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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
June 29, 2007; Jesus, Prince of Preachers and Premier Prophet (7 of 12)
Focus Text: John 10.28-31
“‘And I [Jesus] give them [My sheep] 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. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.’” (John 10.28-31).
How great was/is Jesus? What power and authority did He possess while here upon this earth? What relationship did He have with the Father? Were He and the Father united in any real and meaningful way? Were they separate in any real and meaningful way? All of these questions and more come to mind when one considers today’s focus text. As we explore this text, we discover more about Jesus and who He was/is.
First, He was and is the source of eternal life. If He is not that, He clearly failed to speak the truth to His detractors in this occasion. Next, He is able to defeat any power which might come against His sheep; this is evidenced by the fact that He said, “Neither shall any man snatch them out of My hand.” The matter of concern in this text is not about who the Sheep are and their capabilities; the matter of concern is who the Shepherd is and His power! Thirdly, Jesus clearly affirmed the same capacity for the Father as for Himself in being able to fend off any and all enemies of the Father. To extend that comparison further, He said, “I and My Father are one!”
Three absolute and distinct claims in this text allude to the fact that Jesus claimed to be Deity. Here they are: 1) He gives eternal life to others, 2) He is able to defeat any power that might come against Him, and 3) He claimed equality with the Father when He said that He was one with the Father. The import of His statements CANNOT be missed. So strong were the arguments and so incensed were the Jews that the text simply states, “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.”
Who was Jesus? What authority did He possess? These passages answer these questions and many more. Humanity may not understand the mystery that is associated with Jesus being Deity, but a believer cannot deny that this was His claim! Jesus not only claimed to be Deity, He proved His claims by His actions. Had He been other than what He stated, the Father would not have worked through Him and thereby placed a stamp of approval on Him, His word, and His work. However, the Father did approve of the Son and demonstrated His sanctioning of Him by signs, and wonders, and miraculous deeds.
When we come to truly think about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we must consider His origins, and His roots. Was he just one of many saviors, prophets, and preachers? Or, was He truly unique, one of a kind? The Scriptures scream the answer in verses like today’s focus text and even in more widely known ones such as “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3.16). Jesus was and is God; He did not become God and He never ceased being God. When we speak of Him, we must see Him for who He is!
Questions:
1. As what figure of speech did Jesus claim to give eternal life to His sheep?
2. What claims in the focus verses indicate the power and authority of Jesus?
3. What did He mean when He said that He and the Father were one? Were they the same literally? Or, were they distinct personalities?
4. What did the Jews deduce about Jesus from His arguments? Why did they attempt once again to stone Him?
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