We’re currently studying the last 24 hours of Jesus’ earthly life!
John 13-17 “The Upper Room Discourse”
- John 14: Prayerfulness is directly connected to great works!
- John 15: Prayerfulness is directly connected to our fruitfulness!
- John 16: Prayerfulness is directly connected to our joy-fulness!
Now in John 17, Jesus models for us prayerfulness!
John 17:1: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”
Jesus spoke these words: John 13-16
lifted up His eyes to heaven: A powerful POSTURE of prayer
Father: The Bible teaches that God is a GOOD Father.
Matthew 7:7-11: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
the hour has come: We learn from Jesus that… Timing is everything!
John 17:1: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”
The event that would glorify the Son was His death and resurrection. (John 18, 19, 20)
By Jesus’ death on the cross, He has received the adoration, worship, love and GLORY of millions and millions of believers whose sins He bore in our place!
Revelation 5:12: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
Revelation 5:13: Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
John 17:1: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”
Jesus accepted this path to Glory, knowing that by the cross He would then in turn Glorify the Father for the Fathers redemptive plan to save humanity! (John 3:16)
John 17:2: As You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
Once again we learn that God is SOVEREIGN over Eternal Life.
John 6:44: No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.
John 6:65: No one can come to Me unless it has been granted (enabled) to him by My Father.
God is the initiator of our salvation.
Do you remember? Or is God drawing you NOW? Be careful! Today if you hear His voice don’t HARDEN your heart!
John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
eternal life
WRONG VIEW: One day I’m going to go heaven! Waiting to die so Eternal Life begins!
RIGHT VIEW: Eternal life starts NOW! Eternal Life is both a duration and quality of life. A quality that involves knowing Father and knowing Jesus NOW!
The Greek word know speaks of knowing God experientially.
The word know is used in both the Old Testament and New Testament to talk about sexual intimacy.
Luke 1:34: Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
The tense of the Greek word… speaks of a “growing, increasing knowledge.”
John 17:4: I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
What about you? Are you living for God’s glory?
1 Corinthians 10:31: Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Matthew 5:14-16: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29: For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Is God’s Glory safe with YOU?
God wants to move, more than we want Him to move.
Is God’s GLORY safe YOU?
John 17:4: I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
How did Jesus glorify the Father on the earth?
How do we bring glory to God like Jesus? You finish the work that God has for you to do on earth!
Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
John 17:5: And now, Oh Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Philippians 2:5-11: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.