A)Shepherd who is in
contrast to the thieves and robbers and hireling -
19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of
these sayings. 20 And many of them said,"He has
a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" 21 Others said, "These
are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the
blind?"
Going back to the man in
Ch.9 he healed who was born blind – what how can he do this
This
is the third time John mentions this reaction to the ministry of Jesus A Division
So
the leaders were Divided { Jesus does
V.22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in
It was
the Feast of the Dedication at
Hanukkah celebrates the purification and
rededication of the temple after its defilement under the Syrian king,
Antiochus Epiphanes, in the year 165 BC.
The
feast looks back on that dramatic, exciting period in
After
a terrible time of murder and slaughter, and defilement of the temple courts by
the offering of pigs on the altars of Judah, Judas Maccabeus and his sons drove
out the Syrians, reclaimed the temple for the Lord and dedicated it anew.
That
event is celebrated down to this day in the Feast of Hanukkah.{ Not mentioned
in OT – but here in the NT
23 And Jesus
walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Solomon’s porch " was a large roofed-in
enclosure supported by beautiful columns that filled one side of the temple
arena.
Great
place to be in the winter months – sheltered from the rain
There,
sheltered from the rain, our Lord resumed his teaching ministry during the
Feast of Hanukkah.
As
Jesus walked there in that area around Solomon’s porch -– I wonder if He was
contemplating a bit – the History and the future of that temple area
It would be the very place – in only a few months
where many would get saved. –
Here
during this celebration of dedication –
I wonder if he thought about His own life – Dedication – dedicating himself a
fresh to the work that the father has set before him.
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him [Antagonistic here – aggressive] Circle him like a Mob!
It is evident that by this
time there was a tremendous TENSION – between Jesus and these leaders. –
and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You
are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.
The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.
Now
it is true that Jesus didn’t come right out and say – I am the Messiah to these
guys –
They
were looking for Messiah – To overthrow
Rome – They pictured the Messiah as a conquering hero who, like the family of Judas Maccabeus, would drive out the
Romans, free the temple and enable the Jewish nation to again gain control of
the land
He
was direct in talking to the woman at the well. – And the man born blind – but
he had hinted many times –
But even more so his works
spoke of the truth concerning who He was.
A)The
prophet Isaiah had predicted that, when the Messiah came, the ears of the deaf
would be unstopped,
B)the eyes of the blind
would be opened, the lame would leap for Joy, and the tongue of the dumb would
sing, (Isaiah 35).
C)All
of these things had taken place under Jesus' ministry.
1)
So Jesus clearly indicated by his deeds that he was the Messiah, but he had not
said so in words.
D) Even though they knew the
scriptures they failed to make the connection.
1)
Jesus tells the reason why in v.26
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I
said to you. {2
months ago – I taught you – great not the sheep thing again}
The
Reason that you don’t believe is you are really not my sheep – your lack of
believe proves that.
A)They saw the miracles but
didn’t believe because they weren’t his sheep to begin with
REMINDER
miracles don’t produce faith.
A)If
only God did this or that –
B)It
is the word that changes us and transforms us – it is the word, miracles are
just signs – the word produces sheep
C) Here belief is attached
to being his sheep.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me.
Characteristic
of those who are his sheep – Present continual sense –
A)they are continually
hearing my voice– progressive – growing
– more recognizable w/ time
B) I am continually knowing
them and they are continually following me.
1)There
is a process here – this is a relationship it is not a one time religious
thing.
C) My sheep hear my voice –
I know them - One of the marks of true believers is they always have a sense
they belong to God,
1)that
they are his children, part of his family, and welcomed by the Lord Jesus
himself.
D)This
is what Paul refers to in
They
follow me – there is a forsaking of the world – and all of it’s trappings –
they follow Jesus.
A)The
Apostle Paul says the same thing in his letter to Timothy: "The foundation of the Lord stands sure, having
this seal, the Lord knows them that are his." {cf,
2 Timothy 2:19.
B)There is divine
recognition. But that is not all: "Let him that names the name of Christ
depart from iniquity," 2 Tim
2:19.
C)Let
him turn his back on what is wrong and obey and follow his Lord. That is the
mark of a sheep.
1)
They are continually hearing his voice
What
Jesus says next is a Great passage that addresses the security of the believer
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
"I
give to them eternal life." That is stated in the present continual tense:
"I keep on giving to them eternal life." Quality of life. – Continual sense.
Never
perish -There is a double negative here in the
Greek NEVER NEVER – do this in English class and you
will get a bad mark –
Here it is emphasized for a reason – He is here speaking about the
security of the believer.
God
wants us to be so secure in our relationship with Him and His love for us.
A)Kids who are secure in
their parents love – thrive
B) Touched – more confident
–
C) God built us that way –
He wants us to be secure in Him.
1) People secure take steps
of faith – they do more
As
a Pastor I hate to see people who are always worrying – did I loose my
salvation
A)God mad at me
B) Rededications – { Most
don’t need to rededicate
1) They simply need to apply
“If we confess our
sins, Confess = to say the same as – element of repentance there !
He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
C) Some people – get saved
every week – because they are not secure in the Lord.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's
hand.
D) Secure in the Lord’s hands
Statistics
show the average adult American is exposed to between 250- 300 commercials
every day.
A)But
of those 250 plus commercials, only a few have what is referred to in the
industry as “sticking power.”
B)Which means, very few are
remembered for any length of time.
1)The
ad campaign with perhaps the greatest sticking power in advertising history was
launched when the Allstate Indemnity Company declared,
“You’re in good
hands with Allstate.”
C)But the temporal life
insurance policy you can buy from Allstate
1)does
not compare to the eternal life assurance you can get free from God Almighty,
2)
for while the Allstate salesman tells you you’re in good hands, the Son of Man
says, “You’re in God’s hands.”
What
holds us to Jesus? Not our great effort.
A)Holding
my kids hand – I say here hold my hand –
B)Listen There security is not based on their grip of my hand – It is
based on my grip of their hand. –
1)
They are not going to be pulling me out of the way of some car. – But I will
pull them.
Love
to do studies on random ideas – The Hand of God.
Strong
Hands
Then Jesus went into the
One
armed curls the big fisherman
Tender Hands
Then little children were brought to
Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked
them. 14 But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not
forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
When
children were brought to Him, Jesus laid His hands upon them and blessed them.
Wonder-Working Hands
“And many hearing Him were astonished,
saying,"Where did this Man get these things? And
what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed
by His hands!”
His hands – Fed the 5,000
touched lepers blind and lame
Knowing that the greatest
need people have is to feel loved, Jesus touched them compassionately.
The Hand That Spans the Cosmos
“Who has measured the waters in the
hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span”
The
Oceans in the hollow of his hand –
Galaxies
in the Span – 100 billion galaxies -
The Hand That Bears Your Name
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Hands that
bear the Scars
You are in Good Hands –
God’s hands
This
leads us to another marvelous statement, a staggering claim by Jesus: V,30
"I and the Father are one." [And immediately John
adds]
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus
answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which
of those works do you stone Me?"
Raise
the dead / heal the blind – lame walk / fed 5,000 which one do you seek to
stone me for ?
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not
stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself
God."
The
Jews of Jesus’ day see clearly what the Jehovah’s Witnesses and others seem to
miss: that Jesus clearly claimed to be God (because
You, being a Man, make Yourself God).
If
only they knew the truth – He wasn’t a man who made himself into God – but He
is God who made himself into a man!
That is the Staggering thing
–
He
emptied himself and took on the form of a servant – became one of us and
subjected himself to our struggles – hunger fatigue thirst – rejection –
temptation.
So
they were ready to stone him right there for claiming to be One with God.
Opponents
of the deity of Jesus say that the oneness Jesus had with the Father was only a
unity of purpose and mission –
even
as a husband and wife or father and son may have a unity of purpose of mission,
and still they are not the same person.
This,
however, misses the point. First, we never
argue that the Bible teaches that the Father and the Son are the same
Person - they are one God, but distinct in Person.
Second,
it misses the most obvious point: that even true unity of purpose and mission
between a husband and wife or father and son exist only because they are each
equally and totally human.
You
can’t really speak of even a unity of purpose and mission between a human and a
dog;
Well
isn’t the distance between God and man even greater? Even if the unity
described by Jesus was merely a unity of purpose and mission (and it is more
than that),
even
that would only be possible if the Father and Son were equally and totally God.
Jesus
responds by giving an interesting but also difficult response V.34-39
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I
said, "You are gods"’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of
God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the
Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I
said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not
believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that
you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."
Now
when Jesus says is it "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, "You
are gods"’? He is
referring to the term Judges found in
The
word Judges is Elohim – Plural for gods – they used
that term because of what the Judges did –
A)They judged and the power
of life and death was in their hands –
B) so in that they were
called gods – in the same way today that we call a Judge your honor.
C) The Judges were “gods” in that they judged
Exodus21:5-6
“But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and
my children; I will not go out free,' 6 then his master shall bring him to the
judges . He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his
master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.”
"If men fight,
and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm
follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes
on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
8 If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall
be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor's
goods.
9 "For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a
donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims
to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges ; and
whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.
In
all of these passages – the term Judges is Elohim –
Now Jesus quotes
here in John from Psalm 82 lets turn there.
RD Whole Chapter
Here was the
problem – God gave authority to the Judges to Judge – to do justice – to
respond in fairness to the Widows and the fatherless
But
they were not Judging rightly / They Judged wrong
In our text, Jesus is
employing what is known as a “much more” argument.
You guys as judges are
referred to as gods even though you don’t judge rightly
You are not acting like the
judges God required you to be
I on the other hand – Am
acting just like the Father and yet you take offense that I declare to be one
with Him – The Son of God
Back to John and wrap up RD 40-42
And He went away again beyond the