Sermon Tone Analysis

! 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.  T//hey 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.