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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Father, Part LVIII, John 17:1 - Lesson 166
As we said last week the chapter divides itself into three simple sections.
In the first five verses, it is Christ and his Father.
The great word there is "glory."
Verses 6 through 19 concern Christ and his disciples.
The great word there is "kept."
From verse 20 through verse 26 we have Christ and his Church.
The great word there is "one."
There are four great doctrines expressed this prayer.
Christ expresses the doctrine of salvation in the first five verses.
He expresses the doctrine of preservation in verses 11 to 16, the doctrine of sanctification in in verse 17 through verse 19 and the doctrine of glorification from there to the end of the chapter.
John 17:1, These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
These words spake Jesus and he lifted up his eyes to heaven.
These words were the words of discourse that he had now completed.
They were the words given to the disciples which were designed to bear fruit in their lives.
He has concluded his teaching of his disciples but now he wants the Father's blessing upon those he has taught.
So He lifts up his eyes to heaven and engages in prayer to the Father.
As he lifts up his eyes to heaven he shows that he seeks his home above, where his Father dwells.
He knows that heaven is the abode of the hearer of prayer and the giver of every good and perfect gift.
John describes this gesture of Jesus Christ to tell us that prayer is to be directed to the Father.
It is as if prayer were an arrow and the uplifted eyes gave it direction to the Father.
There was no mistaking to whom the prayer was directed.
There was no mistaking that Jesus was in a posture of prayer.
His eyes were directed to heaven which showed the disciples the withdrawal of his thoughts and affections from earthly things.
The turning of his eyes toward God shows his recognition of God's majesty and excellence.
The lifting of of his eyes shows his complete confidence in God.
David recognized this when in Psalms 121:1,2 he wrote: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Jesus prayed: the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Praise the Lord the hour is come!
This is the seventh and last time that the Lord refers to this momentous hour.
It was to be the hour when Jesus Christ was to die.
It was the hour when he was to be made sin for his people and to bear the wrath of a sin hating God.
It was the hour for fulfilling and accomplishing many prophecies, types and symbols.
It was the hour when the Serpent was permitted to bruise the woman's seed, when the sun refused to shine, when redemption of sinners took place.
All else in this prayer must follow the most important consideration of Jesus Christ.
The desire to glorify the Father.
Christ puts first things first. What is the purpose of life?
To glorify God. So he says: glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
For what was Jesus Christ praying?
Was he asking to return to the Father and take up the glory that he had left?
He knew he was facing the cross but he also knew that glory awaited him in his resurection and his ascension to the Father.
Unless he was glorified he could not bestow eternal life.
Without his ascension the Holy Spirit would not come and without the Holy Spirit there would be no knowledge of the Father and his Son and therefore no eternal life.
But the cross must come first.
He must pass through death before that glory would be realized but he prayed for the Father to glorify him in spite what that meant.
The Son was glorified but that glory was to be glory that would ultimately bring glory to the Father.
The Father was to be glorified by the completion of the work that he was sent to do.
To seek and to save that which was lost.
To have power over all flesh and to give eternal life to those that the Father gave him.
He would be glorified by the coming of the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit.
He would be glorified by the establishment of the church and the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Father would be glorified in our salvation that Jesus Christ provided.
Will not the Father be glorified when he is finished with conforming you to the image of his Son?
Is not the Father glorified when you by faith accomplish something according to God's will? |