Among His Sheep

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, 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. I and the Father are one” (John 10: 22-30).

 “The Feast of Dedication” is called Hanukkah today. It came to be celebrated later in Israel’s history during the four hundred-year intertestamental period. In 167 BC, the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanies overran Jerusalem and polluted the temple, setting up a pagan altar in place of the altar of Israel’s God. Judas Maccabeus led the Jews in guerilla warfare against the Syrians. They recaptured the temple and spent eight days rededicating it to God with the help of God’s supernatural provision of oil for the temple’s lampstand. It was during this feast that the Jews asked Jesus to reveal once and for all if He was the Christ. His reply implied that they already knew the answer to that question. His words and works testified clearly that He was the Christ… “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 14:10). They heard the same words and saw the same works that all followers of Jesus had witnessed. Many had come forward out of the crowd of followers to step closer to Christ in order to become His disciples. But many still lingered in the crowd. To be sure, they were earnest followers for many different reasons, but they were unwilling to take the step of faith to believe and embrace the truth of His word and become His disciple… “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples’” (John 8:31). Jesus explained that the reason many followers could not become disciples was because they were not among His sheep.

Jesus plainly taught that only followers who are “among my sheep” can become His disciples through faith. In His divinity, He knew who among the crowd could and who could not believe in Him. This truth has caused many to stumble because it implies that only certain pre-selected or chosen people can come to faith in Christ. The Spirit teaches this truth elsewhere in scripture… “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). The Holy Spirit-inspired words of the apostle Paul and the words of Jesus Christ Himself clearly teach that God has chosen and predestined those whom He will adopt as sons. He made this choice before the creation of the world, so it may be implied that He planned for everyone He created in His image to be adopted as His children… “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The debate over election and predestination will undoubtedly go on until Christ returns, but it should never become a reason for doubt in the heart of true disciples because Jesus made it clear in today’s text that we can know with certainty that we are among His sheep.

Jesus said “my sheep hear my voice”. The undeniable fact that we have heard and responded in faith to His word reveals the truth that we are among His sheep… “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction… for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6). God gives the gift of faith to those He has chosen so they can hear and believe His word… “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

As we grow up into Christ increased understanding of His word and maturing faith assure us we are…

Among His Sheep.