THERE IS A GREAT DAY COMING!

"For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.'  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 

2 Corinthians 6:2

In a civil courtroom, the judge enters wearing a black robe symbolic of his office while the bailiff calls on those present to stand. There is a shuffling of feet as everyone rises to show due respect to the judge and his court. The attorney for the prosecution formally presses charges against the accused, presents the evidence, and calls for a conviction and sentence to punish the guilty. If he is convicted and sentenced, he is taken straight to prison. Our system has been developed to ensure a fair and just outcome, so much of our formality is an imitation of what justice looks like in the Bible as presented by God. However, God will not use a “jury of our peers” to condemn us. His knowledge of our crimes is absolute, and His justice is perfect. We can be sure that every sinner will be condemned for all eternity unless he is forgiven and transformed into a righteous servant of his Creator and Judge before the last great Day of Judgment. There is a Great Day Coming!

Today is the day of salvation!  It is vital that we make proper preparation before the Lord returns, certainly before we die.  It is impossible to prepare after we die because God will not give us the opportunity.  After we die, we will be judged. There will be no second chance.

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."  (Heb. 9:27)

After death, there is no plan of redemption.  

• Are you preparing for Judgment Day?  
• Are you ready to be called before the judgment throne of God?  

It is such a tragedy to be found unprepared!  

Those who linger and are unprepared will receive eternal punishment.

"This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might."  (Thess. 1:5-9) 

 

• We must be ready, for we do not know when that day of reckoning will be (Matt. 24:36; 2 Pet. 3:10).  
• We must make sure that we are ready while we still have the opportunity (2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 3:15). 

Therefore, we must obey the Gospel now, before we die.  

The Gospel will judge us.  Jesus, our Lord, and Savior, came from Heaven to bring salvation to mankind by God’s Grace (Matt. 1:21, Lk. 2:11; 19:10, 1 Tim. 1:15; Tit. 2:11).  This salvation is a free gift offered to all men by God (Rom. 5:12-21).  However, we must refuse to continue in sin to receive such a free gift.  Why?  Because we must turn from our sins and obey the Gospel to be forgiven or redeemed (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).   The Lord urges Christians and unbelievers to be  ready because "There’s A Great Day Coming." May we never miss Heaven and be lost forever!  

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him" (Heb. 9:27-28).

"For I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"  (Luke 16:28-31).  

There is no opportunity for obedience after death!!  

Eternity is real, and we must accept that we will be either in Heaven or Hell, eternally.  It will directly reflect how we have lived our lives here on earth.  

ARE YOU READY TO MEET YOUR GOD?

• Two Eternal Destinies:  

This morning more than 250,000 souls woke up, not knowing that it would be their last day here on earth.  This will be the day that they face the Judge of all men, and most of them are unprepared.  Are you prepared to meet your God?  Remember, we're given two destinies: Heaven or Hell.  Men may choose only two paths:  death in sin or dead to sin (Romans 6). Be wise and choose well!

Knowing that someday we all will die and be raised to stand before the Judge of all when we receive our eternal reward, Heaven or hell, how seriously do we acknowledge this?  Are you ready for death, resurrection, and final judgment? Man has only one earthly life and death.  After judgment, men will receive their eternal destinies.  The righteous will receive eternal life, a state of bliss in the presence of God.  On the other hand, the wicked will receive eternal punishment, suffering, and sorrow, separated from God.  How much worse could it be?  

1. Judgment will be fair and just! 
2. It will be based on Truth (Rom. 2:2).  
3. Men will be judged without partiality (Rom. 2:11; 1 Peter 1:17).  
4. Judgment will be inescapable (Rom. 2:3).  
5. It will be universal (Rom. 2:6, 9, 10; 10:14-12).  
6. It will be individual (Romans 2:6; 14:12).  
7. It will be thorough.  
8. All aspects of life will be examined (Rom. 2:7, 8, 9, 10, 16; 2 Cor. 5:10; Eccl. 12:14; Jeremiah 17:10; Luke 12:2).  
9. And it will be final!  
10. The rewards given on that day will be eternal and unalterable (Rom. 2;7; Matt. 25:46).

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  (Matthew 10:28)

Many skeptics,  some Christians, and some non-Christians, repudiate the concept of everlasting punishment.  They dare to ask why would a loving God send people to hell.  They reject Jesus' teaching on hell on the grounds that a just and merciful God could not do such a thing.  They lean toward the atheist's arguments, who claim that if there were a God, He would not be so unjust as to send people to hell.  

Our Lord Jesus Christ has declared that He will sit on His throne of glory and separate the righteous from the wicked.  He will do this as the shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  Both will be judged according to their works (righteous and evil works).  Then the dreadful sentence will be executed accordingly.  God urges men to acknowledge their lost condition outside of Christ and accept that being lost means going to hell eternally, where suffering and agony never end.  The horrible thought of going to hell ought to alarm us and cause panic!!  (Revelation 14:10).  For this reason, we must try to rescue the lost from the broad road that leads to this terrible perdition. 

• Sadly, most people refuse to believe in God.  

There is indeed a great contrast between those who die in the Lord, the saved (the obedient and righteous) and those who die lost, without obeying the Gospel of Christ (Luke 16:26).  There is no opportunity to obey the Gospel after death (Matt. 25:31-34, 41, 46).  We must make proper preparation before the Lord returns or before our death.  It is impossible to prepare after our resurrection, for there will be no open door or opportunity.   

In Matthew 7:23, Jesus said, “I never knew you,” to Christians whose faith did not remain active and living.  A Christian can and will fall from grace if he allows his faith (his faithfulness) to die! 

In Romans 2:5-10, we read that God will give eternal life only "to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."  But to "those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury (hell)."  God will give each of us an entrance into either Heaven or Hell according to our works or deeds.  He will give eternal life (Heaven) only to those who do the will of God and persevere in faith and faithful service.  Faith is not complete without active, good, and righteous works.  We are justified by works and not by faith alone. 

"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."  (James 2:18-26)

Modern Protestants err by making a distinction between "the faith that saves" (without obedience or "works") and the faith that obeys the Lord Jesus.  But such theology is pure folly! The Bible does not speak that way!

Those who willfully reject and disobey the Gospel of Christ “shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of His might.”  (2 Thess. 1:9)  After death, judgment will follow. There will be no second chance for salvation (Heb. 9:27).  “There is a great gulf fixed” (the perfect tense form in the Greek Testament stresses the abiding nature of this separation), and to pass from one realm to the other, it is impossible (Luke 16:26).  In hell, there's no plan of redemption (Luke 16:28-31).  

• The Bible is crystal clear about the consequences of our choices here in this life. 

There is a right and wrong way to live, and we must stop to reflect frequently.  We will either spend eternity in Heaven or Hell (Romans 6:23; Romans 14:10).  The truth is that since God raised Jesus from the grave, He has given us the assurance that God will make mankind accountable on that Final Day of Judgment (Acts 17:31).  So, Heaven and Hell are real. This is not some theorized possibility or folktale.  God wants all men to be with Him in Heaven (1 Tim. 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9).  Yet, Jesus has stated that most of mankind will end up in Hell (Matt. 7:13-14).  Hell will be forever, and man does not have to go there.  However, they must obey God now!  Why?   Because there is a deadline, the Day of Judgment (2 Peter 3:10-12). The eternal home of our soul and the souls of men is at stake!! 

Therefore, we must endeavor to be watchful and ready for that final deadline.  There will be a day when each of us will be audited and called upon to answer for our life (Rom. 14:11-12; Matt. 25:31-46). On that day, “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  (Eccl. 12:14)  How will you stand on that day?  Are you prepared for the final deadline?

CONCLUSION:  

Christians must remember that the primary work of the church is to save souls.  Every Christian must try to save souls, teaching them the Truth and persuading them to obey the Gospel to save their souls from the wrath of God.

• God has issued a divine verdict.  
• He has declared a divine plan.  
• He has sent forth a divine warning.  
• He has warned all men everywhere.  
• God has extended a divine invitation (Matt. 11:28-30).  
• He has already provided security and care (John 10:10, 27, 28).  
• He has already proclaimed a divine commission (Matt. 28:19-20).    

How many people examine their lives and come to the conclusion that they are headed for hell?  I am sure the number is small.  Yet, Jesus our Lord taught that many are traveling the broad road that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13).  

It is a terrible thing to think that you are saved when you are not!  Many deceive themselves, believing they are saved and don’t consider themselves to be lost.  There is no middle ground between lost and saved!  If one is not saved, then he is lost.  Some are convinced they are saved, having accepted the doctrines of men. They teach that salvation is obtained by accepting Jesus as their personal savior and confessing His name.  The Word of God does not teach that doctrine of salvation! (Rom. 6:17)  Jesus has given us many warnings about the false doctrines we must avoid (Matt. 15:8-9; Rev. 2:15). When one accepts error, especially concerning salvation, he will be lost eternally (Gal. 1:6-9).  God's plan of salvation is easy and is found in the New Testament.  It involves faith, confession, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).  

My prayer is that if you haven't gotten your life right with our Lord yet, that you would please consider obeying the Gospel today!!!

Knowing that someday we all will die unless our Lord comes before we die, and knowing that we will face the most excellent Judge of all men, are you ready to face God?  Are you prepared for Judgment Day?   Remember, we only get one chance at life.  Don't blow it!!!

May we not miss Heaven, the grandest and most glorious place ever conceived.  May we be found faithful and profitable servants by our Lord and not be cast into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  May we teach the lost the Gospel of salvation that they may obey the Truth and be ready for Judgment Day.  

Our beloved song, "There’s A Great Day Coming," compels us to be ready, for every one of us shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of himself to God.

There’s a great day coming, a great day coming,

There’s a great day coming by and by,

When the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left;

Are you ready for that day to come?

There’s a bright day coming, a bright day coming,

There’s a bright day coming by and by.

But its brightness shall only come to them that love the Lord;

Are you ready for that day to come?

There’s a sad day coming, a sad day coming,

There’s a sad day coming by and by,

When the sinner shall hear his doom, ‘Depart, I know ye not;’

Are you ready for that day to come?

The Chorus,

Are you ready, are you ready, 

Are you ready for that day to come?

Are you ready, are you ready, 

For the judgment day?

 

Luci

THE LIVING WATER

“Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.  7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, ‘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.’ 11 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.’ 13 Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ 15 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’”  

John 4:1-15

The Gospel of John presents the tender side of Jesus that we can only imagine if we allow He spoke to this Samaritan woman as the Son of God who cared for all men and women just like our Heavenly Father. Jesus was resting by Jacob’s well as an unknown woman approached Him with her water jar. Rather than withdraw and avoid the embarrassing moment, He spoke to her, asking her for some of the water that she had drawn from the well. That one question starts the whole drama of John 4 and leaves us smiling as we see a broken woman come alive.

 

The fourth chapter of John’s Gospel relates the same message as found in the other stories in this Gospel.  The message is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The first six verses set up the encounter:  The Pharisees notice Jesus’ growing popularity because Jesus’ disciples are baptizing more than the disciples of John. Now, the Pharisees are turning away from John (cf. John 1:24) and focusing on Jesus.  As a result, Jesus decided to leave Judea and head north to Galilee to be away from Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish leadership and rule.

Let me take a moment first to focus on verse 2.  

“2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples).”

Jesus did not baptize people, but His disciples did. 

Do you wonder why Jesus did not physically baptize people but allowed His disciples to do it?  What do you suppose would have happened if Jesus was the person baptizing along with His disciples? Pause for a moment and put yourself in the first century.  Imagine standing in line to be baptized. Whose line do you think would be longer: Jesus or Bartholomew? Do you think if Jesus was baptizing people, that could have been a problem? Likewise, imagine what people would have said? Surely, they would have boasted about being baptized by Jesus and not the apostles. This is exactly what happened in 1 Corinthians when Christians were boasting over which apostle baptized them. Paul was glad he did not baptize any of them because of that very problem (1 Corinthians 1:14-17). It is no different today when people want to be baptized by a particular preacher as if who baptizes has more impact or meaning. Although Jesus did not baptize, that does imply that baptism is not essential. If baptism was not essential, why would Jesus’ disciples waste their time doing it?  You see, by instructing His disciples to baptize, He was free to use His time more wisely!  If Jesus had baptized people Himself, many problems would have occurred.

 I.   OUR STORY’S BACKGROUND:

In John 4:4-5, we read,

“And he had to pass through Samaria.  5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.”

Verse 4 states that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. The most direct route from Judea to Galilee passed through Samaria. However, many Jews avoided Samaria because of their disdain for the Samaritans who lived there. But this was not the only route to Galilee. You see, one could cross the Jordan River to the east and travel through Perea, crossing back to the west into Galilee. But John’s point is greater than geography. Why?  Because the Lord had an appointment in Samaria. What was about to happen was not an accident.  It was part of God’s plan.  Jesus went to Sychar in Samaria.  So, why is this story important?  Notice that this location is near the field that Jacob gave Joseph (verse 5).  This well is Jacob’s well. Jesus went to this well and sat beside it.

“Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.”  (John 4:6)

The humanity of Jesus is evident because He was weary from His journey. The Gospel writers always acknowledge the humanity of Jesus instead of hiding it. God was in a body.  Notice how the Gospel of John starts.  

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  (John 1:14)

Jesus is God in a human body.  He experienced the limitations and challenges of the human body just like we do.  

 II.   THE WOMAN AT THE WELL:

• Part One:  John 4:7-12

"A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, ‘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.’ 11 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.'"  

"Jacob's well" was located approximately half a mile south of the village of Sychar.  The well was located 100 yards from the base of Mount Gerizim. Some commentators have described its depth as over 65 feet deep with a diameter of over 7 feet. This well is one of the few Bible sites where there seems to be no dispute.  It is most likely the only place on earth where one can confidently say that the feet of Christ stood within the circumference.  Most likely, it was around 6 pm. that day (since it appears that John is using Roman time). 

In John 4:9, Jesus’ disciples have gone into the city to buy food.  Most likely, Jesus has sent them away to prepare for this encounter with this woman. This woman was not from the city of Samaria but the province of Samaria, located between Judea and Galilee. She came to the well, and Jesus made a simple request.  He asked this woman to give Him a drink of water. Today, Jesus’ request would probably not be considered out of the ordinary. However, this request was not common in the first century.  Why?  Because of the woman to whom Jesus made the request, not because of what He requested. Remember, she was a Samaritan who was also a woman!  By Jesus’ speech and manner of dress, the woman recognized Jesus as a Jew.   She expressed her surprise that Jesus would want to speak to her, a Samaritan, since the Jews and Samaritans were enemies and had no social "dealings" with one another.  Most Jews had contempt for Samaritans. This is why the parable of the good Samaritan is so shocking.  However, that racial prejudice did not interfere with trade or other matters involving money (e.g., 4:8).  According to tradition, a Jew would not accept any hospitality from a Samaritan.  They would not have a Samaritan as a guest to eat their bread because that was as polluting as to eating swine's flesh. Amazing!  Even today, Samaritans who live in this region do not eat, drink, or marry Jews but only trade with them. Thus, the woman was shocked by Jesus’ request.

Now think for a moment about how this discussion started. Jesus asked the woman for a drink. She asked, “You are asking me for a drink?” Jesus responded, “You should ask me for a drink. If you knew who I was and the gift of God, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.”

If I had been in this woman’s place, I would have said, 

 “You asked me for a drink, and now you are telling me that I should have asked you for a drink.” 

But this woman was very cordial toward Jesus.

Jesus' response to this woman's question was similar to His response to Nicodemus in John 3:3.

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

Although Jesus spoke of a physical event to her, His message was spiritual, much to the confusion of the inquirer. This Samaritan woman knew that Jesus was a Jew, but she was unaware of His real identity. Had she known that He was the Christ, she would have asked Him for that which He alone could give: the living water of eternal life! Both positions were reversed spiritually.  Why?  Because the woman was the one in need of a "drink," and Jesus could give her "living water."   Do you remember what Jesus told the crowd in John 7:37-39?

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.’”

And though the woman would have normally understood "living water" to be a reference to flowing or running water, on this occasion, she evidently believed Jesus was referring to the well water.

The Samaritan woman perceived an impossibility. She asked Jesus how He would provide water, considering He did not have a bucket and the well was deep.  There may have been a little edge to her voice as she contrasted Him to Jacob, the giver of the well. It's as if she had said: 

“Surely, stranger, you aren't greater than Jacob with his sons, cattle, and wealth, are you?” 

She would soon find out the answer to that question.

Where would He get that living water?  We must understand that living water would have been very valuable. Instead of working with a bucket to draw water from a deep well, one could go to the spring of flowing water. With a spring, one could quickly draw water. So she asked where this flowing water was located. Further, in verse 12, she said that if He could give them living, flowing water, that would make Jesus greater than Jacob. Jacob dug this well for them. They survived on this well because there was no flowing water around there. So if Jesus was offering flowing, living water, He was greater than Jacob.

Jesus agreed with her observation.  The water Jesus offered was better than Jacob’s well.  One who should drink this water would never be thirsty again. Further, the water Jesus offered the Samaritan, He still offers to the world. It becomes a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Jesus was using prophetic language to describe the water He offered.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:2-4) 

“On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:8-9)

“As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.” (Ezekiel 47:7-9)

• Part Two:  John 4:13-19

“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ 15 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’  16 Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ 17 The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.’ 19 The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.’”

In John 4:13-19, Jesus drew a contrast between earthly and heavenly blessings. The water of Jacob's well satisfied physical needs but only for a short time. The Samaritan woman would have had to return to the well again and again. However, the living water that Jesus was offering her was a fountain that would never fail, for it would be ever satisfying, springing up into eternal life.  Nevertheless, this Samaritan woman could not understand what Jesus was offering yet. In verse 15, she asked Jesus, 

“Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

She asked Jesus to give her this water so that she would never be thirsty or have to come to the well to draw water any longer. Her response in verse 15 indicated that she did not understand the true nature of Christ's offer.  Perhaps, she was convinced of two things: 

1. She wanted the wonderful water Jesus described to her.
2. Jesus could and would give it to her. It is difficult to know for sure if she really believed this second point. 

Perhaps her answer carried a bit of sarcasm: 

“If you've really got this kind of water, why don't you give it to me?”

We must see the point Jesus was making and not misunderstand it as the people of Jesus’ time did.  Allow me to explain.

1. In John chapter 2, the people misunderstood Jesus when He said that He would destroy the temple and raise it in three days. 
2. In chapter 3,  Nicodemus did not understand how the new birth worked.

In the same way, this woman did not yet grasp the meaning of the living water Jesus offered.  At the end of this story, we will notice that Jesus’ disciples likewise did not understand how Jesus was not hungry when they gave Him lunch. Such physically and materially minded people we are!   How easy it is for us to become so consumed by life that we fail to see with spiritual eyes!  How easy it is for us to lose our spiritual discernment!   How sad it is that we cannot understand Jesus’ words quoted in the Gospel!  How easy it is to become dull of hearing as quoted in Hebrews 5:11!  But guess what?  We are the woman in this story. Jesus has to move our hearts from the physical to the spiritual.  How tragic to lose focus of eternity and live in the now!  

In verses 14 and 15, Jesus offered eternal life, and this woman seemed not to want to come out in the heat to draw water.  

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' 15 The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.'"

The same occurs today.  Jesus is offering eternal life, and all we want to do is relax and take it easy. We want “easy Christianity” and “easy Grace.”   We dare to treat Jesus like a social club where we occasionally pay dues and show up when we feel like it. Jesus is offering eternal life, and we dare ask if we have to come to church on Sunday night. Jesus is proclaiming living water, and we dare ask how He will make our life more convenient and comfortable.  Wake up, people!  Today is the day of salvation!

In John 4:16-18, Jesus said to her,

“Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ 17 The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.’”

In verse 14, Jesus asked her to get her husband. She admitted that she had no husband as a vague explanation for why she couldn't fulfill His request. Jesus already knew this. That is why Jesus said what He said. Evidently, this was a sensitive subject. When Jesus told her to go and bring her husband back with her, He changed the direction of the conversation immediately. This was essential as the first step in meeting this woman's spiritual need. It was necessary for her to first be convinced of her sinfulness before recognizing her need to quench her spiritual thirst with living water. Jesus was trying to make her think about the spiritual state of her soul. 

When Jesus told her she had five husbands and the one she had now was not her husband, notice her response: “You are a prophet!”  Jesus' response was unexpected, to say the least. When this woman declared Jesus was a “prophet," she basically confessed the truthfulness of Jesus’ words.  Jesus, though a stranger to this woman, knew specific details about this woman’s life (cf. 2:25)!  It is not revealed why she had been married to five different men.  It is useless to speculate!  Most Jews had a lax attitude toward divorce because of rabbinical misinterpretations (cf. Matt. 19:3ff).  And it is unlikely that the Samaritans held any higher standards or principles.  Thus, her husbands could have divorced her for the most trivial reasons. We are not told, so we must not speculate.  But there’s one thing we know for sure:  she was living an immoral life of fornication.

Jesus exposed this woman’s sins, and He is still exposing our sins as a loving act.

It would be cruel on God’s part to be silent. We must know our sins so that we can wake up! When we see our sins for what they are before a righteous God, we will be very concerned about the spiritual state of our souls and eternal life.  But when we overlook our sins and forget that we are condemned, and in danger of perishing, we will fail to be concerned about our soul and the direction it is heading.  When we acknowledge our condition as sinners, we will be more concerned about eternal life, keeping our eyes on Jesus.  Jesus indeed made a remarkable impression on this woman!

• Part three:  John 4:20-26

“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.’ 21 Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25 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.’ 26 Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am he.’”

When this Samaritan woman realized that she was in the presence of a prophet, she asked  Jesus His view on the great dispute between the Jews and Samaritans, that is, where is the proper place to worship God?  She had been taught throughout her life that only on Mt. Gerizim would God accept worship. Her Samaritan ancestors worshipped God on this mountain because Moses commanded an altar to be built here in Deuteronomy 27.  Thus they worshipped there because their fathers did. The Jews claimed that God must be worshiped in Jerusalem. The Jews worshipped in Jerusalem, not because of tradition, but because God ordained it (cf. Deut. 12:5-14; I Kings 9:3; II Chr. 3:1). So who is right?

Indeed, the Samaritans were wrong in their contention.   In John 4:21, Jesus said,

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.’” 

And though Jesus could have closed the discussion here without dealing with who was right, He didn't avoid the issue. Instead, He went on to explain the difference that existed.  

Jesus used the word "hour" in John 4:21 to indicate that the time was near when God would not be worshiped at a physical place like the Temple but through Jesus.  Jesus is the new Temple where we must worship God, meet Him, and find atonement.  Religious distinctions regarding the place of worship would be abolished.  You see, the Samaritans had a flawed knowledge of God and worship.  They accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament. They rejected the other books of history, wisdom, and prophecy.  Their rejection of these books kept them from knowing many things about the nature of God and His will. They were wrong about where and how to worship God in an acceptable manner.  

In John 4:22-24, Jesus said,

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

In John 4:22, Jesus affirmed  that "salvation is of the Jews." Since salvation would come from the Jews, it meant that the Messiah would come from them.  The Christ came from the Jews, according to prophecy.  Jesus is the source of eternal life and the one they must worship.  

1. The prophets foretold His coming.
2. The Jewish sacrifices anticipated Him.
3. And their land supplied the place of authorized worship, Jerusalem.

And though Jerusalem was the location, it would be irrelevant, for Jesus is what matters.

In  John 4:23,24, Jesus spoke about the great religious changes that were about to happen. Thus the time would come when worshippers were no longer recognized by their devotion to a temple but by worshiping the Father. The Father is looking for people who will worship Him properly (John 4:23-24). That implied that the place of worship in both cases would not matter. 

1. "True worshipers" worship God sincerely and wisely instead of mechanically and ritualistically. 
2. True worship is directed toward the Father and is shown "in spirit and truth."  
3. True worship is in harmony with God’s Word, His Truth (John 17:17).  
4. “True worshippers” worship in this manner. 
5. Not all worship is pleasing to God. 
6. It is possible to worship God and yet be displeasing to Him when the worship is not offered "in spirit and truth" (cf. Matt. 15:7-9; Acts 17:23). 
7. The Father is seeking people who want to worship Him sincerely. 
8. Since God is  Spirit, He is not bound by fleshly restraints:  mountains, temples, or holy shrines.
9. God wants worship from the heart, for it leads to proper worship.  
10. Our love for God allows us to understand His Grace toward us and compels us to worship Him the way He commands.   

In John 4:25, the woman responds to Jesus saying,

“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.”

Although the Samaritans did not accept the inspired writings of the prophets, which foretold the coming Messiah, they did believe in a Savior, mentioned in the books of Moses (cf. John 4:25).  The woman responded that she knew the Messiah was coming and that He would explain everything when He came.  

John 4:26 is the focal point of this story. 

"Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'"

Jesus is the Messiah. I, the one speaking to you, I am. Jesus knew what He was talking about regarding worship because He was the Christ and the Savior. He came to offer eternal life.  When Jesus affirmed these truths, the light bulb began to shine for her.  It was no longer an academic discussion, for He is the Christ.  This woman’s mind must have been reeling from all the things Jesus had said to her. Do you remember what Jesus told this woman back in verse 10?

“Jesus answered her, ‘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.’”

Jesus offered her something full and truly satisfying. Think about those words in John 4:14.

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” 

Jesus was telling this woman and is telling us today that He will provide what we lack in life.  When our life is not right with God, we are thirsty and unsatisfied.  This woman had five husbands and was on her sixth man.  She is indeed thirsting for pure and living water.  The water she was drinking was only providing her temporary relief.   And that is exactly the world we live in!  The world provides temporary enjoyment, only to leave us thirsty again. They keep running to the wrong well only to find disappointment and loss. How sad!

Jesus offers living water to all who are condemned because of sin.  He calls them to eternal life with Him.  But before they accept the living water that will give them eternal life, they must move their hearts from physical to spiritual concerns. The Light is shining brightly in the world so that nobody will be blinded by the darkness anymore.  Sadly, Satan is blinding many with the things of this world.  He is impeding them from seeing the treasure, Jesus, and the living water He provides. The world must see that what Jesus is offering is more valuable than anything this world can offer. Jesus is the pearl of great value.  We must sell all to acquire Him, the treasure and the pearl.  Don’t you think Jesus is worth everything?!

CONCLUSION:

In John 4:26, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman,

“I who speak to you am he.”

This passage is the first recorded and perhaps the clearest declaration made by Jesus regarding His identity. Simon Peter did not confess Him as the Messiah until the last year of His ministry (Matt. 16:16). Why do you suppose Jesus spoke so freely here? Perhaps we can point out a few reasons: 

1. The Samaritans would make no effort to take Him by force and make Him a king (e.g., John 6:15) and 
2. His short stay in Samaria accounted only for an explicit and brief revelation.

John 4:26 is the focal point here. The Samaritan woman did not seem to understand what Jesus was telling her fully but acknowledged to Jesus that the Messiah was coming and would be explaining everything. Jesus told her that He was the Messiah, the Christ.

"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.' 26 Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'"  (John 4:25-26)

Jesus is the Christ, the Savior, the gift of God, the living water, and the only One who can offer eternal life. Prior to John 4:21-25, Jesus had offered her what would give her true satisfaction. He said to her, 

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14-15)

Jesus was calling this Samaritan woman to repentance.   She needed salvation, the salvation that Jesus offered.  Jesus had to penetrate her conscience with a sense of sin.  She needed Christ! She needed Christ to reveal her sin and affirm His authority.  Jesus offered her the living water freely (salvation).  But Jesus was seeking a commitment on her part as He did with Nicodemus.  Jesus was looking for a heart that would produce faith.  Jesus invited her to become a true worshipper (the hour is coming and now is!) through submission to His will.  She recognized this truth as coming from a prophet.  Thus she declared her faith in the coming Messiah (John 4:25).  

Jesus declared to her His own identity.  This woman was ready to make that commitment Jesus wanted from her (John 4:28-30). 

Isn’t it marvelous that this woman had come to get a bucket of water and instead found the one who could transform her into a true worshiper of God, the Messiah!

After she committed to following Jesus, the Messiah, she wanted to lead others to the same “water” she had found. She invited others to investigate the evidence.  Her first desire was to lead others to the same “water” that she had found. Indeed, her faith in Jesus bore fruit as she taught others her faith.  John 4:39-43 confirms this.

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.  43 After the two days he departed for Galilee.’”

In the New Testament Law of Christ, Jesus is the foundation of our new temple where we come to worship God and find redemption. Salvation came from the Jews because Jesus, the Savior, came from the Jewish people, fulfilling all of the prophecies and promises of God to Abraham. And since Jesus is the only source of eternal life and the only One we must worship, Jerusalem is not relevant anymore, for Jesus is what matters. So now we are commanded to worship the Father and not the Temple according to the Law of Moses. The Father is seeking those who will worship Him the way He has authorized.

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."  (John 4:23-24)

Since God is spirit, we must worship Him properly.  Why?  Because it is a matter of the spirit rather than a physical location, physical posture, or an external ritual. God demands that we worship Him from the heart, for it leads to the kind of worship that He demands that we offer. When we understand God’s Love and Grace toward us, we will be compelled to worship Him from the heart, the way that He wants. 

How sad it is to see Satan blinding people with the things of this world, causing them to fail to see the treasures found in Jesus and His living water! We must examine our hearts and see what our Savior is offering.  He is offering something precious, priceless, and more valuable than anything this world can offer us. Since our Lord Jesus is the most valuable pearl in this world, we must sell everything to acquire it. He is our most precious and priceless treasure worthy of all!

Those who thirst for righteousness accept the gift of God that Jesus is offering. Righteous and holy living is as essential to them as food and water are. These are the ones who can never get enough of the riches of God's Word to be satisfied. Their relationship with God is like the eating of rich food (Isaiah 55:1-2). Our culture's satisfaction is found in carnal pursuits and goals. 

1. Bodybuilding.
2. Weight loss.
3. Group therapy to heal the social ills.
4. And the empty-headed vain fashions that absorb our times. 

They promise what will satisfy their worldly and fleshly desires. Everyone yearns to be satisfied with the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. Sin fills their hunger and thirst. They desire lesser things. Jeremiah, the prophet, described this thought in Jeremiah 2. The people of his time were described as having broken cisterns that could not hold water. 

"But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.  12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 13 for my people have committed two evils:  they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."  (Jeremiah 2:12-13)  

This is precisely the problem with our world.  Our world rejects God’s prescription that quenches the thirst caused by sin.  No matter how many pleasures they try, the only enjoyment they can find is temporary, so they thirst again. They keep running to the wrong well where they find disappointment, heartache, and loss. They reject the things of God and choose the physical things of this world. They reject Jesus’ offering of living water and eternal life, so they stand condemned. They are blinded by this world’s darkness even while the Light brightly shines and leads them to eternal life. 

Fools reject what God offers them: flowing, clean, and pure water. Yet, they are eager to drink the old, stale, contaminated water. They deceive themselves, thinking they will still be satisfied with such contaminated water. Indeed, worldly satisfaction comes with such a decaying way of living! They would rather pass by the pure and unpolluted water of righteousness, holiness, and godliness.

Those who love righteousness thirst for the living water. They understand what Jesus said to them.

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

The more we hunger and thirst for the righteous things of God, the more we will be satisfied. The more we are dissatisfied with other carnal substitutes, the more we will thirst for God and His kingdom of righteousness. The path of righteousness destroys self-righteousness because self-righteousness will bankrupt our spirit and cover up our need for repentance. Jesus is challenging us to examine our hearts, that we might thirst for salvation. Salvation is for those who sincerely and genuinely want it. Our spiritual bankruptcy must compel us to mourn over our sins and desire salvation, restoration, reconciliation, and righteousness. 

 You see, Jesus, our Lord, supplies what our souls are lacking.  We are thirsty because of sin. Sin separates us from God.  When sin rules, our lives are not right with Him. This Samaritan woman was very thirsty for "this water," for she had had more than five husbands and was living in sin and separated from God. Although she was drinking the well-water, she was still thirsty because no water could supply what she needed. She was drinking from the wrong kind of water and finding only temporary relief.

Jesus is standing at the door calling for true fanatics, who would eat and drink from Him and His kingdom of righteousness. Jesus does not want us to substitute Him for worldly pursuits, for He is not our hobby or pastime! Those who are hungry and thirsty don't want merely a substitute either.  They hunger and thirst for Jesus' food and water. Only those who sincerely hunger and thirst for God will conform to the will of their Father in heaven. Those who have the right disposition of seeking, searching, and groping after the righteousness of God will be filled and satisfied (Matt. 6:25-33; Acts 17:26-28; James. 1:12; Rev. 2:10).

Are you thirsty?  Who can satisfy that thirst?

May the yearning in our heart and soul find the only source of eternal life, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May we be renewed in Him by drinking of the fountain of Living Water, the Only source of eternal life. May we hunger and thirst for Him, our Manna, and Living Water, that we may be blessed and be satisfied with His righteousness.

"Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst, but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.'"  (John 4:13-14)

"Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."  (Revelation 22:1)

Luci

THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.'" 

John 10:1-4, 14-17, 27

 

When Israel had kings, God called on Samuel to anoint a shepherd to become king. David was one of the most beloved kings in the history of Israel, and God promised that the Savior of lost humanity would descend through his lineage. Kings thereafter in the Sacred writings were called “shepherds.”

One of the most beautiful and powerful passages in the Bible to me is John 10:1-30.  In John 10, our Lord Jesus declares who He is and what His purpose was for coming to earth.  He makes a staggering declaration.  

“I am the good shepherd.”  

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus gathers His sheep so that they might have abundant life.  The central focus of John 10 is that the Good Shepherd leads His sheep and protects them from harm and danger.  As the Good Shepherd, He leads His sheep tenderly as He walks near them and steers them past dangerous places, narrow and slippery paths, with strength and provision.  Our Good Shepherd moves us along with His rod and staff to help and encourage us.  Without the Good Shepherd in our lives, we do not have God's deliverance to overcome harm and danger.  Our Good Shepherd is always working on our behalf.  However, the sheep must hear the Shepherd’s voice and obey Him to be saved (John 1:1-10).

I.   THE SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE:  

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.  7 So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’”  (John 10:1-10)

Before we begin our study of John 10, it is important to notice there is no break in our narrative.  In our previous chapter, John 9, we read of a man that Jesus healed, for he was born blind.  Jesus brought light back to this man’s eyes.  However, the religious leaders of that time thought their vision was just fine, so they chose to remain in their sins.   Jesus forgave only those who acknowledged that they were in darkness and needed the Light.  This is true for us today as well.  However, those who deceive themselves, believing that they can still see in darkness, will remain in the same darkness and never see. In chapter 10, Jesus shifts His focus to the relation between the sheep and the shepherd.  In John 10:21, Jesus’ audience is still the same. Some of them declared that Jesus had a demon and was insane, but many recognized that His words were not of one who was demon-possessed. They said, “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Jesus was trying to teach those who thought they could see already by enlightening them to what they were not seeing. They thought they were saved but were not.   Hence as we read John 10 with the eyes of our hearts wide open, we must distinguish between those who truly belong to Him and those who are truly fooling themselves.  

• The Shepherd Calls His Sheep, and They Hear His Voice: (John 10:1-6)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.” 

Jesus begins with an illustration to describe who He is, His role, and His work. Jesus declares that anyone who does not walk through the door, but climbs in another way, is a thief and a robber (verse 2).  This statement is true not only of sheep pens, but of any other place.  When we look out our window and see someone climbing through a window of our neighbor’s house, who is not the owner, we know immediately that such a person is a thief. He is a robber. So Jesus begins His discussion by declaring that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the door is not the right person. However, the one who enters by the door is the true shepherd of the sheep. This illustration is quite simple. Why?  Because the shepherd comes and calls his sheep. It is what shepherds do, and this is exactly what Jesus is, a shepherd. As Jesus is declaring this truth, the religious leaders think that He is crazy.  The truth is that Jesus is gathering His sheep, which is normal, not crazy! 

The key to our first illustration is verse 3 of John.  

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” 

This is an interesting fact in shepherding. Why?  Because the sheep know the voice of their own shepherd. The sheep will not follow another shepherd who is calling them.  Shepherds put their sheep with the sheep of other shepherds in the sheepfold. But in doing so, the sheep are all mixed up in the pen. Thus, when it is time to lead them out to pasture, the shepherd must call for his sheep to come to Him.  But only those that are truly his will recognize their shepherd’s voice and come out to him. Jesus uses the illustration of the shepherd and his sheep in this verse because it was common in ancient times.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd gathering His sheep as He calls them.  The sheep know His voice and follow Him (10:4).  

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

• The Shepherd Guides the Sheep:

In Matthew 9:36, Jesus saw that the people were distressed and scattered like sheep without a shepherd. You see, sheep must have a shepherd to lead them, for they depend completely on shepherds to guide and nourish them.  Otherwise, they will be lost, starve, etc.  The Shepherd calls His sheep, leads them out, and they follow Him (John 10:2-4).  The Lord is our Shepherd who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalms 23:3).  Of course, that guidance is provided through God’s Word.  Sadly in our modern society, many are lost to spiritual confusion and error. It is like a wilderness where Jesus leads His people in the same manner as a shepherd leads his flock.

We know we are Jesus’ sheep when we hear His voice and obey Him.  We hear the voice of Jesus and follow Him. In John 9, we notice that when the blind man heard the voice of Jesus, he did what Jesus told him to do to be healed. On the other hand, the Pharisees and Jewish leaders refused to listen to the voice of Jesus and follow Him.  They chose to remain in their sins and darkness. What about us today?  Do we obey the voice of Jesus, or do we follow the voice of strangers? Jesus declared that His sheep know and hear His voice, running away from strangers.  Jesus’ sheep know and follow their Shepherd, running from all charlatans or pretenders.  They are not easily deceived, for they refuse to go after all of the pretenders’ false ways.  They run from all falsehood and deception that might hinder them from obeying their Shepherd’s voice and ways.  We deceive ourselves when we think we belong to God when in fact, we do not belong at all!  This must compel us to seriously examine ourselves to see if we truly are listening to the voice of Jesus and are following only Him. 

1. Do you know and understand His teachings? 
2. Do you read and obey His words? 
3. Do you do exactly what Jesus commands? 
4. Do you follow Jesus wherever He goes? 

Eastern shepherds do not drive sheep. They lead their sheep, and sheep follow their shepherd. By the same token, Jesus does not drive His sheep. He leads them. Are you following him and obeying or following His voice?

There is so much value and reward in following Jesus’ voice. Listen to the words of verse 3 again. “He calls his own sheep by name.” Jesus, our Good Shepherd,  knows our name. Jesus knows who we are. Jesus knows His sheep by name.  Jesus calls His sheep by name. It is truly beautiful!  Is there anything greater and better than this truth?   Jesus knows us and calls us by name to follow Him and do His Father’s will. He knows us. Such words of hope and encouragement!

However, in John 10:6, we notice that the religious leaders of Jesus’ time do not understand what Jesus is saying even though He had made a glorious illustration. He is calling His sheep to Him.  Those sheep that are truly His listen to His voice and follow Him. Yet, these religious leaders do not understand. They think they see but prove they are blind.  Could this be us? Do we deceive ourselves, thinking that we are following Jesus, walking His path, but He is nowhere near us?  Remember, every step a sheep takes must be behind the shepherd.

• Why Is Jesus Gathering His Sheep?  (John 10:7-10)

“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’”

Jesus tries once more, changing His illustration since the audience is still darkened in their understanding.  Jesus declares that He is the door of the sheep. He is our Protector. As our Protector, He provides protection to those who pass through the door.  He is our Guardian. Sadly, those sheep on the outside of the pen are not protected. Only Jesus’ sheep are protected.

In John 10:8, Jesus declared, 

“All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” 

Oh, what a truthful statement!  With this powerful statement, Jesus was stating a serious charge against all those leaders before Him.  God’s prophets repeatedly condemned Israel’s leaders for harming and deceiving God’s sheep (Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 56:9-12; Jeremiah 25:32-38). Notice the following example from Jeremiah 23:1-4.

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!' declares the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: 'You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD'"

The leaders of Israel were selfish, self-centered, and did not care at all for the souls of the people. They harmed the sheep and scattered the flock.  Today is no different!  Why?  Because we are surrounded by a great number of “leaders” — preachers, elders, and many who want to be looked up to as leaders in local churches.  They ignore the fact that God will judge them for harming the sheep and scattering the flock. Those who want to be leaders of God’s flock must rid themselves of selfish thinking. There is no room for selfish thinking!  In Jesus’ day, the true sheep were not listening, nor were they following these false leaders. This is exactly what the blind man was. He was a true and faithful sheep.  He stood up to the blind leaders of his day to the point of being cast out of their society. Israel’s shepherds had failed this blind man. These religious leaders were robbers and thieves. They mislead the sheep away from God while claiming to be their spiritual leaders.

After Jesus makes serious charges against the leaders of Israel, He refocuses on His role and purpose.  He says,  “I am the door.” If we don’t go through the door, Christ, we are thieves and robbers, walking in darkness.  Jesus has come to gather His sheep for a glorious purpose. Notice the three things that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is offering to those who want to come through Him, the door. 

1. Anyone who chooses to enter through the door will be saved.  Those who wilfully come to Jesus will find salvation from their sins. The leaders of Jesus’ day chose to remain in their sins.  They refused to listen to the Shepherd’s voice, Jesus’ words, and follow Him.  Following or obeying Jesus’ words is the only way to be saved.
2. Whoever enters by Jesus will be secure. Jesus declares that those who enter by Him “will go in and go out and find pasture.” Indeed, there is spiritual safety and security in Jesus, for He is our Protector who protects us.  In Jesus, we are secure and safe. But we must follow Him to be protected by Him.
3. Whoever enters by Jesus will be satisfied and find pasture.  Jesus provides for us and satisfies us.  In Him, we can receive security and joy, for He acts for the sheep’s supreme good.  Jesus provides full satisfaction and perfect guidance.  Can there be any better Shepherd to lead His sheep than Jesus, our Lord, and Savior?

John 10:10 sums up these blessings completely. 

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” 

Hear His words! Abundant life is following Jesus, doing His Father’s will. Abundant life has nothing to do with possessing stuff!  His pasture isn’t stuff. The pasture that Jesus is offering is full and abundant life.  Seeking this world is not a full life.  It will not satisfy our souls.  But following Jesus, the Good Shepherd of the flock is abundant in life.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came to this world of darkness to bring the Light and give us abundant life.  Now think for a moment about this.  Jesus is calling His sheep to give them abundant life to the full! 

II.   I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD:  (John 10:11-21)

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.'  19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, 'He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?' 21 Others said, 'These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?'"

Indeed, Jesus is our Good Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, He laid down His life for us, the wandering sheep.  In Psalm 23, we have a beautiful illustration of who the shepherd is.  This magnificent Psalm begins, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The Word of God describes the Lord as our Shepherd.  Likewise, Psalm 80:1 declares this same sentiment about our Good Shepherd.

 “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.” 

God is the shepherd of Israel. God is the great shepherd, ruler, and king. When Jesus, our Lord, took deity upon Himself, He called Himself “the shepherd.”  Consider Isaiah’s prophecy about how the Shepherd would tend to His people, the flock, bringing comfort to them.  

“Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 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” (Isaiah 40:10-11).

God was going to come with strength, might, and a reward. He was going to tend His flock and gather His sheep. Jesus was the Son of God, taking the role of deity upon Himself.  Jesus is not merely “the shepherd” but “the good shepherd.”  According to Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus was not going to be like the past shepherds. Why?  Because the previous shepherds of Israel were robbers and thieves. They scattered and harmed the sheep (Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 56:9-12; Jeremiah 23:1-4; Jeremiah 25:32-38). The prophesied “good shepherd,”  Jesus, our Lord, would lay down His own life for the sheep.  You see, the shepherds of the Old Testament did not do this. Although shepherd-kings were commanded to lead and protect the sheep, no shepherd died for his sheep. This was not the norm for eastern shepherding. But Jesus, the “good shepherd,” will do what no shepherd will do. He will lay down His life for the sheep.

Jesus did not say that the shepherd would be killed, but that He would lay down His life. So what makes Jesus the Good Shepherd?  His own sacrifice.  He gave and volunteered His own life for the sheep. We are the sheep, and Jesus is the Shepherd. So, who is in charge? Only Jesus is in charge, not us. We must follow Him and heed His words if we want to be saved by the Good Shepherd.  His sheep must listen to His voice and obey Him (10:3-4).

• The Good Shepherd Dies For the Sheep:  (10:11)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep.  In John 10:11, 15, Jesus repeatedly declared that He was the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. The death of our Shepherd was essential to save us from our sins.  Sometimes a shepherd dies fighting wolves or other enemies of the sheep.  His death shows how terrible sin is and Jesus’ great love for us.  The Good Shepherd suffered a horrible death to give us life and protect us from the consequences of our sins.  

“For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”  (1 Peter 2:25)

Our Good Shepherd guides, nourishes, and seeks us when we go astray.  He also gave His life to save us from spiritual death.  We remember the death of our Good Shepherd each first day of the week as we partake of the Lord's Supper.

We Christians have enough reasons to rejoice and be thankful. Why? 

1. Because Christ is our Good Shepherd who died for our sins. 
2. Our Good Shepherd became our sacrificial Lamb, accepted by God that we may be made alive (Luke 24:46; 1 Cor. 15:20-22; Romans 6:3-4; Gal. 3:13). 
3. Our Good Shepherd brought peace and reconciliation to God by taking the guilt of sin away. 
4. We, Christians, have been raised from death because of sin to newness of life in the Spirit of Christ. In Christ, we have abundant life, which He shares with His flock (John 10:10). 
5. Our Good Shepherd came to this world that we might go to heaven. What an incredible hope!  Deity left heaven and came to this ugly world of darkness so that humanity might have the chance to go to heaven. This is marvelous beyond our comprehension! This beautiful story of redemption shows God's love for us. “15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”   (1 Timothy 1:15).  Jesus, our Lord, and Good Shepherd was born of a woman that we may be born of God (Galatians 4:4-5; Isaiah 7:14; 1 John 5:4; John 3:3-5; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 John 3:1). 
6. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was rejected that we might be accepted of God (John 1:11-12). We know that Jesus was despised by men during His ministry here on earth. So much so that He was nailed to a cross! It was all according to God, the Father's plan (Colossians 1:19-21; Acts 10:35). 
7. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, became the Man of sorrows that we might rejoice and be glad (Isaiah 53:3).
8. Our Good Shepherd accepted sorrow and sadness that we might have a reason to rejoice. We have so much to be thankful for! We were like lost sheep without a Shepherd. Let us keep in mind that His sorrow and grief make our joy and gladness possible. 
9. Our Shepherd accepted poverty that we might enjoy riches in heaven (2 Cor. 8:9; Luke 9:58; Eph. 2:6-7). Jesus became poor so that we might be able to inherit eternal riches! 
10. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, was made sin for us that we might be righteousness for Him (2 Cor. 5:21, Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:22-24). Through His blood, we are justified and made righteous.  "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

• The Insufficiency of The Other Shepherds To Perform The Task:   (10:12-15)

“He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Verses 12-13 declare that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the only one who can do what must be done to protect and save His sheep.  All other shepherds are insufficient for the task. The hired hand does not care for the sheep like the shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He acts differently than the other shepherds. Jesus came to deal with the wolves.  He will not run away when the wolves come against us to harm us. Jesus never runs from our troubles.  He cares for His sheep more than anyone else. Notice the important point that Jesus is trying to teach us in verse 13. 

“He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” 

You see, others do not care for the sheep like Jesus does. Jesus cares for you and me more than any person you have ever known! Jesus is committed to us more than any person we know.

In John 10:14, Jesus demonstrates with His first illustration the point He was making about Himself as the Good Shepherd and His sheep knowing His voice. 

“I know my own and my own know me.” 

Jesus knows who are His. His sheep know His voice, listen to His voice, and follow His leading, His teaching. Jesus knows who belongs to Him. Jesus knows His relationship with us, His sheep. Just as the Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father, so Jesus knows us, and we know Him. This is a truthful statement indeed!  What a picture of the depth of knowledge and intimacy in our relationship with our Good Shepherd!

Being the Shepherd’s sheep is much more than knowing a bunch of facts about Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus, our Good Shepherd, must be like the relationship that God the Father has with His Son.  

1. Is our relationship with the Shepherd a matter of a few minutes or hours? 
2. Is our relationship with our Good Shepherd Sunday morning only?  
3. Can’t we see the big picture here?  Jesus lay down His life for us the sheep!  
4. Are we even making an effort to be one of the sheep? 
5. Or do we claim to be His sheep but refuse to be devoted to our relationship to Jesus, showing Him our love and faithfulness as His true sheep?  

Our relationship with our Good Shepherd must be an intense devotion, not just a hobby or casual relationship. 

“I know my own and my own know me.”

• How Does The Good Shepherd Gather His Sheep? (10:16-21)

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.’  19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, ‘He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?’ 21 Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’”

After Jesus finishes talking about the relationship between Himself as the Good Shepherd and us His sheep, He moves on to talk about the other sheep that He must bring in. There are more sheep to call.  In our narrative, Jesus is calling His sheep from Israel. But the calling of the sheep must also go out to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were going to be the sheep outside the fold of the Jews that also would belong to Him. Isn’t it remarkable that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was going to call them as well because they were going to listen to His voice!  Isaiah prophesied that in Isaiah 56:8.

“The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”’

The result is glorious when Jesus calls the Gentiles to listen to His voice.  

“So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” 

Jesus will be shepherding beyond the limits of physical Israel. His present audience in John 10, the Jewish religious leaders, were not His sheep, for they refused to listen to His voice.  They refused to belong to Him. Today is no different, for Jesus is calling His sheep so that they may no longer be scattered.  The glorious result is one flock with one shepherd. Ezekiel beautifully prophesies this.

"Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 24 'My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 25 They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them.'" (Ezekiel 37:21-26)

The new David was going to come, according to Ezekiel 37:21-25.  It was a messianic reference. The Son of David, Christ the Savior, would come and rule over them as their shepherd to save them from their sins. Jesus came to form one flock, consisting of sheep from all over the world, regardless of race, culture, gender, and background. Jesus came to fulfill the task the Father gave Him to accomplish! The Son delights in His Father’s approval because of His absolute obedience to His will (10:17).  Hear Jesus’ words in His shepherd discourse.  

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” 

Notice that this is the third time in this narrative that Jesus declares that He will lay down His life (John 10:11, 15, 17). He is laying down His life that He may take it up again. Although we might lay down our lives, sacrifice ourselves for another person, and give our lives to protect our family, we cannot take it back up again. That is a truthful fact!  No one can take their life back again after giving it over to death. Jesus’ death always had the resurrection in view.

Listen to the rest of Jesus’ words. 

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord.” 

You see, no one can take life from Him. Is that true for us? Of course not! No one could harm Jesus unless He allowed it. Let us take our minds back to the cross.  

1. No one could put their hands on Jesus to arrest Him until he allowed it because He is Lord.  
2. No one could take the scourge and brutally whip Him without His consent. 
3. No one could put nails through His hands and feet unless He allowed it. 
4. No one could kill Jesus on the cross unless He allowed it. 

“No one takes it from me.” 

Truly, this is what makes Jesus our Good Shepherd.  Jesus has all authority to lay His life down and take it up. Jesus exhibited His authority throughout everything until the end of His life. He never behaved as a helpless victim of His enemies’ hatred and violence. It was no accident. The Lord’s Supper is not a memorial of an accident that happened, where tragedy took place. Why?  Because it was God’s plan.  God planned for Jesus to give His life, laying it down for His sheep.  I must stress that no one took Jesus’ life from Him. Jesus was in complete control.  He had full authority for everything that happened during His betrayal, arrest, beating, and death.  Why would Jesus go through all this?  Because it was the only way to gather the lost sheep. It was the only way for the sheep to have their sins forgiven.   Jesus came to call and gather His sheep into one flock with Him as the Good Shepherd to lead them.  The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep.  Jesus cares so much for His sheep that He died for them.  Thus, no one took His life, for He gave it for you and me. What a beautiful thought! It is beautiful beyond what words can express!  How can we ever repay our Good Shepherd for saving us, His sheep, from our sins and saving us from the wrath of God!

"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls"  (1 Peter 2:22-25).

In John 10:19-21, we read,

“There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, ‘He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?’ 21 Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’”

What did the heavenly hosts sing when Jesus was born? Did they sing peace on earth and goodwill towards all men?  Was Jesus going to bring peace and goodwill to humanity? Notice what Jesus declared in Matthew 10:34-36.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.”

Of course, Jesus wants peace on earth.  Dissension is caused by carnal-minded men who destroy that peace.  Throughout John’s account of Jesus, he mentions the dissension among the Jews regarding Christ (John 6:52, 69, 66; 7:12, 25, 43; 8:22; 9:16, 17; 10:19, 24, 41; 11:37; 12:19, 29, 42; 16:18, 19).

In John 10:20-21, Many of them said that Jesus had a demon and was insane.  The Jewish leaders reprimanded the people for hearing Jesus’ words.  Demons cannot perform wonders like Jesus did when He opened the eyes of the blind man.  They are liars (Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2: 9).  

"Others said, 'These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?'"

 

The Good Shepherd knows and loves His sheep and gives His life for them.  Demons cannot do this. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?  Only God can open the eyes of the blind (Ex. 4:11; Ps. 146: 8). Therefore, this question expects a negative answer.  “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Demons take the eyesight away but cannot give it back.   Some Jews could reason correctly with Jesus, but others persisted in saying that Jesus was demonized and mad.  

 All of us are faced with the question that disturbed the Jews: Was Jesus of Nazareth a madman or a divine being? There is no middle ground. It is extremely absurd to say that Jesus was one of the best, greatest men and one of the best teachers in the world, and yet say that He was simply a man.  It can not be. Even the Jews, though fanaticized, understood this point better but chose to accuse Him of being demonized (mad). It is a logical conclusion: if Jesus was not the Son of God, He was crazy.

1. So what do you think of Jesus’ words (His teaching)? 
2. Are they the teaching of a madman?  His actions?   
3. Are they the actions of a madman?  
4. What effect or influence has Jesus had on others?  
5. Has a madman ever had the influence and impact that Jesus had on humanity? 
6. What do you think?

III.  IF YOU ARE THE CHRIST, TELL US PLAINLY:   (John 10:22-24) 

“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. 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.”’

In John 10:22, 23, The Feast of Dedication was celebrated in Jerusalem. 

"It was instituted by Judas Maccabeus to annually celebrate the purification of the Temple (165 BC), which had been desecrated in 162 by order of Antiochus Epiphanes. It was similar to that of the Tabernacles, and the Jews celebrate it to this day" (VE ). 

"It was not one of the great festivals, and it could be observed anywhere without going to Jerusalem" (ATR).

It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the Temple through Solomon's porch.  The details in this class are important because they indicate that John was an eyewitness.

“ 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.”’

The Jews, especially the leaders, wanted Jesus to make a formal statement to accuse Him. Jesus clearly told the Samaritan woman (John 4:26) and the blind man (John 9:37) that He was the Messiah.  If the blind man had spoken explicitly to the Pharisees, claiming that Jesus was the Messiah, they would have understood that to mean that He would save them from the yoke of the Romans.

IV.   I TOLD YOU, AND YOU DON’T BELIEVE:  (John 10:25-30)

"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 among my sheep. 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. 30 I and the Father are one.'"

• Verse 25:  “Jesus answered them, 'I told you (that He is the Messiah), and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me.'"

They did not believe because of their hate and because they had covered their ears and eyes.  The works that Jesus did were by the Father’s authority.  There is no room for any discussion about His works. Anyone can doubt and rightly argue about the statements that someone makes about himself, but he cannot argue when faced with that same person’s works.

Jesus' works said the same thing as His teaching. There was no difference between His message and His works.  But the Jews were unwilling to judge Jesus' words in light of His works which proved that God was with Him.

Jesus identified Himself daily with the Father (e.g., John 5:19; 8:58).  His teaching and His works proved that He was the Messiah. When they asked Jesus in John 8:25, 

“Who are you?” Jesus said to them, ‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.’”

The works that Jesus did were the signs (“I did one work, and you all marvel at it.... I made a man's whole body well," John 7:21, 23), and they were the works of the Father (John 5:36; 9: 4; 10:32, 37, 38).  After healing the paralyzed man at Bethesda, He said, 

“The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19). 

Therefore, the Father bore His testimony about the Son through the Son’s miraculous works (signs). In this way, the Father confirmed that He had sent him. 

"This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him'" (John 3:2, 3).  

The chief priests gave their testimony about the signs of Jesus (John 11:47). So why didn't they accept that He was the Messiah? Because they expected another kind of messiah.

There was much dissension among the Jews over the signs of Christ (John 9:16; 10:19-21). The works (signs) not only confirm the revelation of God but are themselves a revelation of God. The signs given by Christ declared that He is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God.

The Jews did not deny the reality of the signs. Rather, they denied the message (the revelation) of the signs; that is, they recognized that Jesus performed miracles but refused to accept that Jesus was the Messiah because He was not the messiah they expected. Therefore, they refused to be fair and honest about the meaning of Jesus' miracles.

• John records seven signs done by Christ:

1. He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11), and, in doing so, He manifested Himself as the Lord of creation. 
2. By healing the official’s son (John 4:46-54), He manifested Himself as the Lord over distance and space because He healed him from afar. Compare Luke 7:6-10. There were no barriers to the power of Christ.
3. By healing the paralytic of Bethesda (John 5:1-9), He manifested Himself as the Lord over time. If he had "been sick for thirty-eight years" or thirty-eight minutes, it was the same to Jesus. There was a great difference between the tradition of the people regarding the stirring of the water and the reality of the power of Jesus.
4. By multiplying the loaves and fishes (John 6:1-14), He manifested Himself again as the Lord of creation. He created grains of wheat that grow to feed a multitude, but the same Creator can eliminate the process made possible by the sun, the rain, and the fertility of the soil, and in a moment, produce the same quantity.  He provides for the physical needs of man.
5. By walking on water (John 6:16-21), He manifested Himself as the Lord over natural forces (wind and waves), as well as the Lord over the force of gravity. At the same time, He expressed His concern for His disciples, who were alone in the middle of the storm. He wants us to know that He is present when we need something and that in His hands, He has control of all the forces of the natural world.
6. When He opened the eyes of the man who was born blind (John 9: 1-12), He manifested Himself as the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5), the Lord over darkness, as well as over man's adversities. He can change darkness into light and make us forget the years of darkness in which we have walked.
7. Finally, as the climax of the signs, raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:39-44), He manifested Himself as (the cause of) resurrection and life (John 11:35).

These signs (works of the Father) clearly and widely reveal the deity of Jesus of Nazareth.

• Verse 26:  "But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep."

They did not believe the irrefutable testimony of the Father. They did not believe the signs that were the Father’s acts, the testimony of the Father.  What does the expression "you do not believe because you are not among my sheep" mean? Does it mean that because they were not Christ's sheep, they could not believe?  According to Calvinism, they were not His sheep because God had predestined them to be lost and, therefore, they could not believe, but in reality, they were not sheep simply because they did not believe; that is, they condemned themselves. The works and teaching of Jesus did not convince them to follow Him like sheep. Those who are unwilling to believe cannot be convinced by intellectual argument, not even by signs like the ones Jesus did.

“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. 30 I and the Father are one.”  (John 10: 27-30) 

• Verses 27-28:   “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

Many of our friends like Charles Stanley cite this verse, saying, 

"If our salvation is not secure, how could Jesus say about those to whom He gives eternal life, 'and they shall never perish' (John 10:28)? If even one man or woman receives eternal life and then forfeits it through sin or apostasy, will they not perish? And by doing so, do they not make Jesus’ words a lie?'" (Charles Stanley 1990, p. 18).  

Although what Charles Stanley is saying may seem compelling, we must point out that Stanley dismisses the condition stated by Christ about those who “shall never perish (KJV)."

Calvinists like Stanley contend the phrases “shall never perish” and “no one will snatch them out of My hand” are proof of the impossibility of a child of God ever being lost.  However, both phrases are predicated upon the present active verbs “hear” and “follow” (v. 27).  These verbs ("hear" and "follow") express continuous, ongoing activity, not a one-time subjective belief of certain facts.  His contention is the moment one believes, he has eternal life, after which he may abandon Christ and stop  walking in the light, returning to his old ways of darkness without jeopardizing his eternal salvation.

Our Calvinist friends link salvation to “faith alone,” making void any obedience whatsoever.  But Jesus surely uses words to indicate that His sheep must keep on listening to and following the Good Shepherd.  This implies “keep[ing] His commandments” (1 John 2:3).

Only those who “remain faithful until death” will ultimately receive the crown of life (James 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:7-8; 1 Pet. 5:4; Revelation 2:10).  Jesus declares the same thought in John 10:27-28, promising eternal life to those who continually hear and follow the things He commands.  Calvinists deny that. Calvinists argue for an “all” or “nothing” Grace.  Yet, Jesus taught the truth of God’s Grace being conditional (Matthew 18:23-35).

You see, the Grace of Christ is not a blanket thrown over the sinner from which he cannot escape.  Many of our Calvinist friends like Stanley disagree, saying, 

“Even those who walk away from the faith have not the slightest chance of slipping from His hand.”  (1990, p. 74).

Although it is quite comforting to hear these words to the itching ear, it is evident in black and white that some have turned “away their ears from the truth” and have turned “aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:4).  It is astonishing to see anyone reading the Bible and reaching such a conclusion as that stated by our friends of the religious world.  Yet, the false doctrine that they embrace demands it to be so.

The Grace of Christ is accessed initially when we obey the Gospel.  But Calvinists regard Grace and obedience as enemies.  They ignore the fact that Paul declared that Grace is accessed by faith (Romans 5:1-2).  Since “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17), it should be evident that the only way to obtain God's Grace is by an objective body of inspired revelation, i.e., the New Testament Scriptures or Teaching.  Paul affirmed, “For the grace of God hath appeared...  instructing us... ” (Titus 2:11-12). 

The New Testament contains instructions whose primary purpose is to teach us how to enter a saved relationship with Christ and how to remain in that saved relationship until we reach our final destination. Grace and obedience are handmaidens to salvation.  Grace demands both understanding and obedience.  Sadly, today our church friends have a very minimal understanding of Grace and obedience!

Many of our friends are confused by passages used to defend "once saved, always saved." We must understand their arguments and how to answer them. And though some passages do offer hope and security to believers, they are conditional passages.  Sadly, these conditions are often overlooked. If we study verses such as John 10:27-29 in light of what we read and understand, we will see that they give security only to those who are faithful.  They do not teach unconditional "once saved, always saved."

If it were to be true that a Christian, that is, a believer, cannot depart from the Grace of Christ by walking “away from the faith,” then why did Paul urge believers “to continue [present tense–indicating sustained action] in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43)?  Paul also urged the Christians in Corinth “not to receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1).  The Grace of Christ must be embraced continuously by obeying the conditions bound by the apostles, or else one will have received it “in vain.”  Paul declared that certain Christians “have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4). 

John 10:27-28 does not teach the impossibility of apostasy, but it does teach that those who remain faithful in hearing and following Christ throughout life will not perish.  So what about those who “walk away from the faith”?  Jesus does address apostates in numerous other passages (cf. Revelation 2-3).  Although a child of God cannot be “snatched” away from Christ contrary to his/her own determination, they can depart voluntarily, choosing to “walk away from the faith.”  Judas is a clear example. 

• Verses 28-30:  "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. 30 I and the Father are one'" (John 10:28-30)

Indeed John 10:28-30 is a wonderful promise!  But such a promise is conditional. Notice that the word “and” is repeated in our context.  To receive life and never perish is tied to hearing and following Jesus.  These are conditions taught by our Good Shepherd.   

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus protects His sheep so no one can destroy them.  Jesus has promised to protect His sheep as long as the sheep hear Jesus and follow Him. But what if they cease to hear and follow Him?  As long as we obey the Shepherd’s conditions, neither Satan nor anyone else, nor anything else can steal us from the Lord, the Good Shepherd.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has given us the assurance that the devil will flee from us (James 4:7).  But of course, we must "resist the devil." Sheep can stray from the shepherd's protection (Luke 15:3-7; Acts 20:28-30).  Wolves may enter among the flock, speaking perverse things and drawing away the sheep. But they cannot force us to follow them and be lost.  We have a choice to follow the Lord's voice. Still, false teachers can lure us, attract us, tempt us, and thus be lost eternally.

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."  (I Peter 5:8, 9) 

Satan is a roaring lion seeking to devour us. If we do not resist him, he will capture us as his prey and destroy us completely.   Thus we must be vigilant and resist him with steadfast faith.  Jesus, our Good Shepherd,  promised us this in John 10 (John 17; 6:37-40; I Pet. 2:25).  Think for a moment.  If the sheep can never go astray, even out of their own free will, then this, of course, would deny our free moral will to choose.  So we can never be lost even if we follow Satan!  

“I give them eternal life.” 

Here is the plan of salvation! The sheep hear, Jesus knows them, they follow Him, and He gives them eternal life, and they will never perish as long as they continue to follow Him.  The word perish does not mean annihilation, but the loss of spiritual well-being; that is, they will never be separated from God, so long as the sheep follow Him.  

When Jesus said, 

“I and the Father are one.” 

He was talking about His deity, which does not include Himself in the word “all.”  Why?  Because He is equal to the Father (John 5:18).  He and the Father are one (verse 30), for they are inseparable.  

CONCLUSION:

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus said, 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

As I look around me, I see many people scattered like sheep wandering in the desert of sin.  Some are seeking spiritual nourishment, for they want to be right with God.  But where are they going to go to get this spiritual nourishment?  Only to the Good Shepherd, who provides nourishment for the sheep.  

In John 10:9, our Good Shepherd said, 

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”  

In Psalm 23:2, we read this about the Good Shepherd, 

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.”

The Good Shepherd’s teachings provide the spiritual nourishment we need to be right with God.

The Good Shepherd seeks the lost sheep.  Sheep are the most defenseless of animals, and without protection from their shepherd, they are in danger of being harmed by predators or stolen by thieves.  Our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour (1 Peter 5:8).  It is a fact, not fiction!  The greatest danger to sheep is when they wander from the flock (Isaiah 56:6; John 10:10; Luke 15:3-7).  Since Jesus leads the sheep, they must choose to follow and not wander away.  

“The LORD is my Shepherd” is a two-word affirmation in the Hebrew.  Indeed, this is a mighty declaration!  The word “shepherd” says it all.  God is our Shepherd who looks after us, provides for us, sustains us, and encourages us until we reach our destination, heaven.   As we walk with our Good Shepherd faithfully, we can confidently partake of His provisions.  Living or dwelling with Him implies that we submit to Him.  That is that we obey Him as sheep who follow their shepherd.  Dwelling with God means that we walk His path of righteousness, wanting to do His will.  Dwelling with Him means delighting in Him, praying to Him, doing His will, and worshipping Him with all our heart and mind.  This boils down to knowing the Good Shepherd.

In John 10:27-29, the Good Shepherd declared,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Many of our friends argue, according to John 10:27-29,  that no one can snatch any of Christ's sheep from His Father's hand (“no one shall snatch them out of my hand”).  Therefore, no one who is saved can ever be lost. This argument is false!  Here are the reasons:

• The phrase “no one shall snatch them out of my hand” is not talking about what the believer can do or not do, but rather what Christ can do.  Besides that, it is conditional since He says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." 
• Becoming a “sheep” being placed in God's hand is conditional. It requires, according to our text (John 10:27-29):
• Hearing Christ (verse 27).
• Believing Christ (verse 26) and 
• Following Him (verse 27). 
• Likewise, remaining a “sheep” is conditional. That is, that as long as we, the believers, remain faithful to Christ, he “shall never perish” (verse 28). But the sheep can stop hearing, reject His voice, stop following Him and go astray (fall from grace). Why? Because the sheep willfully refuses to submit to the will of God.

Although our text, John 10:27-29, affirms that some will never perish, to whom is Jesus speaking? To whom will Jesus grant eternal life? Who will never perish?  Only those sheep that hear His voice and follow Him.  It implies that there are some conditions to obey.  Those who are Jesus’ sheep hear His words and follow Him. The expressions "hear" and "follow" in our context are present tense in the Greek, meaning that the action is not a once-for-all-time act but continuous.  

You see, the sheep must continue to listen and obey their shepherd’s voice to continue having fellowship with Him, the Shepherd.  But if one of the sheep stops hearing His words, that is, the sheep stops obeying, the sheep stops being a sheep. Thus, true believers, that is, the true sheep, in Christ have eternal security as long as they continue being genuine believers in word and deed.  Those who cease being genuine believers and faithful to their Shepherd do not have this promise of confidence or eternal security.  That simple!

Indeed, only those Christians, genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are secure when they obey the Shepherd’s voice, all His commandments.  In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He declared, 

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matt. 7:21-23). 

The sheep who obey the Shepherd’s voice do the will of the Heavenly Father. They have nothing to fear, for their salvation is secure with God.  However, those who refuse to submit in faithful obedience to Jesus' Lordship are not genuine believers, Jesus’ sheep (e.g., James 2:18-26).  Thus, we must endure to the end.  We must refuse to be lukewarm for the Lord. 

Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, died for us (Jn. 10:11-15, 17-18).  He died voluntarily (Mt. 26:53; Jn. 19:10-15).  The Good Shepherd came to this world to give His life for us (1 Pet. 3:18; Rm. 5:10).  

1. Have you returned to your Shepherd? Jesus died to gather you into His fold, to save you from eternal hell, and to forgive you of your sins. Jesus knows His own, and His own know Him.  
2. Are you listening to His voice?  
3. Are you obeying His leading?  
4. Are you faithful or lukewarm? 
5. Who are you listening to? 
6. What are you listening to? True disciples, the Shepherd’s sheep, only listen to the voice of Jesus, their Good Shepherd.  
7. Who are you following? True disciples only follow Jesus. 
8. What life do you have? True disciples receive salvation, safety, and satisfaction. They have abundant life, for they follow the lead of their Good Shepherd.  

May we, His sheep, hear His voice to receive salvation, safety, and satisfaction.  May we follow the lead of our Good Shepherd to have abundant life and glorify our Father in heaven.  May we never wander from the flock, for we run the danger of being harmed by predators and thieves and lose our salvation.  May we heed the Good Shepherd’s teachings that provide the spiritual nourishment we need to be right with God, have fellowship with Him, and go to heaven one day.

SAVIOR, LIKE A SHEPHERD LEAD US

Luci