High Priestly Prayer: Glory of the Son
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How many of you like to go on tours?
I love and hate tours
trail ride on horse or ATV - guide won’t let you go where you want to go
tour through the capital building or white house - places you are not allowed to go.
I remember as I kid going to the Whitehouse and the rooms there were off limits were far more interesting to me than the actual tour.
Touring a castle or cathedral
On the way home from Ukraine last year Kyle McNay and I had a few days in Germany, and while in Germany we went to see the Augsburg Cathedral.
you could go pretty much anywhere you wanted in the cathedral… however when i saw doors that said “do not enter” I was immediately more interested in what was behind those doors than i was the rest of the cathedral.
Whenever someone would guide a tour i always wanted to know what was going on in the areas i was not allowed in.
It seems to me, that whenever you see something off limits it means
There is something important going on
There is something special behind those doors
There is something that most would want to see, but only the privileged get to see.
Over the next few weeks we are going to look at ,
As we read through the gospel of John you will see that chapter 1-12 are like a tour along the red carpet with robes on both sides. Everyone is welcome to walk through these chapters and behold the glory of the gospel
When we get to , its like the VIP section. We get brought in closer to the heart of Christ. We see him talking to his disciples in a very personal way.
However, when we turn to , this feel like we are wondering into a room of the gospel where we need to be careful where we walk. We need to be careful not to touch anything. It feels like we are not supposed to have access to Jesus as this level.
is called the high priestly prayer - and this chapter is utterly unique in the Bible.
It is Jesus’ longest recorded prayer, and this prayer is not for show, its not teaching the disciples how to pray, this prayer is pealing back the layers of Christ and seeing his heart as he talks to his father
Jesus’ prayer can be understood in three sections
Jesus prays for himself
Jesus prays for his disciples
Jesus prays for future believers
So this morning we are going to look at the first part of this prayer, where Jesus prays for himself.
However, before we do that we need to understand how fits within the Gospel of John, and also see how this prayer is significant for the whole bible.
But first, Lets pray
I already mentioned how I feel about tours…
One place i’d love to tour would be the tabernacle (time travel)
imagine if the high priest took you on a tour of the tabernacle showing you everything he did, and explaining the symbolism behind it.
Bronze Basin
The high priest would start at the Bronze Basin right outside the doorway into the holy place (tent of meeting).
He would wash his hands and his feet and explain to us that for a priest to go into the presence of YHWH must first be cleansed.
Not only would he wash himself, but he would also wash the sacrifice as well.
After washing himself in the Bronze Basin, he would then take us inside the tent, into the holy place.
After washing himself in the Bronze Basin, we would then go inside the tent, into the holy place.
Table of Show Bread
The first place we would go would be to the table of showbread, where each week the priests would put twelve fresh loafs of bread.
The 12 loafs represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and was a constant reminder to God to sustain his people as he did in the wilderness when he sent manna down from heaven.
The showbread could only be eaten by the priests, who would go into the presence of God and eat with God representing the covenant bond of God and his people.
After showing us the table of showbread, he would have us turn around and look at the golden lampstand
Golden Lampstand
The golden lampstand was in the form of a tree with seven branches.
The lampstand served as a reminder that God was present with his people, he has not left them in darkness, but he guides them with his light.
The seven branches of the tree also represent the seven days of creation, and they are a reminder that God will one day redeem all of creation, and bring it back to glory as it was in the garden.
The priest would not doubt get excited talking about the lampstand as it symbolized hope in what God would one day do.
After looking at the lampstand, the priest would move us closer to the presence of God, closer to the holy of holies.
The last thing he would show us before entering the Holy of Holies would be the alter of Incense
Alter of Incense
The lampstand would have served as a reminder of the brightness of Yahweh, who is “present and active among his people”
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Relevance
The altar was placed inside the tabernacle just outside the curtain separating the Holy of Holies
The altar was placed inside the tabernacle just outside the curtain separating the Holy of Holies.
the priest would burn special incense on the alter each day.
The smoke of the incense went up into the heavens and was a pleasing aroma to God
The priests would also tell us that the incense represented the prayers of the priest on behalf of the people.
he might even tell us the story of how his grandfather, Aaron, rushed to the alter of Incense with fire in his hand to make atonement on behalf of the people because God’s wrath was coming on them in the form of a plague. And how when Aaron was light the incense he stood between the dead and the living until the plague stopped.
And we would explain, As the smoke goes up from the alter, so do our prayers go up to God and they are a pleasing aroma to God.
The high priest would want to continue the tour, however this is where the tour would end, the priest would try and describe what happens in the holy of holies, though his facial expression told the story with more clarity than his words. He would explain how no one is allowed in there accept the high-priest, and only once a year.
Unfortunately this is where the tour would end, the priest would try and describe what happens in the holy of holies, but no one is allowed in there accept the high-priest, and only once a year.
This tour would end like every other tour I’ve been on. Like taking a tour of the white-house or a great cathedral there are rooms we are not allowed to enter.
Unless, of course, we have someone with the right credentials who can take us in.
Well, There is good news, John’s gospel is in a very real way a tour through the tabernacle, and the one giving the tour is non-other than the great high priest himself, Jesus Christ.
John records Jesus walking us through the tabernacle showing us how he is not only the great high priests who is able to bring us right into the presence of God, but he himself is the tabernacle, and he fulfills every symbolic element and every hope the original tabernacle represented.
Johns gospel is a tour through the tabernacle
Johns gospel is a tour through the tabernacle
John does not want us to miss out on the tour, so he tells us right up front what he is doing.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The greek word for dwelt is σκηνόω which means tabernacled
The greek word for Word is logos - which hebrew dabar
The word became flesh and tabernacled among us.
The Holy of Holies became flesh and tabernacled among us
So right from the beginning of his gospel John wants us to read it in light of the tabernacle
John begins where the priest would begin, with the Bronze Basin. Here the priest would wash himself and also the sacrifice before offering it.
Bronze Basin
In the gospel we see Jesus as both priest and sacrifice, and also the one who washes His living sacrifices, the Church. In we see Jesus focusing on water and cleansing
Thus, : we see John the Baptist’s ministry as he is baptizing or cleansing people in the Jordan.
In , at a wedding Jesus takes water out of "six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification" (2:6) and turns it into wine.
In , Jesus cleanses the Temple.
In , Nicodemus engages Jesus in a discussion of the new birth, of water and the Spirit.
In , John's baptism leads to an argument over purification, and a discussion of Jesus as the Bridegroom.
In , Jesus presents Himself as Bridegroom to a Samaritan woman at a well.
In , Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda, and then gets into a discussion with the Jews about resurrection.
This concludes John's section on the Bronze Basin, which has revolved around water, purification, baptism, resurrection, and Christ as Bridegroom.
John then turns to the Table of Showbread.
Through New Eyes The Restoration of Type and Symbol
John begins where the priest would begin, with the laver of cleansing. Here the priest would wash himself and also the sacrifice before offering it. Jesus is both priest and sacrifice, and also the one who washes His living sacrifices, the Church. Thus, John 1:18-34: concerns the baptism of John the Forerunner. In John 2:1-11, at a wedding Jesus takes water out of "six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification" (2:6) and turns it into wine. In John 2:13-25, Jesus cleanses the Temple. In John 3:1-21, Nicodemus engages Jesus in a discussion of the new birth, of water and the Spirit. In John 3:22-36, John's baptism leads to an argument over purification, and a discussion of Jesus as the Bridegroom. In John 4::1-4:2, Jesus presents Himself as Bridegroom to a Samaritan woman at a well. In John 4::4:6-54:, Jesus restores a dying boy to life at "Cana of Galilee, where He had made the water wine" (4::4:6). In John 5:1-4:7, Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda, and then gets into a discussion with the Jews about resurrection. This concludes John's section on the laver, which has revolved around water, purification, baptism, resurrection, and Christ as Bridegroom.
John then turns to the Table of Showbread. In John 6, Jesus feeds the five thousand, calls Himself the bread of life, and tells the people that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood (v. 53). In John 7, Jesus presents Himself as the drink of life (v. 37), recalling the libations that went with the showbread and meal offerings.
The Lampstand comes next. Jesus presents Himself as the light of the world in John 8. In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man. In John 10, Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd. The connection of this to the Lampstand lies in the fact that David was the Good Shepherd of the Old Covenant, and the Bible repeatedly speaks of David as a lamp (2 Samuel 21:17; 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chronicles 21:7). There is a conceptual parallel between a lamp shining in a dark place and the voice of the shepherd heard by the sheep. In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus, explaining that it is a matter of awakening him from darkness and sleep to light and day (vv. 9-11). In John 12, Jesus comments that those who had not believed in him were blind, but that those who did believe would become sons of light (vv. 35-41).
In , Jesus feeds the five thousand, calls Himself the bread of life, and tells the people that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood (v. 53).
In , Jesus presents Himself as the drink of life (v. 37), recalling the libations that went with the showbread and meal offerings.
The Lampstand comes next.
Jesus presents Himself as the light of the world in .
In , Jesus heals a blind man.
In , Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd.
The connection of this to the Lampstand lies in the fact that David was the Good Shepherd of the Old Covenant, and the Bible repeatedly speaks of David as a lamp (; ; ; ; ).
In , Jesus raises Lazarus, explaining that it is a matter of awakening him from darkness and death to light and day (vv. 9-11).
In , Jesus comments that those who had not believed in him were blind, but that those who did believe would become sons of light (vv. 35-41).
Through New Eyes The Restoration of Type and Symbol
Starting in John 13, we move through these items of furniture a second time. Jesus washes the disciples' feet in 13:1-20. He breaks bread with them in 13:21-30. Then He moves into a discussion of the Holy Spirit, the ultimate archetype of the seven lamps in the Tabernacle (John 14-16). After this, Jesus prays His high priestly prayer at the altar of incense (John 17).
Starting in , we move through these items of furniture a second time.
Jesus washes the disciples' feet in 13:1-20. Bronze Basin
He breaks bread with them in 13:21-30. Table of Showbread
Then He moves into a discussion of the Holy Spirit, the ultimate archetype of the Lampstand in the Tabernacle ().
After this, Jesus moves closer to the Holy of Holies, and prays His high priestly prayer at the altar of incense ().
This prayer is the prayer we are going to focus on the next few weeks.
We will see that Jesus as the great high priest prays for
himself
his disciples
future Christians - you and me.
However, before we settle down here in , lets continue the tour of the tabernacle.
is the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, we are moving through the curtains to the holy of holies
is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world being sacrificed for the sins of the people, this corresponds to the priests sacrificing the lamb on the day of atonement within the holy of holies.
If the priests came out of the holy of holies alive that was a sign that the sacrifice was acceptable.
So for Jesus’ sacrifice to be acceptable he must come out of the holy of holies
And this is where brings our tour to its climatic end.
Jesus is buried in a tomb, and when the disciples hear that the stone had been rolled away and his body was gone they go running to the tomb to investigate.
John and Peter run to the tomb and look inside, however, Mary stood outside weeping, she then goes in to look and what she see’s is the holy of holies empty.
John 20:11-
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
So what John tells us that Mary see’s is a stone table where the sacrifice had been laid, and two angels, one at each end of the table.
Where else do we see this?
This is a picture of the ark of the covenant.
We are now in the holy of Holies.
Jesus is not only the high priest who comes out of the holy of Holies alive, thus showing himself to be a vindicated and righteous high priest, but he was also the sacrifice.
And because he was the final sacrifice he now, as our high priests, takes us into the presence of God.
The Tabernacle was originally designed as
a temple and sanctuary for God, so that he could dwell with his people
It was a place of worship where people could be made right with God
it was a picture of creation, showing that the worship of God would one day be cover the earth like the waters do the sea
It was a picture of how the problem of sin was dealt with
And it was a picture of God’s love, faithfulness, and mercy toward his people.
John describes all of this mysteriously being wrapped up in the person of Jesus.
And all of these things would become a reality when Jesus’ hour arrives.
Up to now, Jesus has been talking to his friends about the Father. Now, he talks to the Father about his friends. And in this room, the only piece of furniture is the prayer desk.
Many people read the first ten or a dozen chapters, and get a good sense of what’s going on. But then St John invites us further in, into the private quarters of the house as it were, as the public action stops and Jesus spends time talking to his close friends and explaining to them what’s about to happen
Turn back now to
Here we have a chapter in the bible that is absolutely unique.
As the high priest would offer prayers at the alter of Incense on behalf of himself and his people, we have Jesus now praying to the Father on behalf of himself and his people.
We have seen Jesus pray here and there
But as we come to we are invited to come and listen to Jesus pray to the father.
Jesus Prays For Glorification
Jesus Prays For Glorification
1 When 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, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
1 When 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, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 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. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For 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.
1 When 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, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
John introduces the prayer by noting that Jesus, after speaking these words...
which is referring to the entire upper room discourse chapter 13-16
He then lifts his eyes to heaven and begins his longest recorded prayer.
He address God as Father, just as he taught his disciples to do.
This is not some cold formulaic prayer, this is the prayer of the Son of God, the great High Priest, praying to his heavenly father.
Look with me at vs. 1
1 When 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,
What is the Hour?
Throughout his gospel, John uses the term “hour” as a shorthand that refers to the group of events comprising Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation with God the father.
This hour is when all that the tabernacle represented would be fulfilled.
The hour refers to:
The Cross
Jesus will bare the weight of our sin upon himself
He will take our guilt, our shame, our wrath
At this hour Jesus becomes the sacrificial lamb who will take away the sins of the world.
Burial
Burial
Jesus goes into the grave,
He goes where all those who have come before him have gone
He enters the realm of the dead, and he does not go there alone
he brings with him the entire sacrificial system
he brings with him the old covenant
he brings with him the old world
He brings with him the curse of sin, and he brings with him the every barrier that would keep you and I from bolding going into the holy of holies.
The Resurrection
not only does this hour refer to the cross and its horrors, not only does it refer to his burial, but also his resurrection
The resurrection brings back to life all those things that went into the grave with him but in their glorified form
Jesus is raised as the one and only sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins
Jesus is raised bringing with him the new covenant
Jesus is raised bringing with him the new creation
Paul says that Jesus is the first born of the new creation, referring to the resurrection.
Jesus is raised bringing many sons and daughter with him into glory
And he is raised, he walks out of the holy of holies after the sacrifice, thus showing that his sacrifice was accepted by the father.
Ascension
The hour also refers to his ascension, where Jesus goes back to the father in glory
This is what is referring to when the son of man comes to the ancient of days riding on the clouds
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
Jesus is not only presented before the Father, but he is exalted with honor and glory.
This is where Jesus exaltation also is part of his hour.
Exaltation
Jesus’ exaltation is described in
Where he is given an eternal kingdom
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
eternal dominion
Dan 7
The exaltation of Christ is where we see Jesus as king over all, he is now enthroned and is given a name above every name.
He is given dominion, glory and a kingdom.
And all the people of the world, from every nation and language will serve him as their king.
All of this, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation is packed into the term “hour”
What does Jesus go on to say in verse one?
1 When 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,
Jesus explains this hour when we says, “glorify your Son, that the Son my glorify you.
Jesus is saying, Raise me up again, that by me you, Father, may become known to all the world!
Verse two help us see how it is that the Son glorifies the father and how the father glorifies the Son
Look at verse 2
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
The Father glorifies the Son by giving him authority over all flesh
And the Son glorifies the Father by giving eternal life to all whom the Father has given the Son.
What does it mean for the Son to have authority over all flesh?
The word for Authority is directly connected to Kingship - its a term that denotes absolute power.
So in what way is Jesus given absolute authority over all flesh?
This means that your life is under the authority of Christ.
The question is, will you submit to his authority or rebel against it?
RC Sproul rightly calls sin, “an act of cosmic treason”
Every sin, no matter how small, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is an act of treason against the holy and righteous king who has authority over your life.
Not only is your life individually under the authority of God, but our community as a whole is under the authority of God.
We often think that our own sin is mainly between us and God. But we see all throughout the bible that God not only has authority over the individual, but the community as well.
Throughout the letters to the churches in , the message given to the churches is in the singular, the rebukes are singular, and the promises and blessings are singular, Jesus looks at the churches as one body who is to be under the authority of Christ.
Jesus’ authority is not only over individuals and communities...
Marriage
Do you think of your marriage as being under authority?
Does you marriage reflect the marriage of Christ and his church?
Husbands, do you lead your wives as God has called you to lead?
Do you lead her spiritually? Emotionally?
Do you protect her and guide her?
Do you die for her by dying to yourself for her?
Wives, do you follow and submit as God has called you?
Do you honor and respect your husband?
Do you live in such a way that you husband and children will rise up and call you blessed?
Are you a wife who is under the authority of King Jesus?
Education
Education
is your child’s education under the authority of King Jesus?
Is what your child is learning being brought under the authority of Jesus?
Workforce
Entertainment
Your calendar
Your hobbies
The Father has glorified the Son by giving him authority over all things, we then glorify the Son but submitting to his authority in all things
Look again at verse 2
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
So we see the Father glorifying the Son by giving him authority over all flesh, and we see the Son glorifying the father by giving eternal life to all whom the father has given him.
And what is eternal life?
Is it life in heaven forever?
Is it that our spirits will never die but will be in a better place forever?
is it a mystery?
I think its funny how often we provide answers to simple questions like this completely void of any biblical foundation.
What is eternal life? Jesus tells us in verse three
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
So the father glorifies the son by giving him authority over all things,
the Son glorifies the father by giving eternal life to all those the father has given him.
And Eternal life is knowing God, and Jesus as the one who brings us to God.
So what we see is that Jesus brings glory to the father by making him known in every sphere he has authority
Jesus glorifies the father by making him known in individuals and in community life
Jesus glorifies the father through by making him known in your marriage
Jesus glorifies the father by making him known in education
Jesus glorifies the father by making him known in the church
This is the work Jesus has come to do, to make God known to all mankind, and for that to happen Jesus had to come to this hour, to the cross, burial resurrection, ascension and exaltation.
Look at verses 4-5
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
The work that God gave him to do was completed at the cross, and through his work on the cross Jesus has glorified the father.
The beautiful thing about the gospel is that it is a story that includes you and me.
As Jesus glorified the father on earth, so we have been called to bring glory to God on earth
As Jesus was sent into the world to bring all things in to submission to God, so we are sent into the world to continue this great work!
A little later in the prayer Jesus prays,
18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
We have a great high priest who...
How does the Son glorify the Father?
Has cleansed us from our sin, as the priest was cleansed at the bronze Basin
Give eternal life to all whom he has given him.
We have a high priests who is always with us, like the show bread, Jesus is faithful to keep his covenant with us.
We have a high priests who has given us his spirit, and like the lampstands symbolize, we are to be lights in the world advancing his kingdom by pushing back the darkness
What is eternal life?
We have a high priests, who intercedes for us, as the high priest would do at the Alter of Incense, Jesus continue to pray for us by interceding for us.
And we likewise are brought to the alter of Incense where we can pray freely and our prayers likewise go up like smoke and are a pleasing aroma to the Father.
To know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent?
And we like our great high priest are now sent into the world to plunder the world and bring all things into full submission to our great king!
What is the work the Father gave Jesus to do?
active and passive obedience
Eternal glory restored to the Son.
1b father glorify your son -> 2a since you have given him authority over all felsh
1c that the Son my glorify you -> to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
a) for glorification based on the completion of His work (1-5);
b) for His disciples (6-10);
c) for the preservation and sanctification of His disciples in the world (11-19);
d) for the unity of His disciples (20-23);
e) for the union of His disciples with Himself (24-26).