Please turn in your Bibles to John, John's Gospel, chapter 17, and verse 5. The title of this message is, Christ's Preexistent Glory. John 17, 5. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the foundation, before the world was." The doctrines involved in this subject are deep, but they are precious and vital. In studying for this message, I felt like I did when I was a boy when swimming in a creek and stepping off into a hole. These matters of Christ's glory and of His eternal preexistence are rarely dealt with by today's preachers. The first time I heard of the preexistence of Christ, at least with hearing ears, was in a Bible class at Oklahoma Baptist University under Professor J.P. Dane. When I first heard of it, I became excited. I'd never heard anything like that. And that excitement has remained with me until this very day. My prayer is that if this is the first time you've heard these things, God will give you hearing ears and that when he does, you will experience the same lasting excitement. My text is part of our Lord's great intercessory prayer to his father in John 17, what some have called the Holy of Holies of the Bible. I want to deal with this subject by asking and trying to answer two questions and then by making a final statement. So first of all, what is it that the Lord Jesus asks for here? Notice the text. What is meant by Christ's glory here? This is a hard question to answer, believe you me. And there is much controversy over this. There is actually so much involved in this that it's difficult to give a full answer. Let's look first of all here at what the glory of Christ is not. This is not the glory of Christ's human nature. It's not what we're talking about here. The human nature of Christ did not exist with the Father in eternity, nor did it have glory before the world began. Christ the Word existed in eternity. But in eternity, He had neither a celestial body nor a human nature. As we look at God's Word, we find that Christ's glory involves at least six things. First of all, Christ's glory involves the splendor and majesty of His being. Glory means splendor and magnificence as applied by the Lord Jesus to King Solomon. So let's turn to Matthew 629 and see what is meant here. Matthew chapter 629. The Lord Jesus is speaking here of the peculiar excellency of King Solomon. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. What does that mean? The majesty and the splendor of Solomon in his court. In Matthew 12, 42, the Lord Jesus says that He is greater than Solomon. Christ's glory, of which He speaks in our text, was His splendor and majesty that He had in heaven before He came to this earth as a man. There was no beauty in Him during His earthly ministry. But in eternity past, if we can say it that way, and I don't know of any other way to say it, but in eternity past, He had great splendor and majesty. Psalm 93.1 says, The Lord is clothed with majesty and strength, speaking of His glory. When we look at the Scriptures, we find that secondly, Christ's glory involves light. and shining. Turn with me to Psalm 104 and we'll read verses 1 and 2. Psalm 104 verses 1 and 2. This scripture says that the Lord is clothed with or surrounded by and adorned with light. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, Thou art very great. Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, who stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain. 1 Timothy 6.16 says that Christ is continually enveloped in a glory that is unspeakable. Let's turn to that. 1 Timothy 6.16. 1 Timothy 6.16. This scripture says that Christ is enveloped in a glory that is unspeakable, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. And Hebrews 1.3 speaks of Christ as being the brightness of God's glory. Luke 2.9 says that the glory of the Lord shone round about the shepherds at Christ's birth. What is that? It's light. Acts 22.6 says that on the Damascus road, the light of Christ's glory appeared to Saul at noon and it knocked him off his horse and blinded him. Acts 26.13 says that this light was brighter than the noonday sun. This was the shining forth of the glory of Christ. Thirdly, Christ's glory involves His happiness with the Father and the Spirit before time. Matthew Henry said that before the world was, Christ was infinitely happy in the enjoyment of His Father's bosom. Turn to Proverbs chapter 8 and verse 30, and I'm certain that this passage will be referred to again and again during this conference. The 8th chapter of Proverbs and verse 30. This is talking about wisdom personified, and it is a thinly veiled reference to Christ. 830, then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. A.W. Pink said that Christ's glory was the happy fellowship that existed between himself, the Father, and the Spirit in heaven. And he too refers to Proverbs 830 in this connection. Number four, Christ's glory involves His very person. It has reference to the beauties of His divine nature. Moses begged God to show him His glory. In Exodus 33, verse 18, he said to God, Show me Thy glory. In Exodus 33, verse 22, God speaks to Moses of His glory passing by. So what did God show Moses when He showed him His glory? Turn to Exodus 34, and we'll read verses 5 through 7 to find the answer. Exodus 34, verses 5 through 7. Here we find the answer to our question. And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, here it is, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation." So when God showed Moses some of His glory here, what did He show him? He showed him some of His attributes. mercy, grace, long-suffering, goodness, truth, and so forth. Now turn to Psalm 106 and verse 20. Psalm 106 and verse 20. This scripture says that when the Israelites in the wilderness made a golden calf, They changed their glory, that is their God who was their glory, and they changed Him into an ox that ate grass. Thus, they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. In John 11, verse 40, the Lord Jesus said to Martha, If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God. Martha believed. What did Martha see when she believed? She saw an amazing display of the power of God in raising her brother Lazarus from the dead. She saw this attribute in His person. Number five, Christ's glory involves a place. Turn to 2 Peter 1, 16 and 17. 2 Peter chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, calls heaven the excellent glory. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. And he received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to him, here it is, from the excellent glory. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Paul speaks in 1 Timothy 3.16 of Christians being received up into glory. You know, when a Christian dies, it's often said of him that he's gone on to glory. Glory is a place. Heaven is the Christian's glory. Why? Because Christ is there. In this same prayer of Christ in which our text occurs, the Lord prays in verse 24, if you've still got it open there, Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me. For Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. So what is the glory of Christ, His glorious presence in heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, crowned with glory and honor. And number six, Christ's glory also involves the praise that rightly belongs to Him. In Luke 17, 18, one of the ten lepers whom Christ had healed returned to give praise to Him. Look at that. Luke 17 and verse 18. The Lord healed ten lepers, one of them returned to give praise to Him. There are not found that returned to give glory to God save or except this stranger. Turn to Psalm 29, verses 1 and 2. Psalm 29, verses 1 and 2, calls for men to give praise to our glorious Lord. Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty. Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Now turn to Psalm 115 and verse 1. Psalm 115 and verse 1 says, that praise is not to be given to men, but unto the Lord. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake. In Luke 2.14, the angels sang at the birth of Christ, glory to God in the highest. They praised God. And in Luke 2.20, the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God. So, to briefly sum up, and I emphasize briefly, To briefly sum up Christ's glory, His glory was the honor and glory given to Him by the other two persons or that He shared with them in eternity before the world began and all the six things that I've just listed. Matthew Poole said that the Lord Jesus was asking in John 17, 5, let the glory the splendor, the majesty, the light, the happiness, the praise that I had in my divine nature with you before creation. Let it be given also to my human nature that my whole person may be glorious. Well, this brings us to the second of the two questions I want to try to answer in relation to this subject. When did Christ have this glory? The Lord answers this question himself when he says in our text, and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. This statement is explained often in the rest of the scriptures. The scriptures tell us again and again that Christ was preexistent. That is, He existed before His incarnation, before the creation of the world, in eternity before time. Did you know that? Christ has always existed. John 1, 1 through 3 is the classic scripture passage that reveals the preexistence of Christ. And I'd like us to turn to that and spend a few minutes on it. John 1, 1 through 3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. So here, Christ is spoken of as the Word. And this word, Word, is capitalized in our King James Version, indicating that it refers to deity. John 1.14 identifies the Word as Jesus Christ when it says, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Now, the Word is a name that's used only in John's writings in the New Testament, not found anywhere else. For example, turn to 1 John 1 verse 1. This is talking about Christ when it says, "...that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life." And then turn to Romans 19, 13, while we're near the end of the Old Testament, I mean Revelation 19, 13. Revelation chapter 19 and verse 13, John again identifies the Word as Christ. And He, that is Christ, was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. Now, why is he called the Word? By words, we express our thoughts. You know, I can look at Brother Chamberlain and I can say, you know, I bet he is really a sharp fellow. I bet he's a real brain. I bet he has a lot of knowledge about books. But then, I don't know, there's no way of knowing that until He opens His mouth and starts talking to me, expressing Himself, expressing His thoughts. That's what we do with our words. The Word of God here is God expressing Himself in audible and visible terms. Christ the Word has made known the mind of God to us. just as a man's words make known his thoughts to others." How do I know Brother Chamberlain? I know him well. It's because he's talked to me for years. The Word reveals God's mind and expresses His will, His attributes, and His heart. Hebrews 1, 1 and 2. helps explain the meaning of the Word in relation to Christ. Let's turn to that. Hebrews 1, 1 and 2. God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake There's the word, "...in time past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Then verse 3 of this same passage says that Christ is the express image of God's person. Christ the Word is the final spokesman for God. I wish some denominations would learn that. Christ the Word is the final spokesman for God. Christ is the Word. Because God has in these last days spoken to us by Him, as we read in Hebrews 1-2. John 1-18, in speaking of Christ the Word, says, No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Or He has told Him forth. He has revealed Him. In Matthew 11, 27, the Lord Jesus says that He reveals His Father to us and that one can only know God through the Word. Let's turn to Matthew 11, 27 here. God can only be known through the Word. Matthew 11, 27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Only in Christ the Word is God fully and finally revealed. The Word so fully and perfectly revealed God that He could say in John 14, 8 and 9, 8 and 9, He that hath seen Me, He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. Let's turn to John 14, 8 and 9 here and get a little context of that statement. John 14, 8 and 9. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet thou hast not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? John 1.1 says that the Word existed in the beginning. Because it says, in the beginning was the Word. In the beginning. Before creation. Before time. Before history. The Word existed not only before the incarnation, but before time. In the beginning of all things. It is the same time and the same person referred to in Proverbs 8, 27 through 30. Let's turn back to that again. Proverbs 8, 27 through 30. Remember, this is wisdom personified and it's a thinly veiled reference to Christ. When He prepared the heavens, I was there. when He set a compass upon the face of the depth, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He gave to the sea His decree that the water should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him. in the beginning here is the same as before the foundation of the world in 2 Timothy 1.9. Let me just read that. "...who has saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." That's the same time as in the beginning. Now notice that John 1, 1 through 3 does not say, In the beginning was the Word created, as is said of the heaven and the earth. It says, In the beginning was the Word. Someone else has said that the world was from the beginning, but the Word was in the beginning. The first verse of this passage in John 1 says that the Word was God. Christ the Word is the revealer of God, but He's also God Himself. Who could express God but Him who is God? Christ the Word was made flesh, but He was not made God. He was God. This first verse of John 1 also says that the Word was with God. It doesn't say that He was with the Father. You know, every word in the Scripture is purposeful. It says He was with God, and with God includes both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. To be with someone indicates that two persons are involved, or in this case, three persons. Here we have the distinct personality of the Word. He has to be a person to be with someone. With God speaks of the Words being a distinct personality, not a separate personality. Now listen, this is not splitting hairs. He is a distinct person from the other persons in the Trinity. I once read a statement of faith of one of the Church of God denominations that are headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee. And that statement said that the members of the Trinity are, quote, three separate persons, unquote. Now, they may have meant well, but that's an error. This is a serious error because the members of the Godhead can never be separated. although they are distinct persons. Though the Word is distinguishable from the other divine persons, yet He is also inseparable. This statement does not say the Word was in God, but that He was with God, and thus He's a distinct personality. Turn again to Proverbs 8.30. And we keep returning to this very important scripture along these lines, Proverbs 8 and verse 30. Then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. Christ the Word must be a distinct person to be brought up with someone. The Word was with God until He was manifested in the flesh. Turn to 1 John 1, 2. 1 John chapter 1 and verse 2. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." Verse 3 of John 1 also says that the Word is the Creator. Did you know that Christ created the world? This passage not only calls the Word God, but it credits Him with the works of God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Listen, no one but God can create. I hear these Christian Dior and all these other fashion designers, oh, doesn't he have some lovely creations? That's technically incorrect. Nobody can create anything. He has some inventions, but not creations. Only God can create. The Word is here credited with creating all things. Without Him was not anything made that was made. All things were made by Him. From the highest angel in heaven to the lowest bug on the earth. All things. Over and over the scriptures tell us that Christ created all things. Turn to Hebrews 11 and verse 3. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 3. Scripture says here, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Now turn to Colossians 1.16. I must include this passage because of its importance. Colossians 1.16 is speaking of Christ. For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him. Now, modern day Arians, such as the Jehovah's Witness cult, teach that Christ is a created being, even though He's the highest of all creatures. Nevertheless, they say He's a created being. But the Word could not have created all things if He Himself is a creature. Another thing this passage in John tells us is that the Word is the eternal God. When John 1.3 says the Word was in the beginning, it's saying that the Word is eternal. Christ the Word had no beginning. He existed before the creation and before His birth as a man. In spite of what the Mormons teach, no one but Christ has ever existed before His birth. The Word did not begin to be. He was with God in the beginning and from all eternity. If He was in the beginning, then He was without beginning. He is eternal. No created being was with God in the beginning. And what was in the beginning did not begin to be. Isaiah 9, 6 called the yet-to-be-born Christ the everlasting Father. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Micah 5 too, also says that the word existed from all eternity. You're familiar with this, usually read at Christmas time, but thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. The Lord's existence did not begin with His birth at Bethlehem. No one but God is eternal. Thus, Christ the Word is God, the Eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to turn to another verse in this connection. Look at Revelation 22.13. Revelation chapter 22 and verse 13 tells us that not only did Christ exist in the beginning, He is the beginning. I am, alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. The only thing Christ the Word could say about the length of His own existence was, I am. Listen to what he says in John 8, 58, "...verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." He doesn't say, I was. The JW's New World Translation of the Scriptures changes this statement of the Lord to read, Before Abraham was, I was. That's tricky. But he didn't say that. He said, I am. Christ Himself claimed to be pre-existence. His constant use of the terms came, and came out from, and His being sent speak of His eternal preexistence. Look at John 17 and verse 8. John 17 and verse 8. The Lord Jesus says here, In the same chapter from which we have drawn our text, He says to the Father, For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. Then in John 16, 28, the Lord Jesus says, I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again. I leave the world and go to the Father. And many other scriptures speak of the pre-existence of Christ. Hebrews 2, 14 through 16 says that His coming into this world as a man was an act of His own will. Thus He existed prior to doing so. Christ's eternal preexistence is a vital factor in any proper understanding of His person. Well, this brings us directly to the subject of this message, even though we've been covering the subject, but that is the preexistent glory of Christ. In our text, In John 17, verse 5, the Lord Jesus clearly states that He had glory with the Father before the world was. And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. In John 12, verse 41, the Lord Jesus said that Isaiah saw Christ's preexistent glory. These things said Isaias when he saw his glory and spake of him." Whose glory? He's talking about Christ. Isaiah lived 700 years before Christ was born. Christ never got this glory of which he speaks in our text. He always had it. His is a pre-existent glory. Whatever this glory is, He had it before the foundation of the world. And then that brings us finally to the statement that I said I wanted to consider in closing. That is the Father's answer to Christ's prayer in this text. And again, the Lord Jesus prays in our text, And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. There's so much here and I'm just having to skip because we're running out of time. But in one sense, the Father has already glorified the Son. He did so in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 1.14, the Apostle says in relation to Christ's ministry, And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld, we saw His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. But the Father gave glimpses of the glory of Christ for which he was praying throughout the New Testament. He did so at the Transfiguration when the three disciples saw this glory. In 2 Peter 1, 16 and 17 we read these words. For we, that's Peter talking about the apostles, we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory. When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And John 2.11 says the miracles that Christ worked manifested his glory. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory. Christ's resurrection and exaltation to the highest seat in heaven, following his suffering and death, fully restored to Christ his preexistent glory. He got it all back. The Lord's prayer in John 17, 5 was answered when Christ ascended into heaven, was seated at the Father's right hand, and was crowned with glory and honor. I love what Peter, the contrast, the two elements of Christ's ministry that Peter often makes. For example, he says in 1 Peter 1.11, the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow. Philippians 2.6-9. tells how after Christ humbled himself and suffered, he was exalted and magnified. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." And here it is. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. In our text, in John 17, 5, the Son was asking the Father to support Him at the cross and to raise Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in glory. Let us pray. Our Father, we're thankful for the glory of Christ, the preexistent glory of our dear Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that Your Holy Spirit would bless this message and all the messages to the glory of Christ, to the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray that you'd give us understanding and clarity of thought as we consider these deep, deep matters about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray these things in Christ Jesus' holy name and for his sake. Amen.