scripture
John 10:22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me 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 will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” 33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.
observation
How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.
After all this time, after all the evidence, after all the previous assertions that Jesus made…just tell us one more time, maybe this time we will believe you. I don’t think so! Get out a red letter edition of the New Testament and see what he has been saying about himself, he has told them over and over again that he is the Messiah and better yet he has proven himself by his works, one miracle after another.
Talking a good talk is not as important as walking the walk. What you believe affects how you behave, if you believe murder is wrong then you don't murder, if you think that robbing the bank is wrong then you don't do it. If you believe in the teachings of Christ then it has to affect your behavior. Jesus said believe in who I am because of the things that I do, how many times does our behavior testify against who we claim to be as a child of God, Jesus said:
John 10:37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence
Here is what the problem is, you are not my sheep.
The evidence is there he told them plainly that he is the Messiah, the “I Am” the one that they have been waiting for so long to see. Then Jesus tells them what their real problem is, “I have told you who I am but the real issue is that you have a hearing problem.”
If you can’t hear the masters voice then you must not be his sheep, His sheep hear his voice and they follow him wherever he leads them to with complete trust, they don’t think that there must be a better way or a short cut, he speaks and they follow. If we would just give up control and follow the voice of the shepherd he will lead us to eternal life, and we will never perish.
“John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” The question is what did John say?
John1:23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!” Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”
26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”
application
Can you tell from all the miracles and the testimony that Jesus is the Messiah? The evidence is irrefutable.
Am I acting like a sheep? I need to be faithful in follow Jesus and I have to be careful that my actions don’t refute what I claim to believe.
prayer
Thank you Lord for saving this lost sheep, I want to follow you everyday so that others can see the evidence and there will be proof of what I say that I believe.
