glory that I had with you before the world existed.

JESUS PRAYS part 4 John 17 As we continue in our study of John 17 Jesus is about to move into the part of His prayer that concerns the 11 remaining apostles. Before we look at that we are going to take our second look at verse 5. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. Last week we noted that there are TWO large subjects wrapped up in this request. 1.) Jesus declares His eternality by speaking of His pre-incarnate glory relative to things created: the glory that I had with you before the world existed. We found ourselves once again tethered us to the Prologue; and to the opening verse of the Bible. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Everything else in the universe had a beginning. Not Jesus. He is the eternal God. Man was created to KNOW the eternal God. Man has a choice 1. Worship the eternal God, the Creator and Redeemer; or 2. worship things created. We spent the bulk of our time together last Sunday looking at the implications and outcomes of man rejecting the eternal God (introduced the terms ONE-ism and TWO-ism). This morning we pick up with the second subject wrapped up in that request 2.) The expression of His glory before He became man. Remember Glory is a big word in this prayer. We find it 8 times in this prayer; 5 times in the first 5 verses. It s not only a big word in this chapter; it s a big word throughout the Bible used in reference to God. 1

Acts 7:2 The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham God showed his glory to Moses (Ex 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7). The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is called the Father of glory (Eph 1:17). In Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God In Psalm 8:1 We re told that the majesty and glory of God fill heaven and earth. In Phil 2:11 We re told that at the end of the age every tongue shall confess Jesus as Lord it will be to the glory of God the Father. QUOTE: Wayne Grudem (Systematic Theology) In one sense of the word glory means honor or excellent reputation. It describes the ultimate honor that should be given to God by everything in the universe. The Bible tells us tells us that man was created for God s glory created to be the image bearers of the God of Glory; to reflect God s glory. The Bible tells us that we are saved to that end and that we are to do everything to and for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). The term glory in the context of this prayer of Jesus is a reference to the brilliant light that surrounds God s presence (Grudem Systematic Theology). This glory is the visible extension and expression of God s divine nature and attributes. This glory is the means by which the transcendent God expresses His intangible nature and attributes hence the Hebrew word kabod is used in the Old Testament in speaking of God s glory it means weightiness. This glory makes tangible the great weight of God s infinite honor. Whenever God gave man a peak at this kabod man could not even stand up. Exodus 40:34-35 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter 2

the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever, the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. With that bit of groundwork laid, let s read the verse again 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. FIRST I find in this request an ache; a homesickness; a longing for heaven. After this prayer they are going to cross the Brook Kidron and go into the Garden of Gethsemene. Both Matthew and Mark tell us that there Jesus began to be sorrowful and very heavy. The Greek carries the meaning of being away from home. SECOND The reality of sharing this glory with the Father is another claim to deity because the One, True and Living God of Israel made it clear to Israel that He shares His Honor, and the expression of His nature and attributes, with no one. Isaiah 48:11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. Isaiah 48:11 NLT I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols! THIRD We can not even begin to comprehend what the glory of Jesus was like before the world began. We know that Jesus is the creator of the universe. The universe is so large it would take a person at least fifty octillion years traveling at the speed of light to visit every star. 1 1 Hughes, R. K. (1999). John : That you may believe. Preaching the Word (393). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books. 3

light year = the distance light can travels in a year at the rate of 186,000 miles per second; or 700 million miles an hour (700 million x24) x 365. Then multiply that by 50 octillion We know that before anything was ever created Jesus enjoyed perfect intimacy with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, With = pros. Not just in the company of; but face-to- face with. From eternity past God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit enjoyed infinitely perfect community; infinitely perfect fellowship; infinitely perfect joy. They lavished upon each other infinitely perfect love, and infinitely perfect honor and glory. This is what the Bible has to say about the glory that Jesus shared with the Father Exodus 33:20 But, he said, you cannot see my face, for man (unregenerate man in his mortal body) shall not see me and live. 1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Isaiah 6:1-3 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! There was one moment in the earthly ministry of Jesus when Jesus gave a preview of the glory He would manifest in His future Kingdom. Matthew 17:2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Even though the radiance of His glory was as brilliant as the sun it was a radically edited and filtered preview of His glory it was nothing close to the fullest expression of His nature and attributes. In speaking of the New Heaven and the New Earth Revelation 21:22-23 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun 4

or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 22:5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. How weighty is the honor of God? How majestic is the extension and expression of God s nature an attributes? So weighty and so majestic that the New Heaven and the New Earth are illuminated by it! Like I said we just can t get our minds around the weightiness the glory of God s nature and attributes. Once again we back to Wiersbe s picking up mercury with a pitchfork! Some people might ask Why spend so much time defining glory? Why are you making us think so hard and use so much mental energy on one word in the Bible? If I handed you a little bottle say the size of a perfume sampler with three drops of water from Teahupoo (choe-poo) and said to you, Isn t Teahupoo the most awe inspiring wave on the planet? you wouldn t be impressed at all. Those three drops of water give you no sense of THIS 5

Those three little drops in that little bottle can t begin to communicate to you the millions of cubic tons of water that the reef is lifting up or the gazillion water molecules that have to bind together to form a wave that wraps around that stretch of reef! Infinitely more so our understanding of the glory of God is directly tied to our appreciation of just how glorious the Gospel is. FOLLOW ME HERE We have been making the point time and again that the Gospel is the REPORT of what GOD DID to save us. What God DID to save us is so amazing that the report of what He did is labeled as glorious. 1 Timothy 1:11 in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. That which is so mind-blowing about the expression of God s glory that which is so beyond our capacity to grasp is the very thing that makes the Incarnation so profoundly unsearchable and the Gospel so glorious! You see the fact that Jesus is asking to be returned to the glory that he 6

shared with the Father before the world was made tells us what God DID in order to save us. It tells us that Jesus left the majestic glory of heaven where angelic beings worshipped Him in the unapproachable light of His expressed glory in order to save us! Here s a description of what Jesus left in order to save us Revelation 4:2-3; 5 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, Revelation 4:6-11 And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures 8.and day and night they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. John 17:5 tells us that Jesus not only left the majestic glory of heaven where angelic beings worshipped Him he also willingly forfeited the expression of His majestic glory in order to save us! Please write Philippians 2:1-11 in the margins of your Bibles next to verses 5. Turn there with me. Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, KJV - Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 7

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing The God of Glory who dwells in the unapproachable light of His glory would not sit and do nothing while mankind was lost in darkness incapable of saving himself. In order to save us the God of Glory DID SOMETHING to save us. Once again The Gospel is the record of what God DID to save us. What did the God of Glory do? He emptied Himself laid aside the expression of His infinite and ultimate honor to come to this world. He did that KNOWING that instead of being worshipped He would be cursed and spit upon. But He laid that aside! He laid aside the expression of His glory KNOWING that instead of being recognized as King of kings He would be disrespected crowned with thorns and mocked. But Jesus laid that aside. He laid aside the expression of His glory KNOWING that instead of being obeyed He would be disobeyed. But He laid that aside. Jesus laid aside one thing and took on another! taking the form of a servant, KJV took upon him the form of a servant He set aside his right to be worshipped and obeyed and took upon Himself the very form of a servant or literally a slave. God willingly became a humble slave. being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus laid aside the expression of His glory so that the Glory of the Father would be seen in the giving of His Only Begotten Son to die on the cross to save from the power of Sin and Death the very world that had rebelled against Him. THIS IS HUGE Jesus did not leave the majestic glory of heaven did not willingly forfeit the expression of His majestic glory to come and merely be an example for us. He DID that in order to be a substitute for us. His example did not save us. Our God became a man Our God lived without sin, though He was tempted in every way that you and 8

I are (Hebrews 4). He then went to the cross and willingly took upon Himself all of our sins and endured the punishment and penalty that we rightly deserve for all of our sins. You and I we deserve to die, be sentenced, judged, and tormented forever in hell! BUT through Jesus we get what John 1 calls grace upon grace. The Gospel IS NOT about what you do for God. The Gospel is about Jesus and what JESUS DID for us. It s totally different and it s better because religion always leads to pride or despair. Pride in our few and paltry religious accomplishments. Despair when we fail to live up to the expectations despair because we are not good enough for God. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him This prayer of the Son was answered. At this moment He is back in the position that He was in prior to His incarnation. He was in glory came in humility now He is back in glory and the Bible says He will come again in glory. In the Book of Revelation we find time and again the declaration that Jesus is seated on a throne ruling and reining as king of kings and lord of lords over all peoples, times and places, over all nations, all genders, all races, all socioeconomic backgrounds, all political parties, all sexual preferences, all professions/ vocations. He rules and reins over everyone and everything. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, The name of Jesus the One who left His throne in glory and laid aside the expression of His glory is the most important name in all the world. The name of Jesus is what we live for. The name of Jesus is our hope. Our desire is to live in such a way that the name of Jesus is honored! 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. There are only TWO kinds of people in the world. There are those who willingly bend their knee surrender submit to Jesus! They not only willingly bend their knee to Jesus they also 9

willingly proclaim with their mouth that Jesus is Lord proclaim that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ to live the life I cannot live, to die the death I should have died and to give the gift I could never have earned! The other kind of person is one who is unwillingly bends their knee to Jesus unwillingly proclaims that He is Lord. Here s REALITY EVERYONE will bend his or her knee. Some of you will do it in this life for salvation, some of you will do it after this life prior to being judged and forever punished in hell. Some of you will do it today as a friend of Jesus, some of you will do it eventually as a foe of Jesus. CLOSING THIS IS HUGE The account of what GOD DID is so glorious that the god of this world does everything he can to blind men and women to the truth of what the eternal God of glory has done in order to save them 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Satan would love to have us believe that God is a coldhearted, arrogant tyrant with infinite power. But the Gospel tells us that God is so humble and so gracious that he laid aside the expression of His glory to save us a God who will suffer a God who can relate a God who, when you are struggling and hurting the most, is not far away and un-relatable. We gladly surrender our lives, our time, our talents, our treasures, to this God who emptied Himself so that He could identify with us and save us through His death and resurrection! That s Jesus. There is no one like Jesus! 10