Soar Like Eagles (Part 29)
I Am the Son of God! - John 10:22-42

During his short but spectacular life, Alexander the Great conquered
most of the known world. When he died in 323 B.C. at the age of
thirty-three, he left his empire in the hands of his trusted generals.
One of them, Seleucus I, became the ruler of Syria and founded the
Seleucid dynasty. Many years later, one of his descendants, Antiochus
Epiphanes, came to power and began to expand his domain by invading
Egypt. Following his successful domination of Egypt, he marched against
Jerusalem in 169 B.C. Upon his arrival there, he entered the sanctuary
and took everything of value.
Plundering the temple of the Jews, however, did not satisfy Antiochus
Epiphanes. He proceeded to insist that all the people in his empire put
away their distinctive customs and religions and become a united people
who spoke the Greek language, observed Greek customs, and practiced Greek
religion.
To accomplish this, he ordered the Jews to stop sacrificing to their
God, circumcising their sons, and observing the Sabbath. The altar in the
temple was defiled by sacrificing swine (unclean animals Jews would never
sacrifice to God) on it, and the books of the Law that were discovered
were burned. It was surely one of the darkest hours in the history of
Israel:
According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their
children circumcised, and their families and those who circumcised them;
and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks. But many in Israel
stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food.
They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the
holy covenant; and they did die. And very great wrath came upon
Israel.
Among the Jews who "stood firm" was a priest named Mattathias. He and
his five sons opposed the orders of Antiochus Epiphanes and were forced
to flee to the hills.
Soon, people from all over the country came to join them and to
prepare for a fight with the Syrians. When Mattathias died in 167 B.C.,
his son Judas Maccabeus became the leader of the revolt. The Jews, under
his leadership, overcame some initial setbacks and routed the Syrians,
reclaiming their land and their temple.
When they eventually succeeded in driving the Syrians from Jerusalem,
their first order of business was to cleanse the temple that had been
desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. "Then said Judas and his
brothers,'Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the
sanctuary and dedcate it.'''
When the cleansing and rededication of the temple were complete, Judas
and his brothers decided that each year the people should hold a
celebration of the dedication of the temple for a period of eight days.
This Feast of Dedication became a time for Israel to celebrate their
deliverance and to commemorate the rededication of the temple and the
altar to God. Today this celebration is known to Jewish people as
Hanukkah.
Almost two hundred years after the first Feast of Dedication, Jesus
came to the temple in Jerusalem to join in this celebration.
On that occasion He spoke boldly about who He was and why He had come.
As was true in the first part of John 10, the more Jesus talked, the more
tense the situation became.
He continued to force His listeners to make a decision about Him. Some
believed in Him, while others-primarily the Jewish leaders--did not
believe, but grew angrier and angrier with every word He spoke.
"Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter
(23) andJesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade."
The events of this section occurred about two and a half months after
those described in verses 1-21. John put them together because in both
messages, Jesus used the imagery of the shepherd and the sheep.
The feast of dedication (Hanukkah, "the feast of lights") takes place
in December. Three months have elapsed between verse 21 and verse 22.
''l'he Jews gathered around him, saying "How long will vou keep us in
suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
The leaders surrounded Jesus in the temple so that He had to stop and
listen to them. Apparently they had decided that it was time for a
"showdown" and they did not want Him to evade the issue any longer.
Perhaps a better translation at this point would be "the Jews surrounded
Him."
The Greek word used here for "gathered around" appears only four times
in the New Testament (Luke 21:20; John 10:24; Acts 14:20; Hebrews 11:30).
On two of those occasions it is used to describe an invading army in the
process of surrounding and laying siege to a walled city.
Jesus' Jewish opponents were surrounding Him like vultures that were
planning to pick the flesh from His bones. This was not a pleasant
gathering of friends; it was a frightening assembly of His worst
enemies!
The tension would continue to grow between Jesus and those who wanted
to destroy Him.
The previous teaching had been plain to those who
were spiritually alert, but the half-veiled references to the prophecy
and the parabolic message did not satisfy the people: they wanted an open
declaration.
And, honestly, he had never plainly declared this to them before,
though in two instances He'd said it to individuals (4:26 and 9:37).
"Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The
miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, {26} but you do not
believe because you are not my sheep. {27} My sheep listen to my voice; I
know them, and they follow me. {28} I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. {29} My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch
them out of my Father's hand. {30} I and the Father are one.""
At first glance it may seem that their question was one Jesus should
have answered di rectly. However, some questions cannot be answered with
a simple "Yes" or "No." Their question was much like asking someone,
"Have you stopped lying?" If you answer "Yes," you are admitting that you
were lying before. If you answer "No," it appears that you are continuing
to lie! Such a question must be answered with a fuller explanation than a
simple "Yes" or "No."
In Jesus' day, people had different understandings of what "the
Christ" would be. If Jesus said, "Yes, I am the Christ," He would be
terribly misunderstood by the people who expected "the Christ" to be a
powerful, earthly king like David or Solomon.
If He said, "No," then He would be denying the truth about Himself.
Presented with such a dilemma, Jesus answered with a statement that
sincere God--seekers would understand without giving His opponents
anything to use against Him. Using the figure of a shepherd and his
sheep, as He had earlier in John 10, Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice,
and I know them, and they follow Me." (10:27).
Jesus responded with an explanation that only reminded them of what
He had already taught them.
He emphasized the witness of His words and His works. But He went
much deeper in His explanation this at time: He revealed to the Jewish
leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the significance
of His works...they were not His sheep.
Elsewhere, Jesus said that if people truly "ask, seek, and knock," they
will "receive, find, and the door shall be opened" to faith (Matthew 7:7,
8). Faith involves the intellect, but it involves much more than the
intellect. An open heart and willing obedience are crucial to the
development of faith.
He also described the nature of the true believers:
- Sensitivity. They hear my voice (vs. 27)
- Fellowship. I know them (vs. 27)
- Obedience. They follow me (vs. 27)
- Life. I gave them eternal life (vs. 28)
- Assurance. They shall never perish (vs. 28)
- Security. No one shall snatch them out of my hand (vs. 28)

Do these verses teach eternal secunty, with no possibility of
"falling from grace?" The verses clearly indicate that this promise is to
those who hear the voice and follow the voice.
Those who fall do so on their own volition; it is not because of any
failure of the Lord nor because temptation is irresistible (1 Cor. 10:
13). Before all men is the choice of good and evil; some choose good and
some choose evil.
Our Lord made a statement that He knew would startle His enemies and
give them more reason to oppose Him. It was the plain answer thev had
asked for. "I and My Father are one" is as clear a statement of His deity
as you will find anywhere in scripture! This was even stronger than His
statement that He had come down from heaven (John 6) or that He existed
before Abraham ever lived (8:58).
The Jewish leaders understood clearly what He was saying: "Again the
Jews picked up stones to stone him, {32} but Jesus said to them, "I have
shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you
stone me?" {33} "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the
Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.""
To speak this way, of course was blasphemy (unless it was true!)
According to Jewish belief, blasphemy had to be punished by being put to
death:
Leviticus 24:16: ""...anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must
be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or
native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death."
Our Lord used Psalm 82:6 to refute their accusation and halt their
actions: "Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have
said you are gods'? {35} If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of
God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- {36} what about the one
whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why
then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? {37}
Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. {38} But if I do it,
even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may
know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.""
The picture in Psalm 82 is that of a court, wher God has assembled the
judges of the earth, to warn them that they too will one day be judged.
These Jewish leaders certainly knew their own language and they knew that
Jesus was speaking the truth.
If God called human judges ‘gods,’ then why should they stone Him for
applying the same title to Himself?
If the scripture uses the word ‘god’ in application to dignitaries and
others in high office, it was not blasphemy for the term to be applied to
Him.
Verse 36 is critical because it gives a double affirmation of the
deity of Christ:
- the Father sanctified (set apart) the Son and sent Him into the
world
- Jesus states boldly that He was the Son of God (5:25)

He had given them the ‘plain answer’ they asked for, but they would
not believe it! Could they have believed? Jesus invited them, urged them,
to believe, if only on the basis of His miracles! If they would believe
the miracles, then they would know the Father, and that would open the
way for them to know the Son and believe on Him.
What was their response? "Again they tried to seize him, but he
escaped their grasp. {40} Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the
place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed
{41} and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed
a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." {42} And
in that place many believed in Jesus."
This was apparently a place which would provide a safe retreat; the
Jewish leaders were not likely to follow Him there. Also it was a good
place to prepare for His final week of public ministry when He would lay
down His life for the sheep.
After the confrontation in the temple, Jesus crossed over the Jordan
River to the area where John the Baptist had earlier conducted His
powerfulpreaching ministry. At this point, most of Jesus' public ministry
in Jerusalem was finished. His claims had been set forth, and the battle
lines were drawn. People were deeply divided about Jesus. To some He was
the Son of God, and to others He seemed to be a devil from hell.
At the Jordan many people came to Him. This was an act of faith on
their part. They said, "While John performed no sign, yet everything John
said about this man was true" (10:41).
Their words implied that John had not performed any signs, in contrast
to Jesus, who had performed many signs. Significantly, the special word
John used for "sign" appears in verse 41 for the first time in chapter
10.
Earlier in the chapter, Jesus' miracles were called only "works, "9
because they had not produced faith in the hearts of those who had seen
them. However, where faith in Jesus is described in verse 41, the word
"sign" reappears.
The conclusion of all the events in chapter 10 is that "many believed
in Him there" (10:42).
Just as a couple who have been married for fifty years can look back
over their time together and remember the different meanings that the
words "I love you" have had in their lives, the reader of the Gospel of
John realizes that "many believed" can have different meanings as the
story of Jesus unfolds.
By this point in the Gospel of John, those who believed in Jesus had
come to understand that the content of true belief is that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God.
They had also come to understand that the cost of this belief could be
conflict, division, and even the threat of death. After all, we see them
at the end of the chapter with a band of outcasts in the wilderness,
following the One in whom they had come to believe.
Even though John presented a tough message about how costly faith can
be, his message is, at the same time, one of encouragement. He wanted us
to understand that we will be opposed as believers in Christ.
However, should not surprise us or crush our spirits. Furthermore, the
example of Jesus is to stand firm on the truth we believe—even when we
are persecuted. His consistent response to violent opposition was to
speak truth, and we should do the same.
Jesus is the Door: Have I ‘entered’ in by faith so I can be saved?
Jesus is the Good Shepherd: Have I heard His voice and trusted Him?
Jesus is the Son of God: Do I believe this and is He first in my life?
———————————————————
Before leaving this important chapter, let’s look briefly at some
claims which Jesus made for Himself, which proved His Deity (teachers,
don’t feel like you have to read all the verses given in class, but do
spend the final few minutes of this session discussing from the list):

- Jesus claimed to possess all authority in heaven and on earth.
(Matt. 28:18) "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me."

- Jesus asserted authority for Himself above the authority of the
Scriptures (Matt. 5:27-28) ""You have heard that it was said, 'Do not
commit adultery.' {28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

- Jesus claimed identity with God (John 10:30) and to be a
manifestation of God (John 14:9)
(John 10:30) "I and the Father are one.""
(John 14:9) "Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after
I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen
the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?"

- Jesus professed that no one has access to God except through Him
(John 14:6) "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me."

- Jesus claimed to have been existent with the Father from all
eternity (John 17:5) "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with
the glory I had with you before the world began."

- Jesus claimed that His words were the means of obtainaing
everlasting life (John 5:24) ""I tell you the truth, whoever hears my
word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

- Jesus contended that His word would be the basis of judgment of the
world (John 12:48) "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does
not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the
last day."


JOHN 10 IN REVIEW
The events in the first half of this chapter (vv. 1-21) took place right
after the casting out of the man in 9:34, while teachings in the last
half (vv. 22-42) took place two or three months later. The entire chapter
is tied together by the symbolism of the shepherd and his sheep.

I. The Illustration (10:1-6)
These first six verses are a picture of the relationship between the
shepherd and his sheep. Verse 6 calls this a "parable" but a better word
is allegory. Christ is merely reminding the people of what shepherds and
sheep act like. Later in the chapter He makes a more direct application.

The Middle Eastern sheepfold was very simple: a stone wall, perhaps ten
feet high, surrounded it, and an opening served as the door. The
shepherds in the village would drive their sheep into the fold at
nightfall and leave the porter to stand guard. In the morning each
shepherd would call his own sheep, which would recognize their shepherd’s
voice and come out of the fold. The porter (or one of the shepherds)
would sleep at the opening of the fold and actually become "the door."
Nothing could enter or leave the fold without passing over the shepherd.

Christ points out that the true shepherd comes through the door (v. 1),
calls his sheep by name, which recognize him (v. 3), and leads the sheep,
which follow (vv. 4-5). False shepherds and strangers, who are thieves
and robbers, try to get into the fold some subtle way, but the sheep will
not recognize or follow them.

II. The Explanation (10:7-21)
A. The door (vv. 7-10).
Jesus Christ is the door, and as such He leads the sheep "in and out."
Theologian Arthur Pink points out that there are really three doors
spoken of in this chapter, and we must distinguish them if we are to get
the full meaning of this explanation:
(1) "The door into the sheepfold" (v. 1). The sheepfold here is not
heaven but the nation of Israel (see Ps. 100). Christ came to Israel
through the way appointed in Scripture; the porter (John the Baptist)
opened the door for Him.
(2) "The door of the sheep" (v. 7). This is the door that leads people
out of their present fold; in this case, Judaism. Christ opened the way
for multitudes to leave the old religious system and find new life.
(3) The door of salvation (v. 9). The sheep using this door go in and
out, which speaks of liberty; they have eternal life; they enjoy the
pastures of God’s Word. Satan, through his false teachers (thieves and
robbers), wants to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep; but Christ gives
abundant life and cares for the sheep.

B. The shepherd (vv. 11-15).
There is a contrast here between the Pharisees (hirelings) who had no
concern for the sheep, and Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. The hirelings
flee and protect themselves when the enemies come; but Christ willingly
gives up His life for the sheep. (See Acts 20:29.)

Christ as the Good Shepherd gives His life on the cross (Ps. 22); as the
Great Shepherd, He cares for the sheep (Heb. 13:20 and Ps. 23); and as
the Chief Shepherd He will come again in glory for His sheep (Ps. 24 and
1 Peter 5:4). In v. 18 He speaks of both His death and His resurrection.

C. The flock (vv. 16-21).
The "other sheep" are the Gentiles, who were not in the Jewish fold.
Jesus must bring them, and He will do it through His voice, His Word.
This we see happening in Acts 10 when Peter went to the Gentiles and
preached the Word; they believed and were saved. Verse 16 can be read,
"and there shall be one flock [the church] and one Shepherd [Christ]."

The church is made up of Jews and Gentiles who trust Christ, and there is
one body, one flock, one common spiritual life (see Eph. 2:11-22; 3:1-13;
4:1-5).

Christ is the Good Shepherd who dies for the sheep. (In the OT the sheep
died for the shepherd!) He calls through His Word, and those who believe
step through the Door, out of their religious fold, into the true flock
of Christ, the church.

III. The Application (10:22-42)
Two or three months later the Jews were still arguing with Jesus about
what He said! Christ pointed out to them that they were not "of His
sheep" and therefore could not believe. He here gives a beautiful
description of true Christians, His sheep:
(1) They hear His voice, which means they hear His Word and respond to
it. The unsaved have little or no interest in the Bible; true sheep live
in the Word.
(2) They know Christ and are known (vv. 14, 27), so that they will not
follow a false shepherd. Church members who run from one religious system
to another or one cult to another are proving they are not true sheep.
(3) They follow Christ, which speaks of obedience. No one has a right to
claim to be one of Christ’s sheep if he or she lives in willful,
persistent, open disobedience, and refuses to do something about it. Just
as there are false shepherds, so there are goats who try to pass for
sheep. One day Christ will say to them, "I never knew you" (Matt. 7:23).
(4) They have eternal life and are secure. Verses 28 and 29 declare
the wonderful security true believers have in Christ. We have eternal
life, not just life "for as long as we don’t sin." We are in Christ’s
care and the Father’s hand, a double assurance of eternal preservation
for His sheep.

We are the Father’s gift to the Son, and the Father will not take back a
gift. Sheep are a beautiful illustration of Christians.
· Sheep are clean animals, and Christians have been cleansed from their
sin.
· Sheep flock together, and so do true believers.
· Sheep are harmless, and Christians should be blameless and harmless.
· Sheep are given to wandering—and so are we!
· Sheep need a shepherd for protection, guidance, and food; and we need
Christ for spiritual protection, daily guidance, and spiritual food.
· Sheep are useful and productive; so are true Christians.
· Finally, sheep were used for sacrifices; and Christians are willing to
yield themselves for Christ as "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1).
The Jews proved their unbelief by trying to kill Christ. He refuted them
by quoting Ps. 82:6. If Jehovah called earthly judges "gods," then surely
He could call Himself the Son of God! Careful never to put Himself in
unnecessary danger, Christ left the scene; many came to Him and put their
faith in Him. By faith, they stepped through the Door, out of the Jewish
religious fold, and into the liberty and eternal life Christ alone can
give.

Last modified: April 18, 2006