Jesus Secures His Church Part 1 | John 17

About this sermon

Introduction: Jesus did not come into the world to make salvation possible. He came into the world to save. He came to ACCOMPLISH something. He came to FINISH something. He came with a PRECISE purpose. In fact, the Son of God’s earthly mission is described in Scripture as a matter of OBEDIENCE (vs.4). It was the execution of His assigned and chosen role for the salvation of sinners in perfect accordance with a predetermined plan — a plan determined in the eternal councils of the Trinity. In accordance with the eternal will of the one and only true and living God, the Father has a role in salvation, the Son has a role, and the Spirit has a role — each person of the One Triune God. And so, in accordance with that eternal plan, the eternal Son of God had an assignment. That assignment included the salvation of a SPECIFIC PEOPLE. HE CAME INTO THE WORLD A REPRESENTATIVE. He came into the world the HEAD of a SPIRITUAL FAMILY that His mission secures — a new humanity. He came into the world a GREAT SAVING SHEPHERD, knowing exactly who His sheep were. He was GIVEN A PEOPLE. A people chosen for salvation before the world was formed. A people chosen as a matter of PURE GRACE. God freely choosing them for salvation, before they were born, out of a world of decreed fallen humanity. He was given a people FOR REDEMPTION— a people whom Jesus would deliver and reconcile to God. THAT SAVING MISSION HAD REQUIREMENTS. It required the incarnation — it required the eternal Son to take to Himself a real and sinless human nature. It required a sinless life. It required a substitutionary and atoning death on a cross. It required a resurrection. ALL OF IT FOR THE PURPOSE OF JUSTIFYING THE UNJUST IN A WAY THAT WAS COMPLETELY JUST. NAS 1 Peter 3:18 For aChrist also died for sins bonce for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might cbring us to God, AND ALL OF IT WAS ULTIMATELY ABOUT GLORY. The chief end of God is God’s glory. JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. In terms of ULTIMATE PURPOSE, God saves sinners to make God’s glorious nature and attributes KNOWN. ADAM WAS THE FIRST MAN — THE REPRESENTATIVE MAN — SO THAT EVERY ONE BORN OF ADAM INHERITED THE RESULTS OF ADAM’S FALL. JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD — THE LAST ADAM — REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE HE WOULD SAVE — NOT IN A GARDEN — BUT IN A WORLD UNDER THE CURSE OF ADAM’S FAILURE. ESV 1 Corinthians 15:45 Thus it is written, ab"The first man Adam became a living being";1 bthe last Adam became a clife-giving spirit. The first Adam LOST something for His people. The last Adam RESCUES His people. So that, when the Son of God came into the world, He came on behalf of HIS PEOPLE. He lived for His people. He suffered for His people. He died for His people. He was raised for His people. He came to save His people. He intercedes for His people (CONSTANTLY CONTRASTED WITH THE WORLD, and in clear distinction from it (vs.9). He is coming again for His people. ALL OF IT, FOR THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER. ALL OF IT, FOR THE BUILDING OF HIS CHURCH. ALL OF IT, TO ACCOMPLISH, TO FULFILL, EVERLASTING DECREES. None of it haphazard. None of it imprecise. And if we were to look for one chapter in God’s Word that makes that unmistakably clear, I can’t think of a better chapter than John 17. HERE WE MEET WITH A PRIESTLY PRAYER FROM THE SON OF GOD. HERE WE MEET WITH INTERCESSION THAT PERFECTLY EXPRESSES THE DIVINE MIND. HERE WE MEET WITH A PANORAMIC DESCRIPTION OF THE ETERNAL PURPOSES MANIFESTED IN SALVATION. Here we see that JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SECURE HIS CHURCH. NOTE: This is an enormous subject. Just read any sound systematic theology in the chapter on soteriology and you will see that. You can’t say everything in ONE sermon. But what I hope to do, FROM A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF THE TEXT, is leave us with SOMETHING that makes the DEFINITENESS of salvation unmistakable. And so, I’ve organized what I want to show you in this text under five headings. I. JESUS WAS GIVEN A PEOPLE BY HIS FATHER This is clear is it not? This is striking language, and yet it seems that many CHRISTIANS have no curiosity about why it would be used.

Topics

• Church & Fellowship
• Jesus Christ
• The Church