Father, Glorify Your Son

John chapter 17 we read the moving words of Jesus. High priestly prayer, and in these verses given the privilege of overhearing the second personal flexibility telling the first person of the 14 most wants and all the while you imagine what it must've been like you actually hear Jesus pray. Welcome to Renewing Your Mind on this Thursday time we were today and tomorrow we are pleased to feature messages from Dr. Sinclair Ferguson series lessons from the upper room. Jesus made this passionate plea to his father just before he was arrested and sent to the cross.

It gives us a revealing glimpse of the Jesus priorities and his relationship with his heavenly father hustling more, sometimes in Texas we feel that way really want to get to know each other on so we have social occasions on social gatherings so that we can get to know each other but there is a principle I think what's important in pastoral ministry amount is the place of all the services in the church where people got to know each other is the prayer meeting on the reason for glasses you really got to know somebody's heart. Best of all, not when you're talking to them face-to-face. But when you're listening to them face-to-face with the heavenly father and healing how they approach him what they say to him what they feel about him.

What they desire from him. Five people who are not Christians find it very embarrassing to be in situations where Alecia Christians pray for their father in heaven. It's somewhat old, with which they are entirely unfamiliar as part of the privileged waddled in which we live as Christian believers wasn't that we are in some way so accustomed to that. But we scarcely notice the privilege that we enjoy of listening to the intimate desires of our brothers and sisters for the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ and offensive privilege that we share in the charge that could surely be no greater privilege for Jesus disciples than to listen to him pray. It's very striking thing that this farewell discourse in John 13 through John 17 ends with an elongated account of our Lord Jesus Christ prayer know the disciples have become completely silent, but is only one voice that speaks and he no longer addresses the disciples, but rather he allows his disciples to overhear him addressing his loving heavenly father brings to the conclusion that these chapters in many ways provide us with the gospel within the gospel that actually shaped the same way the gospel of the gospel begins with a prologue ends with an epilogue, and in between the two volumes. The book of the signs of the book of glory. John 13 through 17. This week come near to the end of it. No looking back we can see that it shaped in the same way.

It begins with a prologue the action of Jesus and washing his disciples feet attends with an epilogue, in which having had their feet washed by the Savior. They overhear the Savior praying for them and in between the two sections. What we call chapters 13 through 14 in which Jesus is speaking to them about his departure and how he will send the spirit in order to strengthen the then in chapters 15 and 16.

There needs to a bodied in Christ on the promise that Christ will keep them through the tribulation notices though Jesus gathered us all this together in his heart and in his words as he turns his attention from the disciples to his heavenly father and praise and what has so often in Christian history been described as his high priestly prayer this prayer in John 17 was no one from about the fifth century as the priestly prayer of Jesus and then from the time of the Reformation. It's come to be known as the high priestly prayer of Jesus. Nowhere is it specifically said. But Jesus is engaging in a high priestly ministry here, but there's so much about this prayer that is reminiscent of prayerful ministry of the high priest, the high priest had a particularly great function. I should know on the day of atonement. He was to go into the very presence of God in the holiest place of all, and that he was to bring a sacrifice that had been made and to intercede for the people. No one else in Israel was permitted to do this, he was permitted to do it only on one occasion every year.

It was the high moment of the Jewish calendar, you know, probably about the high priest wore a garment that had little bells on so that when he went into the presence of God. Darcy made any movement to the people outside could hear the little signs of the bells on fuel.

A deep sense of relief but perhaps the sacrifice was again being accepted about the high priest was not being struck down on later locations they actually titled rule around his leg in case he was struck down in divine judgment so that they would be able to bring his body tall presence of the holiness and judgment of God in order to engage in this ministry, the high priest went through a ritual bike which he was prepared for part of that ritual was engaging in an extended season of prayer. 20 prayed he was expected to pray for three concentric circles of people.

First of all, he was to pray for himself and for the ministry, but he was about to exercise.

Secondly, he would pray for his more immediate family. Those who were round about him who knew him best friend whom he knew best that they might be consecrated with him to the soundness of the Lord and then the third of these concentric circles was the way in which he would intercede for all of the people of God, and strikingly, this is the farm in which John 17 comes to us. You'll notice in verses one through five, the Lord Jesus is praying for himself and about himself and then in verses six through 19. He's praying for his immediate disciples. Those who have been with him in these three years of ministry and then in a most remarkable way towards the end. In verse 20 through verse 26. He's actually praying for all who will become Christian believers. I don't ask for these only he says, but also for those who will believe in me through their wired among others that include solstice into because, by whatever means it has come to us the knowledge of the Lord Jesus has been a knowledge we have gained from the apostolic warrant. We have no knowledge of the Lord Jesus apart from the pages of our New Testament and these are the testimonies of the apostles. So the Most Amazing Way, Jesus prayer begins immediately with himself and then almost like the great commission. It sounds as though he is under God being the great commission with prayer, but he prays for all those who will come to faith in him in every place and at every stage of future history solicitor sentences. The most sacred moment thus far, but the disciples are experiencing as they gather with Jesus on the evening of his passion and late over here Jesus prayer on this is a high moment of the motion for Jesus and the timeless not come for him who has been obedient to his father all through his ministry to become.

As Paul says, obedient, no today, even the death of the cross and he's not praying to his heavenly father. I want us to look in this session help auditors that Jesus prays about himself. He is conscious.

You will notice first of all the time has come. He says father, the hour has come. Interesting that this takes place in the context of a meal because twice before in the context of a meal and then a feast of the Lord Jesus has said my time has not yet come. Remember the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee in John chapter 2, he says to his slightly bossy mother about point though he says don't you be telling me what to do my time has not yet come.

But then he transforms the water in the wine as John says in John 211 he begins to show his glory, and then notice another moment later on in John chapter 7 when Jesus says that from the moment he is not going up to the feast. It was the feast of booths he was referring to. And he says because my time is not yet come. But now it's time has come that is been the skin of the Gentiles. One thing to see that it's been this sense but Satan is now virtually stepped out into open conflict with him and has as it where embodied himself in one of Jesus disciples.

Judas Iscariot and all the pieces are in place all the players out in position the Scriptures of all the ages about to be fulfilled, not just the Scriptures.

So if Isaiah 53 that he would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities's not simply the promises of Islam slipped that one would come would suffer for the sake of others, but that ancient promise, but most ancient of promise, but the day would come when the coming Messiah would crush the head of the set and now uses Jesus, the hour has come, and it do you see fortuitously he believes this hour holds for him. When Jesus had spoken all these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said John 17 verse one father, the hour has come. Glorify your son and onto your son may glorify you. First of all, flutters her Jesus is asking for fairly remarkable prayer father, glorify me. This is one of those statements from the lips of the Lord Jesus potentially highlights and pinpoints his consciousness of his own deity doesn't he knows the Old Testament Scriptures. He knows that at the heart of the Old Testament Scriptures lies the statement of Yahweh of Jehovah. I will not give my glory to another. My glory is absolutely the property and possession own way of God in Jesus is in this way, giving expression to his consciousness that he is the son of the father that he is the word who was with God and was himself God and sweetly not stretching beyond his rights, he is saying to his heavenly father. Father will you know glorify me so that I may glorify you is such a touching word dissent. Not that Jesus here prays for this evening's glory. Of course in Scripture of the glory of God is sleep is the next time no expression on manifestation of all of his attributes and perfections. It's almost like the kaleidoscopic cost of the colors of the magnificence of God's character and the locations of course in the Old Testament Scriptures where the seems to burst forth as though slow God himself were saying you cannot see me because I am the invisible God, but I want to close myself in some marvelous way but will give you a sense of just how magnificent and glorious and beautiful and perfect. I really and so we have these these marvelous moments. For example in the Psalms. There is a marvelous sermon which there's the is the sense of the people of God watching a thunderstorm and the lightning crashing through the sky and as they watch list.

The watchlist firework display of the majesty and power of God and the psalmist says in God's temple, everybody cries convoy as though they're saying I've seen something of the glory of God and Jesus is praying, but something of my glory will be seen marvelously and as I said he had given little glimpses of it and give another glimpse of her dignity when he stole the starting and the disciples were left wondering who is this that even the winds and the waves obey him under were three of them in the room. Three of these 11 apostles who the company Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and there they'd seen something that none of the others thus far have seen, but was something happened to Jesus as he entered into the presence of his father in prayer one day he seemed to be full of light as full center to take on this amazing brightness that was there was a white NASA acuity and it really overflown and Jesus is not praying to his heavenly father.

Usually praying to his heavenly father.

So he will say father I not only emptied myself into the incarnation, but that is a sense in which I have had in my majesty in the incarnation, will you not know the value of power unveil that Digest. So man and women will see who I really and as they see who I really face-to-face with you able to Lucan to you if Elgin glory about how God said to Moses when he asked to see the glory of God.

Moses you can see the glory of God and live. Jesus is saying.

I can look into your glory and reflect the glory and live axle followed unveil that glory that I had with you before the world began, and it's an amazing expression of his consciousness of the know sometimes when people say well does the New Testament really teach that Jesus was God. We go to some of the big tax like Romans chapter 9 verse 542 other verses but here to hear our words straight out of the mouth of our Lord Jesus that I got expressions of his deity, or the worst conceivable expression of blasphemy on this all to be found in his prayer father of the hour has come. Glorify your son.

I have authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given me this is an interesting thousand. How is it that Jesus is going to be glorified and this is a marvelous thing for us as believers. He is going to be glorified by the way in which he gives us eternal life. I think this is such a great thing for us to understand this Christians.you people who are not Christians but seems to me always think that the glory of God is bound to be the antithesis of my blessing on my good something quite why would you want to glorify God when that undoubtedly is going to diminish your life. Actually, most people seem to think about the Christian life outweighed glorifying God is wasting your life. But here Jesus is saying. I think this father I want my glory to be seen, but I don't want my glory to be seen without them receiving blessing from that manifestation. I'm coming to know me, I'm coming to know use was the only true God to us sent me into the world. Father and author, but they may be blessed, will you not manifest my glory in this world did Jesus pray like I think because his glory had been hurt in his heart for us to understand how odd I think for us to understand that in a sense he'd been living his life as an alien resident in this world because we are sinners and we are so used to a sinful world because not really capable of grieving. The pew atmosphere of heaven were very insensitive to how sensitive the Lord Jesus must've been to the vehicle you could atmosphere of I once tried to write a little allegory it's hidden away somewhere in my computer back some but I'm quite sure will never see the light of day but it was called the stranger and the smokers under the allegory was about someone who has lived in the penthouse suite who has speed and as it lasts night and day in the computer five unrefined atmosphere of the penthouse suite becomes done from the penthouse suite on the elevator on the elevator doors often on the cloud of smoke or slayer and he has never breezed in small undertakes him they dragged him from the elevator and they believe on and they smoke more and more in the seek to stick their cigarettes into his mouth, and they believe into his eyes on the seek to destroy him because he is not one of them. He is not flanked them here is this one who has never breezed commuted air here is this one is never experienced antagonism here is this one who has been love from all the time that they surrounded by angels and archangels of cherubim and seraphim and sharing in the blessed fellowship of the holy Trinity and in the joy that they half and one another and always come down into a world where he is demeaned where the pollution of arson is poured upon his Holy Spirit. Day after day after day after day, another towards Leanne as they will grieve their pollution on him in order to destroy him rather than to trust him and to be changed to be like him is coming to his heavenly father is saying father you know the lease. 33 years of brought such homesickness to my soul, will you not know glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. I'm so he prays that what he once knew. He will again no for the father and the son will live in this most intimate of fellowship with one another for the father will gaze upon and say to him. My son, I have watched you every single day.

I felt the software in my soul. The pollution of the atmosphere into which you have gone to fulfill our purpose and to save these commuted seminars. That's why I want Haile to exult check and give you a name that is above every name, but your name every knee will bow and every tongue confess that you are more found in these verses given the privilege of overhearing the second person of the Trinity telling the first person of the Trinity what he most wants and all the while making love him that he is done so much for sinners and cars, doesn't it make you rejoice at his father gave him old.

If he does why would that is leader teaching fellow, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, then you're listening to Renewing Your Mind. Thank you for being with us. We just heard is one of the many powerful insights that Dr. Ferguson conveys in his new book lessons from the upper room, this volume reveals Jesus deep humility as well as his love for his father and for all believers like you and me today for your donation of any amount to look at your ministries will be happy to send you the paperback version and an e-book copy of Dr. Ferguson's new book, along with a digital download of the teaching series by the same name asked for lessons from the upper room by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. You can call us at 800-435-4343 but you can also find us online at Renewing Your Mind.Ward.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow as Dr. Ferguson shows us what Jesus prayer revealed about his deep love for his disciples the collaborative nature of his description often is an expression of the extent and intensity of his love for us, almost as though he is saying since they mean this much to me. Father is only one thing I want from conservatives that you will keep them on.

Please make plans to join us again tomorrow for Renewing Your Mind