Good morning. I ask you to open your Bibles to John chapter 17 this morning. And our attention will be called to the first five verses, John 17. Let's hear from the word of God. 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 will be the subject of devotions during this General Assembly, and of course it is that great chapter of our Lord's Prayer, the High Priestly Prayer of our Lord. It is a very holy and special portion of the Word of God. Manton refers to this section of scripture is a standing monument of Christ's affection for the church. It's much like dropping a pebble in a pond. It's a ripple effect as you look at this prayer. It moves out as you look at the sections of it. The first section, the first five verses that we'll be considering briefly this morning, Christ praying for himself or his fellowship with the father, and then the next section, verses 6 through 19, is Christ prays for the apostles and their fellowship with him, and then the last verses is Christ prays for the church and his relationship with the church. More particularly, we might say, is he prays for us, you and me, and the church today. I think it's important as we begin to consider this passage this morning very briefly, just to say a word about the progression of thought as you move toward this portion of scripture. You'll notice that the passage opens with the words, when Jesus had spoken these words. And we notice that this prayer comes at the end of some words that Christ had spoken. So you begin to back up and you back into the preceding chapters, and I think you go all the way back to chapter 13. Just very briefly, noticing the opening of the words of chapter 13, where it begins, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of the world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And with those words, we have the next chapters set for us. Jesus' love for his disciples, particularly his apostles. And then in chapter 13, 14, 15, and 16, we see a progression of thought leading to this prayer. And Matthew Henry refers to this prayer as after Jesus had finished this sermon, he then turns to the Father and he prays for his disciples after speaking to his disciples, he then speaks to the father for his disciples. But in 13 we see the context of this established for us, that Jesus having loved his own, knowing that his hour had come. And then like a good father, a good master, a good Lord would, he knows his hour of departure has come, he turns and he comforts his disciples. Had he loved them, he loved them to the end. And so in chapter 14, he comforts his disciples. He says to them, let not your hearts be troubled. You believed in God, believe also in me. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come again to you. Then in chapter 15, he begins to instruct them. And of course there are other things going on besides the instruction, but he tells them to keep His commandments and He will abide with them. In chapter 16, He warns them that they will be put out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming that when whoever kills you will think he's offering service to God. But I've said these things to you that when the hour comes, you may remember that I've told you. And then of course in chapter 17, after comforting them, after instructing them, after warning them, he prays for them. Chapter 13, I think it's important, after he is sent, Judas is carried out of the room. In verse 31 of John 13, having dismissed Judas to go do what evil deed he is going to do, you can almost see the a suddenness in the words of Christ, where Christ says, now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him at once. Those words are almost the exact words that he will pray in John 17 1. And so it sets up for us The context, I think, in many ways, helps us understand the petition that he's praying in John 17.1. But there's a suddenness, as it were, about those words in John 13 when he dismisses Judas out of the room. Now, you'll notice in John 17, the first five verses are dominated by the word glory or glorify, the words of The word is used five times in these five verses. In fact, you'll find the word repeated in this prayer eight times. But in these first five verses, the concept is used as bookends. We find it in two petitions. In verse one, we have a petition for the father to glorify the son, for the hour has come, and then we find a petition in verse five. for the father to glorify the son in his own presence with the glory that he had before the world existed. Now I have but just a few moments, but I want to just consider these two petitions with you very briefly. This first petition, for the father to glorify the son for the hour is come, and this last petition, to glorify him in the presence that he had with him before the world began. Now the first petition, I know that much could be said about it in many ways, But I'm going to focus more primarily upon the cross. It seems that this is an immediate petition. Glorify thy son that the son may glorify you. This hour has come. Glorify the son that the son may glorify you. The petition seems to be focusing on the cross. And the second petition, more upon the crown. That effulgent glory that the son had with the father that pre-existed incarnate glory that the Son had with the Father before time was. So I've got the cross on one side and I've got glory on the other side. So this is what I have as bookends in these first five verses. So you can see the great breadth and depth just of these five verses and so much is going on in this passage. Father, glorify your Son. Manifest Make known, declare the essence, the nature, the person, the work of your son, Jesus Christ. People had caught a glimpse of Christ, of his person. At his baptism, some had heard a voice from heaven saying, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. When Jesus had calmed the sea that night and the disciples were in a boat fearing their life and they wondered what sort of man is this that even the wind and the waves obey him. At the transfiguration when Peter, James, and John were honored to see the Lord and His very person changed, transfigured in their presence. Even His clothes were changed and they shone, they were white. They were honored to see something of his glory, of his essence. But yet, that very night as Jesus was in that room with them, they still did not grasp who this man truly is. In that room, Peter rebuffed the Lord. When the Lord would bow to wash his feet, Peter said, And Peter's struggling with this, and if he can't grasp this lesser humiliation of Jesus, how's he going to deal with the greater humiliation of Jesus on the cross? And when Christ tells them that he's going away, and Thomas says to him, Well, tell us where you're going. And he says, I am the way and the truth and the life. And Philip, and he says, if you've known me, you know the father. And Philip says, well, Lord, show us the father. And Christ says to him, well, if you have seen me, you have seen the father. And Philip says, well, show us. And then he says, Philip, have I been so long with you and you still do not know me? They still didn't get it. They still didn't understand. who Jesus truly was. And then he tells them, the hour is coming, indeed it's come, when you will be scattered, each of you to your own home, and you will leave me alone. And so, even at that late date, they still didn't fully understand. And so the Lord prays for the Father to glorify the Son, and the Father did, in many ways. And again, I know that it goes beyond the cross, but I'm focusing primarily for a moment on that point. And he did so by strange witnesses. It's interesting as you begin to focus on that. There are the words of the betrayer himself after he comes back in with the 30 pieces of silver. conscience disturbed, throwing the money down, saying, I have sinned, betraying innocent blood. As you move through Matthew, you see a building of testimony. And then there's Pilate's wife, as she sends the message to her husband, even as he sits on the judgment seat, saying, have nothing to do with that righteous man, because even that day, God had disturbed her dreams, would not let her rest. And her testimony has nothing to do with that righteous man. And then there are the centurions who are at the foot of the cross, and their testimony as they begin to witness what's going on around them, and their testimony is that truly this was the Son of God. So even from the mouth of unbelievers, God is giving witness of His Son. And then there's the phenomenon itself, as the earth grows dark. and the shaking, and the graves opening, and the tearing of the veil of the temple from the top to the bottom, and the Father's bearing witness. But we would believe and we would say and we would testify that the Scriptures testify that the greatest witness is what is being done on the cross itself, the work that the Son is accomplishing. doing what no other person could ever do. No angel, no prophet, no patriarch, no lawgiver, no sacrifice, no law could ever accomplish. Christ is crushing the head of the serpent. He is redeeming a people. He's answering the age old question that Job asked. How then can a man be right before God? How can he who is born of a woman be pure? And that answer is being given on the cross. He was wounded for my transgressions and crushed for my iniquities and upon him was the chastisement that brought me peace and with his stripes I am healed. And what is being accomplished resulted in a glorious gospel. Now, I know the gospel precedes the cross. I understand that. But it results in a glorious gospel. What I mean is we do not have and we do not point to a hypothetical Savior. And we do not preach a hypothetical gospel. But a Lord who is and a Lord who does save. Christ, who obtained eternal salvation for his people, accomplished the redemption that the Father purposed and set down at the right hand of the Father. And of course, our Lord is glorified by the Father in the resurrection, the ascension, and his reign. That the Son Our Lord prayed in the fifth verse in that second petition. Brothers, there's so much here I've told Steve, I feel like I'm just trampling over so much as you look at these verses, but we must in 20 minutes. In the fifth verse, and then he prays that closing petition of this first section, and now Father glorify me in your own presence. And now he offers that second petition, that other bookend, And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. And on the cross, the Father's purposes were accomplished. The covenant transactions were brought about. Law and justice were satisfied. Redemption of his elect were accomplished. As the psalmist stated, steadfast love and faithfulness meet. Righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. On the cross, the glorious attributes of our Father are declared. His love is mercy. His righteousness, His peace, His holiness, His justice, His wisdom, His power, His immutability, His unity are all declared and seen in the work of our Savior. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jew and folly to the Gentiles. But to those who recall both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. And because of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. So that as it is written, let us who boast, boast in the Lord. that God shows his love for us, and that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments, how inscrutable his ways. Glorify yourself, he prayed. And then in that fifth verse, he prays that he would be in the presence of the Father with the glory that he had before the world existed. The Lord has ascended on high. See, he sits on yonder throne. I know one of our brothers will be addressing verse 24 of this great prayer and I don't want to move ahead and move into their territory too much. But it is a unity and it's hard to not at least mention that verse. This great passage. But the Lord would have his people behold his glory. And here he prays for to be in the presence of God the Father in that glorious state that he had prior to the existence of the world. Of course here it will not be in that pre-incarnate state because now and forever He is the God-man. But when I read this passage, do you remember the account of, I know you do, of Joseph in Genesis, and the famine, and how his brothers made the trip to Egypt and they discovered their brother, or he finally disclosed who he was to his brothers. And in Genesis 45, verse 13, after that whole incident with his brothers. He tells his brothers in that verse, he says, you must tell my father of my honor in Egypt and all that you have seen. And he's telling his brothers, go back home to my father and tell him who I am and of my power and of my authority and of my honor. Assure my father that if he comes to Egypt, he'll have food to eat, he'll be safe, and all the little ones and everybody will be taken care of because of who I am. It's all right. Bring him here. look at who I am and tell my father what you've seen and bring them. Read John 17 and read the book of Revelation and Jesus is saying I want my people to see who I am. I want them to see my glory. Father, I want to be with you and that glory I had before the world was, and I want my people to see it. And it's not a matter of bragging rights to say. The glory of Christ is a matter of awe and worship, it is. But it is a matter of comfort. and consolation for the people of God. And here is encouragement, brothers, for the weary soldier, for the weary warrior right here in John 17. Here is encouragement. Here is encouragement to hold fast to your confession, to look at the Lord of our salvation. to behold His glory and to understand that all is well. Even though sometimes we feel beaten and dragged down and all is not well, to behold His glory and to know all is well. To come to the throne of grace as we're told to in the book of Hebrews. To come boldly to the throne of grace in our time of need. to see our King and our Lord and to bring our petitions before Him. For He is able and great and honorable. Hark! Ten thousand harps and voices sound the note of praise above. Jesus reigns and heaven rejoices. Jesus reigns the God of love. See? He sits on yonder throne. Jesus rules the world alone. King of glory, reign forever. Thine an everlasting crown. Nothing from Thy love shall sever. Those whom Thou hast made Thine own, happy objects of Thy grace, destined to behold Thy face. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen.