John 10:22-42

At the Feast of Dedication (aka Hanukkah)

Three Paragraphs
Verses 22-30
Verses 31-39
Verses 40-42

v. 22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. As our text here begins a new section, it is topically associated with the concluding content of our previous 5 scene act covering John 7:1 - 10:21. There is at least a two month interlude due to the time occurring between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication. The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah, Feast of Lights, Dedication of the Altar) was a festival marking the occurrence of regaining of the temple by the Maccabees in 165 B.C. in which one day supply of menorah oil lasted for eight days. This passage is the only passage in the New Testament where the Feast of Dedication is mentioned. Jesus is the Light of the World. Winter in Jerusalem is a rainy season. The winter rains are never thought of a dreary event as most Americans think of 'rainy days and Mondays always get me down.' Rainy days were viewed as a blessing with the children often playing in the streets in the rain. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Ever been in suspense? How is that compared to expecting or anticipating? The Greek word translated 'suspense' by the New American Standard is ψυχὴν (Accusative Singular Feminine of ψυχή) meaning 'soul, life, breath, blow.' Liddell Scott Jones gives further insight revealing the common Greek usage by ψυχή being translated in three ways: 1. 'breathe or blow, make cool or cold, dry or make dry.' 2. 'cold or coolness' 3. 'life, spirit, ghost, the conscious self or personality as seat of emotions, desires, and affections; life and consciousness.' Whichever you choose, with the third being the most probable choice, the NAS leads us astray. They were not on the edge of their seats like we are in a fright filled scary movie. They were 'void in their spirit,' 'void of life,' 'a wreck in their emotions' looking for peace, 'clueless' being void of consciousness. 'Suspense' might express 'emotions' but their need for Him to speak to them was much deeper than emotions. The literal meaning is "hold up your soul" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, ed.Walvoord and Zuck, Victor Books, 1983, p. 311). It was a matter of there 'soul' and 'life.' This was a genuine heartfelt gut wrenching request. Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand." Jesus is eager to proclaim His authority and the origin of His authority. His Father's name (ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός) is the basis for His being, His works and His words. The manner in which Jesus speaks to these gathered Jews with shepherd and sheep terminology is the reason the Apostle John place this event immediately following the text of the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. There Jesus proclaims Himself to be the Good Shepherd. Note the repeated terms from the Feast of Booths text: hear His voice, know, and follow. Now we embrace a concept that is central to the sheep's relationship. We already know that the shepherd provides and protects His sheep. Now we know that the Shepherd sustains His sheep. The 'never perish,' 'no will snatch, and 'no one is able to snatch them' speaks well of the security of the sheep which depends on the character of the Shepherd. Sheep cannot provide, protect and sustain themselves. Without a Shepherd, they will flee and be scattered. The Father holds His Sheep in His Hand.

v. 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Being full of their religion which is full of human agendas, human perceptions, and human hierarchies, the Jews find themselves rejecting the exclusive of rights of the Shepherd, the eternal provision of the Sheep, and the distinction between those sheep belonging to the Shepherd and those NOT belonging to the Shepherd. Religion frequently, if not always, struggles with 'good works' and their role in ascertaining a relationship with God. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” Good works are not a basis for judgment. Good works validate the relationship. Good works do not cancel the relationship. Again, good works flow from the relationship thereby validating the relationship. The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” The Jews finish the religious thought. A relationship with God is not prioritized over good works. In fact, the Jews are attempting to stone Him because of His relationship. Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’? “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” Psalm 82 is the basis for Jesus' comment. Like Psalms, Jesus is not referring to a divine nature in man. He is referring to men being human judges as Psalm 82 does with the human judges being irresponsible. Note in Psalm 82:7 (quoted below) that men will die and fall away. Here again they are being irresponsible. Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. Again, by identifying Himself with His Father (their Father being God, YHWH), they pursue to seize Him and attempt to 'put an end to Him.' But, He slips away. The Greek word translated 'eluded' (NAS) is ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ which is the Aorist Active Indicative Verb form of ἐξέρχομαι with the preposition ἐκ meaning: (LSJ) 'go or come out.' He simply left their presence. There were no evidences of 'eluding' as with deception or disguise. He simply left. There were no 'smoke and mirrors' or ducking down to avoid them sighting Him that might hint of a cohort assistance or a plan of escape. They were after Him and He, being under the protection of His Father and 'it is not His time' simply left their presence. He and His Father were in control. Remember this!

v. 40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. After He left the inquiring crowd in the Temple, Jesus left Jerusalem and traveled eastward to cross the Jordan. This was the place that John (the Baptist) was known to have begun his ministry of way preparation. Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” Many believed in Him there. Jesus was known in this area which ties His earthly past to His earthly future. He was among friends and many of them embraced all that they knew of Him.

The next event, as our writer leads us, is couched in this general location, where Jesus will expose more profound aspects of His identity, His purpose and His priority. Therein, we will be able to extract our identity, our purpose and our priority.

APPLICATION

1. Does your pursuit of God resemble a 'soul search' for truth? Or, is a passing fancy drummed up by some emotional amusement ride of events?
   
2. Are your 'good works' an attempt to have a relationship with God? Or, are your 'good works' a result of your relationship with God?
3. Psalm 82 (A Psalm of Asaph)
   
   1. God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers.

   2. How long will you judge unjustly
   And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.

   3. Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
   Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.

   4. Rescue the weak and needy;
   Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

   5. They do not know nor do they understand;
   They walk about in darkness;
   All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

   6. I said, “You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High.

   7. “Nevertheless you will die like men
   And fall like any one of the princes.”

   8. Arise, O God, judge the earth!
   For it is You who possesses all the nations.

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John 10:1-21 Scene 5

This section is the one of the final scenes in our Act which began Chapter 7. This act of John's Gospel takes place in Jerusalem around the time of the Feast of Booths.

Verses 1-6 The Shepherd and His Sheep
Verses 7-18 "I AM"
Verses 19-21 Father and Son

This scene continues directly from Scene 4 but it can be viewed as a closeup of Jesus' face with outbreaks to sheep, shepherd(s), criminals and sheep folds. Regardless of the ending of Scene 4 with Jesus articulating ones sinful plight, the camera must now follow the subject of Jesus' articulation that describes sheep and shepherds, and His Father and Him. There is a lowering of volume in His voice. He softens His tone and says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Notice four relationships in His figure of speech: 1. exclusivity of the legitimate shepherd; 2. uniqueness of the shepherd's voice; 3. knowing each other; and 4. sheep following the shepherd.

1. The Exclusive Shepherd. I use the term 'exclusive' for sheep only know the voice of their shepherd. His access to them is bold and without pretense. All others must sneak and trick the sheep. The intruding shepherd 'climbs' while the shepherd enters. Those guarding the sheep fold, not shepherding the sheep know the shepherd and let him in for the sheep are His and His alone. Even the doorkeeper is an under-shepherd.
   
2. They know His voice. This is the essential element of being a sheep. For knowing the Shepherd's voice sets the path for your very sustenance (food, water, protection). You must know the voice of your shepherd. Do you know the voice of God? Do you know the voice of your Shepherd? Who is the shepherd of your soul?
3. Knowing each other. Knowing not just His voice, do the sheep know Him, the one who is their shepherd? The Shepherd knows the sheep. He knows their name. He calls each one by name. No, 'Buddy," "Ma'am," "Sir," "Young Man," "Kid," "Hey You," or whistle, whoop, holler or yell. He calls each sheep by name. The naming of sheep was an ancient shepherding practice.
4. Following the shepherd. They follow Him. Wherever He leads, they go.

These four aspects that characterize the relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep are contrasted by the relationship between all others who are NOT the shepherd of the sheep and the sheep. They sneak up on the sheep. They have strange voices. They do not know their name(s). They cannot lead because the sheep will not follow.
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.They, like many of us in the 21st Century may not understand the figure of what was commonplace in the Middle East. For a shepherd tending his sheep was as common then as oil wells in east Texas, as orange groves in Florida, as peach groves in Georgia, as pig farms in eastern North Carolina. They, the original audience, were far removed from the shepherd lifestyle. During the time of the festivals, as we are in the tail end of the Feast of Booths, the Jewish population journeyed to Jerusalem. This journey was not usually made by the shepherds for sheep always need tending. Sheep tending then can be equated to 'garbage collectors' and 'dairy farmers.' Garbage must be picked up. Dairy cows must be milked. For a good treatment of a shepherd's lifestyle and how God often pictures Himself as a Shepherd, read Phillip Keller's book entitled "A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm."

So Jesus said to them again, (very simply, as in a calm, yet purposed voice in order to explain) “Truly, truly, I say to you, I AM (emphasized, εγω ειμι) the door of the sheep. “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. “I AM (emphasis, εγω ειμι) the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. In this paragraph we have some of the most familiar words of Jesus. Yet, the context of those familiar words are often misunderstood. First, as we flow from the previous paragraph, Jesus is explaining the personal, eternal and practical relevance of the Shepherd and Sheep figure. He contrasts Himself with 'thieves' who come blatantly but under cover to ransack the sheep leaving them dispersed, hurt and killed. He is I AM who distinguishes Him from all the impostors, posers and outright vigilantes that came in His name. He is I AM as it relates to the sheep's access to safe haven, both initially, routinely and perpetually. To the uttermost purpose of the thief (steal, kill and destroy), I AM purposes to provide giving and receiving, create and give birth, and improve, repair and restore. We 'go in and go out and find pasture.'

“I AM (emphasized, εγω ειμι) the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Now, we have a distinguishing characteristic of a true shepherd.“He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. Jesus is now contrasting Himself with one who is paid for his services to the sheep: hired hand. The hired hand is not the owner. He scatters with the sheep when danger comes. He is as much concerned for himself than he is for the sheep. A hired hand has the authority to protect the sheep but finds himself acting just like a sheep. The Good Shepherd is not a hired hand. HE owns the sheep. The sheep are HIS. HE does not flee but battles with the predators of HIS sheep. HE is more concerned for the sheep than HE is for HIMSELF. This issue is further developed. "I AM (emphasized, εγω ειμι) the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. As we reflect on the four characteristics of a shepherd from above, the issue of 'knowing' is the most important characteristic. And Him knowing us is only understood when related to the 'knowing' that the Father has of Him and that He has of the Father. The Good Shepherd knows the sheep, not as the world may define the knowledge, but as only God, the Father and the Son, can illustrate. The world, in and of itself, does not and can not comprehend this 'knowing.' Upon this deep relational element between the Father and the Son and with all of its authority, Jesus makes a revolutionary statement: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. Here we have one of the most direct statements of Jesus regarding the inclusion of Gentiles under His mission. This picture would be understood by all hearing it. The issue of foreign sheep being mixed with the original sheep does not seem to challenge most Palestinian shepherds. Once there is a relationship (voice, name, etc.) sheep pay more attention to the shepherd than they do each other. “For this reason the Father loves Me, Jesus not only knows that His Father loves Him, but He knows why! Why? because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. The reason the Father loves Jesus the Son is because He is going to fulfill the primary heart objective of His Father. He is going to reconciled, redeem, ransom, reclaim that which was lost. There is no resurrection without the death of Jesus. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. Be it very clear. The issue of Jesus being betrayed, arrested, tortured, crucified, rejected and killed, is not solely the acts of men. All that happened, future in this Gospel account, supremely by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. This commandment I received from My Father.”Even Jesus is under the authority of His Father. He was given a commandment and has the authority to obey it (or, not) but He will choose to completely obey thereby being our example in so many ways.

A word from the narrator which serves to close the act. The focus pulls away from Jesus speaking to those who are close by. The camera shows while the narrator tells that A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. Again, a division. Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”Here we have a striking commentary on the mentally of the crowd. They, both 'many of them' and 'others,' were more well versed in the ways of demonology than they were in the ways of God. They knew enough of the powers, purposes and presence of demons to comment both positively and negatively as they attributed the works of Jesus to demons.

APPLICATION

1. Do you know His voice? How does He speak to you? He speaks to me most clearly when He speaks 'conviction' (you sinned, you lied) when my being is being bombarded with 'condemnation' (you are a sinner, you are a liar).
   
2. Do you know that God loves you? Do you know 'why' He loves you?
3. Fathers, do your children know that you love them? Do they know 'why' you love them?
4. Who do you say He is? Liar, Lunatic or Lord?
5. In the light of necessity of sheep to know and to be known as it regards the shepherd and regarding the fine tuning of our hearing to ascertain His voice, is there any room to educate and know and mimic and entertain the ways of demons? Woe to the sheep who know the ways of demons, sorcerers, and witchcraft more than, perhaps to the negation of the voice of the Good Shepherd.

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John 9:1-12 Act 9: Scene 1 (Trust and Obey)

Overlook of John Chapters 9 and 10
This passage of John's account of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ covers the so-called 9th and 10th chapters. Chapters 9 and 10 which we will call Act 9 is divided up into 7 scenes. Scene 1 goes from verse 1 to verse 12.
Scene 2: verses 13-23
Scene 3: verses 24-34
Scene 4: verses 35-41
Scene 5: Chapter 10, Verses 1-6
Scene 6: verses 7-18
Scene 7: verses 19-21
We will address each scene with subsequent blog posts.

Act 9: Scene 1 (John 9:1-12)
And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?" Ever been part of a group that is playing follow the leader? Now, mix that physical attention with a leader that is sharing imperative information. You and the group are hanging on every word, you focus on him only distracted by a quick glance down to assure your footing. Then, he quickly turns his head. The group then looks to whatever direction he is looking. Ah, the power of a leader. This is the scenario of our passage in John. Jesus is walking. The disciples are following. Jesus sees. The disciples then see. The disciples ask a question. Notice how the 'man blind from birth' did not say anything. No plea. No moaning. No groaning. No belligerence. No irreverence. No victimization. No requests. No verbalization of any kind. Jesus saw him. From this point follow the verb 'see'. The Greek word is εἶδεν originally from οἶδα meaning to perceive, consider, be aware, behold. This word also translates 'to know' in the New Testament. It is compared with the Greek words ὀπτάνομαι (to literally see or appear) and ὁράω (to see, perceive, attend to). Jesus saw the blind man before the blind man knew Jesus was near. The man had Jesus' attention before Jesus had the blind man's attention. Jesus approached the man. Now, the Question. The question of the age. Whose fault was it? Who sinned? The man or his parents? Up until this time some taught that bad things happened to good 'innocent' people. This perspective, which is known in the Old Testament, is about to be turned upside down. For Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Here we have option number 3 to the blind man's situation. Number 1 is that his parents sinned and he is reaping the physical results. This happens every day. For we are descendants of Adam. Number 2 is that the man himself sinned. It is true that you will reap what you sow. But, now, with the emphasis of Jesus' declaration is Number 3: 'in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.' The purpose of God's works displayed is more supremely important than any miraculous antidote. He is the 'light of the world.' But in this declaration Jesus does not use the ἐγὼ εἰμι phrase which brought Him into the sights of the Jewish religious elite. Jesus already spoke of His deity (ἐγὼ εἰμι) as it relates to the 'Light of the World' in John 8:12. He does not use When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). Notice that Jesus did and He spoke. The blind man made not request or gesture of need. And so he went away and washed, and came back seeing. I want you to understand that the benevolent action on Jesus part was not a result of the man's persistence or innovation. But, the man, when acted upon and spoken to, obeyed. He heard, went, obeyed and 'came back' with his sight. Gratitude will always carry the day. The man came back out of gratitude. Jesus bestowed on him and met a need that he was not even looking to have met and he was thankful.

• 1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
• Psalms 100: 4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
• Revelation 11: 16-17 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

The neighbors therefore, and those who previously saw him a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?" Don't you just love neighbors? If you can trust them for one thing, it is this. They will be forever equipped of 'would-a's', 'should-a's' and 'could-a's.' They give all pretense of knowing your past. But, do they know you as Jesus does? They knew him as a 'beggar', one who 'asks repeatedly, ask for an addition, ask earnestly or begs.' Others were saying, "This is he, still others were saying, "No, but he is like him." Not all were convinced this was the man. He kept saying "I am the one." If Jesus has done a work in you, you will have those that don't understand and even say that you are not the man they knew. For those of us who are in the beloved, given a new name, transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Dear Son, we are surely not who we were before. Interesting note here. The man who can now see resorts to the ἐγὼ εἰμι (I AM) declaration to accentuate his being. Therefore they were saying to him, "How then were your eyes opened?" Okay, now that we've determined that you are who you say you are, how did this happen? He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam, and wash'; so I went away and washed, and I received sight." Very simple accurate account of his encounter with Jesus. Can we simply articulate our encounter(s) with Jesus? And they said to him, "Where is He?" Notice how they did not ask the 'who' questions as they did the healed man. They had heard of Jesus. They, quite simply, wanted to know where He was. Do you know Him well enough to inquire of His location? He said, "I do not know." He was blind then, but now he sees.

APPLICATION
Bad things happen to people. Bad things happen to GOOD people. Bad things happen to BAD people. All of life reflects our propensity to be responsible. Therein is the Christian life. When we sin, and we will for Jesus never said we wouldn't, we have the privilege and the power and the provision to confess and repent. Confession and repentance does not insure the righting of all that went wrong as a result of your sin. But it does insure that you are right with God in an unadulterated relationship. That is taking responsibility for our wrong actions. Do it. Be clean. However, what happens when BAD things happen to you when you have not sinned? Be sure that you have no sin to confess or repent of. Then rest and be expectant of the works of God to be revealed in your life.

Confession
Confession means to say the same as. It sounds like, 'I sinned.' Or, "I was wrong." Or, "I lied." Confession does NOT sound like, 'It is wrong." Or, 'I am sorry.' Or, 'Lying is wrong.' Or, ' I am sorry you are so sensitive.'

Repentance
Repentance means to turn away or to change direction. Christianity is about a life change, a continual life change. You can never say 'Been there, done that' with Christianity. Religion is about getting a quick fix. Christianity is about life change. If you sin, then stop doing it.

Be very careful in trusting in God's forgiveness apart from your lifestyle of confession and repentance as the Holy Spirit points out your sin to you.


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