrance of death for Adam and Eve and all who would descend from them. That test took place in Eden, the garden paradise of God.

Notice that Jesus was also tested in a garden. He too was tested, not as an isolated individual, but as the federal head, or representative, of a covenant – in this case the Covent of Grace. He is the mediator or servant of that covenant. And what were the terms or conditions of the Covent of Grace? Well, like the first Adam, Christ (whom Paul calls the second Adam) was to keep God’s law in perfection. This he did in his obedient life. He broke not a single commandment. He, unlike the first Adam, was obedient from beginning to end. More than that, he also accomplished the work that God gave him to do. The first Adam was to work and keep the garden paradise of God. Jesus Christ was also to work and keep all that God had given to him. His work was to reveal the Father and to accomplish redemption for those given to him by the Father. And it is these that he is to keep to the end so that they might enter into the glorified state – the eternal Sabbath rest – which was forfeited by the first Adam, but earned by the second, who is Jesus the Christ.

So we have two Adam’s being tested in two gardens, don’t we? There are indeed similarities between the two, wouldn’t you agree? And of course there are also many differences as well. In this brief sermon I would like to compare and contrast the two Adams and the two gardens as we work our way through John 18:1-12. The reason for the comparison is so that we might better understand the work that Christ has accomplished for us. It is good that we see his work – his obedient life and his sacrificial death – not as if it were an isolated, random, and spontaneous event – but an event which has meaning only as it is understood in the context of the full scope of human history, beginning with Adam in Eden and his breaking of the Covenant of Works. Indeed this story begins even before the fall with the eternal decree of God, but that is a story for another time.

Let us the consider Adam and Christ and their garden testings. Let us consider, first of all, the settings. Secondly, the temptations. And thirdly the results of all that transpired in Eden and in Gethsemane.

The Settings

First of all, let us consider the settings.

While it is true that both Adam and Christ experienced a time of testing in a garden, those gardens were substantially different from one another, weren’t they? The first Adam was placed within the garden paradise of God. Everything in it was good, indeed very good. Sin, suffering, and death were nowhere to be found in that garden, and Adam’s task was to keep it that way. Not only was the garden itself good, but Adam and Eve were also good. They were created in a state of innocency. They had the freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but they were unstable, so that they might fall from that state of innocency.  To put it another way, Adam had everything going for him. The conditions were perfect – the setting ideal. He was placed within that garden paradise of God free to obey and yet free to fall.

Now contrast that with Gethsemane. Gethsemane was indeed a garden. There was in that place a concentration of trees. And I do not doubt that it was a relatively tranquil place. But that is where the similarities stop. Eden was paradise, and it was surrounded by paradise. Gethsemane was surrounded by a world hostile to the things of God. It was but one small part of a fallen world. We should remember and not forget that Christ Jesus our Lord was obedient to God, not in paradise, but in this sin-sick world – a setting dominated by sin, and suffering, and death.

Remember that Jesus the Christ was born into this world in a lowly way. He was born to lowly and despised parents. His life was threatened from the beginning. He endured hostility and mistreatment from others from beginning to end.

And he suffered, did he not? He knew what is was to hunger and thirst. He knew the pain of betrayal. He wept over the loss of loved ones. He suffered in the flesh and was indeed a man of sorrows well acquainted with grief.

And remember that he endured constant temptation. Of course he was born of a virgin and was anointed with the Spirit beyond measure. And of course the divine nature supported and upheld the human nature so that he would not sin. But we should remember that the sufferings and temptations endured by Jesus Christ according to the human nature were real sufferings and real temptations. He endured them for you and for me.

So the first Adam lived in an ideal setting, living in the paradise of God, whereas the second Adam was born into a fallen and sin-sick world, hostile to the things of God, and yet he was God’s faithful servant to the end.

The Temptations 

Let us now turn our attention to the temptation of Adam and Christ so that we can compare the two.

They look different on the surface, don’t they? For Adam temptation came by way of the subtlety of the serpent. That ancient serpent, who is the devil, slithered into the garden of God in order to tempt the man to rebel.

In the scene presented here in John 18 we see Christ in Gethsemane. And the intruders take the form, not of a serpent, but as a band of soldiers with Judas in the lead. It was Judas who slithered into Gethsemane.

Though the scenes are vastly different, the temptation that came upon Adam in Eden and upon Christ in Gethsemane were essentially the same.

First of all, see that the same force was behind both temptations. The Evil One commandeered a serpent to temp Adam in Eden, but in Gethsemane it was Judas and the band of soldiers who were the servants of their father the devil.

Do you think this way of speaking is too harsh? Should we be more charitable towards Judas and those who opposed Jesus the Christ? Is it too much to say that they were servants of their father the devil?

We should remember the words of Jesus! Concerning his disciples he said,  “‘Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.” (John 6:70–71, ESV) And concerning those who heard his word and yet remained in unbelief he said, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires…”” (John 8:44, ESV)

This is the way that Jesus spoke of them! He sees that men and women either have God as Father, or the devil. This corresponds to what has already been said about federal, or covenantal, headship. We either have Adam as our head, or Christ. We are born into Adam. We must be reborn into Christ. Correspondingly, we are born children of the Evil One. We must be reborn children of God.

And so see that the temptation endured by Christ came from the same source as the temptation which overran Adam. The Evil One inspired both. The first came by way of a serpent, the second by way of a band of soldiers lead by Judas.

Notice, secondly, that the substance of the temptation was essentially the same. The serpent tempted Eve, and through her, Adam, to abandon God’s plan for them. Adam was tempted to ignore God’s word, to distrust God’s word, and to go his own way. He was tempted to serve himself instead of the God who made him.

Was this not also the temptation that Christ endured according to his human nature? We know that he was tempted in this way in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry, and we see that the same temptation persisted to the very end.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us more about Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. It is from their gospels that we learn that Jesus asked his disciples to pray for him, but they fell asleep. If is from their gospels that we learn of Jesus praying to the Father saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” (Matthew 26:39, ESV) Does this not reveal that our Lord was tempted, according to his human nature, to abandon the mission given to him by the Father and to go his own way?Was he not tempted according to the flesh to serve himself instead of the God who made him?

But what did the Christ do? He, unlike the first Adam, withstood the temptation. He submitted to God’s will. He kept God’s commands, living, not for himself, but for the Father. He served, not himself, but the God who made him, praying, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39, ESV)

That same submission is communicated in John’s gospel embedded within Jesus’ words of rebuke towards Peter. Evidently Peter still thought that the Kingdom would be won with the sword, and so he drew his and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. And Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11, ESV)

The point is this, Jesus Christ, the second Adam, was obedient to the Father to the end. He was ready and willing to “drink the cup that the Father [had] given [him]” to the dregs. He maintained a posture of submission before God to the point of death. This is why we call him Savior and Lord.

Notice the way that John portrays Jesus in the garden. Mathew, Mark, and Luke give us more information than John – that has already been said. John refrains from mentioning certain aspects of the story which are found in the other three gospels. Why? It was probably because the stories contained in the the synoptic gospels were well known by the time John wrote his. He, therefore, is able to be more direct and concise in his presentation of the event. And what does he hone in upon as he writes in this concise way? He highlights Jesus’ firmness and resoluteness in the face of temptation. He is presented as the vigilant one. Jesus is found standing guard. He greets the intruders with power and force.

Look at verse 5. “Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.” And what did Jesus do as they came? Did he run from them? Did he hide behind his disciples? No! He, “knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’” (John 18:4, ESV) Do you notice his boldness? Do you see how proactive and vigilant he was? This is quite the opposite of what we saw from the first Adam, isn’t it? Where was he when the serpent slithered into the garden and began to tempt Eve? He was absent. He was disengaged. Negligent. But Christ, the second and faithful Adam, “came forward and said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ They answered him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’” (John 18:5, ESV)

By the way, notice where Judas is now. He is with the enemies of Christ. He is no longer identified as one of the twelve, but he is with the world now. It was finally made plain and evident that he was indeed “a devil” and “of his father the devil”. He was on the wrong side in the end. May it not be so of us.

Notice that Jesus demonstrated power and control over the situation. “When Jesus said to them, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, ‘Whom do you seek?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.’” (John 18:6–8, ESV) Jesus was not a helpless victim, but a conquering King. The way to victory involved the willing sacrifice of himself, and so he went in submission to the Fathers will. His life was not taken from him; he laid it down willingly.

Brothers and sisters, both Adam and Christ were tempted. Though the temptation took a different form, the same person was behind both temptations; and the substance was essentially the same.  Both Adam and Christ were tempted to turn from the love of God to the love of self. The first Adam succumbed to temptation, Christ, the second Adam, was victoriously. He obeyed God’s law to the end. He fulfilled God’s purpose for him. He willingly suffered to the death, drinking the cup that the Father had given him to drink.

The Results

Now that we have considered the settings and the temptations, let us now briefly consider the results of Adam’s rebellion and Christ’s obedience.

Put simply, the result of Adam’s failure was death. He entered into a state of death. His relationship with God was broken. He died spiritually, and physical death would eventually come. Notice that this was true, not only of Adam, but also for Eve and for all who were born to them, including you and me. We are born in sin, under the curse of the law, alienated from God, and by nature children of wrath. This was the result of Adam’s failure – death.

But notice the result of Christ’s victory. He laid ahold of life. The grave could not hold him. He defeated sin, and suffering, and death. He, because of his obedience to the Father, earned eternal life, not only for himself, but for all given to him by the Father.

Look at verse 8: “Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.’ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: ‘Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.’” (John 18:8–9, ESV)

Notice that Adam lost all whom he represented; Christ lost not a single one of all he represented. He kept all that the Father had given to him, whereas Adam forfeited all. In the immediate context, this refers to the original disciples. In the context of John 17, and of the rest of scripture, this has reference to all whom the Father has given to the Son – all of the elect in every age. He earned life for all those given to him by the Father. He indeed “[laid] down [his] life for the sheep.” (John 10:15, ESV)

Application And Conclusion

Now that we have compared the two gardens and the two men who were tested as federal heads, or covenantal representatives, in those gardens, let us now consider how these things apply to us.

Should we not first of all ask, do I have Adam as my representative, do I have Christ? You are either in Adam, under that broken Covenant of Works, which brings only death, or you are in Christ, under that confirmed and fulfilled Covenant of Grace, which is the New Covenant in Christ’s blood, which brings life. The truth is that you are in, or under, or counted to, one or the other. We are into Adam, and we must be born again into Christ. To have Christ has our representative, as Lord, as Savior, we must believe in him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

Furthermore, I cannot help not help but notice the three figures who come to the forward in this passage – Judas, Peter, and Jesus. The first two are a negative example to us, the third a good example.

Judas sold out for the world. He betrayed the Christ because he desired wealth and power, but he was on the wrong side in the end. When Christ spoke saying, “I am he”, Judas fell with the rest of the enemies of Christ. The eleven who remained – the eleven that Judas once walked with – were protected by Christ’s word. Is this not a picture of the final judgment when the wicked will be judged by Christ’s word, and the righteous pardoned? Let us be sure to be standing with Christ, and not against him; to be sheltered by Christ, and not the recipient of his condemning word. Let us not be like Judas.

Peter was one of the eleven but he still lacked understanding. He, at this point, failed to grasp that the Kingdom of God was not of this world. He was ready to fight, but with a sword. I can’t help but think that we make the same mistakes still today as we strive in this world according to the power of the flesh. But Christ compels us to trust in him and to go the way of a servant in this time between his first and second coming. Let us not be like Peter in this regard.

And as we consider Jesus are not moved to imitate him in his obedience to the Father? He was steadfast, faithful, resolute. He was not shaken by trial and tribulation. He was not moved by the temptation, but remained in submission to the will of God to the end. May our lives resemble his to the glory of God.

Scripture Reading: John 6:22-40

“On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever 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, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’” (John 6:22–40, ESV)

So far the reading of God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word.

Introduction

So we have moved backwards in our series through John’s gospel, haven’t we? We concluded chapter 17 last Sunday, and now we are in chapter 6!

Here’s the reason for it: the elders of Emmaus have for some time been discussing our current approach to the Lord’s Supper and have, in the process of time, with much prayer and consideration given to the Scriptures, decided that the time has come to make some changes. It is our desire to move Emmaus to the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper and to the use of bread and wine (though grape juice will still be made available for those who desire it).

This is a rather significant change! We as a leadership are aware of it’s significance, and that is why we have moved slowly in bringing it to you. We understand that for some the transition will be difficult. Questions will likely abound. For that reason I will be teaching on the Supper this Sunday and next, seeking to address those questions and concerns. As usual, we pray that you would come to us with your questions and concerns so that we can shepherd in an understanding way.

It has been our custom to observe the Supper on the first Sunday of the month and to use bread and grape juice. Why was this our practice? Well, the simple answer is that we brought it with us from the congregation out of which we were born!

The truth of the matter is that I have for some time felt the need for reform in this area. It was before we planted Emmaus that I began to ask the question, why do we observe the Supper only once a month? And after that, why is it that we use grape juice, instead of wine? I’ve personally studied the issue and have thought much about it. I began to talk with the leadership of Emmaus about this a couple of years ago, and they too have come to believe that we should observe weekly and with wine.

I would like, first of all, to briefly summarize the rationale behind such a move. After that I will move into the body of this sermon which seeks to answer the question, what is the Lord’s Supper? In the sermon next Sunday I will take time to answer the question, how should the Supper be observed? So first, a brief and general explanation. Second, the question, what is the Lord’s Supper? And third, the question, how should it be observed? (which will be addressed in detail next week). 

First, the rationale:

I should start by saying that a simple reading of the New Testament, and a consideration of the practice of the early church, leaves one with the impression that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed weekly using bread and wine. I’ll work to demonstrate this next week. For now I will simply state the principle. Any deviation from this practice should be called into question and explained. The burden of proof is upon those who deviate from this pattern. I found that I could no longer give an adequate answer to the questions, why once a month, and why grape juice? 

Two, the leadership of Emmaus has grown in their conviction that the Lord’s Supper is of great spiritual benefit to the people of God and should not be withheld from the them. In it we feast upon Christ by faith. In it the people of God are nourished and refreshed, called to repentance, and urged to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. In it the gospel is preached, not with words, but through symbol. Many other benefits could be presented, but the point for now is to ask, why would we withhold such a good thing from God’s people, and especially when the scriptures seem to direct us towards regular observance?

The objection that I most commonly hear to the regular observance of the Supper is that it will grow common to the people of God if we observe it week after week.

I’d like to brief respond to that objection by saying, should we not then apply that principle consistently and only preach and pray and sing once a month too? Actually, if we were to follow that line of thinking one could argue that it would be best to gather for worship only once a month! I think all would agree that the Lord’s Supper is not the only element of our worship that has the potential of growing common to the people of God. Are we not also tempted to approach prayer and preaching and singing in a lifeless and routine way?

Brothers and sisters, the solution to the problem of monotony is not to be found in the alteration of the the frequency of an event, but in the transformation and renewal of the heart. God has prescribed a rhythm for our gathering and worship, and that rhythm is one day in seven. And he has prescribed what is to be done in worship, for “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of [the] bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42, ESV) The truth of the matter is that we would struggle to come with hearts prepared for worship no matter if frequency were once a week or once a month or once a year, due to our sinfulness.

The objection that I most commonly hear concerning the use of wine in the Supper is that it tempts the people of God towards alcoholism. We do want to be sensitive to this issue. Alcoholism is a serious thing. Some of have struggled greatly with it. By no means do we want to minimize the significance of that.

I will say more about this next week, but let me address this objection briefly now.

Notice that we still plan to offer grape juice. I think the middle circle in the communion tray will have grape juice, the outer wine. This is for the young people who have been baptized and who – either by their own decision, or the decision of their parents (perhaps because they are not yet 21) – would prefer to partake using the juice. I think it is best for families to decide where they stand on that. The juice is also for those who, being aware of their own weakness and propensities with alcohol decide that it is best not to touch the stuff. We understand and respect that decision too. We do want to be sensitive to not offend your conscience.

Consider this, though. The Corinthian church struggled with drunkenness in the congregation in association with the observance with the Supper. It was not that some tasted a thimble full of wine and then were prompted to go home and drink to the point of drunkenness – they were getting drunk at church! See for yourself in 1Corinthians 11:21. Now that’s a problem! And what was Paul’s solution? He did not say, let’s use grape juice instead. No, he rebuked the church for their sin and urged repentance. He did not alter the words of Christ. He did not put a bandaid on the issue. Instead he got to the heart of it by urging repentance.

Consider this too. If a person struggles with alcohol, what better way to gain victory over the sin of drunkenness than to partake of a little wine week after week, surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ, confessing the sins of the past, and asking for strength to have victory over the temptations of the future? I would imagine that that process would be healthy for most. For those who’s addiction is more severe, we offer grape juice in an attempt to be sensitive to those challenges.

I suppose some could accuse us of inconsistency here saying, why offer juice at all? I see that. But I would prefer to call it pastoral sensitivity instead. To be clear, I do not fault a pastor who, after assessing his congregation, decides to use juice, or celebrate the Supper less frequently. There are some extreme cases that might necessitate such a move for a time. If I were doing a church plant in a community where alcoholism dominated the culture, I would use grape juice… for a while… until the issue of alcoholism could be addressed. If were doing church planting in a community where the bread and wine were worshiped as if they contained the actual body and blood of Christ, I might consider infrequent observance… for a time… until the issue of idolatry could be addressed.

Brothers and sisters, we do not have anything like that going on in our context. Nothing close to it.  I, therefore, can not make a reasonable case for doing anything except observing the Supper in the way that the scriptures prescribe – weekly, and with bread and wine.

We will answer the question, how should the Supper be observed? next week. Today, the question is, what is the Supper? There is a reason why we are tackling these two questions in this order. Our view of what the Supper is will inevitably have in impact upon how we observe it. And so we begin here: what is the Lord’s Supper?

I have three simple points, and I will need to make them quickly. First of all, the Lord’s Supper is a covenantal meal. Secondly, it is a symbolic meal. And thirdly, it a spiritual meal.

A Covenantal Meal

First of all, recognize that the Lord’s Supper is a covenantal meal. It is a meal which reminds us of the fellowship, or right relationship, or communion that we enjoy with God under the New Covenant, or the Covenant of Grace. We enjoy right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ – his obedient life, death, and resurrection. He is the servant, or mediator, of the New Covenant.  It is through his obedience to God, and his sacrificial death, that we are able to come to God. The observance of the Supper reminds us that we are in covenant with God through faith in Jesus. The meal reminds us of and renews this covenant bond anew and afresh each time we partake.

Think of it. When you eat a meal with someone it indicates that you have a right relationship with them. Sharing a meal is a powerful thing relationally. And it is God who shares this meal with us. We are invited to sit at his table and to sup with him!

We come to God initially through faith in Jesus on the basis of his life, death, and resurrection. Baptism is the sacrament that marks the beginning of the Christian life. But the Lord’s Supper signifies the ongoing, continual, aspect of our walk with God. Baptism marks our entrance into the Covenant – the Lord’s supper signifies our remaining in the Covenant. Some have compared this to marriage, noticing that baptism is like the wedding, whereas the Lord’s Supper is like the anniversary.  Thabiti Anyabwile said it this way: “While baptism represents a kind of ‘I do’ between Christ and his bride, the Supper repeats an ‘I continue’ statement of love from Jesus to the church”.

Notice something about that quote. According to Thabiti, who is speaking to whom in the Supper? He emphasizes that it is Christ speaking to us! And I agree with his assessment! I am not denying that we say something to God and to the world through baptism and the Supper. Certainly that is true! When we receive baptism, and when we receive the Supper, we are indeed identifying with Christ, receiving his mark, and confessing him as Lord. But do not miss this point – the sacraments are a word from God to us. And what does he say to us through the sacraments? Well, the same thing that he says to us in the gospel. When the gospel is preached and the sacraments are administered, the message is the same. It is the same massage that comes to us when the gospel is preached and when the sacraments are observed. The difference is the form. Through preaching the gospel is delivered with words. In the sacraments the gospel is delivered by way of symbol.

When we partake of the Lord’s Supper God reminds of this wonderful news. We are in a right relationship with him, not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done for us. He took our sins, and we have received his righteousness. We have been made right with God in the Covenant of Grace.

Meals are significant in the scriptures, aren’t they?

Think of the Passover feast. What was that except a meal which reminded the people of Israel of their relationship with God on the basis of God’s work of redemption in delivering them from bondage in Egypt. When was the Lord’s Supper instituted except in the context of that ancient feast? The bread that Christ gave to his disciples was the unleavened bread of the Passover feast. The cup, was third of four cups in the Passover feast. Just as Passover was a covenantal meal, so too the Lord’s Supper is a covenantal meal which reminds us that we are in a covenant relationship with our God by virtue of his great and final act of redemption, though Jesus Christ.

Think also of the meal which the nobles of Israel ate in the presence of the Lord when the Old Covenant was confirmed with them. In Exodus 24:9-11 we read, “Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up [on Mt. Sinai], and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:9–11, ESV)

This is not a novel concept, then. Throughout the history of redemption God has used the eating of meals to mark or signify the ratification or renewal of a covenant. And so with that in mind listen to words of Christ when he instituted the Supper: “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” (Matthew 26:26–29, ESV)

Notice two things for now. One, Jesus is clear that the Supper represents the covenant which is made in his blood. When we ask the question, what is the Lord’s Supper? one of the first things that should come to mind is covenant renewal. God has made a covenant, or agreement, with us based upon grace, and upon the virtue of Christ’s shed blood, so that we can be in right relationship with him.  When we partake of the Supper we are remembering and renewing that covenant. Two, notice Christ’s mention of a future meal. The Supper that we enjoy today is but a foreshadowing of a much greater feast that we will enjoy with our Lord when all things are brought to a consummation and made new.

I wish I could say more. For now, see that the Lord’s Supper is a covenantal meal.

A Symbolic Meal

Secondly, recognize that the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal. The bread and the wine, and our partaking of it, are filled with symbolism.

Again, so much could be said about this. I will make only three observations.

At the most basic level the bread and wine symbolize the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus. His body was broken for you, his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins. When we partake of the Supper we  “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26, ESV)

Notice also that we are not merely to look at the bread and wine, but we are to eat it. Eating and drinking nourish the physical body, and this is symbolic of the fact that Christ is our spiritual sustenance. This is what Jesus was getting at when he said in John 6:53, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” He is here calling men and women to faith in him. That is what it means to “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood”, and the Lord’s Supper is a symbol of that. It is a reminder that our life is found in Christ, and that it is received as we feast on him by faith.

Notice lastly that the Supper is symbolic of our union with one another. We drink from the same cup, metaphorically speaking., and we eat from the same loaf. It is Christ that we are individually partakers of. We are united to him by faith. And being united to him individually means that we are in fact united to one another. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16–17, ESV)

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal. The bread and wine, and our partaking of it, is filled with rich and meaningful symbolism.

A Spiritual Meal 

The third thing to be noticed is that the Lord’s Supper is a spiritual meal.

God has adopted us into his family, and now he feeds us. In the Supper we feed upon Christ, that has already been said. The question is, how so?

There have been three main views as to how it is that we feed upon Christ in the Supper.

One view is that Christ is not really present at all in the Supper, we simply remember him in the memorial. The Reformer Ulrich Zwingli held to this view. Of course it is true that we are to remember Christ in the Supper and to be encouraged by him, but it is our view that there is more to Supper than that.

The Roman Catholics and the Lutherans actually share something in common in their view of the Supper. Both believe that Christ is present in the Supper bodily and substantially. Rome teaches transubstantiation. That is the teaching that when a priest consecrates the elements the bread and wine transform into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus. This we reject as unbiblical and superstitious. Luther rejected this, but taught what is called consubstantiation. This is the view that, while the bread and wine remain bread and wine, the body of Christ is indeed really present with or alongside the bread and wine. The Roman and Lutheran view share this in common, then. When asked, where is Jesus? They look at the sacrament and say, he is here!

Calvin and the Reformed disagreed with Zwingli, Rome, and Luther and insist that we feast upon Christ in the Supper, not by chewing on the actual flesh and blood of Jesus, but by chewing upon him with the mouth of faith. When we eat the sacrament we are only eating bread and wine, but our hearts are indeed lifted up by the Spirit to Christ where he is in heaven. We feast upon him by the Spirit. He nourishes us spiritually. We chew on him flesh and blood, not with our teeth, but with the mouth of faith. This is our view.

Listen to the LBC 30.7. “Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.”

The crucial question is this: where is Jesus? For Rome and Luther the answer is, he is here in the elements. For those of us in the Reformed tradition, when we look at the bread and wine our eyes and hearts are lifted up to heaven where Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand.

Brothers and sisters, when we partake of the Supper it is more than a memorial. It is that, but it is more than that. We feast upon Christ, not according to the flesh, but by the Spirit. We are nourished by him indeed.

Conclusion

Friends, I hope that the news of partaking weekly brings joy to your heart. I hope that you view the Supper in such a way that you say, praise the Lord that we will have opportunity to be renewed in the covenant, meditate upon the symbolism, and feast upon Christ in this spiritual meal, not monthly, but weekly! Praise God for that we will have more of this good thing. That is my hope – that you would respond in this way.

We will be partaking of the Supper next week on the first Sunday of the month as usual. Our plan is to partake again on the second Sunday of March, and every Sunday thereafter. That will be new to us. I pray that you will prayerful full consider these things over the next few week and talk to the elders of Emmaus if you have questions or concerns so that we can work through them together.

May God strengthen his church by the Spirit as we walk with him being nourished by his word and sacrament, to the glory of name. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 133

“A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” (Psalm 133, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 17:20-26

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.  Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:20–26, ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, ESV)

Introduction

Unity. That is the central theme of this final portion of Christ’s prayer for the people given to him by the Father. His desire is “that they may all be one” (v. 21), indeed, “that they may become perfectly one” (v. 23). Clearly, Christ’s desire is that his people – the ones who were alive when he walked the earth, and the ones who would live in generations to come, who would come to believe in him through the word of his apostles – would be one. Christ’s prayer to the Father is that his people would enjoy unity with one another.

Brothers and sisters, if it was Jesus’ prayer, then it should also be ours. If it was Jesus’ desire, then we too should share in that impulse. Should we not mimic our Savior, praying to the Father for the blessing of unity amongst us? Should we not labor to promote unity amongst ourselves? And when I say “us” and “ourselves”, I have in mind, not just we who are a part of this particular local church, but all who are in Christ. The prayer of Jesus here is not limited to one particular congregation, but it is for all who belong to him by faith. We should share in Christ’s passion and prayer for the unity of his people.

Unity is indeed the central theme of this final portion of Christ’s prayer for the people given to him by the Father. And notice that Christ is specific about the kind of unity that he desires.

Brothers and sisters, there are different kinds of unity.

In order for unity to exist there must be something that unifies – there must be glue. Unity cannot exist apart from a unifying agent. And the unifying agent – the glue – will determine the depth and strength of the bond. And so unity differs in kind depending upon what it is that unifies. And the the thing that unifies will also determine the depth and strength of the bond.

Think of it. Wherever people enjoy unity you will find that there is something that unifies them. Hobbies unify. Political persuasions unify. Nationality unifies. Ideas unify. Family unifies. I suppose at the broadest level humanity is something that unifies us all – we share humanity in common. Wherever you find unity, you will also find a unifying agent – a glue. And it is the glue which determines the strength of the bond.

For example, I enjoy a different kind of unity with my wife than I do with my neighbors. We love our neighbors. We enjoy unity in our neighborhood. We talk with our neighbors. We look out for one another, and do things for one another. It’s really very nice. We truly enjoy unity with our neighbors. And the glue that binds us together is neighborliness. But that is different from the unity I enjoy with my wife.

If you were to ask me, Pastor, how are things with your marriage? And I said, things are wonderful! It’s at least two or three times a week that my wife and I talk.  And you know, the other day I was making breakfast when I noticed that I was out of eggs. I knocked on her door and she gave me a half a dozen eggs! We’re even planning a BBQ in the Spring time! You would be concerned for our marriage if I spoke in that way, wouldn’t you? But why? Did I not just describe to you a relationship at peace? Where is the disharmony? Where is the disunity? Why would you be concerned for us? Is it not because you intuitively recognize that there are indeed different kinds of unity? The unity that exists between neighbors and the unity that exists between a husband and wife are of a different kind. The glue of neighborliness and the glue of matrimony are substantially different. And because the two differ in substance we have different expectations concerning the bond – its charter, depth, and duration.

So what does all of this have to do with Jesus’ prayer?

That Jesus prayed for unity is obvious to all. What is often overlooked, unfortunately, is that Jesus prayed for unity of a particular kind. When we talk about the unity that Christ desires for his people we are to have a particular kind of unity in mind.  First of all, the unity that Christ desires is one that is centered upon him. Jesus Christ is the glue which binds his people together. The person of Christ – his word and work – are the unifying agents. Secondly, this unity is deep and substantial, and not superficial. And thirdly, this unity is eternal, and not temporal.

Let Us Pursue A Unity That Is Bound By Christ’s Word And Work

Brothers and sisters, let us pursue a unity that is bound together by Christ’s word and work.

It is in verse 20 that Christ says, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20, ESV) Here the prayer of Jesus shifts in focus from the eleven who stood with Jesus on that dark and gloomy night, to those who would believe upon him in the future through their word. That includes you and me!

In verse 21 we hear Jesus pray for his, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21, ESV)

It is the words “just as” that I would like to draw your attention to. Jesus prays for our unity and then he specifies as to the kind of unity that he has in mind. We are to be one just as the Father and Son are one. In the greek the word is καθώς. It is a word that is used to mark the similarity that exists between things. It actually appears three times in this passage. In verse 21 it is translated “just as”, but in verses 22 and 23 it is translated “even as”.  Verse 22: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:23, ESV)

So much can be said about this. But the point that I wish to make today is that Jesus prayed, not for unity of just any kind, but for the kind of unity that exists between he and the Father. His desire is that we be one just as he and the Father are one.

Notice that this speaks both to the substance, or ground, of our unity, and also to the quality of it. In other words, it answers the question, what is to unify us? and also, to what degree or depth are we to be unified?

Let us first deal with the substance of our unity. What is the glue that is to bind us together? That is the question. To get the answer we must first ask what is the glue that binds Christ and the Father together? What is the basis for their unity? For whatever binds them together ought to also bind us together since Christ’s prayer is that we would be one just as he and the Father are one.   

So what is at the core of Christ’s union with the Father? What is the unifying agent? What is the glue?

Some have insisted that it is the divinity of Christ that is in view here – that it was the divine nature in Christ that made him one with the Father – as if the unity that he spoke of was an ontological unity – the Father is divine and the Son is divine therefore they are unified as one. And though is it true that Christ is divine – that in him there is both the divine nature and a human nature united in one person forever – that does not seem to be what is in view here in Jesus’ prayer. That point is made elsewhere for sure, but it does not seem to be the point here.

Instead, Jesus is praying as Christ or Mediator. He is praying as God’s faithful servant – the Father’s faithful Son – who has accomplished everything that the Father gave him to do. The unity that he refers to here is not the unity of essence that exists between he and the Father (thought that certainly exists), but a unity in purpose – a unity rooted in word and in work.

This theme is massive in John’s gospel. Jesus Christ, who is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, was obedient to the Father in his words and in his works. I could direct you to John 5:19 and following, for example. Or to John 8:36 and following. I could also direct you John 10:30 and to that famous declaration of Jesus when he said “I and the Father are one.” As the passage unfolds from there it is clear that he his emphasizing his unity with the Father as it pertains to his words and work. But in reality we need not look any further than to the beginning of this prayer to observe this theme. Jesus prayed to the Father in 17:4 saying, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:4, ESV) And in verse 8 he prayed, “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:8, ESV)

This is the thing that Jesus is stressing here. It is the word of God and the work of God which serve as the unifying agent between Jesus the Christ and God the Father.  Jesus is one with the Father in that he is in perfect harmony with him. God’s word is his word. God’s work is his work. I am not denying their ontological unity – their unity by virtue of their shared divinity – but I am saying that that is not what is in view here. Instead the context demands that we see faithfulness to the word of God and the work of God as the glue which binds Jesus the Christ together with the Father.

Recognize that Jesus was faithful to give his people God’s word.

“In the beginning was the Word… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1,14, ESV)

John 8:28:  “So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” (John 8:28, ESV)

In John 12:49 Jesus says, “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.” (John 12:49–50, ESV)

And notice also that Jesus was faithful to do the Fathers work.

In John 5:36 Jesus says, “…For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36, ESV)

And in John 17:4 he says, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:4, ESV)

What am I getting at exactly?

That Jesus prayed for unity is clear. But it is unity of a particular kind that he has in mind. His desire is that we would be one just as he and the Father are one. His oneness with the Father was rooted in his faithfulness to the Father’s word and the Father’s work. That is the glue which binds God the Father and Jesus the Christ together! And it is to be the glue which binds us together too! Christ is what we share in common – union with Christ by faith; belief in and obedience to his word; and devotion to the continuation of his work. He is the vine, we are the branches. We enjoy the union with one another that Christ prayed for only so long as we are bond together in him, in accordance with his word and work.

Let Us Purse A Unity That Is Deep And Substantial, And Not Superficial

Now that we have dealt briefly with the substance or ground of our unity, let us also say a word about the quality of it. If Christ is indeed the thing that binds us together, then we have all that we need to pursue a unity that is deep and substantial, and not superficial.

Clearly Christ’s desire is that we enjoy deep unity with one another. Not only do the words “just as”, or “even as” speak to the substance or ground of our unity with one another, but also to the quality of it. It is safe to say that Jesus Christ and God the Father enjoyed substantial and deep unity. Their unity was indeed perfect unity. Christ lived in perfect harmony with the Father.  Never were they out of step. God’s word was Christ’s word – God’s work, was Christ’s work. Jesus and the Father were one (John 10:30).  And it is our Spirit wrought belief in the word of Christ, and or devotion to the work of Christ which makes a deep and substantial union amongst ourselves possible.

Everyone desires to see unity within the church. I’ve never met a Christian who has said that they were happy about all of the division that exists within Christ’s church. If the division does not grieve our souls then there is something wrong within us. We should strive for unity. We should pray for unity as Christ did. But we should also take care to pursue the right kind of unity, and in the right way.

Here is my concern. It seems that some within the church who are hungry for unity (which is to be commended) have erred in that they have made unity the supreme thing. And because they have made it the supreme thing, they are willing to pursue it at all costs. And having pursued unity at all costs, they have settled for a kind of unity which looks nothing like the unity that Christ petitioned the Father for – it differs in substance and degree.

Brothers and sisters, unity is not the supreme objective of Christ. He did not come for the purpose of bringing unity. Listen to his words in Matthew 10:34:  “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34–36, ESV)

Jesus brings division. His doctrine divides. His word sets those who are his apart from those who are of the world. His word distinguishes between truth and error. You are either for him or against him.

His mission was to redeem a people for himself. He mission was to reveal truth from above. He came as a light shining in the darkness. These objectives inevitably involve division! If the world were not fallen, living in darkness, and opposed to God, there would be no division at all. But the world is indeed hostile to the things of God, therefore Christ brings division.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus’ objective is not unity per se, but to redeem a people for himself. And it is unity amongst the redeemed for which Christ prays. Those who have made unity the supreme thing have in fact turned Christianity on it’s head. They have made unity the first thing, and truth the second, when in fact truth is to be the first, and then the desire for unity amongst those who have been born of that truth from above.

When we make unity the supreme thing we will inevitably pursue it at all costs. The trend in Evangelicalism today (it has been the trend for a hundred years or more) is to pursue unity by minimizing doctrine. “Let us say as little as possible about Christ – his word, and his work – so as not to offend.” That is the thought! The mantra is, “doctrine divides, but Jesus unites!” And so churches continue to claim belief in Christ while saying as little as they can about him – even neglecting things clearly taught in his word. It is unity at all costs – unity at the expense of truth.

It is no wonder then that the unity which exists within these churches is superficial. Scratch the surface and you will see that under the veneer all manner of division exists.

Friends, this is backwards. It is not that “doctrine divides and Jesus unites”, but that “Jesus divides and his doctrine unites.” He divides in that he has calls his out of the world to belong to himself, having been given to him by the Father from before the foundation of the earth. And he further sanctifies (or sets apart) those who belong to him by his word. He calls us forth by his word, and he sanctifies us by his word. And it is his doctrine – his holy word – which unifies his people together deeply.

It is ironic, isn’t it, that very thing which can bring unity to God’s people – that is the truth of God’s word – is the thing that we neglect in the hopes of facilitating unity?

Listen to Paul as he writes to the Corinthians (a church struggling with division): “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10, ESV)

I am not saying give up on unity. And I am not saying that we are to be happy with division. By no means! We should pray to Christ that we would be one, just as he and the Father are one! And we should work towards it with all that we are. But we should pursue the right kind of unity in the right way.

To pursue unity within the church without concern for sound doctrine is like attempting to join the pieces of a chair together without the use of nails or screws or glue. It will hold together for a little while, but things will get shaky fast, and they will eventually fall to pieces.

There is no depth to our unity apart from Christ – his person, his words, and his work.

Let Us Pursue A Unity That Is Significant For All Eternity

Brothers and sisters, may I exhort you, lastly, to pursue a unity with one another in light of it’s significance for all eternity.

I do wish that I could spend more time on this final point, but a few words will have to do. The union that you have with one another in Christ is eternal. Think about that for a moment. In eternity all other unions will fade away and will pale in comparison to our union with Christ, and to our union with one another.

Look at Christ’s prayer for us in verse 24: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24, ESV)

Christ’s prayer is that we would be with him in glory. He is here referring to his final and full glory – the glory that he had with the Father before the world was created, and the glory that he returned to after his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the Fathers right hand. That is Christ’s prayer! That those given to him by the Father would be one in the here and now, and one in him for all eternity.

Why then do Christians neglect their bond with one another? Why do we settle for inferior unifying agents, and superficial forms of unity? If this is the bond that lasts forever, should we not cherish it and work to cultivate its depth and quality?

Conclusion

So much more could be said about this beautiful passage – I’ve only scratched the surface, I know. But let me provide a few points of application by way of conclusion.

One, let us pray for unity. Let us pray that the Lord would continue to bless us with unity in this local church, and even deeper unity than we enjoy now. I am pleased with the oneness that we are experiencing, but who’s to say that it cannot grow? And let us pray for unity in Christ’s universal church. I am not interested in unity that is merely organizational (Rome), nor am I interested in unity that is merely cosmetic and superficial (Evangelicalism). But we ought to desire and pray that the Lord would bless his church with real unity. Brothers and sisters, Christ prayed for unity and so should we.

Two, let us work to maintain unity. And it does take work! Just as gravity pulls upon us constantly urging us to lie down, so too sin is a constant threat against the unity of Christ’s church. I “urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV)

Three, let us work towards establishing or regaining unity where it is lacking. If we are praying for it, then we also ought to be ready and willing to work towards it. Again, I will emphasize the need for effort. Just as a marriage is only healthy where there is effort, so too the church is only healthy where there is effort. We must work towards repentance and forgiveness. We must work towards understanding the word of God. We must work towards unity. There are instances where division is inevitable and even necessary. But I would venture to guess that much division exists with the church unnecessarily so due to sin and slothfulness .

Four, I would encourage you here at Emmaus to work towards unity, not by neglecting doctrine, but by immersing yourself in it. Do not compromise on the truth of God’s word for the sake of appeasing the critic. You’ll end up with unity, but not of a deep and Christian kind. It’s better, I think, to hold unwaveringly to the truth of God’s word, with a spirit of humility, and in persistent prayer. See doctrine, not as a problem to be avoided, but as a great blessing to the church and something which in fact fosters Christian unity.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23–25, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 3:1–15

“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’ Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.’” (Exodus 3:1–15, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 17:6-19

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming 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 ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:6–19, ESV)

So far, the reading of God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word.

Introduction

Think about what we have here, brothers and sisters. We have recorded for us a prayer of Jesus. And it is not just any prayer, but a final prayer – a prayer which he uttered to God the Father, in the presence of his disciples, after instructing them in order to prepare them for the difficult road ahead, and before his time of suffering. Think about the treasure this is! We have before us a prayer of the Christ. The prayer is deeply encouraging because in it he prays for you and for me. And the prayer is insightful because through it his heart and mind are revealed.

Please notice three things about verses 6-19, which make up the middle portion of Jesus’ farewell prayer: First of all, Jesus prayed specifically for those given to him, and not for the world. Secondly, Jesus prayed that those given to him would be kept by the Father. And thirdly, Jesus prayed that those given to him would be sanctified by the Father.

Jesus Prayed Particularly For Those Given To Him, And Not For The World (v. 6-10)

Let us look, first of all, at verses 6 through 10 where we encounter Jesus praying for those given to him, and not for the world.

In verse 6 we hear Jesus say, “[Father,] I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6, ESV) In verse 9 we read, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9, ESV)

Notice that there are two groups of people mentioned in Jesus’ prayer. There are those who belong to the world, and there are those who have been given to Jesus out of the world, and therefore belong to him. It is clear that in verses 6-19 Jesus has in mind those disciples of his who were alive at the time that he prayed these words. It’s not until verse 20 (which we will come to next week) that Jesus transitions in his prayer to intercede also for those who would believe in him through the words of his disciples, including you and me. But even in that section of the prayer the distinction remains. As it was then, so it is now – there are those who belong to the world, and there are those who have been given to Jesus out of the world.

So who are these people who have been given to Jesus? What are we to think of them?

Notice first of all that those given to Christ are, in and of themselves, no different than the others. They were given to Jesus “out of the world”. In other words, the ones given to the Son are, before they come to the Son, worldly. They belong not to a different order of things. They are by no means of a different kind. No, they are given to Jesus out of the world. The word world in John’s Gospel (it has indeed been said many times in this series) is used to describe this planet, and the people living upon this planet – sinful, fallen people, who are living in darkness and are at enmity with God. Those given to Jesus are taken out of that, and not from some other order of things.

Notice secondly that those who were given to Jesus belonged first to the Father. Jesus prayed for “the people whom [the Father] gave [to him] out of the world. [The Father’s] they were, and [the Father] gave them to [him]…” (John 17:6) Clearly it is, what is elsewhere called, election, or predestination, or foreknowledge, that is behind what Jesus prays here. The ones given to Jesus in time, or in history, are the one who, first of all, belong to the Father by virtue of their having been chosen by him in eternity past. They are the ones who have been foreknown, set apart unto salvation, written in the book of life, and predestined by the Father from before the foundation of the earth. This is what Jesus means when he says to the Father, “yours they were, and you gave them to me.” The teaching is clear. Those who come to believe in Jesus, and therefore, belong to Jesus in time, do so because they first belong to the Father, and have been given by the Father to the Son.

Notice thirdly that it is those given to Jesus by the Father to whom Jesus manifests the Father’s name. See the beginning of verse 6. Jesus prayed,  “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.”

To make something manifest is to make it clear or obvious. Some modern translations use the word revealed instead of manifest. The NET translates it this way: “I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world.” (John 17:6, NET) The word in the greek is φανερόω. It means “to cause something to be fully known by revealing clearly and in some detail.”

And what did Jesus reveal to those given to him by the Father? He revealed the Fathers name. So what does this mean, exactly? Does it mean that Jesus made it his mission to teach those given to him by the Father to properly say the name of God? Did he whisper in their ear the name YHWH, or some secret name not known to the world? Is that what Jesus had in mind when he said, “I have manifested your name”?

No, brothers and sisters. To manifest God’s name, is to make God known in his person and work and power. The name represents the person. And that is what Christ revealed – the person of God the Father. This was Christ’s mission from the beginning – to reveal the Father to us. John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”  The is made clear throughout John’s Gospel, but especially in the immediate context.  In 17:3 we read, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3, ESV) And notice that Jesus’ mission was to glorify God (17:4). And now in 17:6 we read that Jesus had accomplished his mission by manifesting God’s name, which is another way of saying that he had revealed, or made known God the Father to those given to him by the Father.

Notice fourthly that it is those given to Jesus by the Father who keep God’s word. Look with me at the end of verse 6: “Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6, ESV) To keep God’s word is to believe upon and obey God’s word. Jesus was praying for his disciples and he evidently had this opinion of them – that they had kept God’s word.

He went on to pray in verse 7, “Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:7–8, ESV)

These words of Jesus have lead some to scratch their heads, thinking, these disciples of Jesus have been a mess up to this point! They have struggled to believe. They have struggled to obey. And they would continue to struggle, especially later that night and on into the next few days as things would intensify! How could it be that Jesus had this optimistic opinion of them at this time?

But notice that Jesus did not claim that their faith and obedience were mature or strong or pure, but only that their faith and obedience were true. Judas has walked away, but the eleven remained. And in 16:30 they had confessed to Jesus, saying, “Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” (John 16:30, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, it is possible for faith to be true yet small, and our obedience real yet inconsistent. Indeed, it is better to have faith that is true and big, and obedience that is real and regular! But we should not make the mistake of believe that when we struggle in the faith, that our faith is not true. Not so. Look at the heroes of the faith in the scriptures. These men were far from perfect, and yet they possessed authentic faith. That, I think, is how we are to understand Jesus’ optimistic opinion of his disciples here.

Jesus Prayed That Those  Given To Him By The Father Would Also Be Kept By The Father (v. 11-15)

The second thing to notice about this passage is that Jesus prayed that those given to him by the Father would also be kept by the Father.

Look with me at verse 11. Jesus says, “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me…” (John 17:11, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, does this not encourage your heart? What an incredible thing it is to learn that the reason you have faith in Jesus – the reason you believe in him and, therefore, belong to him – is because you first belonged to God by virtue of his electing purposes and his sovereign decree. In other words, it is all by the grace of God that you belong to Christ. But how wonderful it is to also hear our Savior pray that those who have been given to him by the Father also be kept by the Father. That is comforting! That is deeply encouraging!

When Jesus asks the Father to keep those given to the him, he is asking the Father to keep watch on them, to guard them, and to cause them to continue. He is asking the Father to hold, reserve, and preserve them. He is here praying for what he has already said would certainly be. In John 10:28 we heard Jesus say, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28–30, ESV) Here Jesus prays to the Father requesting that he would indeed hold on to those who were given to him. He is here asking the Father to preserve, or keep, those true disciples of his.

I’d like for you to notice five things about the way the Father will keep those given to Christ.

One, notice that those who belong to Christ will be kept in the world.

Look at verse 11 where Jesus says, “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name…” (John 17:11, ESV) Look also at verse 15 where Jesus says, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15, ESV)

You have probably heard the expression that a Christian is to be in the world but not of it. I think it is a helpful saying!

The general principle is this: a Christian is to live in the world. Of course that means that we will live on this planet. But more than that it means that we are to participate in society. We are to rub shoulders with those who are of the world. We are to work with non-christians, serve with them, raise our children with them, vote with them, trade with them, serve on juries with them, and perhaps even fight alongside them. We, as Christians, are citizens of the kingdoms of this earth. In our particular context, we are citizens of the United States of America.

Notice that Jesus explicitly prayed to the Father saying, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world.” We, therefore, should resist monastic tendencies. Do you know what I mean by this? I mean that we should resist the temptation to isolate ourselves from the world, as if we were monks retreating to a monastery. This seems to be quite contrary to the way of Christ and to the way of his disciples. They walked in this world. They engaged. They ate with tax collectors and sinners.  We are to live in the world. I would encourage you to think about this point. I doubt that you are tempted to retreat to a monastery (well, maybe you are) But I’m certain that you are tempted to run from the world in other ways. I leave it to you to apply, as I think this issue of engagement with the world requires much prayer, wisdom, and discernment from each individual Christian and family. But the general principle is this: Christ desires that we remain in this world.

But never are we to be of it. We belong, not to the world, but to Christ. The Father has given us to Christ out of the world. This is not our home. We have a dual citizenship – we live, on the one hand, in the world, but our true and lasting citizenship is in heaven. We are of him, and we are of his kingdom. We, therefore, are to bear the marks of his kingdom, and of his kingship. This effects the way that we think, the way that we speak (we are talk with a Christian accent), and the things that we do. Our union with Christ is to effect our thoughts and words and deeds. We are to live in the world, but be not of it. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world [Jesus prays], but that you keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15, ESV)

Two, notice that Christ prays for his that they be kept in unity.

Look at the end of verse 11: “Holy Father, keep them… that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11, ESV)

Jesus’ prayer is that his disciples enjoy unity one with another. I’m tempted to spend a great deal of time on this point because it is such an important one, especially in our day. But I’ll move on from it quickly today knowing that the theme reemerges and is developed even further in verses 20 and following, which we will come to consider next week, Lord willing.

Three, notice that Christ prays they those given to him will be kept from being lost.

We see this in verse 12: “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you…” (John 17:12–13, ESV), and for this reason Jesus asks the Father to keep them.

Judas was lost, but this was predicted ahead of time by Jesus, and in fulfillment to the scriptures, showing that his faith was disingenuous from the start. Christ kept those who truly belonged to him to the end, and he prayed that the Father would keep on into eternity.

Four, notice that Christ prays that those given to him will be kept in his joy.

Verse 13: “But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” (John 17:13, ESV) Do not underestimate the power of joy. Indeed, if we know the truth of God, and if we believe the truth of God, in particular, concerning the Christ, and the reality of his death, burial and resurrection, in fulfillment to the eternal plan of God, for the accomplishment of our salvation in him, how could we not have joy? Look at what you have in Christ Jesus, brothers and sisters! How could you not have joy in him? And if you have joy in him (a joy that remains even in the mist of trails and tribulation by virtue of the resurrection power of Christ), then you will indeed be kept by God to the end in that joy. Christ desires that you have joy, brothers and sisters. That is different from saying that Christ wants you to be made happy by the things of this world. No, it’s better than that! Christ wants you to have joy in him – joy in the Father – deep, lasting, and substantial happiness in God the Father.

Five, notice the role that the word plays in the keeping of God’s elect.

Verse 14: “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.” (John 17:14, ESV)

It is the word of God that sets us off from the world; and it is also the word of God that keeps us as we live in the world. Remember, the thing that makes a Christian a Christian is that they receive and keep God’s word (17:6-8). A Christian is one who says “yes, and Amen” to God’s word. A Christian says “yes” to Jesus Christ who is the eternal word of God. A Christian says “yes” to the Bible, which is God written word. And the Christian says “yes” to all that the Bible has to say about God, and Christ, and the salvation that is found in him. Belief – faith – in God’s word is what makes the Christian; but it also the word which is used to keep the Christian.

God’s word is our daily bread (Matt. 4:4). It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:110). “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:7–8, ESV) The Christian is set apart by the word, but he is also kept by it. Let us not neglect it, brothers and sisters.

Jesus Prayed That Those Given To Him By The Father Would Also Be Sanctified By The Father (v. 16-19)

The third thing to notice about this passage is that Jesus prayed that those given to him by the Father would also be sanctified by the Father.

Look at verse 17 where Jesus prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:17–19, ESV)

To be sanctified is to be set apart and made holy for the service of God. Christ is praying that those given to him be set apart and made holy for service. The thing that I would like to briefly emphasize is that Jesus is not praying that we kept by the Father in a static way, as if his concern were that we merely hang on and make it to the end. No, his prayer is that we be sanctified. We are to progress in holiness. We are engage in the serve of God. As Christ served the Father in holiness, so too he prays that we would be consecrated to the Fathers service. In others words, he prays that we would be like servants of Matthew 25 who multiplied their five talents and two talents, and not like the servant who was given one and buried it until the master returned. Brothers and sisters, may we be sanctified in truth for the service of God, as Christ was.

Conclusion

So what should we do now that we have considered this middle portion of Christ’s prayer where intercedes for those given to him by the Father, and not for the world.

First of all, I hope that your hearts are encouraged as you are reminded of the love of God for you.

Secondly, I hope that Christ’s prayer brings greater clarity as to how you are to live in this world. You are to be in it, but not of it.

Thirdly, I hope that Christ’s prayer encourages you to strive after holiness in the service of God.

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 110

“A Psalm of David. The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.” (Psalm 110, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 17:1-5

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.’” (John 17:1–5, ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, ESV)

Introduction

All of John 17 really belongs together. If we had more time I would prefer to preach the whole chapter at once. Here in John 17 we have a prayer of Jesus. Some (I being one of them) have called this “the high priestly prayer of Jesus”. Jesus is here praying to the Father for himself and for his people. He is mediating, or making intercession for himself and for his people, as a priest would. Others are hesitant to call this a “high priestly prayer” arguing that Jesus did not serve as our great High Priest until after his resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand. Point taken. Whatever we decide to call it, it is important that we recognized that this is in fact a prayer of Jesus. “he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and [prayed to the] Father”.

Notice a few things about this prayer. First of all, this prayer was uttered by Jesus out loud in the presence of his disciples. This is how we have record of it. John was there with Jesus on this night – the night of his betrayal – the night before his crucifixion. Secondly, notice that this prayer serves as the conclusion to what is commonly called “the farewell discourse”. In John chapters 14-16 Jesus is found offering his disciples a series of teachings which are meant to prepare them for the difficult road ahead. He was saying “farewell”. But more than that he was offering his disciples encouragement and comfort. In particular he comforted them with the news that they would see him again, and that he would come to them by sending the Spirit. How appropriate, then, that this farewell discourse is concluded with prayer. Jesus taught his disciples, and then he prayed for himself and for them, before entering into his suffering. It has been rightly said concerning this farewell discourse that, “the best and fullest sermon ever preached was followed by the best of prayers”. Notice thirdly that this prayer divides nicely into three sections. In verses 1-5 we find Jesus praying for himself. In verses 6-19 he is praying particularly for his disciples who were with him in that moment. And in verses 20-26 Jesus is found praying for all those who would believe upon him from that day onward. In verse 20 he prays, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…” (John 17:20, ESV)

And so we will follow the natural contours of this passage, dividing it into three parts, dealing with verses 1-5 today, 6-19 next Sunday, and 20-26 the Sunday after that, Lord willing.

I don’t know about you but I find this entire prayer to be deeply encouraging and also fascinating.

It is encouraging to be reminded that Jesus prays for us. He intercedes for those who belong to him. We see this mainly in verses 6-19 and 20-26, and so I will leave that emphasis for the next two sermons.

This passage is fascinating to me in that it gives us a very clear and intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of Jesus Christ. Do you want to know the mind and heart of a person? Then examine their prayers! The prayers that we say to God reveal what is in our mind and on our heart. Our lack of prayer also reveals something, doesn’t it. But the things that we mention in our prayers – the way that we pray, and the things that we pray for – say a lot about how we view ourselves, God, and the world in which we live. The same is true of Jesus. Do you want to know his mind and heart? Do you want to know how he viewed God, himself, and the world? One of the ways to gain an understanding of these things is to examine his prayers.

I have three observations to make concerning the first five verses of Jesus’ farewell prayer.

Jesus Prayed To The Father

First of all, notice that Jesus prayed to the Father.

This may seem like an obvious observation, but some have wondered about this. If it is true that Jesus is God (as the scriptures clearly teach), and if it is true that there is only one God (as the scriptures also clearly teach), then how can it be that Jesus prayed to God the Father?

The solution, of course, is to recognize that there is a distinction between God the Father and Jesus. Jesus is not the Father, and the Father is not Jesus. This can be demonstrated in two ways: First of all, it was the eternal Word of God, or the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who took on humanity and dwelt among us. The Father did not take on flesh, nor did the Spirit, but the Word only. While it is true that there is only one God, we should not forget that there exists within the Godhead a distinction between Father, Son or Word, and Spirit. Secondly, (and this is probably more to the point) we must also remember the fact of the incarnation. The eternal Word of God, the second person of the Trinity, did, when the fullness of time had come, take on flesh and dwelt among us. When Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and prayed to the Father, he did so as a man. This is not God crying out to God, but the man Jesus crying out to God.  And he, as God’s uniquely begotten Son, addresses God as Father.

We are accustom to referring to God as Father. Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Many of you have been taught to pray in this way from the time that you were young. But have you considered the significance of this? How can it be that we, lowly creatures as we are, are invited to call God Almighty, our Father?

Some, when they hear this title applied to God, think that it means nothing more than that God is our Creator. The title, Father, they think, means Creator, or source. If this were the case then all people could rightly call God, Father, for he is the Creator or source of us all. But there is more to the title than this. The title says something about our relationship with God. When we call God, Father, we are saying more than that he is our Creator. We are also communicating that we enjoy an intimate relationship with him. When we refer to God as Father are we not saying that we are in a right and proper relationship with him? We are in his love. We are under his care. God, if he is indeed our Father, and we his sons and daughters, smiles upon us. He is like a Father to us, and we are his children. The title, Father, is metaphorical. Just as an earthly Father loves, protects, encourages, disciplines, and instructs his children, so too God relates to those who are his.

Paul captures this idea when he says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:14–17, ESV)

Notice that it is only those who are led by the Spirit – those who have received adoption as son’s – those who are fellow heirs with Christ – who are able to rightly cry out to God as “Abba! Father!” In John 8:44 Jesus spoke to those who did not believe upon him and said, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires…” (John 8:44, ESV) So apparently, though God is indeed the Creator of us all, he is not the Father of us all. This has been the case from the moment that our first parents – Adam and Eve – fell from the state of perfection. All who came after them were either of God, or of the Evil One.

But the question still remains. How can we, lowly creatures as we are, be invited to call God Almighty, our Father? It becomes even more astonishing when we consider that, not only are we lowly creatures, but we are sinful creatures.

Please hear me. It is not as if some are children of God, and others children of the evil one, because of some inherent goodness or badness within the individual. It is not that some are better than others, and therefore have earned their place as God’s children. The scriptures are clear, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, ESV) “All… are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’ ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.’ There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” (Romans 3:9–18, ESV)

Friends, this is our natural condition. We are fallen creatures. We are sinful creatures. We were born into this world, not at peace with God, but at enmity with him. Paul says that “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV)

If this is true, how then are we able to cry out to God as our “Abba, Father”? How is that we have come to possess the status of sons and daughters of God?

The answer is that we are sons and daughters of God, not by birth, nor on the basis of our own goodness, but only through faith in Jesus Christ who is the Son of God. Our sonship is based upon, and rooted in, our union with Christ, who is the uniquely begotten Son of God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, ESV)

So Jesus, when he prayed, prayed to God as Father. Though it is true that Jesus was God with us – God incarnate – we must also remember that there is a distinction between God the Father and Jesus. It was the eternal Word of God who took on flesh (John 1:1, 14). Jesus was truly man – the uniquely begotten Son of God. We are sons and daughters only if we have faith in Christ. It is only if we are united to him by faith that we are heirs of God. We are adopted as sons only through Christ.  For “[God] predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…” (Ephesians 1:5, ESV)

The fact that Jesus prayed to God as Father might seem common and basic to us, but it is a fact that is foundational to all true religion.

Application:

May it never grow old to come to God and to call him Father.

Remember what you were by nature.

Remember what it took to bring about your adoption – the decree of God from eternity past, the accomplishment of that plan, the cross, the work of the Spirit in bringing you to faith.

And remember what a privilege is to have God as Father – his love, protection, encouragement, discipline, and instruction, not to mention our inheritance.

Jesus Prayed Being Mindful Of His Mission

Secondly, notice that Jesus prayed being mindful of his mission.

Notice that Jesus prayed to the Father saying, “Father, the hour has come…”

In John 2:4 Jesus spoke to his mother, saying, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” In 4:21 Jesus spoke to the women at the well, saying, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father…But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…” In 5:25 Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” In 7:30 we read, “So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” Also in 8:20: “These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20, ESV) But now we hear Jesus pray to the Father saying, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…”

This proves that Jesus came to this earth to accomplish a very particular mission. There was obviously an “hour” that he had his sights set upon.

In a way, all that Jesus did in his life was in fulfillment to his mission. He was obedient to the Father in an active way. By this I mean that he did everything that the Father called him to do – he spoke the Father’s words; he preformed the Father’s work; he kept God’s law – he was actively obedient. And he was also obedient in a passive way. By this I mean that he submitted to God’s will in every respect – he was God’s faithful servant – God’s obedient Son. In this sense Christ’s mission was carried out from cradle to grave.

But as true as this is we should also acknowledge the significance the “hour” that Christ constantly made reference to. The “hour” clearly refers to his glorification through his death, burial, and resurrection. Christ came to die. He was, from the beginning of his life, the Lamb of God who came to atone for the sins of the world. His hour had come. The apex, the heart, the pinnacle of his mission was now at hand. He would go to the cross the next day.

Notice also that Jesus was mindful of the fact that, because of the fulfillment of his mission, the Father had given him authority over all flesh.

Let’s think about this for a moment. It is common, I think, for people to assume that Jesus, when he died and rose again, earned salvation only, and was given authority over the church only. It is indeed true that Christ, by his life, death and resurrection, earned salvation for those given to him by the Father from before the foundation of the earth. And it is indeed true that Christ, by his life, death and resurrection, was given authority over the church. He is indeed Lord of the church! But do not miss the fact the that his Lordship extends beyond the church, to cover all. He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14).  He is the Sovereign one. To him was given the authority to judge. He was seated at the Fathers right hand until his enemies should be made his footstool.

This is why I read Psalm 110 at the beginning of the sermon. The New Testament makes it clear that this Psalm was ultimately about Jesus. See Matthew 22:24 and 26:64; Mark 12:36, 14:62 and16:19; Luke 20:42 and 22:69; John 12:34; Acts 2:34; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 5:6, 6:20, 7:3ff., 8:1, 10:12, and 12:2. All of these passage either direct quote or strongly allude to Psalm 110 and apply what is said there to Jesus Christ. And what does Psalm 110 speak of? David hears the LORD (YHWH) say to his Lord (Adon), “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1, ESV). And “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’” (Psalm 110:4, ESV) And “The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.” (Psalm 110:5–6, ESV)

Psalm 110 is about Jesus Christ. He has authority, then – not just over Christians, and not just over the church – but over all flesh.  He, through his active and passive obedience, has earned this position.  He humbled himself, did he not? He humbled himself and was obedient even to the point of death. “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, ESV)

So there is a sense in which all people have Jesus as Lord. I am not saying that all people submit to him, or honor him, as Lord. But he is Lord nonetheless!

It is true, Christ has been given authority over all flesh. But notice here that, more specifically, his mission was to give eternal life to those given to him by the Father. Look again at verse 1: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (John 17:1–2, ESV)

Jesus prayed to the Father being mindful of his mission. And what was his mission? To give eternal life to all whom the Father had given to him!

What is Jesus talking about here? Those of you who have been through the study on covenant theology know that Jesus is referring to what theologians now call the Covenant of Redemption. John’s gospel makes it abundantly clear that a covenant, or agreement, was made between the Father and Son before the world was created. And what was the agreement? To say it in a most succinct way, it was that the Son would earn salvation for a particular people given to him by the Father. When was this covenant made? Before creation. Who were the parties involved in this covenant? The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And what were the terms of this covenant? The obedience of the Son (active and passive). And what was the reward? Eternal life for all those found trusting in the only begotten Son of God, who is the Messiah, God’s faithful servant.

This was Christ’s mission, “to give eternal life to all whom [the Father had] given him.” This is the mission that he, in fact, accomplished. He earned eternal life for those given to him by the Father. He made atonement for their sins. And gives eternal life to them in time through the ministry of the promised Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to sinners as he, in conjunction with the preaching of the gospel, draws sinners to faith in Christ and repentance from sins. The mission of Jesus was to “to give eternal life to all whom [the Father had] given him.” This is the work that he has indeed accomplished.

Notice that Jesus also tells us what eternal life is. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3, ESV)

So what does it mean to have eternal life? At its core, eternal life is this: the knowledge of God and of Christ Jesus. To know God and the Christ whom he has sent is to have eternal life.

And you thought eternal life was about streets of gold, pearly gates, and harps. You’ve missed the point, I think. Eternal life is not so much about going to a place as it is about knowing a person. And notice, it is not knowing about a person. No, it is about knowing a person – it is about relationship.

You say, well which is it? Is it about knowing Jesus, or is it about knowing God the Father? Both! To know Jesus is to know the Father, and if we are to know the Father we must know Jesus, for he is the way the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. He is the one who has made the Father known.

The thing that makes eternal life, eternal – the thing that makes paradise, paradise, is God! He is the source of all life. Apart from him there is no life at all. And thing that makes life good, and pleasant, and to be desired, is God! He is what makes heaven, heaven. Friends, we were made to know him. We were made to worship him. We were made to have communion with him. Augustine was right when he said to God, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”

From the beginning Christ had his sights set upon the cross. He, through his active and passive obedience, was given authority over all flesh. In particular he came “to give eternal life to all whom [the Father had] given him”. “And this is eternal life, that [we] know… the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [he has] sent.” Jesus prayed being mindful of his mission.

Application:

To the Christian: Look at what Christ has done for you! Look at what he has earned!

Also, pray like him, being ever mindful of your mission. Your mission is not the same as Christ’s, but it is certainly connected to it. “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” (Matthew 6:9–10, ESV)

For the non-christian: Repent and believe upon Christ for the forgiveness of sins! Life eternal is found in him, and in him alone.

Jesus Prayed For His Own Glory And For The Glory Of  The Father

Notice thirdly, that Jesus prayed for his own glory, and for the glory of the Father.

His prayer begins and ends with this request. Verse 1: “…he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…” (John 17:1, ESV) Verse 5: “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:5, ESV)

When we speak of the glory of God we are talking about his splendor. He is holy and righteous and pure. He is radiant, full of splendid light – he is glorious beyond compare. In the song of Moses the prophet asked, “Who is like you, O Lord…? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11, ESV) God is glorious.

And notice in verse 5 that Jesus Christ claims to have shared in the glory of God before the world existed. How so? Not in his humanity, but in his divinity. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, ESV)

And he is now praying that the Father would glorify him. How will this happen?

One, through the cross. It is ironic, I know, but it was upon the cross that Christ was glorified, and God through him. His suffering was his glory for the simple reason that it was there on the cross that the extreme love and the pure righteousness of God was displayed.

Two, Christ would be glorified through his ascension to the Fathers right hand.

I’ll let Paul wrap this up for us. Philippians 2:5:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5–11, ESV)

Application:

Brothers and sisters, may we, like Christ, live for the glory of God? Jesus Christ, from the cradle to the grace, was bent on bringing glory, honor, and praise to the Father. So too should we!

Never would it be right for us to pray, “Father, glorify me”. Jesus Christ is unique in this regard. It was right for him to say, “Father glorify your Son”, given his unique position as the only begotten Son – we should not ask to be glorified. But perhaps we should pray, Lord refine me. Purify me, grow me, use me. Bear fruit through me, all to the glory of your most holy name. 

Conclusion

Father in heaven, you are worthy all praise. You have been gracious to us indeed. Thank you for sending the Son to earn for us eternal life, which is the knowledge of you. Thank you for sending the Spirit to apply it to us. Lord, be highly exalted through your people as we live in obedience to you in this world, pointing always to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.