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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Quoting Jesus: “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10.28-30).
The dispute was over whether or not Jesus, the Man who stood robed in flesh before them, was more than a mere man. There was no argument that He was man, but was He more than man? That was the question! This question had significant and eternal implications. Prior to events of the text cited, Jesus had framed an analogy concerning sheep, a sheepfold, a shepherd and other figures with which His audience was intimately familiar. He did not need to explain the implications of His analogy once the figures were understood; the implications were obvious.
To set the stage, He had declared that there is but one door to the sheepfold and that anyone who tried to enter any way other than by that singular door was a thief (see John 10.1). Continuing in this vein, Jesus declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10.7). Being able to put “two and two” together, His audience soon figured out that Jesus was claiming to exclusively be the way to the Father. To add insult to injury, He also claimed to be the Good Shepherd, another singular position which He assigned to Himself (see John 10.11). Going even one devastating step farther, He said, “Other sheep I have which are not of this [Jewish] fold; them also I must bring, and they [the Gentiles] will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10.16). Man had not spoken like this before!
However, Jesus was far from being through with His discourse. The next statement was, at least in the minds of many that heard Him, beyond all possibility of being true. Others knew that it could be true only if Jesus were more than mere man. Jesus said, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10.17-18). Note carefully His claim to be able to lay down His life and to take it up again! Lest there be any misunderstanding, He stated that He had the power to lay down His life and He had the power to take it up again! This claimed authority was what put His claims out of all possibility of being merely the claims of a man. Man might lay down his life, but he surely cannot take it up again; here was where the “rubber met the road.” Here was the point of division that demanded more discussion.
The scene moved to the temple and Jesus was surrounded by Jews who said, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (John 10.24). What they were asking Him to do was to explicitly state that which had already implicitly been declared! They were refusing to hear the implication of what had been stated. Watch now as Jesus responses to their demand to tell them if He were really the Christ. Jesus said, “I told you, and you do not believe.” (John 10.25). Jesus had not said, “I am the Christ,” but He certainly had taught it! By implication He had stated that He was more than mere man; by implication He had stated that He was God in the flesh, the long awaited Messiah of Old Testament prophecy.
Being Messiah, Jesus was indeed able to grant eternal life to those who heard and followed Him. No man or earthly force could change or alter the power which He and He alone possessed. He gives eternal life!
Questions:
1. How many doors were in the sheepfold of which Jesus spoke?
2. Even if there had been other folds previously, how many would there be after Jesus became the Good Shepherd?
3. Why do you think the crowd refused to accept the implications of Jesus and demanded an explicit statement? Is His statement explicit in John 10.25? What is that statement?
4. Since Jesus is the Christ, what power does He possess as compared with the Father? How does that enter into the dispute that raged in John 10?
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