Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchPastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

Sunday,Sunday,June 24, 2012June 24, 2012

John 17John 17

The Great High Priestly The Great High Priestly Prayer of our Lord!Prayer of our Lord!

John 17:20-26John 17:20-26

Jesus Prays for the Jesus Prays for the Church!Church!

John 17:24dJohn 17:24d

The Love of God the Father The Love of God the Father for His Son!for His Son!

John 17:24d, John 17:24d, “Because You loved Me “Because You loved Me before the foundation before the foundation

((creationcreation) of the world.”) of the world.”

““Foundation of the world” is Foundation of the world” is found 9 times in scripture. found 9 times in scripture. Mat 25:34; Luke 11:50; Mat 25:34; Luke 11:50;

John 17:24; Eph 1:4; John 17:24; Eph 1:4; Heb 4:3; 9:26; 1 Peter 1:20; Heb 4:3; 9:26; 1 Peter 1:20;

Rev 13:8; 17:8Rev 13:8; 17:8

The # 9 means, The # 9 means, “Divine judgment and the “Divine judgment and the

finality or conclusion of the finality or conclusion of the whole matter so far as man is whole matter so far as man is

concerned.” concerned.”

““Foundation of the World” Foundation of the World” then represents the Father’s then represents the Father’s

Plan of Salvation for the Plan of Salvation for the entire world.entire world.

In our verse this phrase tells In our verse this phrase tells us of the pre-incarnate us of the pre-incarnate

consciousness of Christ as consciousness of Christ as also seen in John 17:5. also seen in John 17:5.

1 Peter 1:20, 1 Peter 1:20, “For He was “For He was foreknownforeknown

before the foundation of the before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in world, but has appeared in

these last times for the sake of these last times for the sake of you.”you.”

This is proof that the Lord This is proof that the Lord Jesus existed before the Jesus existed before the creation of the world. creation of the world.

Principles of God the Principles of God the Father’s Love for His Son Father’s Love for His Son

Jesus Christ.Jesus Christ.

1. One of the binding powers of 1. One of the binding powers of unity in the Triune God is love, unity in the Triune God is love, because love belongs eternally because love belongs eternally

and coequally to each member of and coequally to each member of the Trinity. the Trinity.

2. Love is a part of the 2. Love is a part of the essence or being of God.essence or being of God.

1 John 4:8, 16, 1 John 4:8, 16, “God is Love.” “God is Love.”

3. The love of God has always 3. The love of God has always existed. Divine love is the existed. Divine love is the same yesterday, today, and same yesterday, today, and

forever. Heb 13:8forever. Heb 13:8

4. God’s love has always been 4. God’s love has always been perfect and eternal in its perfect and eternal in its capacity. The capacity of capacity. The capacity of God’s love is infinite and God’s love is infinite and

eternal. eternal.

5. God’s love is incorruptible, 5. God’s love is incorruptible, unchanging, infinite, unchanging, infinite,

immutable, and virtuous, immutable, and virtuous, meaning He has perfect meaning He has perfect

capacity for love with no capacity for love with no compromise of that love.compromise of that love.

6. In Divine Impersonal Love 6. In Divine Impersonal Love the virtue of the subject is the virtue of the subject is

emphasized and it places all emphasized and it places all merit on the subject, God.merit on the subject, God.

7. In our passage AGAPAO 7. In our passage AGAPAO love is used where Jesus is love is used where Jesus is

emphasizing the integrity of emphasizing the integrity of the Father in the Father’s the Father in the Father’s

expression of love towards expression of love towards His Son.His Son.

8. God also has Personal Love 8. God also has Personal Love where the emphasis is placed where the emphasis is placed on the object of love, in this on the object of love, in this

case Jesus Christ.case Jesus Christ.

a. Personal love from God a. Personal love from God demands that the object of demands that the object of

that love be perfect.that love be perfect.

9. Each person of the Trinity 9. Each person of the Trinity has perfect love directed has perfect love directed

toward the perfect toward the perfect righteousness of the other two righteousness of the other two

members of the Trinity.members of the Trinity.

10. God the Father also 10. God the Father also personally loves the humanity personally loves the humanity of Jesus Christ, knowing from of Jesus Christ, knowing from eternity past that Jesus would eternity past that Jesus would complete the Father’s plan for complete the Father’s plan for

salvation.salvation.

John 10:14-15, 17, John 10:14-15, 17, “I am the good shepherd, and I know “I am the good shepherd, and I know

My own and My own know Me, My own and My own know Me, 1515even as the Father knows Me and I even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep…. life for the sheep…. 1717For this reason For this reason

the Father loves Me, because I lay the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it down My life so that I may take it

again.”again.”

John 15:13, John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life this, that one lay down his life

for his friends.”for his friends.”

11. God the Father has a 11. God the Father has a special love for Jesus because special love for Jesus because of His sacrificial obedience to of His sacrificial obedience to

the will of God.the will of God.

12. Divine love is God’s 12. Divine love is God’s motivation, i.e., to bless Jesus motivation, i.e., to bless Jesus for the work upon the Cross. for the work upon the Cross. So, He raised Him from the So, He raised Him from the grave in resurrection body, grave in resurrection body, and seated Him at His right and seated Him at His right

hand in eternal glory.hand in eternal glory.

13. John’s Gospel is rich in 13. John’s Gospel is rich in this theme. Twice we are told this theme. Twice we are told that the Father loves the Son, that the Father loves the Son, once with the verb AGAPAO once with the verb AGAPAO

(3:35), and once with (3:35), and once with PHILEO (5:20).PHILEO (5:20).

John 3:35,John 3:35,“The Father loves “The Father loves

(AGAPAO) the Son and has (AGAPAO) the Son and has given all things into His given all things into His

hand.”hand.”

John 5:20,John 5:20,“For the Father loves “For the Father loves

(PHILEO) the Son, and shows (PHILEO) the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself Him all things that He Himself

is doing; and the Father will is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than show Him greater works than

these, so that you will marvel.”these, so that you will marvel.”

14. The love of the Father for 14. The love of the Father for the Son and the love of the the Son and the love of the

Son for the Father are Son for the Father are expressed in a relationship of expressed in a relationship of perfection, untarnished by sin.perfection, untarnished by sin.

John 15:9,John 15:9,“Just as the Father has loved “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; Me, I have also loved you;

abide in My love.”abide in My love.”

John 17:24,John 17:24,“Father, whom you have given to Me, “Father, whom you have given to Me,

I desire that where I am they (I desire that where I am they (the the ChurchChurch) may be with Me, so that they ) may be with Me, so that they

would keep on beholding (would keep on beholding (with with understanding) understanding) My glory which You My glory which You have given to Me because You loved have given to Me because You loved Me before the foundation (Me before the foundation (creationcreation) )

of the world.”of the world.”

Grace OfferingGrace Offering

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchSunday, June 24, 2012Sunday, June 24, 2012

Tape # 12-071Tape # 12-071

God the Father’s Love for His SonGod the Father’s Love for His Son

Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 119Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 119

John 17:24d; 3:35; 5:20; 10:14-15, 17; 1 Peter 1:20John 17:24d; 3:35; 5:20; 10:14-15, 17; 1 Peter 1:20

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012