R sbc
Date: January 9th 2005
Series: “ Christ The Sum & Substance of The Bible
Subject: “ POWER OVER ALL FLESH”
Text: John 17:1-3
Sermon # 26
Intro: There is no question that this is the last great prayer that Jesus Christ prayed before he was to die for his people. I will not be dealing with the content of the prayer even though that is a great study, but with the power of our Lord.
I do believe along with several other passages of scripture that this is a fulfillment of an old testament prophecy as well as a promise given to Christ by the Father.
In Psalm 2: 6-8 “ Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
I realize that this promise was not fulfilled until he was actually brought forth out of the grave, but so many of the promises of God are spoken as though they had already been accomplished.
But the power of God belonging to Christ was realized in his public ministry no man had ever done the things that Christ did. Psalm 62:11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God. So this sets the stage for the text...
Sometimes the bible uses a word that has many synonyms, power can be translated authority, and is translated that way a number of times. If someone has power they usually have authority.
One definition in the Greek says that power means “ the power of rule of government, the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed.
I.. “ HIS IMPENDING DESTINY HAS COME”..VS 1
This is seen in the words that he spoke; “ the hour is come” which is speaking of a time of destiny. The Lord said on several occasions that he came into the world to give his life for our sins... and he expressed it like this:
John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Notice that his death would glorify his Father... this should be our desire that no matter what happens to us we should hope that it would glorify the Lord. I know that it is difficult for us to pray thy will be done, but his will, will be done so we should step in line..
1st. It was eternally determined:
Acts 2:23-24 “ Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
2nd. It was voluntarily endured:
Heb 12-2 “ Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before endured the cross despising the shame and set down at the right hand of the thrown of God.
3rd. He lovingly achieved it:
John 10:11 “ I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep:
4th. He sacrificially accomplished it:
I Peter 2:22-24 “ Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threaten not, but committed himself to that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed.
I must move on...
II.. “THAT DIVINE POWER HAD BEEN GIVEN HIM”...VS 2
We spoke in the intro of power and established that it was authority in exercise, here we find that great authority given to Christ.
1st. The extent of that power: vs 2 “ over all flesh”
The great prophet Daniel was given a vision of this hundreds of years before it came to pass in this world. Listen to what he said:
Daniel 7-13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
2nd. The main intent of that power: vs 2 “ That he should give eternal life”
It is said by the bible that Christ is the only one that can do this: listen to what some have said and what he said:
John 1-4 “ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 5:26 “ For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgement also because he is the Son of man.
3rd. Those on whom this life will bestowed: vs 2 “ As many as thou hast given me”
In this chapter alone Jesus refers to the Father giving him a people many times:
vs 4 “ Gavest thou me”
Vs 6 “ Gavest thou me out of the world”
vs 8 “ which thou gavest me”
vs 9" prayed for those given him”
vs 11 “ Keep those whom thou hast given me”
So you can see that the Apostle in consideration first by Jesus in this prayer but extends to all his elect. Look at verse 20. Hebrews 2:12-13 “ Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again I will put my trust in him and Again behold I and the childten which God hath given me.
Just remember Jesus said: John 10-28-29 I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand for my Father which gave them to me is greater than all and I and my Father are one.
III... “ THE EXPLANATION OF CHRIST” VS 3
He says a number of things that are worthy of our attention, of course everything is worthy of our attention...he says. Eternal life is said to be two main things in our text verse:
1st. That it is knowledge of the only true God....vs 3
It takes a revelation to know God:
Luke 10 - 21-22 “ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou has hid these things from the wise and the prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight vs 22 ‘ All things are delivered to me of my Father and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father and who the Father is but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
If you know one you know the other one:
John 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
Note again what Jesus said to Thomas:
John 14:7-9
2nd. This knowledge extends to a understanding of who Christ is: vs 3
When the Lord had gathered that group of men called to be apostles he ask them who do men say that I the Son of man am? And we see the answers that were given...
Matt 16:13-17
I do want you to understand that a clear knowledge of who the Father is, is the same as knowing the Son and who he is. He is many things to many people but to us he is:
The Son of man: Which makes him flesh
The Son of David: Which gives him right to the thrown.
The Son of Abraham: Which fulfills the promise made to Abraham
The Son of God: Which declares his absolute deity.
As the son of man he is born of a woman, as the son of David he hath the key of David and opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens, As the Son of Abraham he fulfills that promise God made to him that in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. As the Son of God he had the power to lay down his life and take it up again...
3rd. This knowledge is an acknowledgment that God sent him..vs 3
I would like to close with this last verse:
1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only b egotten Son into the world, that we might live through him