Sermon nuggets Fri June 27, 2008
Theme- The Sheep of His Pasture
Verses-John 10:30 I and the Father are one."
31 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."
34 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."
39 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 stayed41 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.
Who’s your Shepherd?
Notice the other things Jesus is saying in His conversation. "I and the Father are one". Boy has that ever caused controversy! He is talking about essence. Now if it was Jesus intent to stay out of trouble with his hearers, He certainly would not have said this. If he had a chance to clarify His identity so no one would misunderstand, he would not have said this, unless He is who He is. This 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 or that He existed before Abraham ever lived.
The Jewish leaders understood clearly what He was saying! Some modern liberal theologians would water down our Lord's statement, but the people who heard it knew exactly what He was saying, "I am God." vs. 33 says, "We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
If Jesus was not claiming to be God what would He say? Wouldn't he say something like, “No you got that all wrong. Let me tell you a parable of the difference between a Father and Son.” Instead he pointed out an interesting argument that you almost need a Hebrew mind to understand, Our Lord quoted Psalm 82:6. The picture in Psalm 82 is that of a court, where God has assembled the judges of the earth, to warn them that they too will one day be judged. The problem is not all judges are just. They need to cease from unjust ways and defend the poor and the innocent. The judge is commissioned by God to bring God's help and justice to men. He is as God to men. The Hebrew word Elohim can be translated as "god" or as "judges," It is also one of the OT names for God. In that job they were to declare the judgment of God, they were referred to as gods, standing in his place. The Jewish teachers 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?
Now he even goes further than placing himself in the category of one of the humans judges, he makes a greater distinction by saying, "He is set apart for the Father as his very own and sent into the world" vs.36. He is not just like the human judges, but the Son of God. He is holy, and He is sent. This is even a title the others cannot claim.
Jesus then points out that the tasks of the Father and the Son are identical. If they cannot believe the words, as least look at what he is doing and the power by which He is doing it. A word is something about which a man can argue; but a deed is something about which there is no argument. His claims are not only on what He said, but what He is and does.
His conversation includes the words, "believe the miracles that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." Instead of believing, they tried to seize him, and so Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and there many came to Him. There many remembered the words and teaching of John the Baptist; there they became believers, followers of Jesus Christ.
The unbelief is not to be justified on the ground of the lack of evidence. We have heard the words and seen the works. They've been told and we've been told. They have seen and we have seen the evidences, and testimony of changed lives. They were not sheep. They were unwilling to commit to the Shepherd. They were unwilling to follow. They had a lack of humility, lack of desire, lack of the touch of the Spirit of God,
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." Acts 16:31
Pastor Dale
