Sermon for May 21, 2023
John 17:1–2 1When 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, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
This is the “High Priestly Prayer.” This prayer serves the Father, Jesus, and all believers. It is a preparation of Jesus’ crucifixion, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the announcement of God’s plan for all believers, eternal life. And this is the opening of God’s grace and mercy to those who will believe both Jews and Gentiles.
Jesus is the glory of God and salvation is the glory of Jesus the Christ. In all of this we should see the intense and intended love of God for all people. God is offering His grace and mercy to all people, all nations, and all who will follow. This a turning point in God’s plan to include many to complete the multitude we read about in Revelation 19:1. Let us, the multitude, rejoice with loud praises to our Lord and Savior, halleluiah, praise the Lord!
John 17:3–5 3And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Jesus came to announce the good news, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is repentance leading to forgiveness. We should realize this good news leads to God accepting us into His Kingdom of heaven. Also realize this acceptance into the kingdom of heaven is eternal, and therefore we will witness firsthand eternal life with God. We are given and everlasting relationship, again firsthand, with our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.
Jesus used many methods to announce the good news of salvation. Jesus healed, and raised people from the dead and even His own resurrection to prove this good news comes from God the Father, our Father and Christ Jesus’ Father in heaven. Now Jesus has fulfilled His mission while walking with us on earth. Jesus also selected those who would carry on the work He had started. The seed for believers was not only planted through the Jews but now will produce His fruit throughout the world to all who will believe.
Jesus has completed His task and explains to His Father that the time has come. Preparations can be made for the means to bring Jesus through death, resurrection, ascension, and finally home at the right hand of His Father and our Father in heaven. The High Priest has come home to sit upon His Throne. From His throne Christ works through the Holy Spirit and the Holy word to build up the kingdom of Heaven.
John 17:6–8 6“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
The apostles and the many disciples who have followed Jesus with interest now have been manifested into undaunted belief. Their God and our God is real, He has walked with them and has shown them the only “way.” Jesus Christ, we know as the only way to and through all life, here on earth and there on the new earth.
The word was given, and the word is the love of God. We, too, have the word, and His name is Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Savior. We know through God’s Word that He is the “Way, Truth, and Life,” eternal life. Jesus Christ is our relationship with our Father in heaven as He paid for our adoption with His body and blood.
John 17:9–11 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
Jesus prays for all whom the Father has given Him, not just during the time he walked the earth but for all time. That means if you believe in Jesus Christ, and you believe He is your savior then you were given to Jesus Christ by the Father. We are the Fathers, and we are the Son’s, and we are the sons and daughters of our Father in heaven.
We have much to realize about, and much to praise and thank our God. For our God loves us to life, life eternal. Our God wants an eternal relationship with us, His creation, and this is from the very beginning of all God created. The “Good News?” God not only wants us but will keep us forever and ever. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May
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