Jesus Asserts His Deity

John 10:22-30

Praise, Prayer

If you brought your bibles turn with me over to the Gospel of John chapter ten, the Gospel of John chapter ten and we are going to read Vs. 22-30 of the Gospel of John chapter ten.

Last week we talked about Jesus as the Good Shepherd who cares for the flock of God. This week we are going to see Jesus make His claim to be the Christ to the Jewish leaders, and His promise of eternal security to believers.

John 10:22–30 NASB95

At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 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 plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “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. “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. “I and the Father are one.”

I think one of the biggest issues most Christians struggle with when it comes to their faith is eternal security.

How can I have confidence in God that my eternal salvation is secure? What if I do something, at some point that offends God, do I lose my salvation?

Some churches actually teach that you are responsible for maintaining your salvation.

I want you to understand that you did not do any thing to achieve your salvation and there is nothing you can do to lose it.

We don’t base that on opinion, instinct, or emotion, we base it on the Word of God.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

If you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you are saved by the mercy of God, it was given to you as a gift and will never be taken away from you.

I also want you to recognize there are many warning passages of scripture. Such as, Matthew 24:13. 1 John 1:9, Rev. 2-3. These passages are given to us to perfect our walk. To produce the fear of the Lord in our hearts.

The promise of eternal security is to give us confidence. That is God’s promise and the great subject of this passage.

Background and Context

What is interesting is; when Jesus says this and makes this beautiful promise, He is not talking to believers.

He is being confronted by Jewish leaders, who are doing everything they can to get Him to say in plain language, “He is the Messiah.” So, they can arrest Him and execute their plan to kill Him.

But Jesus fully understanding their motives tells them the truth of who He is, in the most beautiful spiritual way and they still cannot comprehend it, or do anything about it.

Point: Jesus makes His claim to be the Christ, and makes a promise of eternal security to believers.

I. The Setting Vs. 22-23

John gives us a picture of the setting of the story. Jesus is in Jerusalem and we are given the time and place these events occur.

Look at vs. 22, “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.”

The Feast of Dedication is what we now call Hanukkah. Its an 8 day celebration that takes place every December. Thus the phrase “and it was winter.”

What they are celebrating is the rededication of the temple that took place in 165 BC.

You see in 175 BC a madman named Antiochus Epiphanes came to rule over Jerusalem. He wanted to bring an end to the Jewish religion. He desecrated the temple by slaughtering a pig on the altar. He started temple prostitution. He converted the altar of sacrifice into the altar of Zeus. This was predicted in the book of Daniel and was the first abomination that causes desolation.

However, a man named Judas Maccabaeus led a revolt that killed Epiphanes and they cleansed the temple and rededicated to the Lord and that’s what the Jewish people celebrate each year called Hanukkah.

In Jesus day it was called the Feast of Dedication, but that also gives us a time table for these events. Because when Jesus healed the man born blind at the beginning of Chapter 9, it was the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. So, two months have gone by in this conflict from when the blind man was excommunicated from the temple.

What I wonder is why they didn’t just excommunicate Jesus from the temple? Because notice where He is at!!

Look at Vs. 23, “And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.”

They don’t seem to be able to do anything to Him and it is driving them crazy.

Jesus is just casually strolling through the temple. He has His disciples with Him. He has other followers with Him. Many people love Him because they have witnessed the miracles. He knows they want to kill Him but He doesn’t let that bother Him at all. He just goes about His business.

You can see from the next verse that was driving the Pharisees crazy.

How should a Christian respond to people who are opposed to them?

We should never respond in fear. We should recognize them for who they are; pawns of the enemy. instead of arguing or becoming defensive we should try to engage them in a meaningful way.

We should try to approach them respectfully, and share with them how Christ has changed our life. There are no guarantees but it might just soften their opposition.

Larry Roberts was a man I worked with for 30 years. When I first met him he told me he didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.. For 30 years I never really did get to share much about Jesus but then one day I came back to the shop and there was Larry standing there waiting to talk to me.

You see his live in girl friend just died and he was in a horrible shape and now he wanted to talk to me.

The point is we can not put up walls of defense if we are ever going to be used by Christ. We need build bridges that allow people to trust us when they need too.

II. The Confrontation Vs. 24-25.

Jesus is confronted by the enemy while walking in the temple in Jerusalem.

Look at the beginning of Vs. 24, “Then the Jews surrounded Him.”

This is not a casual meeting! Have you ever notice when someone wants to pick a fight with you they will come and search you out? That is what this is. They searched Him out to pick a fight with Him.

That just makes it more ironic to me that He was right there in the temple. He wasn’t running from them. He wasn’t bothered by them. They were bothered by Him and His disregard for their authority.

Notice the question at the end of Vs. 24, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

They are completely beside themselves, but really this is a trick question. They are deceivers and they want to get Him to say something that will give them the full authority to arrest Him and crucify Him.

They are all in and going for the crime of blaspheme.

Notice the answer Vs. 25, “Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.”

He couldn’t be any more clearer with out being perfectly clear. This reminds me of those memes you see online. “Tell me your the Christ without telling me your the Christ.” Because that is what Jesus keeps doing to them.

He is saying God is my Father and the works that I do, tell you exactly who I am, but you don’t believe it. He has told them He is the Messiah in ten thousand different ways, yet they will not accept it.

Look at the reason Vs. 26, “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.”

The problem was they were not a part of the flock of God. Their hearts were hard and they couldn’t believe the truth, because they were not his sheep. Paul tells us why.

1 Corinthians 2:7–8 “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”

Notice in Vs. 26 Jesus didn’t say, You are not my sheep because you do not believe. But, He said, “you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”

There is a thread of predestination that runs throughout the Gospel of John. We seen it back in 6:44-46 when Jesus said, “no man can come to me unless my Father draw him.” John 17:9 ““I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;”

I want you to understand that the doctrine of predestination is not meant for us to track it to a theological or philosophical conclusion. It is not meant for us to dwell on the idea that some are saved and others are not. But it is meant for to have an assurance of our own salvation because God has chosen us from the foundation of the world.

It is meant to give us a greater appreciation for the grace and mercy of God.

How does it make you feel when someone openly rejects Christ in front of you?

When it is a family or friends, it can be painful. But Instead of becoming angry, we should take the time to pray for them and ask God for wisdom on how to communicate with them.

Consider looking for ways to share your faith through good works rather than verbally. Look for opportunities to invite them to church when a non-pressuring event is going on.

You are not going to change their heart overnight, but it lays the groundwork for future conversations and understanding. With the prayer that God will draw them to Him.

III. The Promise of Eternal Security Vs. 27-30

Here Jesus gives us one of the most incredible promises in the Bible. The Promise of eternal life that no one can take that away from us.

Notice His relationship with His people Vs. 27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

This verse has only 13 words long but teaches us two important truths about the sheep. They listen to the shepherd and they follow the shepherd.

This isn’t something new, we were already told this in Vs. 16 but the repetition tells us how important this is!! He is emphasizing the fact that true sheep listen and false sheep don’t.

How can we be better sheep that listen to the voice of Christ?

Notice the promise of the Son, Vs. 28, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

In this one verse Jesus makes three promises that should give us an assurance of our salvation.

Notice He is the provider, “I.” give them eternal life. John 14:6 He gives it, it is a gift. You don’t earn it it is given. Romans 6:23

Then we see the people of eternal life “and they shall never perish.” Who are the “they” this is referring to? Vs. 27 Those who hear Him and follow Him.

Then notice the security of eternal life. “no one can snatch them from my hand.”

What is interesting to me is the Bible authors didn’t see any problem in writing about warnings and promises. For example, John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” And then following it up with an incredible promise of security like we see here.

The warning passages in scripture are intended to make us evaluate ourselves and fear the Lord but the promises of scripture are intended to give us confidence and assurance.

Notice the greatness of the Father, Vs. 29-30, “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.”

There is a sense of double security given here. Because God the Father is the owner of the sheep and the sheep are secure not only because they are in the hands of the shepherd but because they belong to the owner who is God the Father and the idea is the omnipotent God is greater than all.

Paul shows us this great confidence.

Romans 8:38–39 NASB95

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Also, remember Jesus is making this statement to the Jewish leaders who have just excommunicated the man born blind from the temple. In other words the Jewish leaders decided he was going to be separated from God. They decided he wasn’t going to be able to worship anymore.

And what Jesus is saying is; no one gets to do that. My Father decides who belongs to Him, and no one has the power to take them away from Me or My Father.

John 10:30 ““I and the Father are one.””

Here He gives them exactly what they want. In plain language. No verse in the bible could state it any clearer than this. “I and the Father are one.””

John D. The Good Shepherd Offers Signature (10:22–30)

Modern theologians argue that Jesus died a martyr’s death because the people of his day misunderstood him. They argue that Jesus never claimed to be God and could have escaped death by denying this confusion. But the confusion is theirs. Jesus intended everyone who heard him speak to understand precisely that he made himself equal with God in every way—and that is why they killed him.

Conclusion

Point: Jesus makes His claim to be the Christ to the Jewish leaders, and His promise of eternal security to believers. But has He been able to assert His claim to be Christ in your life. Are you a true believer, a sheep of the shepherd, who has the promise of eternal security?