Scripture: John 10:22-30
Date: February 6, 2011
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Life outside of a big story is lonely, fragile, and pointless.
Postmoderns are no longer actors in a vast and unfolding drama. They are actors in their own petit dramas. We are but the pieces of confetti that flutter down, each on its own erratic course, none joined to the others but each making its own solitary way through the air. (Wells, Above All Earthly Pow’rs, 250)
The Christian story explains it all and where it is all going and the purpose behind it all. We know that this is a really great story that started before the ages began.
God promised eternal life before the ages began (Titus 1:2, ESV). So the money question: to whom did God make this promise of eternal life? The world did not yet exist. Men had not been created. Who existed with God before the ages began? The answer is His Son ! All three Persons of the Trinity exist eternally and this promise of eternal life was a promise the Father made to the Son. Obviously the Father wasn’t promising the Son that the Son Himself would have eternal life, but the Father promised that a group from every tribe, tongue, and nation would have eternal life through and for the Son.
Before the world or mankind was ever created, the Father chose to express His great love by promising His Son a redeemed people who would love and serve and glorify the Son forever.
John 10:22-30 provides a small peak into this eternal covenant with the curtains pulled back by Jesus Himself.
Chapter 10 nears the conclusion of John’s presentation of Jesus’ public ministry. We’re at the end of three years of Jesus’ traveling, preaching, miracle working, and confronting religious people reading the wrong story.
John 10:22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.
This answers the where and the when. The “where” was the temple, in particular the colonnade of Solomon which was a row of columns supporting the roof, located on the east side of the temple overlooking the Kidron Valley. The colonnade provided a bit of shelter during bad weather. (We read about this very same location in Acts 3:11 and 5:12 when the apostles preached there.)
The “when” was the Feast of Dedication . The “Feast of Dedication” was not established in the Old Testament. Instead, the feast is connected with an inter-testamental event, when in 167 BC Antiochus Epiphanes ransacked Jerusalem and polluted the temple. During his reign, religious rites of the Jews were outlawed; it was a capital offense to possess a copy of the law or to circumcise a son. Within a few years the Jews grew strong enough to revolt and, under the leadership of Judas Maccabaeus, they recaptured the temple on 25 Kislev (December) 164 BC.
The people celebrated the rededication of the temple for eight days, and it was decreed that a similar eight day feast of dedication was to be held every year. This is Hanukkah. It was also called the Feast of Lights because of the lighting of lamps not only in the temple but also in individual homes.
The confrontation in verses 22 and following is probably two months after verse 21, since the events from 7:1-10:21 took place around the Feast of Booths, a feast observed at the end of October. The theme of a shepherd and his sheep connects the chapter together. This is the last time we see Jesus in Jerusalem before His return for Passover in the spring when He will be killed.
It is ironic that the very Feast the Jews were celebrating was part of their story. They were awaiting the fulfillment of temple worship, the Messiah, but they missed the fact that Jesus was the fulfillment of the feast. Their story involved national and political deliverance so that life would be better. God’s story was of deliverance from sin so to eternal life as a gift for His Son. Their story was close, but they misunderstood God’s story.
24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
I think the so (οὖν; “therefore” NAS, omitted in the NIV) is an interesting way to begin the verse. It’s a “therefore.” Because Jesus was walking in the temple the Jews gathered around Him ; love Him or hate Him, Jesus always drew a crowd. The idea of gathered is that they circled around Him, they hemmed Him in. It’s like these Jews see their opportunity, because there is no mention of any crowds. For that matter, even the disciples aren’t mentioned though it’s likely they were near. Now the Jews can have it out with Him without a friendly multitude to protect Him.
And they challenge Him. They demand from Him an answer. We get the impression that they were ready to take immediate, decisive, and hostile action against Jesus depending on His answer (especially since in verse 31 they take up stones to stone Him).
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not part of my sheep.
Jesus knocks down all the suspense. He says, “I already told you.” They came looking for a fight and Jesus says they should know better. Notice Jesus’ explanation of their unbelief in verse 26. It’s not “You are not part of my sheep because you don’t believe.” It’s the exact opposite cause and effect. “You do not believe because you are not part of My sheep.”
I think this nicks the spinal cord of this paragraph. Why is this story included by John? Who is Jesus talking to? Jesus is explaining why some don’t believe the story. Recognizing who Jesus is is not something available to all, but only to the sheep. “The knowledge of Christ is not the natural possession of any man. Faith is always a gift of God” (Morris, 520). As D.A. Carson put it, “Their massive unbelief is not surprising, it is to be expected, and falls under the umbrella of God’s sovereignty.”
Then in verses 27-30 Jesus contrasts those who are not His sheep with those who are.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will 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 the Father’s hand.
Jesus’ identity is self-authenticating when the sheep hear His voice. They have no doubt about who He is. This is a great picture, and more of it is detailed at the beginning of the chapter. But the idea is probably of a community pen owned by multiple families, some distance from their houses. These families would share the cost of the pen and the duties of watching the sheep by putting their different flocks together. The picture is of the shepherd coming to the pen and knowing his sheep and his sheep knowing him. They have a relationship. More than that, the sheep are His before He calls.
The story of the Good Shepherd and His sheep includes eternal security. Of course, the very idea of eternal life means that it must be secure; eternal life does not end. But the key to security is not our hold of Christ but rather His hold of us.
The reality of their security is stated in verse 28, no one will snatch them out of my hand . The certainty of their security is described in verse 29, no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand .
The sheep did nothing to earn their eternal life, nor can they do something to lose it. The certainty of the sheep’s salvation is entirely dependent on something outside of themselves, or rather Someone. Jesus does not fail in His eternal mission. His assignment was to save (and preserve) all those given to Him by the Father.
30 I and the Father are one.”
The mission of the Son is part of the plan of the Father.
And, don’t forget the response of the Jews in verses 31-39, as they picked up stones to stone Him. They didn’t like His story.
Let me make some observations about the relationship between the Shepherd and His Sheep.
First, the sheep are chosen by the Father for the Shepherd. The Father chose them; He elected them. John 10:29, “My Father who has given them to me.” This is an arranged marriage between the Son and His bride, the church.
Second, the sheep are delivered by the death of the Shepherd. John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Verse 15, “I lay my life down for the sheep.” His sacrifice was specific. It was not for someone else’s sheep or for the goats or the thieves. Jesus agreed to His role in the eternal covenant on behalf of those chosen by the Father for Him.
Third, the sheep are drawn by the Spirit to follow the Shepherd. True, the Spirit isn’t mentioned specifically in John 10, but look at the phrase, “My sheep hear My voice.” How is that possible? Look back at John 6:37: “All that the Father gives to me will come to me.” Then look in verse 44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” We know from the rest of the New Testament that the Father sends the Spirit to do His drawing. Perhaps Jesus doesn’t mention the Spirit yet because the Spirit hadn’t come yet. But this is the promise of the New Covenant, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey My rules” (Ezekiel 36:27). The third person of the Trinity has a crucial role as well.
Fourth, the sheep are kept by the power of the Shepherd. Of course this is in perfect union with the Father, and for that matter, it is practically worked out through the Spirit.
Now if we could add one more observation at the beginning you may recognize a pattern. Perhaps if we added something like: the sheep are totally depraved without the Shepherd. Do you see the pattern? It’s the gospel of grace: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. This is the story; this is the gospel. But the emphasis is on God, the Father, Son, and Spirit, saving sinners for God’s glory.
When we tell the story with men at the center, that is actually a different story altogether.
Some people suggest that even if this is all true, it’s not really that beneficial. But Jesus didn’t think it was unhelpful. In fact, Jesus taught this to unbelievers, and hostile unbelievers at that. The truth of God’s eternal sovereignty in salvation is a cause for celebration for those who believe. Peace and hope and awe is increased for the Christian when he understands sovereign grace. But Reformed theology also explains our world and provides a motivation to preach. Go back to Titus 1.
Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
God promises eternal life to His elect. He brings His elect to faith through knowledge of the truth. And He brings knowledge of truth through the preaching of His Word. The good story is not just good information, the good story itself is effective to save people. Doxology and evangelism are written by the same words.
Before we finish, I want to entreat unbelievers to consider that the gospel of John was written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in His name. Of course, we know that if you do believe that is because you have been chosen by the Father in eternity past, not because you are valuable, but because His Son is valuable. And if you believe, you can know that the Son laid down His life for yours and the Spirit effectually called you to this eternal life in the gospel. You can be saved, but your salvation is part of something much bigger than you.
I also want to remind believers that we will have contact with many who see Jesus and see His ministry and His miracles and His teaching in Scripture who will not believe. But this is no surprise to God, nor should it be to us. The reason for unbelief is either because God hasn’t called the person yet or because the person isn’t one of His sheep. Of course, we don’t know what He knows so we just keep proclaiming the gospel anyway. But His sheep know Him, they know His voice, and they follow Him.
The Bible/redemptive narrative is powerful. Give the system and the story, not either/or. Both are objective, both are experienced subjectively. And both appeal to different parts of us, heart, soul, and mind. Perhaps this is part of the reason why the majority of the Bible is narrative in form. Even the epistles, for as organized and formal as they present truth, are written in life contexts.
The eternal and infinite love of the Father for the Son is not one of many good stories. It is the only story, whether people embrace it or not, and it is the only good story, good in it’s provision of eternal life for us and glorious as it reveals the infinite love of the Trinity. Our responsibility is to confront our culture with the only life giving story of the Gospel as a framework for all existence. This story is real, revealed, and to be remembered, rehearsed, and recited by the people of God (Wells, 172).
This is His amazing story, as God makes one flock lead by one Shepherd.
An old tyrant in Egypt, Hosni Muburak, desperate to hang on to his power, apparently shut down Internet access in his country in order to keep his enemies from communicating with each other and telling their story to the world. Of course, there’s no way to keep good stories quiet, even without Twitter and Facebook. In Muburak’s case, he showed himself to be no more than a standard villain who should have known better.
Who but God knows what will happen next in Egypt’s government. We do know, however, that somehow it fits in God’s great story. His is a story of giving life to the dead, uniting natural enemies into one body, proving a point to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places, and demonstrating infinite love between a Father and His Son.
Our Internet has not been limited, our mouths have not been shut, and our enemy—a standard (but strong) villain, desperate to hang on as long as he can—will be defeated as we proclaim the story of Jesus as He makes one flock, as our Shepherd.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, ESV)