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The Blue Letter Bible

Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for John 17:4

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I. "I HAVE GLORIFIED YOU UPON THE EARTH."
A. How did Jesus glorify the Father?
1. At the birth of Jesus, the angels declared, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward man."
2. He brought glory to God through His works.
a. When they brought the man in a cot to Jesus and let him down through the roof, Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees objected declaring that only God had the power to forgive sins. Jesus then said what is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or rise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He said to the man, take up your bed and walk. The result of this miracle was when the multitude saw this they marveled and glorified God. Matt. 9:8.
b. When Jesus was sitting on a mountain side near the Sea of Galilee, and they brought to him multitudes of people who were lame, blind, mute, and maimed, and He healed them all, the crowds wondered when they saw the mute speaking, and the blind seeing and the maimed being made whole, and they glorified the God of Israel. Matt. 15:31.
c. When Jesus and His disciples came to the city and they met a funeral procession coming out of the city, carrying in a casket the only son of a widow, Jesus stopped the procession and commanded the dead boy to arise, and he sat up and began to speak. We read that a great fear came upon all the people and they glorified God and declared that a great prophet had risen among them and that God had visited His people. Luke 7:16.
d. When Jesus met the woman that was bent double from her waist, when He laid His hands on her, she was made straight, and she glorified God. Luke 13:13.
e. When Jesus healed the ten lepers, one of them turned back and glorified God with a loud voice. Luke 17:15.
f. At the crucifixion of Jesus when the sky turned dark and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, the centurion glorified God, and declared, "Truly this was a righteous man."
B. Jesus is our example that we should walk in His steps.
1. The purpose of our lives is to glorify God.
2. The purpose of our redemption is that we might be to praise of the glory of His grace.
3. How do we glorify God?
a. "Let your light so shine before men, that when they see your good works they will glorify your Father which is in heaven."
b. Jesus said that the Father is glorified as we bear much fruit. John 15:8.
c. By being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God. Phil. 1:11.
d. By living a honest life before the heathen, that even though they speak against you, that they by your good works that they see, glorify God. I Pet.2:12.
4. Paul declares that we are not our own, we have been bought with a price, therefore we are to glorify God in our bodies, and our spirits which are His. 1Cr 6:20.
5. Paul declares that we Gentiles should glorify God for His Mercy.
C. Some live to bring glory to themselves.
1. Each of us live for the glory of God or for our own glory.
2. Jesus spoke of how the Pharisees were seeking the glory of men.
3. Jesus had the opportunity to receive all the glory of the world. Satan had offered it to Him. He chose rather to glorify the Father.
4. Jesus declared, that He didn't seek His own glory.
5. In the church in Corinth some were saying, I am of Peter, others I am of Apollos, still others, I am of Paul. Paul wrote to them saying, "Let no man glory in men."
6. Whether we are eating or drinking, or whatever we do we are to do all for the glory of God.
D. Is my life bringing glory to God?
II. I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK THAT YOU GAVE ME TO DO.
A. When Jesus was just 12-years old, He had a sense of mission. When He was discovered to be missing when the family was returning to Nazareth after the feast, and they sought for Him until they found Him in the temple sitting with the doctors of the law, listening to them and asking them questions. To the scolding of His parents, he replied, "Did you not realize that I would be about My Father's business?"
1. He later in life said that He did not come to do His own will but the will of Him who sent Him.
2. When Jesus had come to a city of the Samaritans with His disciples and they had gone into the village to buy some food and the women came to draw water, after the episode when the people had finally left, His disciples offered Him some of the food, and He answered, "I have meat that you know not of, for My meat is to do the will of the Father and to finish His work."
3. When the Jews sought to kill Him for healing of the Sabbath day in John 5, He responded to them, "My Father is working today, and I work today."
4. Also in Jhn 5, He was speaking of how that John the Baptist bore witness of Him, but He declared that He had an even greater witness, and that the works that the Father had given Him to finish, they also testified of Him.
5. In Jhn 9:4, He said, "I must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day, for the night is coming when no man can work."
6. John tells us that while Jesus was hanging on the cross, He cried, "I thirst." And a soldier dipped a sponge in some vinegar and put it to His lips, and when He tasted of the vinegar, He said, "It is finished."
B. What is this work of the Father that He came to finish.
1. The work of redeeming mankind from sin.
2. The Old Testament sacrifices could not put away sin, they only covered sin.
a. Hbr 10:4: "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls or goats could take away sin."
b. The Hebrew word Kophar translated atonement, is better translated cover. The sacrifices did not take away the sin only covered it.
3. The Old Testament saints could not come into the perfected state until the finished work of redemption through Jesus Christ.
4. Peter said that we are not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver or gold, from our empty lives, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ who was slain as a lamb without spot or blemish.
C. The work of creation was finished in six days, and on the seventh day God rested from the work of creation, not that He was tired, but the work was finished.
D. The work of redemption was finished when Jesus cried from the cross, "It is finished." and He said, "Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit." and He bowed His head, and dismissed His Spirit.
E. God has still unfinished business on this earth. The business of God is to bring men to the redemption that has been provided for them through His Son.
1. God has called upon us to help finish His work.
2. He has a commission for each of us.
3. Paul at the end of his life could write Timothy and declare, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord our righteous Judge shall give but not to me only, but to all those who do love His appearing."
Sermon Notes for John 17:3 ← Prior Section
Sermon Notes for John 17:5 Next Section →
Sermon Notes for Luke 1:5 ← Prior Book
Sermon Notes for Acts 1 Next Book →
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