Introduction:

Review of 10:11-21

A.       Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” (v.11-13)

1.      Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd.

2.      Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd.

3.      Jesus Christ is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.

4.      Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd.

5.      God also is called a Shepherd in Scripture

B.       The Meaning of the Good Shepherd (v.11-13)

1.      Gives His life for the sheep

2.      Is not a Hireling

a.      Lacks Genuine Care for the sheep

C.       Proof that Jesus is the Good Shepherd (v.14-16)

1.      He knows His Sheep and they know Him

2.      He knows His Father and the Father knows Him

3.      He lays down His life for the sheep

D.       The Final Proof Is The Sacrificial Death And Resurrection Of Jesus Christ (v.17-21).

1.      He is loved by the Father because He lays down His life for the sheep

2.      His death was voluntary—He laid down His life, no one took it from Him.

3.      His death was the supreme act of obedience to God

4.      It was a command from God

5.      The response was that of division (v.19-21)

a.      Matthew 10:34-36; Luke 12:49-53

       As we saw last week, four times our Lord said that He, the Good shepherd, laid down His life for the sheep.  Some responded to the Savior’s tender invitation, but generally there was a reaction reproach and division.  Between verses 21 and 22, two months have passed. It was wintertime for another great feast (v.22-23).  

Today, I Want To Look At The Claims That The Great Shepherd Makes:

     1.  Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication (v.22-24).

     2.  Claim 1: He is the Messiah (v.25-29).

Next Week we will look at Claim

     2: Claim 2: He is one with God, that is, He is God Himself (v.30-33).

4.   Claim 3: He is the Son of God (v.34-36).

5.   Claim 4: God is in Him and He is in God—absolutely (v.37-39).

6.   Conclusion: Jesus retired (v.40-42).

A.     The Malice Against Jesus Christ.  The Jews now attempt to kill the Savior because of the phenomenal claims He makes.

1.       Jesus Was In Jerusalem At The Feast Of Dedication (v.22-23)

a)        Feast of Dedication (v.22-23).

1)        Dedication — Feast of Dedication (v.22)

Dedication — a religious ceremony in which a person or a thing is set aside or consecrated to God’s service. In Bible times, many different things were included in such services: the Temple (2 Chr. 2:4), a field (Lev. 27:16), a house (Lev. 27:14), articles of precious metal (2 Sam. 8:10), even spoils won in battle (1 Chr. 26:27).

(a)      Hannah Presented Samuel To God In An Act Of Child Dedication (1 Sam. 1:19–28).

Feast of Dedication — The Feast Of Dedication Is Mentioned Only Here In The New Testament (meaning literally “rededication”). The feast has also been called the Festival of Lights.  This is the Jewish festival known today as “Hanukkah” and is still celebrated today.   This is an eight-day festival beginning on the twenty-fifth of the Jewish month of Kislev (usually falling in our month of December).  It was characterized by the burning of lights. Lights were burned in every Jewish home throughout the city and countryside and in every corner of the temple. Every place throughout the land was lit up to celebrate the great day of deliverance. The lights symbolized the light of freedom that had been newly won for the nation. This Feast Was Founded To Celebrate The Freedom Of Israel From Syria In 164 B.C.

(a)      Antiochus Epiphanes, The King Of Syria From 175 To 164 B.C., loved Greek society and wanted to turn his part of the world into a model Greek society. William Barclay points out that he ran into trouble when he tried to make the Jews into full-fledged Greeks both in custom and religion.  He attacked Jerusalem, slaughtering 80,000 Jews by the most horrible means imaginable and enslaving another 80,000, sold many of their wives and children into slavery, and tried to completely obliterate the Jewish religion.

(b)      He Then Desecrated (violated the sacredness of) The Jewish Temple By...

1.         Taking The Altar Of The Burnt Offering & Turning It Into An Altar To The Greek God, Zeus.

a.         We are violating our temple (body) as we do not give all of ourselves to God (Rom.12:1).

2.         Sacrificing Swine Flesh Upon The Altar, the most ceremonial unclean of all animals  & forcing the priest to eat its flesh.

a.         We are not to touch anything that God has declared “unclean” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

3.         Setting up a trade of prostitution in the temple chambers.

(c)      Judas Maccabaeus And His Brothers Lead A Revolt Against Syria. In 165 B.C. they were successful, and one of their first acts was to cleanse, restore, and rededicate the temple. It was for the purpose of celebrating the rededication of the temple to the worship of God that the Feast of Dedication was founded.  That horrible defilement by Antiochus was a preview of the even greater abomination of desolation to be committed by the Antichrist in the end time (Matthew 24:15).

b)        It was winter… Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s Porch … tell us plainly (v.22b-24)

1)        John mentions that it was winter, the rainy season in Palestine. This explains why Jesus is operating in Solomon’s Colonnade, one of the large covered porches in the temple precincts (see Acts 3:11; 5:12).

2)        If You Are the Christ… This Was The Key Question Arising From Jesus’ Ministry (v.24).

The Disciples Had Reached That Conclusion.

ü          We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. (John 6:69)

ü          Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)

The Question Will Be Raised Again At His’ Trial; His Answer Will Be Regarded As Blasphemy

The high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!  What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy…(Matthew 26:63-65)

If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer.  “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”  And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.”  Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony?  For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth. (Luke 22:67-71)

The Jews Are Not Seeking Understanding Of Who Jesus Is.  They understood, but they refused to believe & they want Him to declare that He is the Son of God in order to justify attacking Him.  

2.       Claim 1: He Is the Messiah (v.25-29).

a)        I told you and you do not believe (v.25a)

1)        Jesus Had Affirmed His Messiaship Before To :

(a)      The Samaritan Woman (4:26)

ü          God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He (John 4:24-26)

(b)      Those Who Were Seeking Him Only To Fill Their Stomach (6:36)

ü          “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe (John 6:34-36)

(c)      Those on the last day of the Great Feast of Tabernacles (7:37-39)

ü          Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39)

(d)      To The Unbelieving Jews In (8:23-25)

ü          And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?" (John 8:23-25,)

(e)      To Nathanael (John 1:49) Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel”

(f)       And To The Man Born Blind (9:37)

ü          He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him." (John 9:35-38)

(g)      In His discussions with the Jewish authorities, He had implied as much

ü          So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me." (John 8:28)

ü          Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”" (John 8:58)

b)        But you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me (v.25b)

1)        Works Appears Twenty-Seven Times In The Gospel Of John. 

In Each Instance The Term Implies The Characteristic Activity Of The Person It Is Ascribed To: 

(a)      God (John 4:34; 5:20; 6:28-29; 9:3; 10:37; 14:10)

ü          For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel." (John 5:20, NKJV)

ü          What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”" (John 6:28-29, NKJV)

ü          Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." (John 9:3, NKJV)

ü          If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;" (John 10:37, NKJV)

ü          Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." (John 14:10, NKJV)

(b)      Satan (John 8:40-41; 10:10)

ü          But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”" (John 8:40-41, NKJV)

ü          The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, NKJV)

ü          The devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8, NASB95)

2)        The Works of Jesus Bear Witness of Who He Is (Matthew 11:1-6):

ü          But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me" (John 5:36, NKJV)

ü          You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.   But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40, NKJV)

ü          Jesus said about the blind man,  “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him" (John 9:3, NKJV)

ü          If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him" (John 10:37-38, NKJV)

3)        Jesus Said He Was To Finish The Work That Was Given To Him:

ü          “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34, NKJV)

ü          I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4 NKJV)

4)        Note: That Jesus Claimed To Have Completed The Works Perfectly:

ü          I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. (John 17:4 NKJV)

ü          So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30 NKJV)

ü          concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1:3-4, NKJV)

5)        Application — Our Works Bear Witness of Who We Are & Who We Belong To:

(a)      The Works Of The Unsaved (Mark 7:20-23; John 3:19-21; 7:7; 8:39-40; Col.1:21; 1Jn.3:8-12)

(b)      The Works Of God In And Through Us (Phil2:12-13; Heb.13:20-21)

(c)      The Works Of The Saved (John 10:27 follow me; Rom.13:12; James 2:14-26; John 14:11-12)

1.         You were created for good works & that you should walk in them (Eph.2:10)

2.         Reading and studying Scripture prepares you for good works (2Tim.3:16-17)

3.         Your good works glorify your Father in heaven (Matt.5:14-16; Titus 2:7)

4.         You are to abound in good works (1 Corinthians 15:58)

5.         Your are to finish the work that the Lord has given you (2Tim. 4:1-8)

6.         You need the power of the Holy Spirit to do the works of God (Acts 1:8)

6)        Their Unbelief And Lack Of Spiritual Perception (v.25b cf. Hebrews 3:12)

(a)      Their unwillingness to receive the Messiah proved that they were not of His sheep. If they had been set apart to belong to Him, they would have shown a willingness to believe Him.

ü          Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luke 8:13, NASB95)

(Heb3:12) Watch—Wrong: take heed—watch unbelief. There is great danger that believers might depart from the living God. They might do just what Israel did. Therefore, take heed (blepete): be alert and stay alert; be on the lookout and do it constantly; watch and keep on watching. Keep a watchful eye on your trust and obedience to God. Watch for an evil heart of unbelief. What is an evil heart of unbelief? It is a heart that...

·    stands off from God

·    stands aloof from God

·    renounces God

·    rebels against God

·    does not believe in God

·    does not trust God and His promises

·    does not follow God as He demands

Thought 1. The great failure of Israel was this: they just failed to believe God—to trust that He would do what he said: take care of them, provide for their needs, and give them the promised land and rest.

    The great failure of people today is the very same thing—unbelief. People just do not believe God—that He will do what He says: take care of them, provide for their necessities, and give them the promised land of heaven and the eternal rest from the wilderness of this world.