Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Sunday, May 6, 2012

John 17 The Great High Priestly Prayer of our Lord!

John 17:20-26 Jesus Prays for His Church!

John 17:22 The Perpetuation of Glory into the Church Age.

John 17:22, “And the glory which You (God the Father) have given to Me (Jesus Christ) I have given to them (the Church), in order that they may keep on being one just as We are one.”

The purpose of glorifying the Church is for its unity. We have unity based on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the construction of our ECS.

Jesus was glorified during His incarnation by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Mat 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-22, and the construction of His ECS in His humanity.

So we too are glorified and unified by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and growing to Spiritual Maturity.

Principle: 1. This is the third time Jesus presented to the Father, His desire for believers’ unity John 17:11, 21, 22.

2. Jesus pointed to the unity of the triune God as the pattern for His Church.

3. He used the analogy of the shared glory between the Father and Son as being their eternal bond of unity, …

…which glory Jesus has given to His Church so that it eternally bonds its members in the Body of Christ.

4. Just as the Father and Son have identical essence so too, do all believers at the moment of salvation.

In addition, as we build our ECS we all have the same “Mind of Christ”. Rom 15:5-6; 1 Cor 1:10; Phil 2:2

Phil 2:2, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

5. The glory Christ gives to believers prepares them for the unity for which He prayed. This glory is the revelation of God.

Doctrine of Glory A. Definition. The glory of God refers to the sum total of His Divine essence or to any part of His Divine essence.

Glory always has the connotation of honor inherent in a person, distinction, greatness, renown, fame, nobility, or majesty.

Psa 21:5-6, “His (Christ’s) glory is great through Your victory (salvation), splendor and majesty You place upon him. 6 For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.”

Communion

B. Glory is used to describe the strategic victory of Christ in the angelic conflict. Luke 24:26; John 12:20-24, 28; 13:31-32; Heb 2:10; 1 Peter 1:10-11

Luke 24:26, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

a. God the Father is the source of our Lord’s glorification and the Father is glorified as a result of the Son’s glorification, and vice versa.

b. The Humanity of Jesus Christ is glorified because He fulfilled the Father’s Plan of Salvation.

John 13:31-32, “Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.”

Grace Offering

Grace Fellowship Church Sunday, May 6, 2012 Tape # Perpetuation of Glory into the Church Age We are glorified by Christ Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 99 John 17:22; 12:20-24; Rom 15:5-6; Phil 2:2; 1 Peter 1:10-11 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012