Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for another Lord's Day morning on which you have called us away, called us out of the world, to come together, to worship you as your people. We thank you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And as we talk about that ministry a bit this morning, we would ask that He would be especially present with us, working in our hearts the things that are needful for us through conviction, through teaching, through building up, through fellowship with one another, fellowship with the truth, fellowship with the Father and the Son. We confess our sins to you this morning and that we are unworthy to partake of the truth of your Word, yet we know the promise of Jesus that the Comforter would be with us. And now we ask for that presence in His name, oh man, please come on in and be seated. Don't be embarrassed, we won't stare at you after you sit down. I think there are still some more out there, but this morning I think I'll begin by reading the first portion of our lesson this morning. This is found in John chapter 16. I'll start with verse four, oh excuse me, verse five, verse five, we call that we are in the midst of that section that sometimes called the farewell discourse or discourses of Jesus. This is the latter part of the gospel where we are during the last day of Jesus' earthly ministry and as you recall from weeks past we noted the point at which there's a change in John's gospel from the end of Jesus' public ministry and that being signalized in a way by the coming of the Greeks to him and then Jesus declares that his hour has come and that now he continues to have a ministry with his disciples in these closing days and hours of his earthly life. We've had the supper of the last supper and the betrayal, well we've seen the beginnings of the betrayal on the part of Judas leaving the meal, leaving the disciples and Jesus continuing on with his disciples to speak about love, to speak about the coming of the Holy Spirit and many other things. Chapter 16, then verse five, do I have a volunteer to read that? Verses five through fifteen. A big long stretch? Yes, go ahead. Five fifteen? Yes. But now I'm going to send you and none of you asked me where are you going. But because I've sent these things to you sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away or if I do not go away to help or shall not help you, but if I go I will send them to you and he, when he comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Serving sin because they do not believe in me and concerning righteousness because I hear it to the Father in a longer beholden. And concerning judgment because the rule of this world has been judged, I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when he is scared of truth comes, he will guide you in all truth, what he will not speak of his own, find his own initiative. But whatever he hears he will speak and he will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify me, what he shall take of mine and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are mine, therefore I said that he takes of mine to disclose it to you. Thank you. We've already noted, of course, starting chapter 14 where Jesus promises that when he goes he will send another counselor, comforter, a mistranslation helper, to be with them, that being the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. Here he gives us some more teaching, gives his disciples some more teaching about the Holy Spirit and his ministry. I wonder, when you think just off the top of your head, you think about the work of the Holy Spirit, what comes to mind immediately? You know, what are the first things that come to mind when you think about the work of the Holy Spirit?
Okay, help us to understand scripture of illuminating power in our hearts and our minds. That certainly has a basis in this text, doesn't it?
God in us, very good, the Holy Spirit, the person of the Trinity that supremely dwells in us and is with us and works in our hearts.
Anyone else want to convict us of sin? Okay, that comes right out of this passage as well, doesn't it? Yes? The comforter. There's comfort that the Holy Spirit brings us in that ministry of not only convicting us of sin, but then comforting us. That's right. That's right. Well, yes, the Holy Spirit drawing, I believe this, when Jesus talks about the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, I believe that has reference to unbelievers, convicting them of sin, righteousness and judgment.
Interpreter of our prayers to God the Father, yes, very important. Romans 8, where Paul speaks of the Spirit interceding with groans to the four words, making our prayers effective. Yes, anything else someone wants to mention? You can tell this is a Presbyterian crowd. All the answers are correct, you know, they're yes, yes, John. Well, John, I'm glad you mentioned that, and that's
that's kind of what I was hoping to get, but you know, you guys are just too smart for all that, just too smart. I think looking around and maybe in my own weak moments, you know, and certain times in my life, especially, when we think about the work of the Holy Spirit in this world, we might be tempted to think about miracles, about special gifts. Even if not miraculous gifts, we sometimes think about gifts, don't we? The gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gifts that we have been given by the Lord for the good of the church, we sometimes think in those terms, and of course that's, when we think about the gifts of the Spirit, that's of course not wrong, not wrong at all. But it's interesting to me that when Jesus speaks to his disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them, the sorts of gifts that he speaks of, and the sorts of sort of work that he speaks of, two basic lines, I think, here, his work of convicting, convicting of what is it again? Sin, righteousness and judgment, okay? Perhaps not the favorite gifts of the Holy Spirit, all-time voting list favorite, and then he goes on to say that the Holy Spirit will
guide them into all truth, truth. I was mentioned here when we spoke about, Kevin talked about scripture and so forth, giving us understanding of scripture. Now, perhaps we all know people. Perhaps we've been this way ourselves at times, but I've certainly known this, that folks seem so boiling over about the gifts of the Spirit that have been given them, or the healings, or whatnot, and seem unaware of the Spirit's work in granting them repentance, even making them aware of sin, if the only thing we can talk about when the topic of the Spirit comes up is miracles, or healings, or even happy blessings. Well, we're missing a lot, because Jesus speaks first of all here about the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, convicting a sin, righteousness and judgment, and how grateful we ought to be for that. Think where we would be without the conviction of sin, without realizing our need for a redeemer from sin, without realizing truly where we stand before God, and what our real need is. Convicting a sin of righteousness, the standards of righteousness, the one who embodies righteousness, Jesus Christ, who says, this is needful, because he goes to the Father, and he's not going to be around any longer on earth to portray, to give the supreme example of righteousness, and the Holy Spirit's ministry is essential for us to have that conviction of what righteousness is, and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. There is a certainty. There's an absolute, it's a foregone conclusion that the ruler of this world is judged and judgment awaits the world, so how grateful we ought to be for the Spirit's convicting work. And there is another major operation of the Holy Spirit that is spoken of in the next verses, that he will guide you into all truth, he says in verse 13, for he will speak not on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak. So you might remember that those are the words Jesus spoke of himself back in, I think chapter 5, that he doesn't say anything on his own authority, what he hears from the Father, that he speaks, and here he says the same thing about the Spirit, the Spirit too will give us access to the Father's own thoughts to the Father's own truth. I've pointed in one direction of an error we can go in and think about the Spirit's work. There's another one with regard to this second operation we're talking about. How many of you have ever heard folks talk about the Spirit blowing winds of change throughout the church, blowing winds of change throughout the church? I don't know about you, but I've heard that many, many times. And I'm not saying that this never happens, of course, but when you hear that kind of language, I would challenge you to question what's being said, and whether or not what is meant by the Holy Spirit breathing new things, new wind blowing throughout the church. What is really meant is, well, we can't really find Scripture support for this, but we're going to do it anyway. I think often the Holy Spirit is given the credit or blame for a lot of things that end up being non-scriptural, but here it's interesting how Jesus connects the Spirit with truth. It connects the Spirit with truth. Calvin said on this passage, for as soon as the Spirit is separated from the Word of Christ, the door is open to all kinds of delusions and impostures, and how true it is. The quote from Calvin, yes, I would be pleased to. As soon as the Spirit is separated from the Word of Christ, the door is open to all kinds of delusions and impostures. He's making the connection which Calvin made many times in his writings. Between the Spirit's work and the Word of God, Scripture, basically for us, there's always been a great danger. There was a great danger in Calvin's time of those who ran ahead, so to speak, who left the Word behind and claimed the authority of the Spirit. Calvin called people on this time and again, in particular the so-called, some of the radical anabaptists came under censure here, who left Scripture and went on claiming the authority of the Holy Spirit for what they were doing. Well, it's hardly any different in our day. That brings us to, I think, the third qualities, the third aspect I want to mention here, the Spirit's work that Jesus speaks of. And that comes in verse 14, he will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. He will glorify me. Again, when confronted by claims of the Holy Spirit's work in our time, it is always right to put it to this test. Is it something that glorifies Christ or is it something that glorifies a man or a woman? Is it something that glorifies Christ? That's the work of the Holy Spirit.
Well, in the next verses in this chapter, verses 16 through the end, Jesus has been communicating as we've seen over and over. He's been communicating through disciples in conundrums, puzzles, in allegories, and parables much of the time. And we've seen how many times Jesus elusive sort of speech confused a lot of people, particularly those who were outside, those who were his enemies. But we also have seen how his own disciples didn't always catch what he was really saying. Jesus is going on to speak to them about his departure, and he says, a little while, and you will not see me, and again, a little while, you will see me, because I go to the Father. And they are still confused. Just a couple of chapters back. You remember where Jesus told his disciples, beginning of chapter 14, that he's going to prepare a place for them, and he will take them where he is. And you remember the confusion that was still there on the part of Thomas and Philip? Well, we don't know where he's going, Jesus. And Philip is saying, well, if you'll just show us the Father, Jesus, it'll be well. And Jesus says, have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me? It's hard for us sometimes to step back into their sandals, and because we know so much, we've been given so much. It's hard to put ourselves in their places and imagine that they were still confused about what Jesus was talking about. Jesus does say in verse 23, he talks about his, first he talks about when he leaves their joy will actually increase, and that they will then be able to ask the Father directly, anything in his name, and the Father will do it in his name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. He goes on to say that I have said this to you in figures. The hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures. And then, verse 28, I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father. And his disciples says, on now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure. I think the import of this is to show us that, yes, at last the disciples are catching on, they do finally understand, at least this, that Jesus has truly come from the Father. Jesus has truly come from the Father. And again, you might think that's pretty simple, but it is so profound. Remember, the many times we've observed how the question in John's gospel is really, the question to be answered is really where is Jesus from. We've seen how the Jews have stumbled over that simple question.
Is he from Nazareth? No prophet comes from Nazareth. Is he from Bethlehem? Wherever he's from, we're not supposed to know where the Messiah comes from when he comes. All this confusion about where Jesus is from. And we know, of course, because we've been told from the very first verse that he is from God and he is God. But now, at least, we're given the understanding that the disciples finally came to realize that Jesus truly was, truly is from the Father. And at this point, Jesus warns them that the time will come when even their new faith will be shattered when they will be scattered. Verse 32, the hour is coming, indeed, it has come, when you will be scattered. Every man to his own home and will leave me alone. Yet, I am not alone for the Father is with me. I've said this to you that in me, you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. When that time of doubt comes when they are scattered, they are to know that Jesus has overcome the world. Again, as in chapter 15, Jesus links the peace which he gives them with his overcoming of the world, with his victory. We saw that earlier. He linked that with the coming of the ruler of this world. The ruler of this world is coming, he said, but he leaves us with his peace. Not as the world gives peace.
Yes. Verse 23, 24, in the last, in my name, I'll give you whatever you want. I remember a lady back in the pandemic, who was praying for a pink Cadillac, and she claimed this verse. She said, I'm a Christian, and I'm sort of one of God's children. I shouldn't have a pink Cadillac. What would you say to people who take the attitude that I should sort of ask or whatever I want? It's almost a health and wealth sort of mentality. Do you think this verse justifies that sort of It was not a Lincoln, but a Cadillac, right? It was a pink Cadillac. Well, I think we got on that basis alone.
Right. Well, I guess if you work for Mary K, it might be okay, but
right, you know, all the jesting that could be made on that particular example aside,
it becomes a series question because we know these verses are claimed for that kind of theology. Well, what do you say? You can, of course, look at the context in which we have verse 26. Verse 23, verse 24, and verse 26, this little clause in my name.
There is that pesky little clause. Does that simply mean that at the end of our prayers, we tap, you know, we tack on the little in Jesus' name, I pray, or is there something a little bit more serious about that? If you ask anything in my name, does that mean something more like according to my will? In another passage, believe it's in first John. If you ask anything in according to his will, 514. Thanks, John. Do you want to read that? Do you have it?
You ask to spend it on your passions, right? You have not because you ask not, James says, and you ask to spend it on your passions.
So when it comes to verses like that, I think that one is the one that you learn about.
Sure, it can't be divorced from the total Christian teaching about sanctification in the Christian life. And as we become conformed more and more to the image of Christ, our desires become conformed to his desires. And I think that's all part of asking in his name and asking according to his will. I think it is difficult to give a simple answer to people like that, and maybe many of us have struggled with that.
He's got an easy job, you know. He doesn't do enough work.
Yes, yes. Oh, it's all around us, yeah. It is not, it looks whole. It really is, is a false, a false gospel. And by the way, the lady did not get that big candle, I tried to throw it to my spirit, because she did not get that big candle. Of course, I know.
She wasn't happy with the Volkswagen. Of course, of course. It leads to the next level. Either, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's the worst part of it. You know, a little bit lesser a problem is, is that the faith wasn't strong enough. It's not as bad as attributing failure to God, but it is still very damaging to the Christian life. Right, it sets us up for all kinds of problems. I think Kyle has kind of...
Good point, Kyle. I can't on Kyle for a spiritual insight, but yeah. Is it, what's our verse? You can tell them by their hair. Is it, you can tell them.
Come on, we have one today.
Yes. Well, it is big.
Not just the same phrase, which we exist within the church, but also that there's such a fraction among the people who are working for the church. Yeah, and yeah. Well, that's an excellent discussion question. Unfortunately. The easy answer, you know, would be to say, and I think this is absolutely true. It doesn't get us up the hook. He's talking to his apostles. He's a talk, I believe he, all through here, it's obvious. At certain points, it's more obvious than at others. Chapter 14, the Spirit will bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. That's specific to the apostles. Here, again, I think it's specific to the apostles. You'll guide them into all truth. However, I mean, the question still is a fair one because in first John, John says later that we have received the anointing from him, and this anointing leads us into all truth. Let me see if I can find it here. You have no need that anyone should teach you, as his anointing teaches you about everything and isn't, as it and is true and is no lie, just as has taught you, abide in him. Perhaps it is not quite as unqualified there, but still we have the promise of the Holy Spirit to become and believe it to everybody. That if we receive the anointing from him, and I believe that's the work of the Spirit, that he does lead us into truth. This is first John 2.27. Here's anointing teaches you all things or about everything or teaches us all things and is true and there's no lie. There is, I think, we have to say there is a bedrock case here that the Spirit does lead us into truth. The Spirit is intimately connected with our perception of and accepting of the truth. There is a link between the Spirit and the truth, where it becomes difficult for us is trying to define to what extent that is and how detailed our confession has to be, and on what basis do we say enough is enough and excommunication takes place. I was going to talk about this topic actually later when Jesus talks about in his prayer that they might be one, but we're preempting it here a little bit, that's okay. It is, it's always that section, I let them in late, you know, they come in late, and in the church, we do tend to watch certain stations and go to certain churches, and if you try to address the fact that they may not be fully accurate, the response you give is, we shouldn't speak against God Almighty. Meaning a particular preacher? Take your pick, we have the hairdo, I've got a lot of trouble making it come in about a particular one's hairdo. Well now you've got Kyle to back you up, yeah. The point is that if a person has been evidence for some truth and they say they are anointed and they give physical evidence as a being anointed, then you shouldn't question them at all. Very, very dangerous, very, very dangerous. Exactly, yeah, yeah, exactly. Well it's a rough, it really is, and I mean I hate to say it this way, it's hard to point to one particular verse, but it has a lot to do with Christian maturity. Being able to discern, I mean that, the text I just read from first John, has to do with the spirit's work in giving us discernment to know what is true. And I don't think it happens overnight, it doesn't happen immediately with everybody, but there is, I think there is an outcry of the spirit's work in us. That's when we, at some point we know something is wrong, even if we can't find a particular verse. Now I think there are verses, I mean I think, in first John chapter 4, we were told to test the spirits. We were told to test the spirits to see whether there are of God. For not every spirit is of God and many have gone out, many false prophets have gone out into this world. We are, we are, we are called, we're, we're commanded to be on our guard in the church for false teaching. It's not, it's not something that we should have simply, it's simply an attitude, a receptive attitude, we're going to accept whatever we hear. Now we're, we're told to be on the guard in many, many places. I guess my approach to it has been the past. I first thought we're going to attack, but that's right, we're going to happen. The whole idea of the giling, and Satan's giling, the giling involves a half-truth. Right. That's right. The premise of it is the complete truth. That's right. It's dealing, that's right, discerning, and then dealing with the half-truths. It's going to be very, very challenging. That's right. Yes, Mr. Sealy. Okay, shift it over here. About all truth and the nature of it being somewhat unqualified here. What about the goal of the Holy Spirit in regards to truth with issues of common grace? I mean, how people that are not Christian have truth?
How can you comment on the Holy Spirit's role in the area of common grace? When taken people have a handle on truth, does the Holy Spirit have a role in that? Does the Holy Spirit have a role in that? I would not hesitate too much to say that he does. If he has a role in giving life, and we read from the Psalms that the Lord sends forth his Spirit and things come alive and so forth, there may be some general operation of the Holy Spirit in people's lives apart from the gospel. But I don't think that's what Jesus really is talking about here. He has to do with conviction of sin concerning the gospel. And it may well be that people do have conviction, have a certain grief over their sin that does not lead salvation. That's not ultimately for salvation. Is the Spirit involved there? I would say that that is possible. I mean, in Hebrews we have in that chapter 6 a very famous passage about to those who turn aside from Christ, said they have been partakers of the Holy Spirit. Partakers of the Holy Spirit, there is some sense in which, as I believe that passage should be taken, I think it's talking about people who are in the orbit in the Christian community have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst, have seen, changed lives, have seen things even in their own lives perhaps, but never truly believe. And in some sense they have witnessed just as the Israelites in the wilderness experienced all of them, the great works of the Spirit, and then many of them proved that they were reprobate in the end. So, I don't know, that's just a partial answer to that question. I know it's not very full, but it may well be that the Spirit is at work in non-Christians, but it's not in a saving way. I know that might throw up another kind of problem perhaps. Yes, Helen? I was here at the first period of the Bible, so I was just explaining from the Gospel and the Gospel. People were really good things, and I knew they were good things. I experienced it in my own life before being I say just, and I'm just being able to explain it, but I'm not even able to explain it from another one, even though we've not had that conversion experience. And then once I was converted, I realized, well, I can't explain anything about yet, well, I was assuming. It's just that it's raining, so you don't know the timing when we make tea at one point in time. It's in constant heat, I swear, or hundreds. When there's a righteous person in a life that it could be, it will be the Holy Spirit's working, a work in that person's life. Force it, goal or redemption. Yeah, it could be the path that the Spirit is taking with that person, maybe before their actual conversion, dealing with them in one way or another. I think that happens. I'm not sure if that really gets it. I mean, Mark was talking about the question of truth, recognized by unbelievers. I mean, that's part of what you're getting at. It wasn't about common grace. Do you want to follow up on that? I think all. That's going to be tied to the Holy Spirit. That's very general. And of course, but then the opposite of that, the ability of some things to do very good, to progress culture. I would think that that would be somewhat tied to the work of the Holy Spirit. Yeah, it's hard. The Holy Spirit is tied to, we depth of grace, I think it also has a spirit of love. Not limited. Yeah, I think that's... I think that's got to be true. It's hard for us to divide things up, you know, what's due to natural ability, that God gave them because they're in His image. And then what might be above that, some external work of the Holy Spirit, I don't know, that's kind of murky for me to want to get into. Certainly the work of the Holy Spirit is not confined to what we read here, and it's not confined to the work of redemption. We know He had a role in creation itself, and an ongoing sustenance of life in the world as well. The American story is sort of a positive indication that perfect truth can be found even outside the inner group of Christ's followers. And truth is, can exist independent of God. Truth is not completely bottled up within the church. Right. We should acknowledge truth when we see it. Good point. Good. Well, I had some other rabbit trails I was going to go on, but I think I'll skip those now. Excuse me. We will... we come now to chapter 17. Sometimes called the high priestly prayer of Jesus. When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son that thy Son may glorify thee. And so He continues until the end of this chapter, verse 26, in a very long recorded prayer of Jesus in the presence of His disciples just before He is arrested. Now, there are many, many things in this prayer. It's a glorious prayer that we could spend a lot of time on. But look at it for a moment. Excuse me. See if you can tell three things in particular that Jesus prays for. Three grand things, three great things. Of course, there are other things along with these. But three subjects, put it that way. Three main subjects you praise about. Anybody come up with those in verses 1 through 5? Okay, Himself, His own glory. Glorify me, Father, with the glory that I had with thee before the world was. So, first of all, praise for His own glory. I don't know if that strikes you as odd. I think it would strike a lot of unbelievers as odd. Why does He pray for Himself? Why does He pray for His own glory, in fact? Is that strike you as odd? I think in the end, we should not be thrown by that. After all, if our chief end is the glory of God and the glory of Christ, what higher end would Christ have than for His own glory and the glory of the Father and the Spirit? It's not a selfish thing as it might be if we were praying for ourselves. There is that aspect of it. Further, Jesus is speaking about the glory that He already possessed, the glory that He had with the Father from the foundation of the world, before the foundation of the world. And as well, you could see this prayer, I believe, very much as a sort of prayer for vindication. That is to glorify Him would be to vindicate His work, to show that God accepts the work of Christ as perfect, as complete, as having accomplished what it set out to do. The prayer to glorify Jesus is as much as saying, now vindicate the work that I have done, that you have called me to do. And Jesus says here, I have completed, I have accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And we have, of course, of a greatest public vindication of Jesus' work in His resurrection. So I think this is all connected with His glory, His road to the cross, His lifting up on the cross, His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His ascension, culminating in His ascension at the Father's right hand, to rule over all things for the Church. Do I think... No. Yeah? Yes. I don't think that he could rule away. No, but... Pardon me? Oh. That's true. I don't think he would have either. I don't think he would have. But while he was on earth and while he was fulfilling our human role as Messiah, there would be always the temptation. I think we have to say, Jesus underwent real temptation in some way that perhaps we cannot fully understand. But he was tempted, as we are, as the writer to Hebrews. And from the dramatic... let's say the dramatic angle, if we were there at the time and didn't know what was going to happen, it did always appear. The tension did always appear. What is He really going to do? What is really going to be the outcome here? Who is really going to win? Will He succumb? Will someone overpower Him? We know of course that that's only hypothetical possibility. But there was a real drama played out in this world. Yes. Good point. His glory is the Father's glory. That's right. Well, when you read Alfred Ederson, I mean, the lifetime of Jesus Christ, he claimed a sense that they believe that there's a rest of revelation. This is his relationship with God and the Father. And the God man, as we come here, it's regular clarity. And his discourse is that he sees himself as God. Do you use the rest of the revelation that God made for Jesus as his relationship with the Father? Or do you believe he already has this kind of clarity at the age of 20 or so? That's a very difficult one. I'm glad the system addition is sitting here in class. Now, this is a perennial difficult question. That is, how do we speak about Jesus' own self-consciousness? I find that I really have to draw back and confess a lot of ignorance there. And I think it's dangerous to say very much very dogmatically. I do believe that he always knew from the point that we can talk about human consciousness in the man Jesus, that he was aware of his special relationship to the Father. And certainly in the Gospel of John, we have every indication from the beginning of his ministry at least. He knows he's got supernatural knowledge. He knows where he's come from. He is very conscious. We certainly get some hints of that in Luke's Gospel with the Temple story going to the Temple of age 13 and so forth. We're just not given a lot on that in Scripture. Is it possible that there was a certain development in his consciousness of his awareness as a man in his human nature? Many people have held that, yes. I'm not sure that would involve us in heresy to say something like that, but I don't think I want to go much further than that. And to say that I do still believe that he was always conscious as a human being conscious of who he was. Yes. Well, we're exploring. We're going to the depths today. But one other thing about this first part that I want to point out, and that is what we've just what Bob just mentioned about his consciousness of being divine, a glorified army with the glory that I had with me before the world was. Now, I think it is statements like this that were tremendously revealing to his disciples. Imagine sitting there and listening to Jesus say this, the glory that he had with him before the world was. And maybe even a source of John's own blockbuster at the beginning, the very beginning of his gospel, right? In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. How could he make a statement like that? Unless he had heard from Jesus' own lips statements like this. Jesus was in the Father's own presence before the world was and shared the glory of the Father. This is very profound. It gets at the heart of our confession of Jesus' identity as divine. We're here at the revealed in his prayer. The second paragraph then, let's look at verses 6 through 19. Do you see a prevailing theme or subject that he prays for if he prays in the first for his own glorification? For his disciples, exactly. Good. Very good, very good. He prays for his own disciples and a number of things he prays for them. Kevin has noted that they be one, that they be kept from the evil one, that they be sanctified by the truth. Once again, we see, first of all, that verse 8, excuse me, verse 9, I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world. But for those whom now has given me for their dying. Once again, we see the distinction that Jesus draws between his own and the world, elsewhere between his sheep and those that are not of his sheep. Jesus specifically prays here, not for the world, but for his disciples. I think this specifically has to do with the 11. Perhaps he also has in mind those who were his disciples on earth at that time. But he does pray about these things to keep them from the evil one. We find in 1 John chapter 5, verse 18, John says of the believer that the evil one does not touch him. So this has reference, we know, not just to the apostles, but to us as well. I want to comment later on the prayer that they be one because it comes up later as well. But I did want to comment some more on what Kevin said about being sanctified in the truth. I think it's remarkable in this prayer, in this section in particular, how many times Jesus refers to his or the father's word. Verse 6, thou gave us them to me, and they have kept thy word. Verse 8, for I have given them the words which thou gave us me, and they have received them in no in truth that I came from thee. Verse 12, he mentions that the scripture might be fulfilled. Verse 13, and these things I speak in the world that they may have joy fulfilled themselves. Again, the reference to Jesus on speech. Verse 14, I have given them thy word. Jesus has given them, in other words, it's not confined. When you're talking about God's word, it's not confined to the Old Testament. Jesus says, I have given them thy word. Jesus' words are on the par with God's words. Verse 17, then sanctify them in or by the truth. Thy word is truth. And in verse 19, before their sake, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified in or by the truth. The apostles received Jesus' words personally, but this has the most profound implications for us, even though we weren't there. For it is another indication that the words of God came through Jesus, and Jesus' words came through the apostles, and they're preserved for us. In verse 20, then, he is going to mention that he prays for those who believe in him through their word. That's an interesting way of talking about later disciples, isn't it? I find it very interesting. He could have said, I pray for disciples who will come later, or I pray for disciples in the future, or those who will believe in me later. Those who believe in me not having seen me. But he says, those who believe in me through their word. Notice how it's linked to the word of the apostles, the word of his close disciples. And I think that's a key. That's crucial. That is always in danger of being lost, danger of being lost in our day. And the connection between Christ, his word through his apostles, and our benefit, our salvation. He has spoken to us, and his words are preserved for us. And again, as we spoke before about the work of the Spirit, being so closely connected with the word. Here it is again, that link between us and Christ is through his word. Comments on that? Yes, here in the front. We're talking about, that's the word that remains a sense of it. And now, I mean, that it's so popular, even in, well, Christians, there could be a common Christian, but liberalism is saying that the word is not inspired by God. And this new program, the Genesis program, is on TVF, which has been talked about in Christians day. Time, newsroom. And don't worry about it. And don't worry about it. I try to get different people from all walks of life to discuss each week. I hear of you are fundamentalists, but they do not get away from the view of Scripture. So they think that, yeah, I guess that disqualified them. Yeah. Made him boring, I guess it was too. Yeah. Hung up on what they were discussing. Yeah. Well, are there a view that was inspired? Yeah. So they were left out. Yeah. Everyone from all walks of life in all faith. I don't know if many of you know about that series. I've only just seen a little tiny bit of it. But there's an ongoing series on PBS, done by Bill Moyers, a discussion of the Book of Genesis. Many of the stories from Genesis. And I think it's very interesting. But he's got people from that are Christians, Jews, Muslims, unbelievers, and to discuss the stories of Genesis. Again, I think very thought-provoking. But flawed, shall we say? I don't know. And then Marcy's bringing up that he was interviewed, quoted as saying that he tried to get fundamentalists to be on this group. But they couldn't get away from this obsession with their doctrine of Scripture. And I guess that then was a view that was subhuman or something that couldn't be allowed. Well, that's right. I think it fits in with this emphasis of Jesus upon His Word and the honor that we ought to have the reverence toward His Word. And that reverence is not is defamed everywhere, not just in the world, but oftentimes in the church. Well, we have come to the end of our time. We are almost finished with chapter 20. We'll finish up this last portion of the prayer next week, where He prays specifically for those who will believe in Him through the Apostles Word. Let's prank.
Again, we thank you, our dear Lord, for granting your Spirit for leading us into truth. We confess, Lord, that we are not always the best followers, and we confess that there is still untruth in us. We ask you to cleanse us. We ask you to castize us, where it's needed, and we ask you to forgive us. We ask you to grant your Spirit's without measure that, ever more perfectly, we might walk in your truth for your sake and the sake of your church in Jesus' name, Amen.