TEXT: John 17:1-5

SUBJECT: Exposition of John #41: Christ prays for Himself

The prophet describes God's people as "Trembling at [His] Word". We don't do that much, do we? But if ever we were to tremble at the Word, it would be here. For this is our Lord at prayer. In reading it, we are entering the Holy of Holies. God give us the grace to come out alive. For Christ's sake. Amen.

The prayer is one, but can be divided into three parts. The first five verses have our Lord praying for Himself; in vv.6-19, He prays for the Apostles; at last, He prays for other believers--including you and me. Today, with the blessing of heaven, we'll study Our Lord's prayer for Himself.

The Introduction, v.1a.

The Apostle begins with a few words by way of introduction. Who is praying? "Jesus" he says, Our Lord. This does more than identify the Man at prayer, doesn't it? It also recalls the depths of His humiliation. By joining the human race, our Lord became dependent. Before the Incarnation, He was not; but now, the Son of God has become needy. As needy as you and I!

The thought staggered Paul, who wrote,

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that, though He was rich, yet for our sakes

He became poor, that we, through His poverty,

might be rich.

Our Lord is praying--John informs us--with His eyes "lifted to heaven". This was the customary pose; it inferred an unworthiness in the one who prayed. By looking up to God, our Savior was taking the place of one below. He is self-consciously choosing to be "The Servant of JEHOVAH".

He calls on God as "Father", which implies both adoration and intimacy. I, for one, am often disturbed by what I hear in public prayers. Some invoke God with words chaste and elevated--yet somehow distant. Others do the opposite--they approach Him warmly, but with little sense of His Majesty Divine.

But our Lord? His prayer combines the deepest reverence with the warmest familiarity. To anticipate a later saying, "I am ascending to My Father and to My God".

When is He praying? He tells us, "The hour has come". His "hour" stands for the crucifixion. He is praying just hours before being taken away, and with wicked hands crucified and slain". This means--at the least--that He's praying for the things that matter most and doing so with supreme fervor.

The object, v.1b.

What is He asking for? We needn't wonder: "Father ... Glorify Your Son". To "glorify" means to honor. Our Lord wants His Father to pay tribute to Him. How? He doesn't say specifically, but the context leaves no doubt: He wants God to name Him

"Lord and Christ".

This is somewhat surprising, isn't it? Never before had He asked something for Himself. But now, He's doing just that. Has He become insensitive to God's will? He hasn't. He explains: "Glorify Your Son, that He may glorify You".

God's glory is manifest in all His works. But supremely in the Crucified and Risen Savior. If God glorifies the Son, He'll return the favor. As it is written:

"Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him,

and given Him a name above every name,

That at the name of Jesus, every knee should

bow, of things in heaven, and of thing in earth,

and in things under the earth, and that every

Tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

To the glory of God the Father".

The harmony of wills Divine, vv.2-4.

Our Lord's will remains submissive to "The One Who sent Him". In vv.2-4, He makes this quite plain. Does the Father intend to "glorify His Son"? He does; in fact, He already has, in two ways.

"As You have given Him authority over all flesh..." God has made Christ Lord of all. He is emphatically not "the Lord of the Church" only, but the Lord of everyone and everything without exception, including bad men and Satan. The question, "Have you made Jesus Lord of your life" is a foolish one. God has made Him your Lord. It now behooves you to submit to His Lordship from the heart.

"...That He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him". Christ has control of all things in order to make sure His people obtain eternal life. He uses men and events--both good and bad--to bring His purpose to pass. And His purpose is a very great one, indeed, to "Give eternal life".

What's that? Put the words together, and you'll have made a mess of things. "Life" means "conscious existence"; "Eternal" means "without end". Thus, believers never lose consciousness, never cease to be. But if this is true--I agree with the Hindus--this an appalling prospect!

But it is not true! "Life eternal" is nothing less than "Knowing the true God and Jesus Christ whom [He] has sent". "Knowing" them stands for fellowship with God and Christ. A fellowship we enter into now and enjoy, in an ever-deepening way, for ever.

In v.4, our Lord reminds the Father He had done His will; all of His will. "I have glorified You on earth" by which He means "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do". It took no small effort to "finish" this work. There was a lot of it and it was exceptionally hard to do. The hardest part of the work lay ahead, of course, but our Lord was so resolved, that He speaks of it as if it were already done.

Our Lord knew something King Saul didn't. We tend to forget too. The best way to glorify God is to do His will. To do it consistently. And to do it from the heart. The old king thought big gifts were enough. But Samuel knew better: "To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed, the fat of rams". There is no secret to glorifying God. It is but "finishing the work He has given us to do". Personal work. Work at home. Work on the job. Work in the Church. Work in the world. The life to come is one of rest; ours is a life of work. Let us be up and doing it.

In this way, we "Take up our cross and follow [Christ]".

A Final Word, v.5.

Our Lord began His prayer asking God to "Glorify [His] Son". In v.5 He renews that plea and adds a little something to it. "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was".

The glory He wants is of a specific kind. He does not want the honor of an earthly king--not even Solomon's. He wants more. He wants the very same honor He had before the Incarnation. Which was equal to God's. He wants Himself--as He is, the GodMan--to be invested with Glory Divine!

God will answer that prayer by giving this Man--Jesus Christ--"a name that is above every name" and equal to His own. If this is so, then "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God".

It is good to know that this Man is no less Divine than God Almighty. And He is no less human than you and I. He has the sympathy to understand your deepest need and the power to relieve it. Come to Christ. Keep on coming. God has glorified Him. Now it's your turn. God give you the grace to do so. For Christ's sake. Amen.