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[0:00] reading now, which is in John chapter 6, and that will be page 1070 in your Bibles. So looking at John chapter 6, and we're continuing the theme, looking at why did the Father send the Son?

[0:17] Why did Jesus come to earth? So John chapter 6, and starting in verse 25. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you get here?

[0:47] Jesus answered, very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for the food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

[1:05] For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. Then they asked him, what must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, the works of God is this, the work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent.

[1:21] So they asked him, what sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, he gave them manna from heaven to eat.

[1:35] Jesus said to them, very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

[1:45] For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Sir, they said, always give us this bread. Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.

[2:00] Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

[2:16] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up on the last day.

[2:30] For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. At this, the Jews there began to grumble about him, because he said, I am the bread of life that came down from heaven.

[2:48] They said, is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, I came down from heaven? Stop grumbling among yourselves, Jesus answered.

[3:02] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.

[3:17] No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God. Only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.

[3:29] Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

[3:41] Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Good evening, folks.

[3:57] Good to see you. Good that we can again meet together with our Savior. Thank you, Joel, for leading us so far. If you'd like to have John chapter 6 open in your Bible, that will be a help because we're going to be looking particularly at a verse there, which was part of this amazing conversation in one sense that Jesus had with the crowds and with the religious leaders of his day.

[4:27] And we see there's that back and forth talking that Jesus has as he answers their questions, as he brings clarity and understanding. And what is so very sad is at the very end of this conversation, we're told in verse 66, from this time, many of his disciples turned back, turned back and no longer followed him.

[4:53] So the words of Jesus have that dual effect upon the lives of people. For some, the words of Jesus draw people to him.

[5:04] He is that wonderful, in the right sense, the word charismatic personality that draws people. But for many, many others, the words of Jesus drive them away.

[5:15] His words are powerful. He can't approach his word or think of his word in a neutral way. Either we are drawn or repelled by the words and by the person of Jesus.

[5:26] And that is so very much the case today as it was then. Let's briefly pray together. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that your words are the words of life.

[5:39] And that your words are the words that we need to hear this evening. We do pray, Lord, that you would give us ears to hear. And we pray that your word would draw us to you in faith and repentance and love and trust.

[5:53] And we pray that your words would not repel us if we find ourselves repulsed at your words. In that sense, we pray that you would show us that the problem is with us and not your word.

[6:06] And that we might repent of that and see that we need to get right with you. Lord, we need your Holy Spirit. He is the spirit of truth. And we ask that you would help us, both hearer and speaker alike, that we may receive and act upon your word.

[6:23] For we know it is for our good and our blessing and ultimately for your glory. Amen. So, Christmas. Christmas. The incarnation.

[6:35] The taking on of a human nature by he who is God the Son from eternity past. And for many people, the whole idea of Christ being born of a virgin is a big stumbling block.

[6:51] How on earth could a virgin have a child? We can't believe that. Therefore, we can do away with the whole story of Christmas because that is impossible.

[7:02] Therefore, this is just a story, a myth, a made-up idea like other things as well. But, of course, the reality is that when we come to the Christmas story, though we believe...

[7:13] Am I a bit loud? Or am I okay? Yeah? Okay. I just sound loud to myself. Maybe probably ringing in my ears. When we come to Christmas, of course, dear friends, yes, we rejoice in and we stand in awe of the how.

[7:30] The fact that God took on himself a human nature that if you've ever done biology or walk to any program, you know that the beginning of human life is a microscopic egg.

[7:44] A tiny, tiny thing. But in that moment of conception, we can put it that way, we know that there is human life, but there must have been and was in the conception of Christ as he entered the womb of Mary there in that microscopic, tiny.

[8:05] It's the whole fullness of God. Wonderful. Anyway, that's the how. And we trust God that though we don't understand that, we know it and believe it because it is wonderfully true and declared to us in the Scriptures.

[8:18] But surely what it is that makes Christmas Christmas for the believer is the why. The why of Christmas. What's the purpose of the Son of God taking on human flesh?

[8:31] Who gains from this incredible event that we remember as believers at Christmas? Now, a fortnight ago, we began to answer some of these questions, particularly when we consider the words of Jesus in John 6, verse 38.

[8:50] You can see it there. It answers that tremendous question of the why. Why? For I have come down, this is Jesus speaking, I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me.

[9:05] Why was Jesus born? Why did he come into this world? Because God the Father sent him. And why did God send him? God sent him that he might not do his own will, but the will of God, the will of the one who sent him.

[9:18] So Jesus did not come from heaven with some selfish motive. He did not enter into our human nature because he hoped that it would be a gain for him, that would make him rich or famous or whatever it may be.

[9:33] He didn't come in that way that he might, as it were, lord his will over the people of this world for his own gain. No, he came to do the will of him who sent him.

[9:45] And we recognize, of course, that the one who sent him is the Father. He uses that phrase, the one who sent me, and the Father interchangeably throughout this whole passage of scripture.

[9:58] He talks there, verse 37, All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me will never drive away, for I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me.

[10:10] And the Father is the one who sent him. And so we face that glorious, wonderful truth, we thought a little bit about it this morning, of the Trinity.

[10:21] The purpose of the birth of Christ, the purpose of his coming into this world, was to fulfill the will of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Together, one will.

[10:33] Yes, three persons, distinct persons, one God, one will, all working together to accomplish that one will. Well, there we are.

[10:44] What is the will then? What is the will of God for the Lord Jesus Christ coming into the world? What is it that God wanted Jesus to do? Why did he send him? What did he want him to accomplish or to do?

[10:57] Well, again, we don't have to look very far for the answer, do we? Immediately after verse 38, I have not come to do my will, but the will of him who sent me, and this is the will of him who sent me.

[11:13] Throughout history, people have speculated, and even today, to try to answer that question. What is it that God sent Jesus into the world to do?

[11:23] And again, when you speak to people, they'll have all sorts of different accounts. Came to lead a revolution of change within the world. Came to found a religion.

[11:35] Came to do this or came to do that. But there is the very simple answer itself. When somebody asks you, why was Jesus born into this world? What is it that God sent him to do?

[11:46] Here it is. This is the will of him who sent me, verse 39, that I shall lose none of all those he's given me, but raise them up at the last day.

[11:57] This is the will of him who sent me. This is what God sent Jesus to do. The answer's right under our nose. This is why we can rejoice as Christians in the coming of Christ into the world.

[12:15] This is the reason why we find it such a delight and a joy and a season of thanksgiving and wonder and awe. God sent his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[12:28] His will is this, that in Jesus, that he should lose none of all that God has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

[12:39] What does that mean? Let's look at these words together and unpack this sentence of Jesus. That I shall lose none of all. It doesn't flow easily, does it?

[12:51] It isn't a natural sentence, if I can put it that way, that we would naturally say that I shall lose none of all of those that were given me. It's a little bit awkward, we might say.

[13:03] A little bit odd way of putting something. If we were to put it into our own words, we might want to say something like this. That I shall keep safe all those.

[13:14] Or that I shall protect all those. Or I shall save all those. But though this doesn't sound natural, this is the very word of God. And we need to realize that God never speaks carelessly in the way that he addresses us or declares certain truth.

[13:33] There's something here, I believe, much deeper for us to grasp than perhaps what we might see on the surface. And to understand that deeper, meaning Jesus goes on to say, all those he has given me.

[13:48] So I am not to lose, I shall not lose, I shall lose rather, I shall lose none of all those he has given me. There's a clear implication there, isn't there? And the implication is this, that those whom Jesus shall not lose are already in his possession.

[14:07] Yeah? You can't lose something you don't already, you don't actually have. I can't say I'm going to, well, I don't know, I'm going to lose a million pounds. I must be careful not to lose a million pounds.

[14:17] I haven't got a million pounds to lose, so I can't not lose it. Anyway, I'm getting myself tongue-tied now, I think, as well. No. The implication is this, that Jesus has been given all those, and the will of God is that he should lose none of them.

[14:35] I think that's plain, isn't it? I don't think I'm making anything of that that isn't already there. God has given, God the Father has given them to Jesus before this moment, because he says, he has given them to me, and his will is that Jesus should lose none of them, or any of them, that are in his possession at this moment in time.

[14:59] And so the question is this, well, who are these? Who are these who are given by the Father to the Son? And again, we don't have to look far outside this passage to understand and to realize who these people are, because it clearly is people he's talking about here.

[15:17] Look at verse 37. All those the Father gives me will come to me. So the ones who have been given by the Father to the Son are those who will come to Christ.

[15:30] Well, what does that mean? Again, we don't need to look far. Verse 40. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

[15:43] There's the clue, because we know he's already said, at the last day, I'll keep them safe to the last day. So these people are those, all those, who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

[15:59] All those who will look to him and believe on him. All those who will come to him, as the Father says in verse 37. It's not just a matter of word play here.

[16:15] I'm not just playing with semantics, trying to force meanings into the scripture. I think the scriptures and the words of Jesus are pretty clear. And they're pretty clear because Jesus is speaking of those who are, in one sense, different to the people around about him at that time.

[16:32] Particularly the Jewish leaders. Particularly those who rejected him. Those who despised him. Those who wouldn't believe in him. Notice what he said. Verse 36. As I told you, you've seen me, and still you do not believe.

[16:43] So there's you. You don't believe. And ultimately, the reason, partly, that you do not believe is because you've not been given to me by the Father that you might come to me and put your faith in me.

[16:57] And so we have a statement of fact by Jesus here. There are a collection of people whom God has placed into the saving care of his Son. and he has placed them into the care of his Son to ensure that none of them should be lost.

[17:16] That's why God sent his Son into the world. That's why he was born of the Virgin. That's why he came. That those who God has given to his Son should be kept safe, rescued, and protected throughout history.

[17:30] And the only way that we can know who these people are, the only way we can know who are part of this group is when they come to faith in Christ, isn't it?

[17:45] When they come to trust in him and know him. For my Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him. But we mustn't misunderstand the words of Jesus, I believe, in thinking that somehow it's only in that moment that they come to faith in Jesus that they are then placed into the care of Jesus.

[18:08] It's only in that time and only at that time when they come to him and repent of their sins and put their faith in him that they then are transported in this way by the Father to the hands of Jesus.

[18:21] Rather, it seems it's only because these people are already in the possession of Jesus that they must come to faith in him and believe in him.

[18:34] Notice again that verse 37. All those the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I'll never drive away. Because they are given by the Father that's why they will come to Jesus.

[18:49] And later on in verse 45. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them and I will raise them up at the last day.

[19:04] Now we know some of the names of those who came to Jesus who were given by the Father to him and have already come to believe in him because they're the disciples aren't they?

[19:16] Near the end of the chapter chapter 6 verse 69 Peter speaks to the Lord and he says we have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.

[19:30] But Jesus is not just talking about the disciples of his day who have already come to faith and believe in him he's talking about others too. Others who have already been given to him by the Father but have not yet come to faith and trust in him.

[19:48] It's implied there in verse 37 surely all that the Father gives me will come there's a future element to that isn't it? They will come and whoever comes will never drive away and again in verse 40 for my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.

[20:08] So there's that future aspect that aspect of those who will come those who will believe but it becomes even clearer when we turn to that wonderful what we call the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 if you want to turn there just for a moment.

[20:23] In John 17 we have this wonderful prayer of Jesus where he prays and talks to the Father about himself and makes requests to the Father about himself particularly that the Father would give him the glory that was his before he came into the world that glory and honour as the very Son of God and he prays for his disciples who were in the world at that time then he goes on to pray for all those who will come to faith in him in the future and so Jesus is praying to the Father first of all verse 6 I've revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world who are they?

[21:00] Well we know who they are they are the disciples they're the ones given to God from the world they're the ones who Jesus revealed God to so they might come to faith in him but then he goes on to talk about and pray for those who have yet to believe verse 20 my prayer is not for them alone my prayer also is for those who will believe in me through their message so those include us those who have yet to come to faith in Christ those who have yet to hear the gospel message and believe in Christ and what does Jesus say about them?

[21:34] Verse 24 Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am it's us we've already according to Jesus been placed into and given by the Father to the Son we've been put in his care put in his hands and so we can safely say two things I think from what Jesus is saying there about why he came into the world we can safely say two things about those who were given to Christ by the Father first of all they are already in Christ and in his care before they come to believe in him I think that that seems to be very obvious and clear from what we've just read there they're already in his care so those who have yet to come to faith in Christ those who have yet to trust in him in the future they're already given to God given to Christ by God the Father in other parts of the Bible this wonderful truth is called election or called predestination it teaches us that this act of giving from the Father to the Son took place even before the world was made and so when Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus he tells them this wonderful truth for God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world do you see chose us in Christ made a decision made a choice to give us to Christ to place us into Christ before the world was made and later on in verse 11 in Christ we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of God who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will it's an amazing mystery it's an amazing concept but it's there isn't it writ large as we might say in the scriptures we who are believers even before we came to faith were placed in the care and protection of Jesus by the Father and the second thing that we can see here

[23:59] I think which is plain and clear is this that all those who have been given to God the Son by God the Father will not fail to come to faith and trust in him verse 37 all those the Father gives me will come to me it doesn't say some of those will come or a few of them or I'm hoping they'll come but all those the Father gives me will come to me it's a declaration of truth and whoever comes to me I will never drive away that's what we are able to say to people with confidence when they say to us but I don't think I'm good enough for Jesus what about if he rejects me and turns me away what about if I ask God to forgive me and Christ to be part of my life but he says no you can't we can say with absolute confidence Jesus has said he'll never drive you away if you come with faith in him he will receive he will accept you whatever your sins whatever your past whatever you've done no matter what situation you're in today we have great confidence don't we from the word of God this too is a truth which we find here in this passage again and again but again comes through the scriptures we see it here we've already mentioned it all those the father gives me will come to me verse 37 but it's also there in verse 44 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws them it's an act of God isn't it and later on in verse 65 that's why

[25:41] I told you that no one can come to me unless the father has enabled them men and women come to faith in Christ come to trust in him because it is by the power of God that they are drawn by the power of God that they are brought near and sought to seek him and so when we find the disciples the Christians in the very beginning of the church in Acts again and again that same truth comes out when Peter went to preach to Cornelius and his household we're told in Acts chapter 10 while Peter was still speaking these words the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message do you see that the initiative and the action of God while Peter was preaching the gospel the Spirit of God came upon them and we're told that then they praised God spoke in tongues believed on him and were baptized and we have it even clearer as you know in Acts chapter 16 with Lydia this dear woman who was in Philippi when she

[26:49] Lydia sorry one of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia a dealer in purple cloth she was a worshipper of God but listen to this the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message there she was with these other women by the riverside listening to the preaching of Paul and as he was going on something happened the Lord opened her heart not she opened her heart to the Lord he opened her heart the Spirit of God came upon her and gave her faith so it's only by the working of God the Spirit in the heart of a person that they were able to come to Jesus and believe in him the wonderful truth is this not one single person who has been given into the care of Jesus will fail to come to Jesus in faith and believe in him not one will be lost not one will fall aside not one will be missed out everyone must will shall come we have it on the very authority of Jesus this is why dear friends we have such confidence in proclaiming the gospel don't we if our confidence in proclaiming the gospel was this that somehow by our own eloquence somehow by our own ability somehow by our own oratory skills if I can put it that way or somehow by the goodness inside the heart of every person a person would respond to the gospel and be saved and we would have no hope at all we would have no confidence at all we could simply be spouting any rubbish but if our confidence is this that God has said all those that have been given to Christ will come to Christ and that it's God the Father who draws them then we've got great confidence to proclaim the gospel and to say come to Christ believe in him he's never going to turn you away you can come with all your sins and he'll accept you because we know that God is at work and he's promised

[29:00] Jesus that every single one who he's placed into his wonderful care must come will come shall come but then we have to ask the question don't we well let's get back to this verse this is the will of him who sent me this is what God wants Jesus to do that I shall lose none of those he has given me but raise them up at the last day what does it mean that he will lose none of them well first of all as we've seen it means that he will receive them he won't reject them he'll turn them away but they're already in his possession because God the Father has given them to him what does it mean that he will not lose any of them well again the answer is very plain isn't it here but instead of losing them rather than losing them raise them up at the last day Jesus mentions this incredible event not once not twice but three times just in this passage doesn't he here in verse 39 then again in verse 40

[30:03] I'll raise them up at the last day and again in verse 44 I will raise them up at the last day what is he talking about well of course he's talking about the end of the world the last day the final day the end of this world as we know it this world is not going to continue day by day over and over again through the generations until something happens like an atomic war or the sun blows us up or something else happens no there is a day set by God a last day when every single person who's ever lived even those who've already died will be raised up again and it's something that Jesus spoke about himself just a chapter earlier in John chapter 5 verses 28 and 29 he's been talking about how those who put their faith in him have crossed from death to life and he says don't be amazed at this for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice that's the son of man he's talking about himself in the third person will hear his voice and come out those who've done what is good will rise to live those who've done what is evil will rise to be condemned

[31:27] Jesus is clearly talking here about those who will rise to life those who've been put into his care will be raised to life raised to be with Jesus forever raised to have eternal life because that's what it means doesn't it verse 40 for my father's will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day it's the same thing to be raised up the last day is to have eternal life from that moment onwards those who are in Christ's possession will be given new resurrection bodies they shall live for eternity in the presence of God enjoying the fullness of all that God is without end what does that mean for us what does that mean for you and me today what does it mean for us this Christmas as we celebrate and look forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ it means this it's God's will that he shall lose none of all those given to him you and I dear Christian are totally secure in the salvation of Christ totally secure whatever may happen to you in the days ahead or the weeks or the months or the years ahead or the decades ahead whoever may seek your harm whatever illnesses may ravage your body or old age your mind wherever you may find yourself times of trial and sorrow grief and hardship times of doubt even times of upset nothing can possibly take you out of the protective care of Jesus he said as much himself not only here but even later on when he speaks to his disciples of himself as the good shepherd in John and chapter 10 he says to the believers there and to the disciples there reminds them of this wonderful truth

[33:37] I give them eternal life and they shall never perish no one will snatch them out of my hand the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in coming into this world was to secure accomplish fulfill salvation for everyone given to him by the father it wasn't that he had to rescue them if I can put that way out of the world and though there is that sense to it but rather he had to fulfill the work of God in keeping them safe and the only way that men and women like you and I could be kept safe was for us for him rather to bear upon himself our sin for him to die in our place for him to fulfill God's purpose and righteousness and obedience for him to do all the things that we could never do and that's exactly what he did that's why at the end as he hangs on the cross before he gives his spirit into the father he says it's finished it's one word finished

[34:48] I've done it I've accomplished the work that God sent me to do I've accomplished this salvation which will secure for all time all those given to me by the father can't undo what Jesus has done you see it can't be unraveled it can't be unpicked the clock can't be turned back what he did there and then was a finished and complete work which meant that every single soul given to Christ by the father would come to him and faith in him and would last and continue all the way through to the very last day the last day of the world and be brought into everlasting life and it means this dear friends doesn't it that you and I are kept by the most powerful force in the universe when the president of the USA comes to visit England or wherever he might go he has do you ever see him and he's in the car and it's a bulletproof car and it's a bombproof car and it's protected in the most credible ways and running alongside the car the special agents are there they're called something else

[35:57] I can't remember what they're called and they're running alongside they've all got guns and they're all protecting the car and all around about him you know he's got the greatest protection possible but there's been at least three presidents shot and some of them killed see all the protection in the world all the protection that you and I can offer all the protection that we can seek for ourselves will never protect us and keep us except for the power of God the power of God preserves you and I the power of God keeps you from being robbed of your salvation the power of God keeps you going day by day some days I'm sure like me you get up in the morning and you think how on earth can I face this week how on earth can I deal with these issues and problems that are around about me I feel swamped and overwhelmed the power of God the power of God what does Paul say when he's faced with the challenges of his own life and the pressures upon him he says

[37:00] I can do all things how through him who empowers me so when Jesus spoke to his disciples and told them in John chapter 10 they are in my hand and no one will snatch them out of my hand he goes on to say my father who's given them to me is greater than all no one can snatch them out of my father's hand somebody once put it we're in the double hand grip of God father and son is there any greater power in the universe no there isn't only the power of God placed us in Christ only the power of God brought us to Christ and nothing less than the power of God can remove us from Christ and he doesn't want to do that does he because he said this is the father's will dear friends finally then how loved you must be by God that he has done all this to keep you for himself how loved you and I must be that God has placed us into the hands of one who he knows will never let us go he hasn't entrusted you to angels

[38:18] I've got nothing against angels I'm sure they're really cool people to hang out with I'm sure they're great but why do Christians get caught up with angels I couldn't give them monkeys about what angels protect me because Christ protects me Christ keeps me Christ looks after me I've been placed by the father not into the care of angels I've been not placed into the care of men and women I've not been placed into the care of any other power but I've been placed by the father into the care of his own son that's how much he loves me and loves you and there is absolutely nothing in heaven or hell or earth that can take you out of the love the care the protection of Christ we read it don't we we read it again and again and we never ever truly take it in Romans 8 38 I'm convinced I'm persuaded I'm certain I'm sure neither death the last and greatest enemy nor life nor angels nor demons neither the present nor the future nor any powers that means authorities earthly or heavenly nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation and there is nothing else in all creation apart from God himself who is not created nothing else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ

[39:43]  Jesus our Lord how safe do you feel tonight and what's our proper response to all this to be I don't know what's your response to all this adoration thanksgiving worship faith trust service obedience it's all those things and so much more but dear friends one thing that we cannot do we cannot ignore it we cannot forget it in fact we must not forget it this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all those that he has given me but raise them up at the last day and so he will next