For the past 5-6 years, we have raised chickens and ducks for their eggs. The birds stay in a fenced-off part of our backyard we affectionately refer to as Stinky Creek Farm. It has been an interesting diversion from the busyness of life. One of the interesting things about the chickens and ducks is that they are not very pet like. When I walk toward them, they usually scatter. The ducks especially choose to run away from me despite the fact that I provide water and food for them every day. However, it is an entirely different story inside our house. When I walk into the house, our dog and cats come running as if I was their best friend in the world. And if they didn’t hear me come in, I can quickly call them to action by my voice. In today’s passage, we will see that Jesus has a similar relationship with believers. It is like a shepherd who knows His sheep so well that they respond to His voice and follow Him wherever He leads. But, as we will see, not all people hear His voice and follow Him.
- What does it say?
It happened at the time of the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem during the winter that Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded him and said to Him, “How long will you hold our souls in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us openly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The acts that I am doing in the name of my Father, these testify about me. But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give eternal life to them, they shall never perish for eternity, and no one will ever snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. - What does it mean? (John 10:22-30)
Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had used the illustration of a shepherd and his sheep to describe His relationship with His true followers. He spoke about being the door to the sheep fold. Those who did not enter the fold through Him were illegitimate and up to no good. He also referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd who would lay down His life for the sheep and who would gather other sheep into the fold. Once again, the response was mixed. Some thought that Jesus was possessed by a demon while others noted the fact that a demon-possessed man would not heal a blind man. This led to a confrontation as Jesus was walking in the temple during the winter.
Why did they want to know if Jesus was the Christ? (John 10:24)
Sometimes the smallest details in a Scripture passage reveal the reasoning behind what happens. You may have noticed that the events of these verses happened during the winter at the Feast of Dedication. Edwin Blum says that “the Feast of Dedication is nowadays called Hanukkah or the Feast of Lights. It commemorates the reconsecration of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 165 B.C. after its desecration in 168 B.C. by Antiochus IV (Epiphanes). The time for the eight-day feast was in December. … The feast reminded the Jewish people of their last great deliverance from their enemies.”1 That being the case, the Jewish people were happily celebrating that victory over their enemies. But that was almost 200 years ago. They were no longer free. The Roman general Pompey the Great had captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C. And the people were not happy to be under the control of the Roman empire for over 90 years.
The Jewish people who had voiced differing opinions about Jesus finally found him in Solomon’s porch at the temple. The crowd surrounded Him and asked whether He was the promised Christ. They wanted Him to clearly tell them if He was, so that they would be able to respond. At least that’s what it seemed like. Perhaps they were asking if He was the Christ because they were thinking about the coming kingdom that would rule over the world. Or maybe it was something more sinister. They may have been looking for another way to accuse Jesus of being a false Messiah who stirred up the people. They could easily get rid of Him by making an accusation of insurrection against the Romans by Jesus. Whatever the case may have been, Jesus knew their hearts and responded accordingly.
Why did they not believe Him? (John 10:25-29)
Jesus told the Jews who surrounded Him that they did not believe what He had already told them. Kent notes that “he had already answered their question by his words and his works. It was not more information they needed, but a change of nature.”2 This is true. Everything about Jesus’ words and works should have convinced them that He was the promised Christ. But they didn’t believe because they were not His sheep. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. He returns to that idea here in response to the unbelievers. They didn’t believe Him because they were not His sheep.
He went on the describe His sheep as those (1) who heard what He said, (2) who He already knew, and (3) who followed Him. At that point, the questioning Jews could not be described that way. Although they had heard Jesus speak, they hadn’t responded to what He said with faith. And as the Bible says elsewhere, “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6). Although Jesus knew who they were, He did not have a relationship with them. Although they often interacted with Jesus, they never truly followed Him as their Teacher. All of this was evidence that they did not believe Him. However, those who did believe Him did all of those things.
Jesus went on to describe the blessings of being one of His sheep. The first blessing was that He gave them eternal life. This is not the only time that Jesus mentioned eternal life in the Gospel of John (John 3:15,16,36; 4:14,36; 5:24,39; 6:27,47,54,68; 12:25,50; 17:2,3). The idea is this. Whoever put his confident trust in Jesus for who He is and what He has said is given eternal life. That means that each person who is trusting in Jesus will have eternal life after this life is over. The Bible makes it clear that this eternal life is an escape from God’s wrath, is full of joy, involves a resurrection on the last day, is given by the Father, and involves knowing the only true God. The second blessing is that this eternal life is not dependent on those who believe. Instead, it is secured by Jesus and God the Father. If you think back to the idea of the Good Shepherd and the sheep, it may help to understand what Jesus says here. If a wolf or thief broke into the sheepfold, they might snatch a lamb and run away with it. But the Good Shepherd would not let that happen. He would grab hold of that lamb and not let anyone take it away. The point here is that God will not allow anyone to snatch away His sheep. They are guaranteed eternal life because of Him.
Why did Jesus claim to be one with the Father? (John 10:30)
Jesus concluded his remarks about the security of eternal life for all believers by saying that no one could snatch His sheep from His or the Father’s hands. But then He added one more statement in verse 30. He said that He and the Father are one.3 From the beginning of John’s gospel, it has been made clear that Jesus is God (John 1:1-3). But it is also clear that Jesus is a distinct person within the godhead. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all God but they are distinct persons within the Trinity. When Jesus came down from heaven and became a man, He did not cease being God. He was still God but chose to be God in a human body.
So, why did Jesus make this statement? In verse 30, Jesus was making two things very clear. First, He was showing that He and God the Father were unified in purpose. The Father and Son were united in their desire to give eternal life to all believers and to keep them securely. Second, He was showing that their unity in purpose came from the fact that He and the Father were of the same essence. He and the Father are both God in every way. For more information about this, refer to John 20:28; Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9. So, was Jesus claiming to be God here? Yes, even the unbelieving Jews around Him understood what He was saying. Although He spoke the truth, they responded by picking up stones to kill Him (John 10:31-39). So, the answer to our question is this. Jesus claimed to be one with the Father because they are unified in purpose and essence. Jesus and the Father are God. - How does it apply?
Are you more interested in Jesus or what the future may hold?
The Jews who surrounded Jesus in the temple wanted Him to make a clear statement about whether He was the promised Christ. Was He the One whom God had promised to send to restore the kingdom and rule the world? They demanded an answer. But notice what was never included in that question. They wanted to know whether He was the Christ but never stated that they would submit themselves to His rule. So, why did they even ask the question.
The same thing often happens when people get interested in the Bible prophecies about the end times. They like to read about what will happen but are more interested in the events than the person those events point to. It is true that God has given us many prophecies about the future. We have them in both the Old and New Testaments. But if you find yourself getting more interested in the events than in Jesus, there is a problem. Think about the future. After the Rapture, Tribulation, Millennial Rule, and Great White Throne Judgment, what is left? What’s left is a joyful eternity with God. Are you looking forward to spending eternity with God the Father and His Son Jesus? Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” If you don’t enjoy a relationship with God now, what makes you think you will then?
Are you one of His sheep?
When Jesus addressed the Jews who surrounded Him, He knew that they were not believers. There was something false about their interest in Him. The reason behind that was that they were not of His sheep. His sheep were those who believed, heard Him, were known by Him, and followed Him. The questioning Jews could not be described that way because they did not believe, listen to, follow, or have a relationship with Jesus. But there were others who were His sheep.
This brings us to the original question. Are you one of His sheep? Although you have been listening to this message from the Bible, are you actually listening to what Jesus is saying? Are you hearing, believing, and following Jesus? And does He have a relationship with you? This is an important question because if you are not one of His sheep, you will not have eternal life and be kept secure in God’s hands.
Do you believe that Jesus is God?
Our final application comes from verse 30. In that verse, Jesus clearly stated that He and the Father are one. Because Jesus is God, He could tell the Jewish unbelievers that He and God the Father were not only united in purpose but were also the same in essence. They didn’t like what He said and considered it blasphemy against God. If anyone else had said this, they would have been right. But God the Son was standing right then and there in their presence. By the things that He said and did, He showed Himself to be the Son of God in human form.
Do you believe that Jesus is God? This is an important question because what you believe about Jesus will determine whether you are one of His sheep. Those who have put their faith in Jesus are trusting not just that He turned water into wine and healed a blind man. They are believing more than just the truths that He proclaimed. They are believing in who He is. Jesus is God who came to earth as a man to reveal God’s truth and to give His life for us. Only the death of God would be enough to cover the sins of the world. So, you must believe that Jesus is God to be one of His sheep. When you are convinced of that truth, wholeheartedly believe in Him and follow Him with your whole life.
Conclusion
There is coming a time when Jesus will return to earth and call His people home to heaven. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, we are told that “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” On that day, all of His sheep will hear His voice and be taken up to be with the Lord forever. Not all will go with Him—only those whom He knows as His sheep. Will you hear His voice?
Bibliography
Blum, Edwin A., “John” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, USA: SP Publications, 1983.
Kent Jr., Homer A., Light in the Darkness, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974. Reprint 1986.
Footnotes
- Blum 311. ↩︎
- Kent 143. ↩︎
- “When Jesus said, I and the Father are One, He was not affirming that He and the Father are the same Person. The Son and the Father are two Persons in the Trinity. This is confirmed here by the fact that the word ‘One’ is neuter. Instead, He was saying They have the closest possible unity of purpose. Jesus’ will is identical to the Father’s regarding the salvation of His sheep. And yet absolute identity of wills involves identity of nature. Jesus and the Father are One in will (and also in nature for both are God; cf. 20:28; Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9).” Blum 311-12. ↩︎