Dan Lee
John 17:22-26, For Love and Glory (Part-2)

Jesus prays regarding two kinds of glory. He speaks of glory in the present age for His people’s sanctification. God’s elect grow in conformity to Him as they behold His glory in Christ. Jesus also prays for future glory, that His people behold His full, divine, eternal glory in heaven. We are to behold the glory of God now for our sanctification and the glory of God in the future for our glorification.

Dan Lee
John 17:22-26, For Love and Glory

Jesus concludes His prayer with love and glory. Love is the focus of this sermon. The Lord prays that we would come to experientially know (taste) of the Father’s special love. This is the special love of the Father like His love toward His only begotten Son. Like that love, the Father loved His elect from eternity past and “in love predestined us to adoption as sons.” This is the love which Jesus wants us to savor. May the Holy Spirit reveal to us more and more of this awesome love of God.

Dan Lee
John 17:20-23, Salvation Blessing for the World

Jesus’ prayer reflects the heart of God that seeks salvation blessing for the world. Jesus sees the church as the vehicle by which the elect of God worldwide will come to faith in Him unto salvation. In this first installment on a two part sermon, we explore the facets of the church, our mission, our godliness, and the special love of God toward the elect (next sermon).

Dan Lee
John 17:14-19, A Dangerous Mission

Jesus’ prayer for His disciples is undergirded by the reality of a dangerous mission. He knows we will be hated by the world and targeted by the Devil. As such, we will need divine protection. Hence, He prays, “Keep them from the evil one.” Moreover, we will need to live holy lives if we are to make any meaningful impact for the gospel that reconciles and restored sinners to the holy and righteous Father. Our own lives would have to be sanctified in order for us to be useful to the Lord in leading the rest of His elect to this salvation. Therefore, the Lord prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” The word of God that has regenerated us is the same word that will sanctify our lives. May the Holy Spirit through His word evermore conform us to Christ that we would be like Him on earth and make disciples for His honor and glory.

Dan Lee
John 17:9-13, For the Joy of God's Elect

Jesus’ first petition for His disciples is found in these verses. Jesus prays that the Father would keep them in His name. Jesus prays for a special people, His disciples and He does so because He was about to physically leave His disciples. What He would no longer be able to do in His physical absence, He asks the Father to accomplish. May the Lord grant to us a greater work of His Spirit to draw us to walk in Jesus’ ways and thus live with His joy evermore in our hearts.

Exodus

Exodus 25-40, God Dwells Among Men

With the tabernacle instructions, God reveals His stunning plan to have His presence to dwell among men. But all of this was jeopardized when Israel corrupted themselves and worshipped idols, thus, violating their covenant with Him. But even with this, the LORD was advancing His plan to bring His presence on earth through the Son of God incarnate in whom all His elect would become the holy dwelling place of God in the Spirit and in the end they will forever have God within and God without, His glorious presence inside and out.

Exodus 13-24, A Royal Priesthood

The LORD brought Israel, a seed of Abraham, out of Egypt to make them into His own possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They would enter a covenant for this privileged relationship with the holy God, and they would do so on His terms, the law. Although they entered this covenant with their eyes wide open (informed and aware of the solemnity of this covenant), they failed to be faithful. They violated this covenant and demonstrated that they needed a new heart by the grace of God (Deut. 30:6). Though they failed to be God’s true son (4:22), that holy and royal priesthood, Jesus fulfilled. He became all that Israel should’ve been and thus fulfilled the Father’s plan for the ultimate seed of Abraham who blesses all the nations as their priest and king, and how Peter applies this reality to the church is most stunning.

Exodus 20:12, Honor Your Mother

The LORD teaches us to honor our parents. In this special study of the fifth commandment on Mother’s Day, we give our attention to the honor of mothers. This command comes to us with the authority of the almighty God and as the pre-eminent moral issue for His people. To honor our mother is to properly recognize the unique position God has given to her and treat her with respect with this understanding. Praise God that there is atonement for sin in Christ where we have failed in the LORD in this regard! May our LORD evermore teach us to delight in and meditate upon His law that we may live fruitfully for His glory and honor.