IDENTITY CRISIS (JOHN 10:22-33)
1. Back in the late 1970’s, a book was written that gave me some good laughs. It was called Remarkable Names of Real People.
2. Just last year a similar book came out by a retired editor entitled: Bertha Venation, and Hundreds of Other Names of Real People. Get it? “Bertha…Venation.”
3. I think that the most interesting names in the books are the ones of people that in some way relate to their job or profession. For example:
a. A voice teacher in British Columbia named: Mrs. Screech
b.
The chorister at Westminster College named: Justin Tune
c.
Bankers in Wallowa County, Oregon named: Cheatham & Steele
d.
A dentist in Roslyn Heights, New York named: Dr. E. Z.
Filler
e.
A municipal tax collector in Brazil named: Cardiac Arrest da
Silva
f.
A silent movie organist named: C. Sharp Minor
g.
An automobile salesman in Kentucky named: Henry Ford Carr
4. Our identity begins with our name. It indicates who are parents are, the family we’re from, and any number of other important pieces of information.
5. But as we get older, our identity usually shifts from the name we have to the things we do and the things we say. And sometimes that identity doesn’t sit well with everyone else.
6. Such is the case in JOHN 10, where Jesus had one of many encounters with those who questioned his identity.
1. I invite you to turn to JN 10:22 in your own Bible or the sanctuary Bible. It’s on page _____ of the sanctuary Bible.
2. We
read in V22-24: Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and
Jesus was walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying,
‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us
plainly.’
3. The occasion was the Feast of Dedication, which we now know as the Feast of Hanukkah, a celebration remembering the rededication of the temple.
4. It was winter, so Jesus was teaching in the area of the temple known as Solomon’s Colonnade. This was a covered porch that provided shelter from the cold wind.
5. The
Jews had gathered around Jesus and were demanding that he reveal his true identity to them. If you are
the Christ, tell us plainly.
6. But in one sense Jesus had already declared his true identity through his miracles. He said that his miracles testified to who he was.
7. V25: I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
8. Actually, the Jews had hit on an extremely important question. The question of Jesus’ identity is the most important question there is.
B. WHO HIS SHEEP ARE
1. In
this brief exchange, several very important truths are revealed.
2. Jesus
first reveals that he is the Shepherd.
3. Then
he gives 5 characteristics of his sheep.
a. The
first thing he says about his sheep is: My sheep listen to my voice.
b. His
sheep don’t just hear his voice—they listen
to his voice.
c. Hearing is something we do with our ears. But listening is more than hearing. Listening requires focus and intent to take in and process.
d. The second characteristic of Jesus’ sheep is also in V27: My sheep listen to my voice and I know them. Jesus knows his sheep. All good shepherds know their sheep. They know when they’re all present and they know when one or more of them is missing.
e. The shepherd knows the needs of his sheep. He knows who their enemies are. He knows how to provide what they need. He’s concerned about his sheep. He loves his sheep. He would risk his life for his sheep.
f.
Thirdly, not only does Jesus say that his sheep listen
to his voice and he knows them—but they follow him.
g. Sheep are not one of nature’s brightest animals. They’re kind of dumb. They get lost. They get confused. They hurt themselves a lot. They’re very needy and dependent.
h. Kind of reminds me of…me. Those who know Jesus know enough to follow him. He’s the Shepherd. He’s concerned about us, his sheep, and he knows us very well.
i. Fourthly, V28: he gives his sheep eternal life. Well, the analogy with sheep ends here, because sheep don’t receive eternal life. The earthly shepherd may take care of them while they’re on earth—even risk his life for them.
j.
But there’s no sheep heaven. No sheep paradise.
A dead sheep is history. But Jesus gives his human sheep eternal life. Not
because they’re good sheep. Not because they always follow and obey. Eternal
life is not a reward—it’s a gift.
k. No one ever receives heaven and eternal life as a reward. It can only be received as a gift. Eternal life is a gift of grace to be received, not a reward to be earned.
l.
The fifth characteristic is one of the most exciting.
Not only does the Good Shepherd give us eternal life—but we will never lose that life once we have it.
m. V28:
And they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them
out of my Father’s hand.
n. Salvation
is permanent. It doesn’t run out or wear out, or get lost. It’s forever. If it
was not forever, then it would be temporary
life—not eternal life.
o. If
we could lose our salvation through some outside force—then it would be fragile life—not eternal life.
p. But
one of the most obvious clues that salvation is not something we can lose or
forfeit—is the fact that it was given to us as a gift in the first place.
q. We
can’t lose what we didn’t earn by not earning it—we never earned it to begin
with and we will never earn it to end with!
r.
Certainly gifts can be taken back once they’re given.
But this is a reflection on the giver of
the gift.
s. For
us to lose our salvation, the gift would have to be taken back by the one who
gave it. That would be God—not a very flattering commentary his character.
C. HIS TRUE IDENTITY REVEALED
1. Well the Jewish skeptics are already pretty unhappy by this point. Then Jesus eliminates any chance of agreement by what he says in V30: I and my Father are one.
2.
Obviously he doesn’t mean one in number. In that case
he would have said I and my Father are the same.
3.
The Father and Son are one in purpose and one in essence—not
one in number. Jesus claimed not merely to be sent by God, he claimed to
be one essence with God.
4. When
Jesus spoke about the Father—he didn’t say our Father—he said MY FATHER. There’s an enormous difference between the
two.
5. So what do the skeptics do? In V31 we see they pick up stones to stone him.
6. So Jesus calmly asks them what good deed they intend to put him to death for? For what miraculous deed do you intend to stone me? What work have I done worthy of death?
7.
But they aren’t concerned about his miraculous
deeds—they’re concerned about his disturbing words. V33: We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but
for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.
8. It’s fascinating that some people argue that Jesus never claimed to be God. That we have simply misinterpreted what he said. But notice the Jews interpreted his remarks to be a claim to deity. That’s why they’re planning to stone him to death.
9. Another interesting thing is that they accused Jesus of being only a man, yet claiming to be God. They had it exactly right. Jesus was a man claiming to be God.
10.
But he wasn’t just a man claiming to be God—he’s God
claiming to be a man. He did both because he is both. He’s
both God and man. That’s his identity.
11. Jesus had no identity crisis. But there were many who had a crisis with his identity. They still do. But there’s no reason for us to.
a. He’s the good Shepherd.
b. His sheep listen to his voice.
c. He knows them.
d. They follow him.
e. He gives them eternal life.
f. Eternal life is a gift and eternal life is eternal.
g. Those who have eternal life will never perish.
h. Our eternal security is not in ourselves. Our eternal security is in God who gives it.
12. Jesus being fully God and fully man fully qualifies him to be our Savior. Now and forever.