Safe in the Hand of God
SAFE IN THE HAND OF GOD
John 10:22-31
Introduction:
The other day I was at Walmart and I came upon a cookie display. It was a new kind of Oreo cookie and the packaging sread in big bold letters, “Omega 3 and Omega 6” implying that these sugary, artificially flavoured diabetes causing snacks were healthy. For a second I thought about buying them and I realized that it was a trick. Some marketers had figured out that using the buzz word Omega 3 and 6 would sell more cookies. And they were probably right. I’m sure they did their market research to prove it. Now market researchers can predict fairly accurately that a certain number of people will buy a certain product if it is marketed in a certain way, but they can’t know the names of every individual who will buy that product. They can’t say on August 15th 2007, Rick Chase of Delta BC will buy oreo cookies because the label reads Omega 3 and 6. But you know what, before the foundations of the world, God foreknew, intimately, the names of every person who would and would not respond to the gospel. Shouldn’t it be that way? Shouldn’t God be more omniscient (all knowing) then fallible human marketers?
I. Context
a. 22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.
A period of three months has lapsed between verse 21 and 22 and the gospel doesn’t record what Jesus did or where he went during that time, but John picks up again with Jesus back in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication which occurred in mid December. The Feast of Dedication was also known as the Feast of Lights or Hanukah.[1]
b. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
These Jews were likely still smarting from the verbal lashing that Jesus had given them some three months earlier. They surrounded him like a bunch of school yard bullies. The rules of war do not permit surrounding the enemy unless you outnumber him 10 to 1 (Sun Tzu, The Art of War). How arrogant these priests were to think that they were the superior force able to contain within their finite grasp and decide upon the fate of the uncontainable infinite all-powerful God of the universe.
Their question was a taunt and had all the sincerity of someone who stands mocking a street corner evangelist. “Pray tell… don’t keep us in suspense- we’re holding our breath waiting for your answer. Are you the Messiah spoken of in the Law and the Prophets here to liberate us from our captivity to the cruel Romans and restore David’s throne?”
Some commentators suggest that Jesus never came right out and said that he was the messiah because of the Jews’ mistaken views of what that meant. They expected a political messiah to restore Israel to the glories of David’s Kingdom. Their racist xenophobic eschatology could never contain a world messiah who came to liberate all peoples from bondage to sin and invite them into the Greater Kingdom of God.
The truth is: Jesus was not a fearful coward preaching the Kingdom of God in dark corners and in stealth. He openly claimed to be the Messiah. First to the Samaritan woman:
[she] said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." (4:25-26).
Jesus’ self-disclosure wasn’t just to the Samaritans either; the Jews had also heard the testimonies about him. John called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Nicodemus called him a teacher sent from God. And on many occasions Jesus claimed to be sent from God to fulfill the scriptures. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (5:39-40). That’s what Jesus says in v. 25:
c. "I told you, and you do not believe.” (v. 25)
Jesus will not be tricked or outmaneuvered by clever word games. These Pharisees are looking for a reason to trap him in his words. It is remarkable that, in spite of all Jesus’ many discourses and public rebukes of the Pharisees, at his trial they had to perjurer themselves in order to bring a charge against him. And even then, the false witnesses could not agree? Every word Jesus chose, every discourse was carefully chosen, pure and faultless. His words are life.
The reason that the Pharisees could not hear and see and know the identity of Jesus was twofold: The first reason is because they would not believe. They willed not to believe. God’s election does not free men from moral obligation and personal responsibility should they reject the gospel. It is because they love darkness and refuse to come into the light. Their free will would not allow them.
The second reason the Pharisees could not hear and see and know the identity of Jesus is found in the second part of verse 25: “The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.”
They had the scripture, they had the testimony of others, they had Jesus’ personal claims and they also saw or heard about his powerful works, the walking on water, the feeding the 5000, the water into wine, the lame man walking, and most recently the blind man seeing. The evidence was overwhelmingly in support of Jesus’ claims and still these unjust judges would accuse and condemn him. This should encourage those of us who have been witnessing to a friend or a family member to no avail. For years you’ve shared the gospel, endured their jeers and loved them anyway- but they refuse to believe. Calvin described the situation this way,
Thus in our day, we see many who voluntarily shut their eyes, and spread the clouds of their doubt in order to darken the clear light of the gospel.
Even in our day, though Jesus’ words are verified by his works: the changed lives and answered prayers- the gate to heaven is still narrow. You cannot coerce, or market, or trick, or entertain, or nag people into the Kingdom. Your job is to present the gospel (clear, simple and unadulterated)- that’s the voice of God and his sheep will hear it in God’s timing; when it pleases God who separates them from their mother’s womb to reveal His Son to them. I ignored his voice 22 years before I followed him. Some do not follow until they are old men or on their death bed. So don’t lose heart in sharing the gospel and praying for its effect. You can sleep at night know that God causes the increase, not you.
II. The Relationship Between the Sheep and the Shepherd
a. Juxtaposed to that unbelieving flock, Jesus draws this picture of his sheep. He says in v. 27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Before men can know God, they must first be known by Him. Paul acknowledged this to Galatians saying,
John 10:22-31
Introduction:
The other day I was at Walmart and I came upon a cookie display. It was a new kind of Oreo cookie and the packaging sread in big bold letters, “Omega 3 and Omega 6” implying that these sugary, artificially flavoured diabetes causing snacks were healthy. For a second I thought about buying them and I realized that it was a trick. Some marketers had figured out that using the buzz word Omega 3 and 6 would sell more cookies. And they were probably right. I’m sure they did their market research to prove it. Now market researchers can predict fairly accurately that a certain number of people will buy a certain product if it is marketed in a certain way, but they can’t know the names of every individual who will buy that product. They can’t say on August 15th 2007, Rick Chase of Delta BC will buy oreo cookies because the label reads Omega 3 and 6. But you know what, before the foundations of the world, God foreknew, intimately, the names of every person who would and would not respond to the gospel. Shouldn’t it be that way? Shouldn’t God be more omniscient (all knowing) then fallible human marketers?
I. Context
a. 22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.
A period of three months has lapsed between verse 21 and 22 and the gospel doesn’t record what Jesus did or where he went during that time, but John picks up again with Jesus back in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication which occurred in mid December. The Feast of Dedication was also known as the Feast of Lights or Hanukah.[1]
b. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
These Jews were likely still smarting from the verbal lashing that Jesus had given them some three months earlier. They surrounded him like a bunch of school yard bullies. The rules of war do not permit surrounding the enemy unless you outnumber him 10 to 1 (Sun Tzu, The Art of War). How arrogant these priests were to think that they were the superior force able to contain within their finite grasp and decide upon the fate of the uncontainable infinite all-powerful God of the universe.
Their question was a taunt and had all the sincerity of someone who stands mocking a street corner evangelist. “Pray tell… don’t keep us in suspense- we’re holding our breath waiting for your answer. Are you the Messiah spoken of in the Law and the Prophets here to liberate us from our captivity to the cruel Romans and restore David’s throne?”
Some commentators suggest that Jesus never came right out and said that he was the messiah because of the Jews’ mistaken views of what that meant. They expected a political messiah to restore Israel to the glories of David’s Kingdom. Their racist xenophobic eschatology could never contain a world messiah who came to liberate all peoples from bondage to sin and invite them into the Greater Kingdom of God.
The truth is: Jesus was not a fearful coward preaching the Kingdom of God in dark corners and in stealth. He openly claimed to be the Messiah. First to the Samaritan woman:
[she] said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." (4:25-26).
Jesus’ self-disclosure wasn’t just to the Samaritans either; the Jews had also heard the testimonies about him. John called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Nicodemus called him a teacher sent from God. And on many occasions Jesus claimed to be sent from God to fulfill the scriptures. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (5:39-40). That’s what Jesus says in v. 25:
c. "I told you, and you do not believe.” (v. 25)
Jesus will not be tricked or outmaneuvered by clever word games. These Pharisees are looking for a reason to trap him in his words. It is remarkable that, in spite of all Jesus’ many discourses and public rebukes of the Pharisees, at his trial they had to perjurer themselves in order to bring a charge against him. And even then, the false witnesses could not agree? Every word Jesus chose, every discourse was carefully chosen, pure and faultless. His words are life.
The reason that the Pharisees could not hear and see and know the identity of Jesus was twofold: The first reason is because they would not believe. They willed not to believe. God’s election does not free men from moral obligation and personal responsibility should they reject the gospel. It is because they love darkness and refuse to come into the light. Their free will would not allow them.
The second reason the Pharisees could not hear and see and know the identity of Jesus is found in the second part of verse 25: “The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.”
They had the scripture, they had the testimony of others, they had Jesus’ personal claims and they also saw or heard about his powerful works, the walking on water, the feeding the 5000, the water into wine, the lame man walking, and most recently the blind man seeing. The evidence was overwhelmingly in support of Jesus’ claims and still these unjust judges would accuse and condemn him. This should encourage those of us who have been witnessing to a friend or a family member to no avail. For years you’ve shared the gospel, endured their jeers and loved them anyway- but they refuse to believe. Calvin described the situation this way,
Thus in our day, we see many who voluntarily shut their eyes, and spread the clouds of their doubt in order to darken the clear light of the gospel.
Even in our day, though Jesus’ words are verified by his works: the changed lives and answered prayers- the gate to heaven is still narrow. You cannot coerce, or market, or trick, or entertain, or nag people into the Kingdom. Your job is to present the gospel (clear, simple and unadulterated)- that’s the voice of God and his sheep will hear it in God’s timing; when it pleases God who separates them from their mother’s womb to reveal His Son to them. I ignored his voice 22 years before I followed him. Some do not follow until they are old men or on their death bed. So don’t lose heart in sharing the gospel and praying for its effect. You can sleep at night know that God causes the increase, not you.
II. The Relationship Between the Sheep and the Shepherd
a. Juxtaposed to that unbelieving flock, Jesus draws this picture of his sheep. He says in v. 27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Before men can know God, they must first be known by Him. Paul acknowledged this to Galatians saying,
But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how canAnd John also wrote, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). This knowing called foreknowledge.[2]
you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the
world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (Gal 4:9).
So Jesus says in verse 28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; There is great security for the believer in this. Just as the life that he gives us is eternal, so also is the ‘never perishing’ eternal. The reason we are secure is that it is in Christ’s hands to secure it, not ours. If we can do nothing to earn the eternal life, then it seems logical to say that we can do nothing to keep. Otherwise, doing something to keep would entail that we are earning it- I hope that makes sense.
We are secure in the Son’s hands because he say, “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.” Our security is rooted in the will of God that never changes and is never moved. But someone might say, “Yes, but I can jump out of his hand.” But doesn’t that contradict what Jesus just said? It makes it meaningless. If I can remove myself from his hand, then it is meaningless to say no one can remove them. Why can’t I remove myself if I wanted to? Because I would never want to. Sure I may sin; I may fall into bad teaching; I may fall way- but that will only be for a time. The Holy Spirit is the hound dog of heaven and the Good shepherd will leave the 99 and go after the 1 lost sheep until he finds him and restores him. He is at work within us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. He will finish what he has started in us.[3]
Application
All this theory and doctrine about the sovereignty of God and the bondage of our will apart from His providence and cause us to become passive and apathetic as though, since he calls his own, he pays the price to save them, he works in us to accomplish our sanctification and then he glories us and keeps us from falling away, all we need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. But the Bible never teaches that. We have to work out our own salvations with fear and trembling, examining ourselves to see whether we are truly in the faith.
Yes, Jesus knows us and therefore we hear his voice; but in hearing we must listen for and keep listening. This is not as much a mystical experience as it is a matter of discipline of daily being in His Word so that when we hear His voice we recognize it and we know it is him.
Yes Jesus sovereignly gives to us eternal life and there is nothing we can to do to earn, but we must still follow him- this is obedience. If he calls us to forsake our mother and father and all our worldly wealth and inheritance and to go not knowing where –then we must go. If he calls us to surrender our lives to the mission field, then we must go to the mission field. If he calls us to love our wives and children faithfully, then we must do it faithfully.
Finally, yes he preserves us. But we must never act as though since we will never perish we can live in such a way as to trample the grace of God by forsaking righteousness and living worse then the heathen. We must never live as though, since we cannot perish, we cannot be punished. Whom He loves, he chastens. When we are chastened of the Lord, it is for our own good.
Great is Thy faithfulness,
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with thee
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions, they fail notAs Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Notes:
[1] The Feast was instituted by Judas Maccabeus around 164 BC as a commemoration of the purification of the Temple after the Maccabaeans had successfully revolted against the Antiochus Epiphanies who had profaned Jehovah by instituting pagan worship in the Temple. Judas Maccabeus tore down the profaned altar and restored the priesthood.
[2] Romans 10:29 says,For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
[3] “Whoever drinks of this water will never be thirsty” (4:14); we “have passed from death to life” (5:24b); “All that the Father gives to me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (6:37); of those whom God gave to Jesus “he has not lost one” (18:9).
posted by Rick @ 1:55 PM
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home