‘With me where I am’: Christ’s Heart for Believers in John 17:24

The following excerpt is from George Newton’s exposition of John 17:24 in the volume George Newton on John 17.

DOCTRINE: It is the will of Jesus Christ that all that are his own by the donation of the Father shall be in heaven where he is.

There are two things in the doctrine which I might prove clear in order before I come to application. First, That there are some certain men whom God the Father hath made over to the Son, that belong to Jesus Christ, and are his own by donation from the Father.

Secondly, That it is the will of Christ that they who are so his own shall be in heaven where he is.

1. There are some certain men who belong to Jesus Christ who are his own by donation from the Father. And he gives them to the Son by his decree from everlasting, and by the execution of the same decree in time. This I do but mention here, because it hath been largely handled on ver. 12.

2. Now for the second branch, that it is the will of Christ that they who are so his own shall be in heaven, where himself is; you see it is the suit he makes to God the Father in my text, ‘Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,’ that is, in heaven where I am to be; in heaven, where I am already in my Godhead, and where I am to be very shortly in my manhood; there I will have them to be also.

And for this end our Saviour Christ is gone to heaven, even to make heaven ready for his people, that so they may be presently admitted when they come. He yields it as one special cause of his departure from his apostles and disciples, when he was about to leave them; saith he, ‘I go to prepare a place for you,’ John 14:2. When he entered into heaven and passed in to the immediate presence of his Father, he took possession of it in our name and stead, and left it open after him to all his members. He hath in this respect prepared it for them, that he hath made it ready to receive them. And when they are ready too, he will come and receive them to himself, that where he is, there may they be also, as it is added, John 14:3. And upon this account it was that the apostle Paul desired to be dissolved, because he was assured that as soon as that was over, he should be with Christ, Phil. 1:23; and so he teaches us expressly in another place, that ‘all that sleep in Christ Jesus shall be for ever with the Lord,’ 1 Thess. 4:17. By which it is apparent that it is the will of Christ that all that are his own by the donation of the Father shall be in heaven where himself is. But you will ask me, Why will he have them to be there?

To this I answer, that a man would think it necessary by reason of the union between Christ and them, that seeing they are one, they should be in one place. But you must know, my brethren, that the corporeal and local presence of the parties contributes nothing to the union that is made between Christ and his members, which is a spiritual and invisible thing, and which no nearness in regard of place can further, no distance in regard of place can hinder. So that Christ’s people may be in him, though they be not with him (in the sense wherein I speak.) I mean not with him in the same place. Their being with him locally in heaven is no way necessary to their union with him: or, were it so, the saints on earth were in a very ill case. Well, then, this cannot be the reason why Christ would have his people to be in one place with him; that they may be one with him. They may be this without the other. But there are divers other weighty reasons of the point. I shall name a few of them.

Reason 1. Christ would have his people be in heaven where himself is; because he hath a dear affection to them; his heart is carried out exceedingly in love to them. And more particularly and distinctly, he loves them with a love of benevolence, and he loves them with a love of complacency.

1. Christ would have his people be in heaven, where himself is, because he loves them with a love of benevolence. With such a love as makes him wish them all the good that they are possibly capable of. Now, my beloved, what greater good can be wished to true believers than to be with Christ in heaven? To be in heaven where they shall be absolutely and completely holy and happy, where they shall never sin, and where they shall never suffer any more; where holiness and happiness shall be both perfect; where there is fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore: and to be with Christ there, of whose immediate presence true believers are unavoidably debarred as long as they remain in this world. ‘While they are at home in the body, they are absent from the Lord,’ as 2 Cor. 5:6. But when they come to heaven they shall be with him, they shall have the complete and full fruition and enjoyment of him, which is the greatest happiness that can be. ‘To be with Christ is best of all,’ Phil. 1:23. To be with saints on earth is good, though they be imperfect here, and though by reason of their imperfections they be the less delightful, and the less beneficial to us; to be with saints in heaven is better, because they are perfect there. There are ‘the spirits of just men made perfect.’ But to be with Christ there is best of all. This is so good that there is nothing better; there is no higher happiness attainable by any creature. And therefore Christ would have his people to enjoy it, to be in heaven where himself is, because he loves them with a love of benevolence.

2. Jesus Christ would have his people to be in heaven where himself is, because he loves them with a love of complacency, because he takes delight in them; and friends that delight in one another think it not sufficient to be present each with other by the presence of their hearts and spirits. No, if it be possible, they will be present each with other in their bodies too; as you may see in Jonathan and David, what shifts they made to come together. So Jesus Christ, who loves his people out of measure, is not content that he is with them in his Spirit, and that they are again with him in their spirits. No, this is not enough, but he must have their bodies with him too, he must enjoy their company in heaven, or else it is not well there. Christ is not fully satisfied till he enjoy the sweet society of his beloved saints in heaven, with whom he hath such intimate and dear acquaintance, while they are here upon earth. And hence he begs his Father for them, to bring them to the same place where himself is, as if he could not live in heaven without them : Father, I will that, etc.

Reason 2. There is a second reason added in the text, which I shall handle only under that consideration: ‘Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am.’ And why so? might the Father ask him. Why, ‘that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me;’ as it is added in the next words, that they may see the lustre which I sparkle with. The glory of Christ’s human nature in heaven is exceeding great. The evangelist, who saw it through the dim spectacles of human frailty, endeavours as he can to set it forth. Saith he, ‘His countenance was as the sun that shineth in his strength,’ Rev. 1:16. But this was but a short resemblance. Our Saviour Christ, who knew it better, carries it a little higher. ‘The Son of man,’ saith he, ‘shall come in the glory of the Father,’ Matt. 16:27, in comparison of whose incomparable lustre and transcendent brightness the sun itself is but a shadow. Now Christ would have his people be in heaven, where himself is; that they may see this glory which he shines withal. But why would he have them see it? what shall they gain by it?

1. While they see it, they cannot but exceedingly rejoice in it. It cannot but transport them even to an ecstasy of joy to see him whom they love so infinitely sparkle forth with such dazzling rays of glory. Oh, will the poor believer say, this is my head, my husband, whom my soul loveth, that is become so out of measure glorious. There was a time when he was black; and when there was no form nor beauty in him–when wretched men made him vile and ignominious, and when they hid their faces, as if they were ashamed of him. But now he shines forth as the sun that hath been masked with a gloomy cloud. This is he that died for me, that shed his blood for me, that loved me and gave himself for me. Oh, how my heart is ravished to behold his glory!

2. While they behold it, as they shall rejoice in it, so they shall partake of it, and that especially two ways, both by union and reflection.

First, They shall partake of it by union, for, being one with Jesus Christ, they cannot choose but share together with him in his glory. And as the glory of the members redoundeth to the glory of the head, in which respect it is that the apostle saith that Christ shall be ‘admired in all them that believe;’ so on the other side, the glory of the head redoundeth much more to the glory of the members.

Secondly, And as they shall partake hereof by union; so also by reflection, when they see Christ; while they behold the glory of the Lord they shall be transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Their ‘vile bodies shall be conformed to his glorious body;’ (Phil. 3:21); and while they see him as he is, they shall be like him, as the apostle John insinuates (1 John 3:2). They shall bear the very image of the heavenly Adam (1 Cor. 15:48). And as the face of Moses shined when he had been with God upon the mount; so when we come to be with Christ in heaven, and to behold his glory there; we shall reflect it back again, and so shall shine together with him in the same glory. And this is another reason why Christ will have his people to be with him; that they may see his glory, and, seeing, may partake of it, both by union and reflection.