Why is it so right for the Father to glorify the Son?
“Father, Glorify Your Son…” Part 2
(John 17:2, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 14, 2010)
John 17:1-2 … "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
Q: What is the first petition in Jesus’ prayer to the Father?
A: "Glorify your Son." (John 17:1)
Q: Father, what have you given Your Son concerning humanity?
A: "You have given Him authority over all flesh." (John 17:2)
Since
It is God's intention to glorify God (v. 1). Perhaps you had some opportunity over the last few days to think about that and to decide that this plan of the Lord to glorify Himself is more than OK with you. We imagine that we must come first in God's thinking, and we are confused when we face pain and trouble. It can be a very freeing discovery for us when we admit that God shining His brightest light on Himself, on His greatness, and on the perfection of what He has done, is absolutely the best thing. It is a major step in removing any unnecessary unsettled feelings we may have had toward God, and somehow also in removing our unnecessary disconnect with our family, our history, the world we live in now, and the created order of things. Seeing the rightness of God glorifying God helps us to embrace the rightness of His plan more broadly, and therefore the rightness of His determination to use what is not right on the way to securing what is best for His own glory. That kind of thought can bring you peace.
The first word in today's verse, “since,” is a very powerful word. It is most often translated “just as,” and it is used to establish a significant point of connection between two ideas. “Father, glorify the Son, just as you have already committed Yourself to this in giving Him authority over all flesh.” We will take a close look at what that all means, but we should first pause and think about this “just as,” this “since.” It is a reasoning word, a thinking word. As Jesus prays to the Father in the presence of the listening church, He uses reasoning, thinking. Good thinking can change your life. It can bring you feelings of well-being. It can help you find a way out of trouble. It can improve all sorts of relationships. It can bring your family back together again. This reasoning is part of the wonder of being a person.
Whatever it may mean that the Father has given His Son authority over all flesh, it apparently has a point of connection to the rightness of the Son being glorified by the Father. “Father, (listen to me church while I pray),” Jesus says, “Father, you have given me authority over all flesh. Since you have done that great thing, surely it must be right for you to glorify me.” This “since” is powerful. We can use it too. We say, “Father, we know You are going to freely give us all things, since You gave Your Son for us.” Some of our reasoning might not always be exactly right, but this last one is perfectly correct because Paul says it in Romans 8. And this reasoning in John 17:1-2 is exactly right, because Jesus says it in His prayer.
There's a lot to think about there. It allows us to take what we know and believe about Jesus, and to let those facts that we have already embraced in our hearts touch the other facts about Jesus that may still be jiggling around in our brains. We corral those renegade facts that are running wild, we lasso them by the powerful combination of Scripture, reason, and experience, and the Holy Spirit brings them home to our hearts, and we say with Jesus, since the Father has given Jesus authority over absolutely all flesh, it must mean something about the rightness of the Father glorifying the Son. You start putting that together, with some of His miracles, some of the things that He said to weak people, what He did on the the cross, the fact of his empty tomb, and what He taught us about heaven, and these thoughts finally find a resting place in your heart.
You have given Him authority
So what does it mean that the Father has given authority over all flesh to the Son? We remember that God is the source of everything, that He is in charge, and that He gives people authority in different times and places. God is the Creator of everything. He keeps all things going. He is the judge of all His creatures. All authority, all rightful being in charge belongs to Him, and it is His to do with as He sees fit.
That's one of the reasons why we are told to be submissive to governing authorities that we may not agree with, because their authority comes from God. God is able to use a Nebuchadnezzar or a Cyrus to execute His judgments against many nations, but he can also use a Nero. What we see here is that God has chosen to give the highest authority to the man Christ Jesus.
Over all flesh
Just how big is the authority that Jesus has been given? He says in the hearing of the church listening in to His prayer to the Father that God has given Him authority over all flesh. After His resurrection, Jesus says to His disciples that he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He has authority not simply over one country, but over all people, even over all flesh, every being that ever was, is now, or ever will be, both in this age and in the age to come. That is a lot of authority. Jesus is the ultimate King. His disciples may have known Him as a big fish in a small pond. But now, look at what Jesus is revealing about Himself! Did they know that He was this great? Do we understand His greatness, and what He is doing?
Jesus has authority not only over those who worship Him. He has authority over all flesh. His authority will be expressed in His judgment and salvation when He comes again in power. The day is coming when we will see everything in heaven gladly submitting to His authority. That day is not today, and yet Jesus has authority over all flesh even now. If Jesus has authority over all flesh, why do we and other people still sin? It is apparently not His purpose today that every indication of evil within us and around us be immediately removed. That day will come, but for now we have evil. Nonetheless, Jesus has overwhelming authority, and that is good to know.
To give eternal life
We are told that one purpose for this authority that Jesus has over all flesh is the giving of eternal life to people. God is not content with human death as the end of His mercies toward us. He has given us life, displaying this life in Christ's words and actions. Next week we will consider something of the content of this eternal life (v.3). For now we can simply say that this eternal life that comes to us as the gift of God through Jesus Christ is something big. We can have a taste of it now, but there is much more of it to come. Our words fail us here... (Ephesians 1:10)
To all whom You have given Him
Eternal life came at the cost of the one to whom God gave the highest authority. It was not stolen, but given. If you had all that authority, how would you use it? Jesus willingly used it in a way that cost Him His life. Now He gives us life. The Father trusted the Son with the paying of the price for eternal life. He trusted Him with the people who would be given eternal life. He trusted Him with the job of actually giving you eternal life, He trusted Jesus with charge over everything about the way things are going to be forever. Therefore, it is so right for the Father to glorify the Son, and to shine a very singular spotlight on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
1. Where does the authority of Jesus in salvation come from?
2. How extensive is the authority of Jesus in salvation?
3. Why is the full authority of Jesus in salvation true, good, and beautiful?
4. What is the connection between the will of the Father and the Son concerning salvation?
(John 17:2, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 14, 2010)
John 17:1-2 … "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
Q: What is the first petition in Jesus’ prayer to the Father?
A: "Glorify your Son." (John 17:1)
Q: Father, what have you given Your Son concerning humanity?
A: "You have given Him authority over all flesh." (John 17:2)
Since
It is God's intention to glorify God (v. 1). Perhaps you had some opportunity over the last few days to think about that and to decide that this plan of the Lord to glorify Himself is more than OK with you. We imagine that we must come first in God's thinking, and we are confused when we face pain and trouble. It can be a very freeing discovery for us when we admit that God shining His brightest light on Himself, on His greatness, and on the perfection of what He has done, is absolutely the best thing. It is a major step in removing any unnecessary unsettled feelings we may have had toward God, and somehow also in removing our unnecessary disconnect with our family, our history, the world we live in now, and the created order of things. Seeing the rightness of God glorifying God helps us to embrace the rightness of His plan more broadly, and therefore the rightness of His determination to use what is not right on the way to securing what is best for His own glory. That kind of thought can bring you peace.
The first word in today's verse, “since,” is a very powerful word. It is most often translated “just as,” and it is used to establish a significant point of connection between two ideas. “Father, glorify the Son, just as you have already committed Yourself to this in giving Him authority over all flesh.” We will take a close look at what that all means, but we should first pause and think about this “just as,” this “since.” It is a reasoning word, a thinking word. As Jesus prays to the Father in the presence of the listening church, He uses reasoning, thinking. Good thinking can change your life. It can bring you feelings of well-being. It can help you find a way out of trouble. It can improve all sorts of relationships. It can bring your family back together again. This reasoning is part of the wonder of being a person.
Whatever it may mean that the Father has given His Son authority over all flesh, it apparently has a point of connection to the rightness of the Son being glorified by the Father. “Father, (listen to me church while I pray),” Jesus says, “Father, you have given me authority over all flesh. Since you have done that great thing, surely it must be right for you to glorify me.” This “since” is powerful. We can use it too. We say, “Father, we know You are going to freely give us all things, since You gave Your Son for us.” Some of our reasoning might not always be exactly right, but this last one is perfectly correct because Paul says it in Romans 8. And this reasoning in John 17:1-2 is exactly right, because Jesus says it in His prayer.
There's a lot to think about there. It allows us to take what we know and believe about Jesus, and to let those facts that we have already embraced in our hearts touch the other facts about Jesus that may still be jiggling around in our brains. We corral those renegade facts that are running wild, we lasso them by the powerful combination of Scripture, reason, and experience, and the Holy Spirit brings them home to our hearts, and we say with Jesus, since the Father has given Jesus authority over absolutely all flesh, it must mean something about the rightness of the Father glorifying the Son. You start putting that together, with some of His miracles, some of the things that He said to weak people, what He did on the the cross, the fact of his empty tomb, and what He taught us about heaven, and these thoughts finally find a resting place in your heart.
You have given Him authority
So what does it mean that the Father has given authority over all flesh to the Son? We remember that God is the source of everything, that He is in charge, and that He gives people authority in different times and places. God is the Creator of everything. He keeps all things going. He is the judge of all His creatures. All authority, all rightful being in charge belongs to Him, and it is His to do with as He sees fit.
That's one of the reasons why we are told to be submissive to governing authorities that we may not agree with, because their authority comes from God. God is able to use a Nebuchadnezzar or a Cyrus to execute His judgments against many nations, but he can also use a Nero. What we see here is that God has chosen to give the highest authority to the man Christ Jesus.
Over all flesh
Just how big is the authority that Jesus has been given? He says in the hearing of the church listening in to His prayer to the Father that God has given Him authority over all flesh. After His resurrection, Jesus says to His disciples that he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He has authority not simply over one country, but over all people, even over all flesh, every being that ever was, is now, or ever will be, both in this age and in the age to come. That is a lot of authority. Jesus is the ultimate King. His disciples may have known Him as a big fish in a small pond. But now, look at what Jesus is revealing about Himself! Did they know that He was this great? Do we understand His greatness, and what He is doing?
Jesus has authority not only over those who worship Him. He has authority over all flesh. His authority will be expressed in His judgment and salvation when He comes again in power. The day is coming when we will see everything in heaven gladly submitting to His authority. That day is not today, and yet Jesus has authority over all flesh even now. If Jesus has authority over all flesh, why do we and other people still sin? It is apparently not His purpose today that every indication of evil within us and around us be immediately removed. That day will come, but for now we have evil. Nonetheless, Jesus has overwhelming authority, and that is good to know.
To give eternal life
We are told that one purpose for this authority that Jesus has over all flesh is the giving of eternal life to people. God is not content with human death as the end of His mercies toward us. He has given us life, displaying this life in Christ's words and actions. Next week we will consider something of the content of this eternal life (v.3). For now we can simply say that this eternal life that comes to us as the gift of God through Jesus Christ is something big. We can have a taste of it now, but there is much more of it to come. Our words fail us here... (Ephesians 1:10)
To all whom You have given Him
Eternal life came at the cost of the one to whom God gave the highest authority. It was not stolen, but given. If you had all that authority, how would you use it? Jesus willingly used it in a way that cost Him His life. Now He gives us life. The Father trusted the Son with the paying of the price for eternal life. He trusted Him with the people who would be given eternal life. He trusted Him with the job of actually giving you eternal life, He trusted Jesus with charge over everything about the way things are going to be forever. Therefore, it is so right for the Father to glorify the Son, and to shine a very singular spotlight on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
1. Where does the authority of Jesus in salvation come from?
2. How extensive is the authority of Jesus in salvation?
3. Why is the full authority of Jesus in salvation true, good, and beautiful?
4. What is the connection between the will of the Father and the Son concerning salvation?
posted by Pastor Magee at 2:35 PM
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