1. "It was a startling experience having my mom read to me her last words as if she had passed away. Even though she was right in front of me, it was horrifying. Part of me wanted to just tell her to stop. But as I listened on, I heard in her words deep love, deep concern, deep compassion for her children even beyond the hypothetical grave."

2. "Here in John 17 is something like Jesus' very own last will and testament before he would be brutally executed on a cross. And in it we see his prayer. In his prayer we see his care, his love and concern for his people before he died."

3. "Christian oneness is our union together with God in Christ through the Spirit. You can't have Christ without having his bride. And our union with one another is modeled after the oneness between the Father and the Son."

4. "Brothers and sisters, like soldiers, the church strives side by side for the faith of the gospel. We attack the gates of hell proclaiming the good news like soldiers and like firefighters and EMTs. Even in the midst of our danger, we still seek to save, to see lost souls saved. And like a band we march and sing the glory of Christ."

5. "You may not be wanted by that job, you may not be wanted by that friend. You may not be wanted by that romantic interest. You might not be wanted by your spouse. You may not be wanted by your children. But brother and sister in Christ you are wanted by Jesus."

6. "Jesus doesn't desire you to be with him because there's some lack in him. He desires you to be with him because there's a lack in you. And he doesn't want you to miss out on the greatest gift in all eternity, which is to see and behold his glory."

7. "You could put all the beauties of the world on a scale and you just pack them on there. You could have the most beautiful glorious sunsets, you could have the most beautiful glorious powerful people and most beautiful glorious buildings. Stack them up on that scale and then you just drop Jesus' glory on the other side. Boom. And it will catapult all those lesser glories into oblivion."

8. "Just one glimpse, just one glimpse of Jesus' glory in eternity will make every sacrifice we've ever made, every loss we ever counted for his sake, worth it."

9. "Brother and sister in Christ, you are so united to Christ, you belong so fully to Christ, you are so one with Christ, that when the Father sees you, he completely sees the Son. Your life is hid in Christ with God, so he loves you equally with the Son. Because you are in the Son and the Son is in you."

10. "His love will triumph over our sin. His love will triumph over our weakness. His love will triumph over our trials. His love will conquer all for all who are in Him."

Observation Questions

1. In John 17:20, who specifically is Jesus praying for? What does this tell us about His perspective on future believers?

2. Looking at John 17:21-23, how many times does Jesus pray for believers' unity? What comparisons does He use to describe this unity?

3. In John 17:24, what specific words does Jesus use to express His desire? How does this differ from His other requests in the prayer?

4. From John 17:24, what does Jesus want believers to see, and why does He want them to see it?

5. According to John 17:25-26, what role does Jesus play in revealing the Father? What is the intended outcome of this revelation?

6. In Revelation 1:13-16, what specific details describe Jesus' glorified appearance? How does this passage help us understand the glory mentioned in John 17:24?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus compare the unity of believers to the unity between the Father and Son? What aspects of this divine unity should be reflected in our relationships with other Christians?

2. What is the connection Jesus makes between Christian unity and effective witness to the world? How does our unity (or disunity) affect our testimony?

3. When Jesus speaks of His desire for believers to "be with me where I am," what does this reveal about His relationship with His people? How does this connect to His earlier statements about unity?

4. How does Jesus' role in revealing the Father relate to the love the Father has for believers? What does it mean for the Father's love for Jesus to be "in them"?

5. What is the significance of Jesus using the term "Righteous Father" in verse 25? How does this attribute of God relate to the themes of glory and love in the prayer?

Application Questions

1. When was the last time you experienced meaningful Christian unity that transcended denominational or cultural differences? What made that unity possible?

2. Think about your closest Christian relationships. How well do they reflect the unity Jesus prayed for? What specific step could you take this week to strengthen these bonds?

3. What "lesser glories" in your life are currently competing with Christ's glory for your attention and affection? What practical changes could help you focus more on His glory?

4. When did you last feel unwanted or rejected? How does Jesus' expressed desire to have you with Him address those feelings of rejection?

5. In what specific ways could your small group or church family better display unity as a witness to non-believers in your community?

Additional Bible Reading

1. Ephesians 4:1-6 - This passage expands on the nature of Christian unity, showing how our oneness is grounded in the one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

2. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 - These verses explain how beholding the Lord's glory transforms us into His image, connecting with Jesus' desire for us to see His glory.

3. Romans 8:31-39 - This powerful passage develops the theme of God's unstoppable love for those in Christ, reinforcing the assurance found in Jesus' prayer.

4. 1 John 4:7-21 - This extended meditation on God's love shows how our unity with one another flows from God's love for us, complementing Jesus' prayer for our oneness in His love.

Sermon Main Topics

I. Jesus’ Prayer as a Last Will and Testament

II. Oneness for Witness (John 17:20–23)

III. To See Christ’s Glory (John 17:24)

IV. To Know God’s Love (John 17:25–26)

V. Assurance and Encouragement in Christ’s Love

---

Detailed Sermon Outline

Last year, my parents called a family meeting.

Me and my four siblings, we all live here in the DC area, so we all assembled at my parents' house. They had recently planned their estate, so they read to us their last will and Testament.

It was a startling experience, having my mom, my mom, read to me her last words as if she had passed away, even though she was right in front of me. It was horrifying. Part of me wanted to just tell her to stop.

But as I listened on, I heard in her words deep love, deep concern, deep compassion for her children, even beyond the hypothetical grave. See, my parents' last will and testament expressed their care for their loved ones beyond the grave. Well, here in John 17, is something like Jesus's very own last will and testament, before he would be brutally executed on a cross. And in it we see his prayer, in his prayer we see his care, his love and concern for his people before he died.

So what did Jesus want most for those he left behind?

What did Jesus want most for those he left behind? Turn to John 17 with me. If you are using a red Bible, it's on page 903. The bold numbers are the chapter headings. The smaller numbers are the verses.

So we're in John chapter 17. Now read it in its entirety as this is our last sermon in the series.

When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you, since you have given Him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you.

Before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you, for I have given them the words that you gave me. And they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from youm.

And they have believed that yout sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those whom youm have given me. For they are Yours. All mine are Yours, and Yours are mine.

And I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. And I am coming to you, Holy Father. Keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.

I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost. Except the Son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth.

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent the glory that yout have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that yout sent me and love them Even as you loved me.

Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you. And these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.

It's a beautiful prayer. In these previous sermons we saw in verses 1 through 5, Jesus praying for his own glory His own glorification, because him rising from the grave and being exalted in heaven is the key to producing eternal life for those the Father gave him. That's his favorite catchphrase for the elect, those who God chose to save before time. And then in verses 6 through 10, we saw Jesus cherishing the true faith of those the Father gave him. In verses 11 through 16, we saw Jesus praying for our preservation, our preservation in the Father's name and our preservation from the evil one.

And then in verses 17 through 19, Jesus prays for us to be sanctified, set apart in truth for the Great Commission. And today in verses 20 through 26, we will see these themes of Christ's glory, true faith, unity, Evangelism all converge. So what did Jesus want most for his people before he left this world? In verses 20 through 26 we see three things. Oneness for witness, oneness for witness, that's verses 20 through 23.

To see Christ's glory To see Christ's glory, that's verse 24, and to know God's love. Know God's love. That's verses 25 through 26. Oneness for witness, see Christ's glory, know God's love. So point one, oneness for witness.

And this point is most of the sermon, but not all of it. In verse 20, Jesus clarifies he is not only praying for his immediate disciples. Who is he praying for? Those who will believe in Jesus through his disciples' words. Oh, that's staggering truth, right?

That he, the Lord Jesus, on his dying night, is praying for believers in the future, like you and me. That's glorious. And he's praying for those who believed in his disciples' words. That is, their preaching, their teaching ministry. And their personal evangelism.

Back in verse 18, we saw that his disciples were sent into the world the same way that Jesus was sent into the world. Jesus was sent into the world to declare and display God's glory. And Jesus' disciples, too, are sent to declare and display the gospel through their preaching. And notice there that Jesus is saying their mission will be successful. Did you notice that?

People will believe in Jesus, not might believe. Jesus guarantees Christian preaching will be efficacious. Christian, you are the living proof of that. We are those who have believed through the apostle's word. Just think about your spiritual family tree.

It always begins with Jesus, who is the revelation of God in the flesh. He preached and he demonstrated the power of God's Word to these apostles. They repented and followed Jesus. Jesus dies and rises from the dead, ascends to the right hand of the Father. He sends them his Spirit, and then they go forward planting churches, preaching the gospel.

And that gospel, for over the past 2,000 years, keeps marching on. Kept marching on. Brothers and sisters, it marched on to Papua New Guinea, to Afghanistan, Mexico, Dubai, Malaysia, Southeast DC, Northeast DC, West Virginia, California, and all those in between. So brothers and sisters, keep believing that the gospel is the power to save.

The gospel is efficacious. It will bear fruit in people believing. Let us trust that down to our bones. I love our senior pastor, Mark Dever, because he has been a faithful example of someone who believed that God's Word is sufficient. And brothers and sisters, let us follow in that example.

CHBC, please keep believing that the power of the gospel is the power to save. And if you really believe that, let the lion of God's Word out of the cage. Who do you need to share the gospel with this week?

Maybe share that person's name with someone here in this church so that they can hold you accountable. And if you're here and you are not a Christian, we are so glad you're here. We really are happy that you're here with us. But did you notice what Jesus said?

Is necessary for salvation from your sin. Those who believe in me. You see that in verse 20. I mean, verse 20. And so not those who do good works get saved.

Not those who behave well get saved. No, no, no. It's those who repent and believe in Jesus's name. They believe who he is. They believe that he is sent from the father.

They believe that Jesus was eternally with the father from all eternity. And yet God the Father sent him from heaven to take on flesh and blood, to live a perfect life, to die as a substitute for the sin of all who would repent and trust in him. That includes you if you would repent and trust in him. He bore all of our sin in his body on a tree, cursed he became for you and me. So that all who would trust in him would be saved so you can be saved today.

Call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and be saved. And if you're a member here, raise your hand real quick. Go ahead, don't be bashful. Take a look around. All these people with their hands up would be happy to have a conversation with you about who Jesus is.

And if you still don't get one, pastors and members and staff will be at the door. So we would love to talk to you about what it would mean for you to take up your cross to follow Jesus.

Now, alongside Scripture, what does God use to bring the world to Christ?

Well, look at verse 21. In verses 21 through 23, we see that Christian oneness is what the Lord also uses to draw sinners out of the world. Because in verse 20, if you look at the text, is an incomplete sentence.

So that's where Jesus is setting up who he's praying for, but in verse 21 it fills out what he is asking. I am praying for those who will believe in me. Then verse 21, that they all may be one.

And in this prayer Jesus is praying for our oneness and see he's been praying for that over and over again. He started it back in verse 11. And then here in verse 21, then he asks for it again in verse 22, that they may be one, even as we are one. Verse 23, that they may become perfectly one. And that perfectly, that idea of completeness, it's an intensification of this idea of oneness.

So it's safe to say that Jesus holds our Christian oneness as dear to him. Is it dear to you?

But what is Christian oneness? Christian oneness is our union together with God in Christ through the Spirit. Christian oneness is our union together with God in Christ through the Spirit. Verse 21, Jesus says that they may be in us. In us.

Us in the Father and the Son, us in God. And then verse 23, Jesus says, I in them and you in me. That's God in us. So it's us in God, God in us. To be in God means to be united to God.

Like I talked about last week, when you repent and believe the gospel, it's like saying, I do. To Jesus, the God-man. You're united to him by faith. And because Jesus is united to his father, we are united to the father. And though not directly mentioned, the Holy Spirit is the one who causes that oneness to take place.

And so the union with God also entails includes being united with other Christians.

You can't have Christ without having his bride. And our union with one another is modeled after the oneness between the Father and the Son. You see that in verse 21. You see that? That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you.

That's a comparison. That they may be one. Verse 22. That they may be one, even as we are one. See, the Father and the Son's union is a template of our union with one another.

The Father and the Son are eternally one and equal in nature, essence, will, and power, yet distinct in their personhood. And they each have love for one another. Same essence, distinct personhood. But our oneness. It's not completely a one-to-one parallel.

It's not like us getting united to Christ made us fourth members of the Trinity.

No, but in a mysteriously and creaturely way, our oneness is meant to imitate God's own oneness. How? Well, brothers and sisters, if you are a Christian here, you share the same nature as each Christian in here.

Not just your human nature, but your renewed nature. Your born again nature. As John 1 verse 12 says, but to all who did receive him and believed in his name, he gave them the right to become children of God. Also in John 3:3, how do we become children of God? Unless one is born from above.

He cannot see the kingdom of God. So you, the moment you repented and believed the gospel, you were converted. You were given a new nature. And you share that new nature with every single Christian, every single person who has been born again. So we are all sheep of the same flock, members of the same family, because we are one with the same God, just like Claire read earlier.

Though we are distinct in our individual lives. So that means, brothers and sisters, we have so much in common. And notice in verse 22, we also share the same glory in common. You see that? In verse 22, Jesus says, the glory that you have given me, I've given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Now, scholars vary on what this glory exactly is. Is it the same glory as in verse one and verse five and verse 24? I don't actually think so. For one, it is a glory that Jesus has given to his disciples already or will in the near future. So our future glorification wouldn't fit.

And secondly, think of the utility of this glory he's given. In verse 23, this glory that we share will cause, will cause the world to see and believe. So the world has to be around to see this glory. So that is why I am persuaded that this glory that Jesus is referring to is the Christian's power and authority to declare and display God's name, which glorifies God. Let me say that again.

This glory is referring to the Christian power and authority to declare and display God's name.

Which glorifies God. And so that is the glorious work that Jesus came to do, and he has given us to do. And since we have been given the glorious authority and power to declare and display God's name together, the more we focus on that mission, the more it brings us together, and it has an evangelistic effect. It draws people who do not know Jesus to turn to know Jesus. Look at verse 23.

The world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me. And look at verse 21. So that the world may believe you sent me. Don't miss this Christian. Our focusing in on our mutual union with God in Christ through the Spirit and us focusing on giving God the glory by declaring and displaying his story that that unity and community will persuade people to believe.

It is a powerful witness. And to believe what?

That yout sent me, Jesus said. That is that Jesus' origin is from the Father and that He is the God-man sent to save.

So if you're here and you're not a Christian, Have you ever considered the relationships here?

What would make people who are so different from one another so united?

We once had a Harvard professor of psychiatry attend here. One of his many specialties was on group behavior. He began to explore the very same question that I asked you to consider. What would make people who are so different so united. After studying us closely, his answer was that they all really believe that Jesus is the Christ.

And he too came to believe and was baptized here 20 years ago, and he went home to be with the Lord about two months ago.

See, we have different political persuasions here. We have different ethnicities here. We have different bank accounts here. We have different living arrangements here. We have different stories here.

But what brings us together is that we have all been raised to life in union with Christ and with one another. And so here's four applications for unity in the church as a compelling witness. Four applications. One, evangelize and invite. Evangelize and invite.

You preaching the gospel individually is powerful, but also inviting people to church to hear the gospel and see Christian unity lived out is uniquely powerful. Number two, recognize what's at stake in disunity. Recognize what's at stake in disunity. Christians, we need to recognize that what's at stake in Christian unity unity is not merely our comforts, is not merely our preferences. What's at stake in Christian unity is Jesus' name.

And I know we get hurt sometimes and offended sometimes. And I'm not trying to minimize your pain. I lament that. But brothers and sisters, Jesus' name upheld and exalted through our unity in the Spirit and the bond of peace is more important than our pain.

Let us find ways to forgive and love and be patient with others' weaknesses. Let us correct one another and let's be hospitable to one another because we are united together in Christ together. Three, unity is forged by truth, not at the expense of truth. Unity is forged by truth. Not at the expense of truth.

So this is pushback against the ecumenical movement. If you don't know what that is, ecumenicism says that Christian unity is more important than truth. So anyone who claims to be Christian should be able to be treated as Christian. But what if they don't believe the gospel? Should I lie to them?

Lie to them about their soul and say that they are Christian?

No. Truth matters because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He said, We will be sanctified in truth. His word is truth. And His truth is what has raised us from the dead.

And so that's what we have to believe to be saved. So it does not matter if someone claims to be a Christian. If they have not repented and believed the gospel, they are not a Christian. No matter how much they fly that banner. Four, churches can be unified though in different denominations.

Churches can be unified though in different denominations. All Christians and churches who believe that the gospel is true, they trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we can be unified even though we may disagree ardently on baptism or on spiritual gifts or women in ministry or end times. Those are all important to various degrees and can be, and if mishandled can jeopardize the gospel. But brothers and sisters, if people really believe the true gospel, we can still love each other as brothers and sisters across denominational aisles. So I will hug tightly and pray publicly for my charismatic friends.

I will hug tightly and pray hard and publicly for my Presbyterian friends as they're dunking their babies.

Or sprinkle, my bad. Correction. If they repent and believe the gospel, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. And though we may be in different churches now, we won't be in glory.

And so I am often impressed by our men and women in the military. When they're in the midst of battle, bullets flying, you see so much unity and sacrifice, so much courage, brotherly love, and I'm often struck by firefighters and EMTs. They're in the trenches of fires and dangerous situations, diving in to save lives.

I'm also impressed by marching bands.

You know, they somehow amazingly can drum and play the horns and move their feet and walk in steps to create words and to display images. One band, one sound. Well, brothers and sisters, like soldiers, the church strives side by side for the faith of the gospel. We attack the gates of hell proclaiming the good news like soldiers. And like firefighters and EMTs, even in the midst of our danger, we still seek to save, to see lost souls saved.

And like a band, we march and sing the glory of Christ. And by the way we walk together in love and in unity, we declare and spell out the gospel by the way we move in unity. Jesus' dying request was our oneness for witness and two, that we would see Christ's glory. Point two, see Christ's glory.

In verse 24, Jesus speaks of these whom you have given me. He said it back in verse 2, in verse 9, and several times throughout. He keeps going back to this title of a group of people who are chosen before eternity, give to him all the elect throughout time. And Jesus is praying for them, but he doesn't use the word pray. Did you notice that?

He says, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me. Because you love me before the foundation of the world. Hold up, but where is Jesus? He is still very much on earth while he's praying this prayer. But Jesus is 100% certain he will be glorified by his Father.

And so he can say, I'm not in the world. He is speaking proleptically. He's calling his shot before he makes his shot.

And also notice the unique way that he makes this request. He says, I desire. I desire. He usually uses an imperative verb to make his request. So in verses 1 and 5 he says, Please glorify me is how that can be translated.

Or please keep them in your name in verse 11. Please keep them from the evil one in verse 15. Please sanctify them in verse 17. And then in verse 21 he says, I ask that they may be one. But here, I desire.

Desire expresses want and an affective yearning. We see into Christ's emotions here. We see Jesus' heart and his affection for his people expressed verbally. This is Jesus' great desire for his people, that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am. It's like an infinitely rich father taking his son and showing him the world and saying, son, ask anything.

I'll give you anything you want.

And he says, father, I want my friends to be with me.

How sweet is that? Jesus wants you Christian with Him personally. He wants you brothers and sisters.

This is glorious. You may not be wanted by that job. You may not be wanted by that friend. You may not be wanted by that romantic interest. You might not be wanted by your spouse.

You may not be wanted by your children. But brother and sister in Christ, you are wanted by Jesus. He wants you with him in glory. And notice in the text, Jesus doesn't want something from you. He wants something for you.

To see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. So Jesus doesn't desire you to be with him because there's some lack in him. He desires you to be with him because there's a lack in you. And he doesn't want you to miss out on the greatest gift in all eternity, which is to see and behold his glory. What a kind Savior.

He is effusively generous. He just pours out grace upon grace. And what is that glory he wants us to see? Well, it's a unique glory. Because Jesus already had glory before he took on flesh and blood.

But he did not have the glory of a perfect human. Until he became incarnate and lived a perfect life. And so now at the father's right hand, Christ is crowned with both the glory of perfect God and of perfect man. And Christ is getting the glory is rooted in the love that the father had with him before the world existed. Before the foundation of the world, God eternally loved his son.

Before there was anything, there was the love of the Father pouring out on the Son. The love of the Son on the Father, Father on the Son, the Spirit. Love pouring on both, both pouring on the Spirit. This Trinitarian love is a perfect and glorious love. And the Father in abundance of His love, overflowing in love for His Son.

He planned to give a people to His Son as a gift. A redeemed people. That's you and me, Christian. So what does Jesus's glory look like in heaven? Well, we get a glimpse of it in another book written by the same author of the Gospel of John, the Apostle John, in Revelation chapter 1, verses 10 through 18.

You can turn there if you'd like. It's on page 1028. It's Revelation chapter 1, verses 10 through 18.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. That's a Sunday, the resurrection day. And I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. Verse 13, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

And the hairs of his head were white like wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace. And his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last and the living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and Hades. One like the Son of Man radiating an eternal glory, unparalleled, unmatched. And he is God, he is God man exalted at the Father's right hand.

See the most beautiful sunset over the beach will look look pale in comparison to his glory. The most precious darling child born with the most beautiful eyes and softest skin. You could just smell that baby. That baby is precious, but that baby's beauty is just a tiny molecular glimpse of Jesus's glorious beauty. You could put all the beauties of the world on a scale and you just pack them on there.

You could have the most beautiful glorious sunsets. You can have the most beautiful, glorious, powerful people and most beautiful, glorious buildings. Stack them up on that scale, and then you just drop Jesus's glory on the other side. Boom. And it will catapult all those lesser glories into oblivion.

Because Jesus's glory is unmatched, unparalleled. It outshines the sun. Brother Jesus's glory, Sister Jesus's glory is so much better than those inferior glories that are competing competing for your affections, live for His glory. Let us see that glory, brothers and sisters. This is what our quiet times are for.

Our quiet times, our moments, we get to glimpse Christ's glory. And so when you get up to read Scripture this morning or this week, ask the Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, as I open your Word, give me another glimpse of your glory.

Let me get another sip of your glory today. And the more you behold his glory, the more you will reflect his glory. As you come to gather with God's people, may we be eager to encourage one another to look forward to his glory. Let us be a concerted effort to live for the glory of Christ. Brothers and sisters, let's live for his glory now.

Let us count all things as rubbish for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. Just one glimpse, just one glimpse of Jesus' glory and eternity will make every sacrifice we've ever made, every loss we ever counted for his sake, worth it.

What is competing with Christ's glory in your heart these days? What would it look like for you to count it as loss for the sake of Christ?

Maybe share that with someone after service or at lunch. Maybe ask each other that. What might be competing, what lesser glories might be competing for your affections? So Jesus prayed for our oneness for witness. It was point one, point two, to see His glory and point three, to know God's love.

Know God's love. And that's in verses 25 through 26. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

This entire prayer teaches us a lot about God the Father. Here in verse 25, he is righteous Father. Him being righteous means he is morally upright, impeccable, unscathed. He does no wrong and he only does right. He is the very definition of right.

The Father is holy, according to verse 11. That means he is utterly superior, set apart, and exalted. No rivals. We also see that the Father is eternally loving in verse 24. The Father is generous in that he gives his name, his glory, his people to his Son.

And how do we come to the knowledge of this great Holy, righteous God is through his son Jesus. Look at verse 25. I made known to them your name. We would only know the silhouette of God's perfections if we only had our Old Testament. We needed someone.

We needed the son to leave heaven and to utterly display the name of God to us to make it known to us or we would have been in the dark. Forever. We see the Father, His great love in Christ, and we see that in John chapter 1, verse 18. In John chapter 1:18, you can turn there too, it brings together both these ideas, the Father's glory and Jesus making them known. John 1:18, It says, no one has ever seen God, the only God who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known.

Did you notice that? That is God the Son who is not God the Father. He is God the Son. He has always been at the Father's side. He has revealed God, the Father's character in fullness.

And all of us who have repented and believe the gospel have a personal knowledge that Jesus is sent from the Father. We just know it. We know that Jesus did not come up with this by himself. He has his origin, his nature, his essence from the Father. And he was sent to earth to display God's character.

That was his work. And look at verse 26. His work didn't stop here. In chapter 17, it says, I will continue to make it known. See, Jesus's revelatory revealing work started, but it's not done.

He knows he is going to Golgotha. He knows that he is going to that grave. And he knows that he's going to rise and that he's going to go back to glory. And he's going to still be, and right now he is still in glory making the Father known to us. Praying for us, interceding for us.

And he sent us his Spirit who makes the Father more fully known. And one day he will bring us to see him in his glory and the glory of the Father and the Spirit. Well, what is Jesus's ongoing revealing ministry meant to do?

That the love, look at there in verse 26, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.

Let me say that. Let me read it again. I don't know if you got it. That the love with which you have loved me, this is Jesus speaking, talking about the Father's love for him, may be in them. Talking about all the elect and I in them.

What? Are you serious?

How can this be? The very love of the Father for the Son and us?

No, preacher man. It can't be. No, don't you know? Then you see in verse 24, the Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world from all eternity. We're talking about infinite love here.

Ain't no way that amount of love can be in me. No way. Don't you know the Father opened the sky, He tore it open at Jesus' baptism so that He can yell down to earth, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. How great is the Father's love for the Son. Ain't no way well, and He cannot love me that much.

Yes, he can. And yes, he does. He says it right there, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them. Christ is making his love, the Father's love for him, known to his people. And look at verse 23 at the end of it.

At the end of verse 23, even the world can see. How much you're loved. That the Father you love them even as you loved me. Brother and sister in Christ, you are so united to Christ. You belong so fully to Christ.

You are so one with Christ that when the Father sees you, he completely sees the Son.

Your life is hid in Christ with God.

So he loves you equally with the Son because you are in the Son, and the Son is in you. Oh, brother and sister, you are so loved.

And so let us remember his love will not fail us. Remember Romans 8:38-39? You know that passage is so beautiful, ain't it? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. True Christian?

Nothing. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Nothing. Bring it on. Christ's love will triumph.

His love will triumph over our sin. His love will triumph over our weakness. His love will triumph over our trials. His love will conquer all for all who are in Him. So let us keep praying Ephesians 3:17-18.

Because there's a weakness in us. It's hard for us to comprehend this. Ephesians 3:17-18 says, We need to pray for strength in our inner being to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner being so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.

That's that special awareness that he's with us, that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, what is the length, what is the height, what is the depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Oh, brothers and sisters, let's keep praying that for one another. Let's keep praying that for ourselves, that we would know this love.

As I close this series, I close my preaching ministry here as one of your pastors. It has truly been my honor and joy to be one of your shepherds. To declare the Word week in and week out. And one of the, well, interpersonally, Mark does the majority of preaching, but you know what I mean.

But it's been such a joy to know you all and to open God's Word. And I love how eager you are in the Word. Every time I say, Turn to a passage, eager for God's Word. Y'all, I love how you pray like Jesus. I love how you prayed for me and Casey through our ups and downs, twists and turns, and cared for us so well.

I love how you all are pointing each other to eternity week in and week out. Brothers and sisters, keep it up. Keep it up, brothers and sisters. And I also have aim in this series to assure you of Christ's love for you. That none of you who are truly in Christ will slip through his hands.

That he prayed that you would be kept from start to finish and he will see that work completed in you, brother and sister. So as I go, may you remember the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. He will bring us home. And so in this prayer, we see that Christ teaches us in His death and dying well, He teaches us what it means to live well. And He teaches us how to pray well.

And it teaches us what's worth dying for. And that's His glory. So let the way that we live our lives be a last will and testament that Jesus is our greatest treasure. Let's pray.

Father, we praise you for the infinite love that is in Christ Jesus. Lord, we pray that by your Spirit you will continue to make his love known to us and your love known to us. So that we can be confident and bold in the gospel till he returns or calls us home. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.