Our Great High Priest
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached Nov. 3, 1963
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
Everyone seems to accept the phrase “Jesus loves you,” but far fewer people are willing to accept the fact that God the Father loves them. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this fallacy and others in his sermon on John 1:16 concerning our great high priest, Jesus the Christ. The Father is the one who sent the Son to save His people. Dr. Lloyd-Jones spends much of this sermon discussing the depth and height of Christ’s ability to save. Moreover, he elaborates how Christ can be a priest after the order of Melchizedek despite the Old Testament law that required priests from the tribe of Levi. Anyone who doubts that their sins can actually be wiped clean should look no further than the sacrifice of Christ and His perfect fulfilment of the office of high priest. His perfect sacrifice is more than sufficient to be the perfect plea before God.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus came from heaven to earth so that we can receive from his fullness.
- We receive grace upon grace from Jesus.
- We must understand how we can receive from Jesus's fullness. We receive through understanding, not primarily through experience.
- Jesus had to exercise his fullness on our behalf before we could receive it.
- Jesus presented his blood as an offering and sacrifice in heaven. He ratified the new covenant with his blood.
- Jesus continues to exercise his fullness on our behalf as our intercessor and advocate. He is always there to answer accusations against us.
- Jesus does not have to plead with the Father to forgive us. The Father sent Jesus to save us. Salvation was the Father's idea.
- The imagery of Jesus as our advocate in a heavenly law court is just an illustration. We should not turn illustrations into doctrine.
- Jesus's role as intercessor comforts us and assures us of our salvation. His presence in heaven is the answer to every accusation against us.
- Jesus has an unchanging priesthood because he has endless life as the Son of God. Human priests come and go, but Jesus remains forever.
- Because Jesus's priesthood is unchanging, he is able to save us completely. He will finish the work he started in us.
- Jesus purchased gifts for us through his death and resurrection. He received these gifts when he ascended to heaven and gives them to us.
- We receive gifts of grace from Jesus according to the measure he has given to each of us.
- Jesus had to descend to earth and die before he could ascend to heaven and receive gifts to give us. His fullness enables him to fill all things.
- Everything we have comes from Jesus's fullness. He gives us every gift and grace.
Sermon Q&A
What Does "Fullness of Christ" Mean in John 1:16 According to Lloyd-Jones?
What does John 1:16 mean when it says "of His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace"?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John 1:16 refers to the inexhaustible spiritual wealth that is in Christ and available to believers. He explains that "a Christian should never be poor, therefore Christians should never be hungry. Christians should never be thirsty. In a spiritual sense, we are meant to enjoy this fullness." This fullness represents all the blessings of salvation that Christ came to provide, which flows from His divine nature and completed work.
How does Christ's fullness relate to His role as High Priest?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christ's fullness is essential to His role as our eternal High Priest. Unlike the Jewish priests who would serve temporarily and die, Christ has "an unchangeable priesthood" because He is "made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life" (Hebrews 7:16). His fullness includes His eternal nature, which enables Him to be our permanent representative before God. This means He "ever lives to make intercession" for believers, providing ongoing security for our salvation.
What is the meaning of Christ saving us "to the uttermost" according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ saving us "to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25) doesn't primarily mean He can save the worst of sinners (though that's true). Rather, it means He saves completely through all time. As he states: "What the author of the epistle to the Hebrews is saying is that he is able to save up to limitless heights and even through eternity... He is able to save to the very end." This means Christ doesn't merely start our salvation and then abandon us, but carries it through to completion, including justification, sanctification, and ultimately glorification.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain Christ's role as intercessor?
Lloyd-Jones clarifies a common misconception about Christ's intercession. He explains that Jesus is not constantly pleading with a reluctant Father to forgive us. Rather, "it is his presence there that intercedes. It is his presence there that acts as the advocate." Christ's very presence at God's right hand is the eternal answer to every accusation against believers. This intercession doesn't convince God to love us—since God initiated salvation—but assures believers of their secure standing despite their failures.
What gifts did Christ receive to give to believers according to Ephesians 4?
Based on Ephesians 4, Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ, "having ascended upon high, has received gifts for us which he's able to give to us." These gifts include various ministries (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers) and spiritual abilities given to build up the church. Christ could only give these gifts after He had completed His work on earth, descended to the grave, and then ascended to heaven. These gifts are distributed according to His wisdom for "the perfecting of the saints" and building up the body of Christ until we all reach "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
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.