The Shepherd Holds The Sheep | John 10:22–30

OPENING REMARKS:

The last two times we’ve been in John, we’ve seen how Jesus is the dividing line of all humanity. Those who believe are on one side. Those who do not believe are on the other. Your decision regarding Jesus Christ will determine where you spend eternity.

But understand, even though your decision for Christ impacts your future, the division takes place on earth. The sorting between those on one side and those on the other happens here.

And if we’re going to put a label on the difference between the two sides, we would follow the label Christ gives here in John 10. On the believing side, you have Sheep. On the other side, Not Sheep.

Jesus sorts the people as plainly as He has to this point in His ministry. And He says, “You over here are Not Sheep. You over here Are.”

They ask for a plain answer, and He gives them one. Probably not like they wanted, but He plainly tells them, “There is a big difference between those that claim to be sheep and those that really are.”

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TITLE: The Shepherd Holds The Sheep

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INTRODUCTION:

Last time we were in John, we looked at Jesus’ teaching on the difference between good and bad shepherds.

He said in Vs. 11, “I am the good shepherd,” as a way to contrast how He dealt with the people to how the religious leaders of the day did it. He was the Good Shepherd. They were false shepherds.

John 9 is a prime example of the difference. He loved a blind man enough to heal him. He spoke to him with compassion, forgiveness, and truth. But because He healed Him on the Sabbath, the religious leaders kicked him out of the synagogue.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He lays His life down for the sheep. He’s not like the hirelings who run at the first sign of danger.

And make no mistake - when Jesus used good and bad shepherds as an illustration, the religious leaders knew he was referring to them.

By the time we get to John 10:22, these bad shepherds have had about 2 months to stew over His words.

The last conversation took place in October around the time of the Feast of the Tabernacles, which took place around Harvest time. They spent a week celebrated God’s blessings on their crops.

But Vs. 22 says “feast of the dedication,” which is a different feast.

The Feast of Dedication began nearly 200 years before this in 164 BC.

It came about because Israel had been suffering under the oppression of a wicked Syrian king named Antiochas Epiphanes. If you were around for our series in Daniel last year, you might remember that name. Daniel prophesied about him as a symbol of the Antichrist.

Under his rule, Antiochas Epiphanes had forced Israel to worship false gods. He had erected a temple to the false good, Zeus.

Then he had desecrated the Jewish Temple by sacrificing pigs on God’s altar. Well, that was the final straw for the Jews.

A man named Judas Maccabee rose up, gathered the people together, then fought Syria and took the Temple back.

It took a few years to restore the temple, but when the construction was complete they rededicated the Temple in the month of December, which began an annual feast during December known as the feast of dedication, which has now become known as Hanukkah, an 8 day feast looking back to 164BC and the Temple rededication.

Scriptural Setting

That’s the setting of Vs. 22. It was winter. December. Cold. Probably rainy.

Without reading too much into it, John loves symbolism. I wonder if he mentions the fact that it’s winter not only to describe the weather, but as a picture of the condition of the nation of Israel.

They’ve just come through the harvest. Jesus taught and healed and many people had believed. It was a harvest of souls. But most people rejected Him and were becoming increasingly cold and hardened toward Jesus.

While many came to Christ in the harvest, most of Israel has rejected Him.

And now the summer has ended and the harvest is past. Winter has come. Spiritually dark, cold, and dreary.

Just look at the interaction.

Vs. 23 - Solomon’s porch was a walkway on the outside of the Temple. It had a roof supported by 38’ foot tall pillars. It was covered during the rainy season. That’s where Jesus is walking when He is surrounded by the religious leaders.

Vs. 24 - They must have heard He was coming, because they’re waiting for him.

This is aggressive, maybe even hostile wording. It means they “closed in on Him.” And their words are equally aggressive. They accuse Jesus of not being clear in His messaging. They say He’s the reason they doubt if He’s the Christ.

Christ means Messiah. Anointed One. The King.

They say, “You’re the reason we’re doubting. Tell us in no uncertain terms whether or not you’re the Messiah.”

First off, my reaction to this is “Wait, what?” Based on their history, does anyone believe if Jesus had said, “I am the Messiah,” they would have said, “We believe!”

No way! They doubted because of hard hearts, not because Jesus wasn’t clear.

And they had hardened hearts because they wanted Jesus to be something He wasn’t.

The term “Christ” was a political and military term.

It describes a King - a political or military conqueror.

That’s what they wanted Jesus to be. They wanted someone to wipe out the Romans and establish Himself as earthly king. They wanted the Messiah to call fire down on their enemies.

That’s their expectation.

But Jesus didn’t come using the term Messiah very often. Here in John, He’s trying to establish His divinity. That He’s the Son of God.

So they had an expectation of Jesus that He wasn’t meeting.

That’s the reason they didn’t believe. It’s a heart issue. But they blame Jesus for their unbelief.

And many today do the same thing. We blame God for our unbelief:

“God, you haven’t done what I wanted in this situation, so I doubt.”

“God, you didn’t answer this prayer like I expected, so I doubt.”

“God, you didn’t fix this problem in the time frame I wanted, so I doubt.”

Friend, be careful about blaming Jesus for your doubts.

Just like the Jews in John 10, we have more than enough evidence to believe. The fact that we don’t is when we choose to ignore the evidence.

Illustration: Let’s say I’m driving down the highway and there are multiple signs that say, “Bridge out ahead.” But I keep on driving and drive right into the river. I survive but have to be rescued. As they rescue teams pulls me out, they ask, “Didn’t you see the signs!” And I say, “Yes, but there weren’t enough of them! They weren’t big enough! They should have been said something different!”

My problem is not the signs. My problem is I didn’t want to obey the signs.

That’s exactly how Jesus responds. He tells them, “I told you and ye believed not.”

They were responsible. They chose to ignore the evidence. What evidence?

Jesus gives two clear pieces of evidence that pointed to His identity. His words and His Works. Look at Vs. 25.

I. Jesus Proved He’s The Real Shepherd By His Words And Works.

His Words:

His words were always true. He didn’t sugar coat anything. He told people what they needed to hear, not just what they wanted to hear.

His words were always spoken with others’ best in mind. At the same time, His words were always full of mercy and compassion.

A real Shepherd always does what’s best for the sheep. He doesn’t think, “Well, I want these sheep to be my friends, so I won’t tell them the truth today.”

A real Shepherd is most concerned about what’s best for the sheep. So He tells the truth, but He filters it through loving mercy.

That’s the way Jesus spoke to the sheep. Truth with loving mercy.

As opposed to the false shepherds who didn’t always speak truth. They spoke their own addendums to the law - rules they elevated to the status of truth but weren’t from God.

And they rarely spoke with mercy. They scorned the blind man. They kicked him out of the synagogue.

A genuine shepherd speaks truth with loving mercy to the sheep.

And look at what the sheep do as a result in Vs. 27.

This is the second time in John 10 that Jesus talks about how He speaks to His sheep and how they willingly they follow Him.

When you have a Shepherd who has never you led you astray and always tells the truth in love and mercy, you are compelled to follow Him. Unlike the false shepherds who do the opposite.

So Jesus proved His identity as the Real Shepherd by His words:

But He also proved His identity by His works. Vs. 25b

All the miracles He performed were clear evidence that He came from God the Father.

Who could do what Jesus did if He didn’t come from God the Father?

This works were His witnesses. They were His evidence.

That should have been all the people needed.

Instead, they were upset that He didn’t do things the way they wanted Him to.

They had evidence, but they refused to believe.

So while Jesus proved His identity as the Real Shepherd by His words and His works…

II. The Jews Proved Their True Identity By Rejecting Jesus.

Look at Vs. 26

Their refusal to believe proved their identity. Their rejection of Jesus proved they weren’t sheep.

These religious leaders viewed themselves as Israel’s “shepherds.” But Jesus says, “Not only are you not real shepherds. You’re not even sheep.”

These guys that viewed themselves as spiritual influencers weren’t even part of the flock.

Jesus says, “If you were sheep, you’d hear my teaching and obey it.”

Real sheep follow the shepherd.

They hear His voice and do what He says.

They listen when He says, “Stop living in that sin.”

“Be committed to the church that I died for.”

“Love others like I love them.”

“Care for souls because I do.”

Many people claim to be shepherds. They act like their spiritual lives are in order. They might even attempt to influence others. But Jesus says, “But what do their words and works say?”

The same people that ignored the words and works of Jesus looked past their own words and works.

While Jesus backed up His claims, they proved with their own evidence that they weren’t even sheep.

In spite of all the evidence, they refused the shepherd because He didn’t meet their expectations.

Application: Have you resisted the Good Shepherd because He doesn’t met your expectations?

You say, “You don’t know the things that have happened in my past. I can’t trust Jesus because of them.”

First, Bad things that happen to us are not Jesus’ fault. Don’t blame Him for your doubt.

Bad things happen because of sin, not because of God.

And you say, “Why doesn’t God stop it?” Because God gave us a free will. He wants us to choose Him, so He gave us the ability to do it.

Unfortunately, many people use their free will to do wrong.

But we can’t blame the sinful choices of others on a loving God.

Second, In case you think that God only lets bad things happen to us, He allowed bad things to happen to His Son.

Jesus came to earth to offer salvation, and they crucified Him. They tortured Him. They hated Him. So before you think we’re the only ones that suffer, Jesus suffered far worse than us so that we could be saved.

God is not unaware of your hardships. In fact, He has felt the sting of unfair treatment and hate. Yet He still loved those who did it.

Maybe you say, “I’m not ready to receive Jesus because I just haven’t seen enough evidence.’

What more evidence do you need than the historical fact that He died on a cross for your sins?

He didn’t just say, “I love you” with His words. He said it with His works. He’s the Shepherd that lays down His life for the sheep.

Maybe you say, “I believe that, but I can’t bring myself to really follow Jesus. He’s too demanding.”

Are you saying that the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep, feeds them, protects them, has laid down His life for them - doesn’t deserve to be followed?

If our approach is, “I’ll enter the fold, but I’m not sure I can give Jesus my whole life. That’s just too much.” If that’s our mindset then we don’t understand all that the Shepherd offers.

Plenty of sheep say, “I can’t put His church first. Three services a week is just too much.”

Or, “I can’t give up that part my lifestyle. That’s asking a lot.”

Or “I can’t be a vocal witness for God at work or school. That’s extreme.”

I understand it may feel like a lot, but before you say it’s too much, have you truly considered all that the Shepherd offers?

III. The Sheep Have Incredible Benefits

Vs. 27-29

You talk about benefits:

“I give unto them eternal life”

It’s present tense. We don’t just have eternal life life later, we have it starting now.

If you have received Jesus by faith, you have eternal life today.

Eternal life starts now, but it ends never.

And though your body may die, you will live forever in Heaven with a new, glorified body that will never die.

If you know Jesus, you have eternal life today and forever. Starting now, ending never.

That’s one of the benefits the Good Shepherd gives the Sheep.

He gives us eternal life. A gift like no other.

By the way, it’s a gift you can’t return. How do we know?

Because Jesus said so.

“They shall never perish.”

“Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

This is the doctrine of eternal security.

Once saved, always saved.

A sheep that is in the Savior’s hands is as secure as anything supernaturally possible.

Never perish means never die.

“Pluck” means “to snatch.” Jesus says, “No wolf or thief could snatch up and carry the sheep away no matter how hard they tried.”

Not only that, He adds the Father’s hand to the mix. He says, “My Father, who, by the way, is the Creator and most powerful being in all the universe, also holds onto my sheep. Who’s going to pry those fingers open?”

Two sets of all-powerful hands are holding onto to the sheep.

We are eternally secure in Christ’s hands, and the Father’s hands are also around us.

I don’t like the idea in Christianity that “We just need to hold on to Jesus.” That implies that staying close to Jesus is up to our effort. But it’s the other way around.

You’re not holding to Jesus. Jesus is holding on to you. And He has the Father’s help.

He says, “I and my Father are one.”

We’re unified. Distinct persons, but same essence. Acting together to protect and eternally keep the sheep.

Friend, The Shepherd Offers More To The Sheep Than He Asks From The Sheep

IV. If you know Jesus, you have received far more than He asks you to give.

We get upset that He doesn’t do things our way, but He’s holding onto us for eternity.

We act like He can’t be trusted because He doesn’t operate in our timing, but He’s holding onto His sheep for good.

We are put out that He doesn’t answer a request quick enough, but He has you securely in His hands forever. The greatest gift a Shepherd could give a sheep is Security. And we doubt Him because He doesn’t meet our expectations in some way.

He has given the greatest gift - eternal life forever. We’re secure in His hands. We have no reason to doubt Him.

Jesus may not always give us what we want, but He will always give us what we truly need.

CIT: Friend, If Jesus can hold onto you for all eternity, you can believe He’s doing what’s best for you today.

Even if He doesn’t meet your expecations.

Even if He takes longer than you’d like.

Even if He doesn’t fix a problem like you want.

If Jesus can hold onto you for eternity, you can believe He’s doing what’s best for you today.

Why? Because He’s never lost a sheep.

Illustration: Dennis Van Zee hauling sheep. Used to manage feed lots with thousands of sheep. Hauling sheep is a dangerous proposition in that most loads lose about 2% of the sheep. You could lose 5-6 sheep in one load.

He was saying he took great pains to protect the sheep and do things right. One season the people he hauled for called and commended him because in an entire season hauling over 30k sheep he only lost 6.

That’s an unheard of percentage.

Only 6 out of 30k.

But I had to say to Bro. Dennis, “That’s impressive, but let me give you a more impressive number. Jesus has been responsible for millions, probably billions, and He’s never lost one.”

If that doesn’t prove who He is, I don’t what does.

The Shepherd Holds The Sheep.

Don’t blame Jesus for your doubt. Don’t reject Him just because He doesn’t meet your expectations.

If Jesus can hold onto you for eternity, you can believe He’s doing what’s best for you today.

Jesus may not always give us what we want, but He will always give us what we truly need.

If you do, it’s not because there’s not evidence. It’s because you’ve chosen to ignore it.

His Word is evidence that He’s the Good Shepherd.

The cross is evidence that He’s the Good Shepherd.

His commitment to hold onto the sheep is evidence that He’s the Good Shepherd.

We don’t need more evidence. We simply need to trust the Good Shepherd.

If we don’t, we’re not real sheep. And we miss out on all the Good Shepherd offers.