Thoeolgical Research--Part 2

This is Part 2 of our study on Theological Research—the Christian’s greatest blessing in time. Read all of John 17, which is the high priestly prayer of Christ on behalf of His own. He died for us, and He lives to make intercession for us. We are studying theology—the science of God, the triune God.

God’s purpose in eternity, His accomplishment in time, and His completion in eternity are of the same extent. Jesus Christ does not save and intercede for more or less sheep than the Father gave Him in the eternal covenant of grace. Paul’s benediction of Hebrews 13:20-25 states, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all” (NASB Update).

There are three important unions consisting of essence in the Godhead, both the Divine and human natures in Jesus Christ, and the union of Christ and His sheep. The human nature, as well as the Divine nature, must be understood in order to give an exegesis of John 17.

Election must be viewed in the light of God’s perfection. Whatever God does, He designed to do; whatever He designed to do, He does. God saves all men, or He does not save all men. What He does, He purposed to do it; but if He does not save all men, it is evident He never purposed to save all men. To affirm that God purposed to save all but only actually saves some is to declare that He either changed His plan or failed in His purpose. In Numbers 23:19, Scripture says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (NASB Update). In Job 23:13 and 14, Job said, “But He [God] is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does. For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such decrees are with Him” (NASB Update). The Psalmist said, in Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (NASB Update). In Proverbs 19:21, Solomon said, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand” (NASB Update).

God’s purpose is founded in sovereignty, ordered by infinite wisdom, confirmed by omnipotence, and united with immutability. Therefore, our Lord and Savior, conscious that His first advent was coming to a close in a few hours, entered His “Holy of Holies,” spiritually speaking. The characteristic of timelessness comes to our minds as we begin to study one of the richest chapters in the Bible. Christ acts as though His death and resurrection were already accomplished, as He views His intercessory work at the right hand of God the Father on behalf of the chosen ones that the Father had given to Him before the world began.

There is a twofold petition by Christ for Himself in John 17:1-5—(1) “…Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You” (v. 1 NASB Update). (2) “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (v. 5 NASB Update).

There is a fourfold petition for His own in John 17:6-26—(1) preservation, verses 6-16; (2) sanctification, verses 17-19; (3) unification, verses 20-23; and (4) glorification, verses 24-26. Christ Jesus not only came for His sheep, but He died for them; and He makes intercession for them until they are safely at home in heaven.

In John 17, Christ came from the throne to the depths of woe, and then went back to the throne of glory. In this chapter, we see universal power and special purpose, general means and particular object. This principle is witnessed in creation, providence, and redemption.

The Father’s election, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s application are of equal extent. The redemptive work of Christ is as extensive as the Father’s grace, and the Spirit’s application of grace in regeneration is to the same number as loved by the Father and the Son. Furthermore, Christ and the Spirit intercede only for those who are regenerated.

Having ended His conversation with His disciples in Chapters 13-16 of John’s Gospel, the last words of our Lord should be considered with careful scrutiny. In these four chapters, our Lord Jesus Christ spoke “to” His disciples. In Chapter 17, He spoke “for” His own. Chapter 16 is of great importance, if we are to understand our place in the world. The Savior has laid the foundation for our place in His own work. Our place is Christ’s place on the earth. As Christ was in the world, but not of it, so are Christians. As He was hated by the world, so are Christians. As He was alone and yet not alone, Christ said in John 15:18-21, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me” (NASB Update).

“Church-going” people today had better be careful how they answer this question—Does the world system hate me because of my testimony and lifestyle? Christ told His disciples that sorrow would overcome them because the world would rejoice that He is gone. In John 16:20, He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy” (NASB Update). The world will rejoice because, as I John 5:19 tells us, “…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (NASB Update). That is the reason for Paul’s statement in Ephesians 2:1 and 2—“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (NASB Update).

The disciples were told by Jesus Christ that they would experience His absence. However, He comforted them in John 16:16-22. The Lord Jesus reminded the disciples of what it would cost them; but in utter self-denial, He left out what it was going to cost Him.

Christ said, “you will see Me,” three times in this passage: “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me. Some of His disciples then said to one another, What is this thing He is telling us, A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me; and because I go to the Father? So they were saying, What is this that He says, A little while? We do not know what He is talking about. Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see me? Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:16-22 NASB Update). According to the context, Jesus Christ was introducing the disciples as to how they would be equipped for their conflict with the world.

During the period between Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection, the disciples were sad when Christ left them at the cross. However, Christ spent forty days with them after His resurrection. Hence, the disciples who were made sad when He died at Calvary were made to rejoice when He was raised because of our justification (Rom. 4:25).

The second “you will see me” takes in the time between the resurrection and Pentecost. Although there is no direct reference to this “little while,” it is a brief period with great significance. The Holy Spirit came not only in His abiding presence but to be the Intercessor for the elect during their allotted time on earth.

The third reference to “you will see me” takes in the time from the resurrection to the ascension. There is one thing for sure, the first three ascend to the fourth which shall be the full perfect and eternal manifestation. The fourth is worded differently: “I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22 NASB Update).

How can Christians have fellowship with a world that rejoices because Christ is not here? What is wrong with the world system? The question should be, What is right with it—with the kosmos? The unregenerate do not know that the Savior is omnipresent.

Since Jesus Christ is God, how can God pray to God? Those who deny the Trinity say, “This is confusion twice confounded.” They also ask, “How can a Divine Person pray in His Divinity without ‘un-deifying’ Himself?” Christ prays in the capacity of Mediator. He never prayed with the disciples because He could not pray in that capacity. If the Son of God was nothing more than a human person with a human nature, then the elect are without a Mediator. Thus, a nature apart from a person cannot mediate.

Christ did not get the elect from the world. The world did not know the Lord Jesus; and His own people, the Jews, would not have Him. However, He got the chosen from the Father. He never trusted anything but what was of the Father. The Son of God cannot be connected with anything in this world. On the other hand, Satan seeks to connect Christianity with the world, and the apostasy is a demonstration of his success. However, there is one thing for sure; Satan will never influence any of the chosen sheep.

No one can deny the fact that Jesus Christ was ready to die on the cross for the sins of the elect. In doing so, He would be glorified by the Father, and the Son would glorify the Father. Christ had been given authority by the Father to give eternal life to the chosen ones. Therefore, the disciples could take refuge in the objective message concerning the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:1-5).