The Good Shepherd: Part 2 (John 10:22-30)

Approximately 2 months after the Feast of Tabernacles (Sept-Oct) was the Feast of Dedication (Nov-Dec). The Feast of Dedication, also known as Hanukkah, commemorated the liberation and rededication of the Temple in 164 BC. It is still observed by many Jews. Jesus was at the Temple for the Feast of Dedication when the Jewish leaders asked Him, “How long do you make us doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24). In Jesus’ answer to this question, He says they don’t believe because they are not His sheep. He then gives us four (4) blessings that come from following Jesus.

My Sheep Hear My Voice and I Know Them

The first blessing of following Jesus is that we hear and know His voice. Let’s consider this in more detail. Jesus’ sheep (followers) hear His voice. How do Christians hear the voice of the Christ? They hear His voice through the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture. David Paul has helpfully summarized the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives:

He transforms us (Gal 5:22-23),
He convicts us of sin (John 16:7-11),
He guides us to the truth (John 14:25-26),
He empowers us to proclaim Christ (Acts 4:31),
He gives us spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:4-11),
He empowers us to worship (Eph 5:18-21), and
He leads us (Acts 16:6-10).

Jesus’ sheep also hear His voice through the Holy Scripture. We must hear, read, study, and meditate on the Bible regularly because it is God’s Holy Word. It is divinely inspired, divine instruction that is true and trustworthy. Want to hear God’s voice? Read the Bible? Want to hear God’s voice audibly? Read the Bible out loud! Do you hear the voice of Christ?

The Shepherd knows His sheep; He calls them, nurtures them, and cares for them. Christianity is not a dead religion built upon rigid rules and regulations in order to be found worthy of acceptance, but a personal relationship with Jesus. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We follow Jesus. If you truly know Christ, how can you not submit your life to Him to be guided by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scripture? Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Are you known by the Shepherd?

My Sheep Follow Me

The second blessing is that we follow Him. Why do the sheep follow the Shepherd? Because He leads them in truth. When a person becomes born again, they are changed from the inside out. Jesus gives us new desires and new affections. Jonathan Edwards wrote: “God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here.”

There is a battle that occurs within the Christian and they must put away the old life and embrace the new life. That battle is only won through the transforming work of Christ in our hearts. Paul wrote: “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph 4:22-24). Do you follow the Shepherd?

My Sheep Live Forever

The third blessing is that we live forever. How do the sheep live forever? Typically sheep do not live forever so how can Jesus say, “they will never perish…”? This is because Jesus’ followers will be given immortal bodies (1 Cor 15) to live in the new heavens and new earth (Rev 21:1). The Apostle Peter wrote “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Revelation 21 tells us that in this new heaven and new earth: “the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God” (Rev 21:3). He goes on to say, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away…I am making all things new” (Rev 21:4-5). There are no words that can describe the joy of this place. Our future state is to live eternally with God rejoicing with unfathomable joy! Will you live forever with Christ?

My Sheep Are Protected

The fourth blessing is that we are protected. How are the sheep protected? They are in the Son’s hand (10:28) and in the Father’s hand (10:29). If we are truly born again we will love God and others (Matt 22:37-39). We will receive confirmation of our regeneration (John 13:35; 1 John 5:13) and we can have peace (John 16:33). It is not a peace that we hang on to Christ, but that Christ hangs on to us! Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:13-14 that Christians are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession, to the praise of His glory.” When a person comes to Christ for salvation, Jesus saves them completely. All their sins are forgiven (Col 2:13) and they are adopted (Rom 8:15) into the family of God. God’s promise is to “never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Are you protected by the Shepherd?

The Shepherd’s Light

It is not accidental that this discussion occurred during the Feast of Dedication. When Judas Maccabeus restored worship back in the Temple, the miracle commemorated was that one day’s worth of oil for the sacred lamps burned for eight days so that new oil could be collected. Bill Cook explains the significance of this with Jesus: “The imagery of light plays an important role in Hanukkah…John wants us to see that Jesus is the light who shines brighter than Hanukkah’s lights…The darkness that engulfed the Jewish nation under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes wasn’t fully removed by the victory of Judas, but only by the victory of Jesus. And Jesus continues to shine in the darkness, and the forces of darkness will never overpower him (1:5).” Do not doubt that Jesus is the Christ. Believe Him and let His light shine upon you and may He be gracious to you!