Not of This World
A Sermon on John 17:25
Originally preached Dec. 25, 1960
Scripture
25O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Sermon Description
Why did Jesus come into this world? In this Sermon on John 17:25 titled “Not of this world,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers this question by explaining that Jesus is not of this world, but simply laid aside his glory to accomplish his task on earth. Jesus did not come into the world to create peace, but to divide the world into two groups; the people who do not know God, and those who do whom he labels “these” in this verse. The world lives for pleasure, and is guided by the desires of the flesh, but “these” know God, who Jesus is, and why he has come into the world. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the world is full of unhappiness, and is so unhappy because they do not know God. Once you have a glimpse of God you do not need anything else. He further analyzes the reason Jesus came into the world by explaining the two “Christmas gifts” he has given to the believer: the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. “These” have the gifts and are satisfied with these gifts. They are not of the world and will spend eternity with God in glory, because, Jesus came into the world to give us his gift of glory.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon focuses on John 17:25 which reads "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me."
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes taking Jesus' life as a whole, not just focusing on certain parts like his birth or teachings. His life, death, and resurrection were all part of God's greater purpose.
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Jesus divides humanity into two groups: the world and "these". The world refers to those living apart from God, focused on worldly pleasures and pursuits. "These" refer to believers who know Jesus was sent from God.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses why the world is unhappy, divided, and sinful. It's because the world does not know God, the truth about themselves, God's laws, or that they are under God's wrath.
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Jesus came to reveal God to the world and call believers out of the world into relationship with God. Believers have received forgiveness, eternal life, knowledge of God's name, separation from the world, and sanctification.
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Though believers face tribulation, Jesus prays for them, gives them his joy and glory, and dwells in them. One day believers will behold Jesus' glory.
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Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls listeners to rejoice in knowing God through Jesus and the blessings and hope they have received. The world remains ignorant of these truths.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon Questions and Answers from John 17:25
What is the significance of Jesus dividing humanity into two groups according to John 17:25?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on John 17:25, Jesus divides all of humanity into two distinct groups: "the world" and "these." This division is one of the most important results of Christ's coming into the world. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "There has never been a greater divisive force in the world than this blessed person, the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, the result of his coming is this. He's divided the whole of humanity into two groups, the world and these." This division is not merely academic but represents a fundamental spiritual reality - those who know God through Christ and those who don't.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the chief problem with "the world" as mentioned in this passage?
The chief problem with "the world," according to Lloyd-Jones, is its lack of knowledge of God: "O righteous father, the world hath not known thee." Lloyd-Jones explains that this ignorance of God is the root cause of all the world's problems: "That's why men and women are living that sort of life. That's why the world is torn and unhappy and divided as it is. It's simply because it hasn't known God." This ignorance leads to multiple consequences - people don't know the truth about themselves, don't know God's laws, don't understand their purpose, and don't realize they're under God's judgment.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Jesus' unique claim about knowing God in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus makes a stupendous and unique claim when He says "I have known thee." Lloyd-Jones states: "He is rarely claiming that he knows God. I mean by that, not that he knows things about God, but that he has an intimate personal knowledge of God." He points out that Jesus claims exclusive knowledge of God, quoting John 1:18: "No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten who is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him." Lloyd-Jones stresses that no one else has ever been able to make such a claim - Jesus alone had "face to face" knowledge of God from eternity.
What benefits do believers ("these") receive according to Lloyd-Jones' sermon?
Lloyd-Jones identifies numerous benefits that believers receive: 1. Forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God 2. Eternal life - "not only in duration, but in quality" 3. Knowledge of God as Father 4. Separation from the world and its doom 5. Sanctification - being set apart as God's special possession 6. Christ's continual intercession and prayer 7. Christ's joy and love dwelling within them 8. Christ Himself dwelling in believers - "thou in me and I in them" 9. The future promise of beholding Christ's glory 10. Ultimate transformation - "when we see him as he is, we shall be like him"
Why did Dr. Lloyd-Jones choose to preach from John 17 rather than traditional Christmas passages?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that he had two main reasons for choosing John 17 instead of traditional Christmas passages. First, he wanted "to emphasize the importance of taking the life of our Lord as a whole." He warns against the danger of concentrating only on certain parts of Christ's life, such as His birth, while neglecting the full picture. Lloyd-Jones says, "The beginning and the end and the intervening portion are all one. It's the person that matters." His second reason was to highlight "one of the most important results of his coming into this world" - how Christ divides humanity into two groups and what this means for believers in a world where they are an increasingly small minority.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the world's approach to Christmas?
Lloyd-Jones criticizes the world's approach to Christmas as superficial and missing the true significance. He says the world is "very interested in this question of Christmas and the birth of the babe in Bethlehem" but only because "there is the element of romance, something that helps us and comforts us and cheers us in the darkness." The world, according to Lloyd-Jones, "would like to keep him in the manger" because they find that interesting, wonderful, and romantic. He describes the world's attitude as "sentimental nonsense about the babe" and "this loose, vapid talk about goodwill and good cheer." The world uses Christmas merely as "a legitimate excuse for being happy and rejising and enjoying ourselves together" while missing its true significance.
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast the future of believers versus unbelievers?
Lloyd-Jones presents a stark contrast between the futures of believers and unbelievers. For unbelievers (the world), he says: "The foolish, blind world that doesn't know God laughs at us tonight. It feels sorry for us. Oh, the poor, unhappy, blind, damned world. I'll tell you the sight that it's going to receive. The sight of the holiness and the majesty, the condemnation, the sight of hell, the sight of everlasting destruction." In contrast, believers will "behold his glory" as Jesus prayed. Not only will they see Christ's glory, but "we shall receive something of it. For when we see him as he is, we shall be like him." While the world faces judgment, believers "shall shine in the brightness of his glory" and "enjoy our eternity with him."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.