|
|
GOD GIVES ETERNAL LIFEJohn 10:22-30 INTRODUCTION All of us regularly need to be reminded to pay attention to what’s going on. My family finds it important to regularly remind me to pay attention to the road while driving, rather than looking at the scenery. I regularly must remind my children to pay attention to my instructions so they will do what I ask, when I ask, in the way that I ask. Wives regularly request that their husbands pay attention to them. Teachers consistently inform their students that they should pay attention. In all of these exhortations to pay attention the reason for paying attention is to avoid bad things happening and to obtain some benefit. My family wants me to pay attention to the road so we don’t crash but arrive safely at our destination. Wives want husbands to pay attention so they can have a meaningful and fulfilling relationship. Teachers insist that students pay attention so they don’t fail but understand the material and get good grades. We all need to be reminded from time to time to pay attention to what really matters because it is easy for us to get distracted, to ignore what really matters. The passage we are considering in John chapter 10 calls to mind some of the most important questions that we need to ask during our lifetime. These questions include who really is this man called Jesus and why should I care about Him? And once we begin to care about Him, how can I know with certainty that Jesus will deliver on what He promises? These questions are fundamental if we are to honestly deal with the claims Jesus makes about Himself, this world and our condition in regard to God. Jesus says that He is “the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [i.e. to God] except through me” (John 14:6). Earlier in chapter 10, Jesus claims that He is the only door through which we can enter into God’s kingdom (John 10:9). Elsewhere, Jesus says “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24) and “whoever does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18 ). Jesus’ assessment of our condition, yours and mine, is that we have broken God’s laws and have been found guilty by God. As Paul says elsewhere, we do “not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him” (Romans 1:21 ). Jesus knows that because of our own nature and our sins against God we are marked men and women. God has “appointed for [us] to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 ). However, this passage, along with the rest of Scripture, holds out a real and present help to those who will hear. Let us pray that God will give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that understands and loves His Word. Prayer This passage opens with a brief description of the setting for what is about to take place. Jesus has come to Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication and He is walking around the temple area. The Feast of Dedication is not one of the prescribed festivals of the Law given under Moses. Rather, it was established in 164 B.C. by Judas Maccabeus. This feast is also called the Feast of Lights or, as we know it, Hanukkah, and it takes place during our month of December. Maccabeus established this feast to commerate the cleansing and rededication of the temple to the Lord after it had been defiled by the king of Syria . Maccabeus led a revolt against this king and then purified the temple so that the worship of God could resume. During this feast, the people would gather to remember the deeds of the Maccabees and look forward to the coming of the Christ into the world to establish God’s rule. So, during this feast where the coming Christ is on the minds of the people, we find a group of people gathered around Jesus questioning him about just this issue. The first item to note is who is participating in this conversation with Jesus. John describes those who gather around Jesus as the “Jews”. In the language of John’s gospel, the “Jews” are typically the religious leaders of the Jewish people and others who have not yet believed in Jesus (cf. John 5:16, or, if you are interested, you can compare the people participating in the condemnation of Jesus in Luke 22:66-23:25 and John 18:12-19:16). The second item to note in these verses is that this is not a friendly discussion with Jesus. The words of these people are an indictment of Jesus. Look again at verse 24. The people say “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” The clear implication is that Jesus is deliberately hiding His identify from these people and they are not happy about it. Although Jesus has made a number of claims about Himself already, these people do not believe that Jesus is the Christ nor do they agree with what Jesus has said is their greatest problem (i.e. “you will die in your sins” John 8:24 ). Jesus confirms in verses 25 and 26 that they do not believe. One of the arguments of this passage is that the unbelief of the Jews is unreasonable because of what Jesus has already said and done. Since John has written this account for the purpose of helping us to believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God (John 20:31 ), one question we should ask ourselves is “Why does it matter if I believe that Jesus is the Christ?” That is the question this passage answers. The main point of this passage is that all who believe in Jesus are in God’s care and receive eternal life. Jesus holds out an incredible promise to those who believe in Him. Jesus claims that he will give “eternal life” to all those who believe in Him. John records for us in chapter 17 of his gospel what Jesus means regarding the promise of eternal life. In that chapter, Jesus is praying to God the Father and He says “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Therefore, Jesus is saying that He promises a never-ending, personal relationship with God the Father and with Himself. The Jews questioning Jesus do not believe and, therefore, they will not receive eternal life. However, for those who do believe this great promise is held out to them. Therefore, we need to know for certain that Jesus is able to deliver on what He has promised. Only by looking to Jesus Himself will we find out if He is able to fulfill His promise. I don’t consider this is just an academic task. Rather, I have found the answer to this question to be very practical in my life. I have gone through periods of doubt about Christ and His work. This doubt is a war between my sinful nature and the Spirit of God dwelling within me over who is the greatest and highest of beings. My sinful nature does not love God, does not believe that Jesus is who He says He is nor does it believe that Jesus will do what He says He will do. If I am to win this battle whenever it arises, I need the Holy Spirit’s reassurance that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and will deliver on his promises. I am convinced that this work of God is needed in each of our lives if we are to “hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:14 ). Jesus promises to all who believe in Him an intimate, eternal relationship with God. Jesus fulfills this promise because He is the promised Christ. Looking back at the text we read Jesus’ answer to the demand that He plainly state whether or not He is the Christ. There is no equivocation in Jesus’ reply. He clearly and plainly states that He has already given an answer to their complaint. However, notice that His reply does not reveal whether or not He is the promised Christ. In fact, throughout His life, Jesus did not openly state among the crowds that He is the Christ. He is careful to cloak His identity from the crowds of people. Recall that in this passage the people are celebrating the Feast of Dedication and that during this feast the people are looking forward to the coming of the Christ. They believe that the Christ will come and deliver them from their enemies and establish His rule over all the nations, exalting the nation of Israel. The Jews are right that the Scriptures promise that the Christ will defeat His people’s enemies and establish His rule but they do not understand who is their greatest enemy nor that His rule first needs to be extended over them because they are currently outside of God’s flock. The people want a Christ for the wrong reason and Jesus has no intention of being tied to their incorrect expectations and aspirations. He has a specific work that He has come to do and He intends to complete it. As John records in chapter 6, at the conclusion of one of Jesus’ miracles “the people saw the sign that he had done [and] they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” and “they were about to come and take him [Jesus] by force to make him king” (John 6:14-15). Jesus knows this and withdraws from the crowds so that they will not be able to seize Him. Jesus does not plainly state that He is the Christ because He is seeking to hide His identity from these people so they will not try to establish God’s kingdom by force, now, rather than wait for God’s timing. However, He does not leave the Jews without an answer. Instead, He points them to all that He has already said and done. To determine if Jesus’ words and actions demonstrate that He really is the promised Christ, we need to first know who the made the promise regarding the Christ, who was the promise given to, why was the promise made and what would the Christ look like. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter 1 that God knew before He created the world that man would sin against Him. In addition, before the universe was created, God intended to send the Christ into the world for the purpose of saving his people. God does not delay in revealing His plan to man, male and female, but reveals it immediately after our first father and mother, Adam and Eve, sinned. Recall that Satan deceived Eve and so Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s command. God clearly stated that if they disobeyed Him they would die. Death has come into the world, God’s relationship with man has been broken and there is no way for man to undo what he has done. God first confronts Adam and then He speaks to Satan. One of the curses God pronounces on Satan is that the offspring of Eve will crush Satan’s head. God is the One who promised, from the beginning, that the Christ would come. God continues to proclaim his promise to his people, pronouncing a blessing on Abraham, Isaac and then Jacob that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through their offspring (Gen. 12:3; 17:19; 26:4; 28:14). Many years later, God announces how the nations of the earth will be blessed through their offspring. God will send his chosen servant and through him the nations will be blessed. Through the prophet Isaiah, God tells us about his servant and why his servant comes, “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” (42:1) and “I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (42:6-7) Besides the many other statements about his servant, God says “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed … the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all … Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their inquities.” (53:4-6b, 10-11) God’s servant comes to suffer for our sins and turn us back to God. As God says, “there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” (45:21b-22a) and “The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.” (59:15b-16) The promised servant will actually be God himself visiting his people, “say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him … He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” (40:9d-11) In Ezekiel God says, “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.” (36:22) And in chapter 37 of Ezekiel, he says, “Then [God] said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ Therefore, prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O Israel. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD; I have spoken and I will do it, declares the LORD.” (Ezekiel 37:12-14) God promised to send his servant, the Christ, to vindicate His own name as holy because God had not destroyed his people who had sinned against him but instead had promised them blessing. The Christ would come and suffer under God’s wrath for the purpose of atoning for the sins of all who believe. And He will make all who believe in him righteous, that is, acceptable to God. God’s promise that he would send the Christ is given to his people. The Christ is sent from God, has the favor of God upon him, follows God’s will, makes the blind to the see, releases the prisoners from darkness and is crushed by God to redeem a people for God’s own possession for the glory of God’s name. Jesus’ statements bear out that he believed that he is the promised Christ. Listen to some of the claims he made regarding himself to his disciples and to the crowds. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:51) – Three claims: He has the favor of God (cf. Matthew 3:16-17), He is the gate to heaven (cf. Genesis 28:12-13, 17) and He is the promised Mesisah whose rule will not end (cf. Son of Man – Daniel 7:13-14). “No one has ascended into heaven except him who descended from heaven, the Son of Man” (John 3:13) – He has come from God “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15) – He is the object of our faith for our salvation (cf. Numbers 21:8-9 where believing God’s promise that looking at the raised serpent would bring life) “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10) – He is the God who gives living water (Jerermiah 2:13; 17:13) “The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.’” (John 4:25-26) – He is the Christ “But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’ This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:17-18) – He is God’s Son, co-equal with God and all of his work is God’s work “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25) – He is God the Son and He speaks to the dead and they come back to life These are some of the claims made by Jesus in just the first five chapters of John’s gospel. There are too many more to be mentioned here before we even reach chapter 10, which is the passage we are considering. I encourage you, whether you believe in Jesus or not, to go home and read through John’s gospel noting all the claims Jesus makes about himself. I hope your heart will be as encouraged to believe in him as mine was. There can be no doubt that Jesus claimed to be the promised Christ. However, just because someone claims something to true doesn’t make it true. What evidence do we have that his claims are valid? If Jesus isn’t who He said He is but we go on believing and teaching that He is the Christ, then we are proclaiming something false about God Himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19) because we are testifying that God sent Jesus as his Christ. This is a deadly position to be in and so we must be certain about these claims. Jesus also tells the Jews that his works, done in his Father’s name, testify to who he is. The works that John has recorded up to this point in his gospel include:
Throughout his ministry, Jesus performed miracles that attested to God’s affirmation of him. As the blind man healed by Jesus says in John 9:31-33, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” Jesus claims to be God’s chosen servant and his miracles of opening the eyes of the blind and healing the lame are God’s testimony that Jesus is from God (cf. John 6:27). Jesus could not perform these miracles if he were exalting himself over God. Jesus is performing these miracles in God’s name and the fact these miracles occur show that Jesus is from God and is doing God’s will. The conclusion must be that Jesus’ visible work demonstrates that Jesus’ more important spiritual work, which is releasing people imprisoned by sin and bringing them into a right relationship with God (cf. John 3:1-15 and 4:5-42), is being accomplished and has the seal of God upon it. Therefore, we can only conclude that Jesus is the Messiah that God promised would come and, therefore, Jesus is able to deliver what he has promised. These Scriptures should encourage us to continue believing in Jesus no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. God has fulfilled his promise to send his servant into the world and his servant is the way for all who believe to enter into an everlasting relationship with God. The works that Jesus has performed prove that his claims about himself are true, that is, he is the Christ, the Son of God, the servant whom God has promised. Therefore, we can be certain that he fulfills his promise to give us eternal life. Jesus promises to all who believe in Him an intimate, eternal relationship with God. Jesus fulfills this promise because …
… because Jesus knows His sheep. In verse 27 Jesus describes the characteristics of a sheep. Two of the characteristics of Jesus’ sheep are that they hear his voice and follow him. A sheep receives what Jesus has said as the very words of God and believes that what has been said is the truth. The truth about God, the truth about man, the truth about salvation and the truth about every other thing. After receiving and believing, the sheep then follows after Jesus, walking in the manner in which Jesus walked (1 John 2:3-6). The other characteristic of Jesus’ sheep is that they are known by Jesus. This is not a statement of simple knowledge of who his sheep are as if he is only speaking about knowing their names. Rather, the word “know” is used to denote relationship and approval. And notice that it is Jesus who knows his sheep. He is the one who intends to have a relationship with them and he is the one who approves of them. This is not an isolated use of the word know in the Bible. Paul uses it several times in his letters. In 1 Corinthians 8:3, we read “But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” Or in Galatians 4:9, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back …”. And in 2 Timothy 2:19, “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’”. In this last verse Paul is referencing Numbers 16:5 which reads in part “In the morning the LORD will show who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him.” Jesus is capturing in one word what he has already spoken about all those who believe in him, which is consistent with what God had said in Numbers 16:5. “All that the Father gives to me will come to me” (6:37) and “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (6:44) Salvation is a gift of God to all who believe in two ways. First, the merit which is imputed to the believer so that she is declared righteous by God is not her own merit but Christ’s. And second, the repentance and faith of the one who comes to believe in Jesus is a work of God’s kindness (Romans 2:4) and not due to anything in the person. This should not surprise us because of our study of God dealings with man throughout the Bible. God chose to save Noah and his family from the flood. God, for his own purposes, chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob out of all the families of the earth to make a promise to and not because of anything they had done. God has chosen to bless all the nations of the earth through a descendant of Israel in spite of Israel’s rebellion. As Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has “chose[n] us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world”, that is before we had done anything good or bad (Ephesians 1:3-4; not unlike Romans 9:10-12). This is good news for us because it means our continuing as sheep in God’s flock does not ultimately depend upon us but upon God who has made the promise. God has set his affection and attention upon his sheep that they might have a relationship with him. Therefore, we can be certain that Jesus will deliver on his promise to give us eternal life because Jesus knows his sheep. An illustration of this point that has helped me was something that Pastor John used in a sermon a number of years ago and I hope it will help you as well. Let’s say that I wanted to become one of President Bush’s advisors. To help me, I put together a resume listing my extensive experience in running electrical grid simulations at the power company along with the great advice that I have given my wife and my kids over the years. I then travelled to Washington D.C. and went to the gate of the White House and asked if I could speak with the President for a moment about his need to hire me as one of his advisors. The best outcome of this scenario is that the guard at the gate just tells me to leave. With the worst outcome, I would be hauled out of there in a secret service vehicle and not for the purpose of meeting the President. The distance between myself as a citizen and the President is a gulf that I cannot bridge by myself. There is no way for me to get to know the President or become his advisor without him first making the choice to know me. If he decides that he wants me to be his advisor, then and only then will I be welcomed into his circle of trusted advisors and be granted an audience with him. We shouldn’t think that our relationship to God would be any different than this, especially since without the work of Christ we are not citizens of God’s kingdom. Rather, we are actually his enemies who seek to over-throw his rule. Because no one would be in the flock of God without God first intending to know his flock, we can know for certain that Jesus delivers on his promise of eternal life. God has chosen to know his flock before the foundation of the world. Jesus promises to all who believe in Him an intimate, eternal relationship with God. Jesus fulfills this promise because …
… because Jesus and the Father guarantee the safety of the sheep. Jesus gives his flock reassurance of why they can rest secure in his care for them as their good shepherd (John 10:10-14). He promises his flock that both he and his Father will protect them from thieves, robbers and wolves who might do them harm. The danger to the flock of God comes from outside the flock in the form of wolves who want to destroy belief in Jesus and from inside the flock by men who seek to turn the flock away from following the good shepherd (Acts 20:29-30). Both of these dangers are present to the church until the day Christ returns. Jesus can promise that he will protect us from these dangers because he knows where he has come from and where he is going (John 7:28-34). He knows that he has come from his Father and is returning to him after his crucifixion, death and resurrection. He will ascend into heaven to be exalted at God’s right hand. His promise of protection is sure because he was and is and always shall be the Son of God. As Paul states in Colossians 1:15-18a, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church.” Therefore, though we have an “adversary the devil [who] prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), we have assurance from God that our resistance against Satan and our standing firm in our faith, as Peter commands us to do, will not be in vain because Jesus promises that Satan cannot snatch out of his hand. As Paul says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3) Jesus has always had authority over the devil and will one day exercise that authority with finality by throwing the devil and all who follow him into the lake of God’s judgment. In addition, Jesus, as the head of the church, will guard and protect his flock from being led astray by false shepherds. Jesus has asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit and Holy Spirit has come to dwell in each believer. God has preserved for us his word to us so that we can test, with the Spirit’s help, what our leaders are preaching and teaching. In the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus explains that the weeds growing up among the wheat stalks in the field are a picture of the church not being pure until the day of judgment. But in the end, the wheat will be harvested into God’s kingdom while the weeds will be thrown into the fire of God’s wrath. Jesus protects the wheat from being destroyed, that is, he protects his flock. And it is not just Jesus who promises to protect the flock but also God the Father, who is over all things including Jesus himself. Jesus was sent by the Father so the Father is over the Son (John 5:30; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Note that the Father gives the sheep to Jesus, which carries with it the implication that he knows them as Jesus does. The Father has promised to Jesus that he will have a flock that follows him (Hebrews 2:13) and that he will rule over all his enemies (Psalm 2). God intends to glorify himself through the fulfillment of these promises to his Son and his glory is foremost in his affections (“For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” Isaiah 48:11). It is a good thing that God values his reputation above all other things because this is the root of our assurance that he will protect his Son’s flock (Hebrews 2:10) and finally destroy his Son’s enemies (Psalm 110:1). If we are Jesus’ sheep, we can have confidence that Jesus will deliver on his promise of eternal life because both he and his Father guarantee it. Jesus promises to all who believe in Him an intimate, eternal relationship with God. Only Jesus fulfills this promise because …
… because Jesus and the Father are one in being. Jesus reinforces his claim that all who believe in him will receive eternal life and never perish by pointing us to the ultimate reason for us to have confidence in him. When I first read this statement many years ago, I found it to be very cryptic, I didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. However, if we continue down the passage we will find out what Jesus means by this statement because the Jews clearly understand what he intends. Jesus claims that he and God the Father are one in essence, being and nature. If you recall our recent study of Hebrews chapter 1, the author there makes the same statement about Jesus where he calls Jesus “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of [God’s] nature” (1:3). Although Jesus has not plainly stated in his reply to the Jews that he is the promised Christ, he leaves no uncertainty that he shares equality with God in his being. Paraphrasing C.S. Lewis, Jesus leaves us no option to think that he is merely a good teacher or only a prophet because he claims to be God himself. Either Jesus is lying, he is crazy or he is who says he is. As we have already seen, God himself bears witness that Jesus has been sent by him and the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the definitive proof that what Jesus says about himself is true. Since only “the Father has life in himself” (John 5:26), Jesus resurrection from the dead proves that God “has set his seal” upon Jesus and everything he has said and done (John 6:27). Therefore, Jesus’ claim to be God has been vindicated. Jesus is God Himself. Because Jesus and the Father are one in being, we can know that what Jesus has promised will come to pass. They have the same desires, thoughts, intentions, motivations and will act in concert to execute their will for the same purpose. Since the purpose of God in sending his Son is to glorify the Son and so glorify himself by giving eternal life to all who believe (John 17:1-5), every believer can have confidence that their sins are forgiven and thay they have entered into an intimate, eternal relationship with God the Father and his Son. A relationship that can never be broken because the Godhead wills with one will that they be protected from their enemies and that they never perish. Knowing that God wills this on behalf of all who believe in him should fill us with a great confidence that encourages us to keep believing in Jesus when things are going well or when doubts and troubles assail us. Jesus promises to all who believe in Him an intimate, eternal relationship with God. Jesus fulfills this promise because …
Prayer Benediction from 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. © Copyright 2006 Dave
|