The God Who Keeps

Intro.

Over out last couple of weeks in the Gospel of John, we discovered the Parable of the Door and the Shepherd. We took a look at what it means that Jesus is the Door into the fold of God’s sheep, as well as what it means that He is the Good Shepherd.

What do we remember about this?

Door

Nobody comes into the fold of God but through Christ

Anyone who tries to enter into the fold of God without Christ is only there seduce the sheep away from their Shepherd

This will be a leading them into destruction (“The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy.”) Neither does this passage particularly speak of Satan, the adversary of our soul. Rather, men who would come into the flock of God’s sheep and steal them away from the true Shepherd by their wicked doctrines and heresies.

These kind of people, who enter in without Christ, are known as frauds by the sheep of God, why?

Because we are spiritual will know the voice of God over the voice of others, and then follow only the Lord.

Shepherd

Jesus protects us as His sheep

Jesus leads His sheep to pasture in security

We have eternal life secured for us in Christ as long as we keep on following after Christ.

He leads us in peace and safety

He lays His life down for the Sheep

“I have the authority to lay down my life and I have the authority to take it back up again. This command I have recieved from my Father.”

Son and Father are “One”

John 10:22–42 LSB

22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us openly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me. 26 “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; 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.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and continue knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. 40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 And many came to Him and were saying, “While John did no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.

The Question

Jn. 10.22-30 provide for us the beginning of another dialog, or a continuation of the former. It at least is here, it would seem, because the content of this conversation is related to the Shepherd-ship of Christ over the Church.

What is their question? What is Jesus initial answer for them?

Do you think their question was asked genuinely?

I’d say probably not because they had seen the work of Christ and knew what He had done. As Jesus had said Himself, “the works I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of me.”

What kind of works has He done which prove Him?

Why does Jesus say they did not believe?

It is their fault that they had no understanding of who Jesus was, because they were not His sheep. They did not believe on Him in order to understand by faith. As He said once already to the Pharisees, He speaks truth and they cannot hear it! Why? Because, they have hardened their hearts to Who Jesus is.

Sheep In His Hands

Jesus says His Sheep will hear His voice, this is the connection to the previous section; though it may not take place at exactly the same moment it is the same teaching.

John 10:26–30 LSB

26 “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; 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.”

Here is where we will spend the rest of the evening in study.

Have you ever heard of the doctrine “Once Saved, Always Saved”?

This is one of the proof texts for such an error. On initial reading, it could make sense in this passage. Yet, we have to look at what is actually being said.

Firstly, let’s handle the Christology that is rich in this text.

From v. 26-30, what do we learn about Jesus?

He and the Father are one

We are in His hand as His Sheep

The Father has given Him the sheep

We are going to hone in on that idea that He and the Father are one.

How might you explain the oneness here?

Within just a few sentences, Jesus says that His sheep are in His hand, then also in the hand of the Father. Which is it? Is this a contradiction? No!

We as the fold of God, who have obeyed the Gospel of Christ the Lord, are safely within the hand of both the Father and the Son!

This is so, because both are actively concerned for our souls, and our sanctification — that is, being made holy in Christ.

Why might Jesus feel the need to use both Himself and the Father here?

One possibility, as expressed by Chrysostom and Matthew Henry, is that Jesus is doubling down on just how secure His sheep are.

These unbelieving Jews are hearing the words of Christ with a hardened heart and stopped up ears, and had He said He was the one protecting and holding the Sheep, perhaps they’d have gone on to further blaspheme and misunderstand Him, perceiving Him as weak. Yet, in bringing the Father into it, He communicates to them in a way that they will absolutely understand: Those who belong to Jesus are protected by the very hand of God!

Take a second and really soak in how secure you are through your faith. That God the Father and the Son are so intimately and actively concerned with keeping you unto eternity! Ho

How are you feeling?

Have you ever felt as if something had come between you and God before, causing a rift in the relationship? Rom. 8.35-39.

Family, you do not have to work your way into worthiness of God’s protection. Yes, we work by faith and if we ceased to be obedient we would fall from grace — but you are already fully secured to the love of Christ Jesus through your faith! And nothing will separate you therefrom.

Therefore, Jesus says that no one will pluck us out of the hand of God!

No other force, be it from earth or hell, will ever be strong enough to rend you from the grip of God! Now, that is not to say that we cannot wiggle away and jump ship ourselves, but that is to say that 1 Jo. 1.7

1 John 1:7 LSB

7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

He then takes this opportunity to explain to them who He is! Having gotten their attention now, He unashamedly proclaims the truth: He is one with the Father

We have spoken much about the Trinity and how all three Persons of God are one in essence and nature and will. This is not to say, obviously, that Jesus is the Father as some erroneously teach. Rather, as God says, “the two shall be made one flesh,” yet they are two individual and distinct persons, this is but a picture of the unity of the Trinity! Three distinct Persons, one nature and essence together as the one God Almighty.

Jesus is saying here, as we are both in His hand and the Father’s hand, that He is equally as powerful as the Father is! He is saying that He is equally as capable of guarding His sheep as is the Father! And this cannot be so if He is not truly God Himself, and thus they pick up stones to kill Him, John 10.31-33

John 10:31–33 LSB

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”

Conclusion

Family, are we feeling spiritually secure? Then rejoice!

Are we unsure of our position before God? Repent!

Are we overjoyed at the goodness of God to keep us from all evil? Preach the Gospel!

We cannot come away from the Holy Revelation and do nothing about what is revealed therein. This evening we have seen just how indefinitely secured from all forces of evil we are through faith! Yet, as James says, a faith which does not obey is not going to save us. Let us live holy lives in the joy and grace that is found in Christ Jesus, knowing for certain that He is able to protect us from everything that would attack us! We will feel pressured and we will feel the heat of the purifying fires of trial — but you and I can rest and rejoice in knowing that no manner of trial and hardship will ever be strong enough to steal us from God! Stand firm on your faith, therefore, and know that God is greater than all!