The Will of Christ
Christ's will is a sovereign and gracious expression of his holy and unchanging will, which holds believers up and secures their glorious inheritance.
J.C. Philpot delves into the profound will of Christ expressed in John 17:24, where Jesus desires for those given to Him by the Father to be with Him and behold His glory. This transition from petitioning as a Priest to willing as a King showcases the sovereignty and grace of Christ's mediatorial intercession. Through His eternal will and fixed decrees, Christ's will encompasses all members of His mystical body, ensuring their eternal security and inheritance despite their earthly struggles and opposition.
Text
The will of Christ
By J. C. Philpot
In that most sublime and touching prayer which the Lord Jesus Christ, as the great High Priest over the house of God, offered up to his heavenly Father before he shed his precious blood on the cross, there is one petition, or rather an expression of his holy will, which is full of unspeakable blessedness. "Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me; for you loved me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24.) The change from 'petitioning as a Priest' to 'willing as a King' is very remarkable, and casts a gracious light on the nature of Christ's mediatorial intercession at the right hand of God. On the footing of his covenant engagements, atoning sacrifice, and finished work, as well as from the perfect equality of his divine nature with that of the Father and of the Holy Spirit, he utters the expression of that sovereign will which was and is identically the same with the eternal will and fixed decrees of his heavenly Father.
And O, how full and comprehensive, how gracious and condescending is the will of Christ as thus expressed! How it embraces in its firm and sovereign grasp all the members of his mystical body, all the sheep of his pasture and the flock of his hand, all that the Father gave him to be eternally his own! Yes; all the countless millions who before the foundation of the world were given him as his joy and crown, as his eternal inheritance, as the delight of his heart, and the promised reward of his incarnation, sufferings, and death, were included in this expression of his holy and unchanging will.
Whatever be their state and condition here below, whatever sins and sorrows they may have to sigh and groan under, whatever opposition they may encounter from earth or hell, this will of Christ holds them up so that they cannot fall out of his hand, or be deprived of their glorious inheritance.
Sermon Outline
- I. Christ's Prayer as High Priest
- A. The sublime and touching nature of Christ's prayer
- B. The expression of Christ's holy will
- II. The Change from Petitioning to Willing
- A. The remarkable change from 'petitioning as a Priest' to 'willing as a King'
- B. The gracious light on the nature of Christ's mediatorial intercession
- III. The Sovereignty of Christ's Will
- A. The expression of Christ's sovereign will
- B. The equality of Christ's divine nature with the Father and Holy Spirit
- IV. The Embrace of Christ's Will
- A. The comprehensive and gracious nature of Christ's will
- B. The inclusion of all members of Christ's mystical body
Key Quotes
“Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me; for you loved me before the foundation of the world.” — J.C. Philpot
“The change from 'petitioning as a Priest' to 'willing as a King' is very remarkable, and casts a gracious light on the nature of Christ's mediatorial intercession at the right hand of God.” — J.C. Philpot
“Whatever be their state and condition here below, whatever sins and sorrows they may have to sigh and groan under, whatever opposition they may encounter from earth or hell, this will of Christ holds them up so that they cannot fall out of his hand, or be deprived of their glorious inheritance.” — J.C. Philpot
Application Points
- Christ's will holds believers up and secures their glorious inheritance, regardless of their state and condition here below.
- We can trust in Christ's sovereign will to guide and protect us, even in the midst of trials and opposition.
- Christ's will is a reminder of his love and commitment to us, and we can rest in the knowledge that he will never let us go.