So That You May Believe and Have Life – The Gospel of John
Part 28 – “Safe in the Shepherd’s Hands”
John 10:22-42
Previously in John chapter 10, we saw Jesus talking about his relationship with all who are his followers, and he describes that relationship using the metaphor of himself as the Good Shepherd who watches over his sheep, protecting them to the point where he is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. He did lay down his life for us as we will see later in the Gospel of John when he went to the cross so people who believe in him and follow him like sheep follow their shepherd, would experience forgiveness of our sin that has broken our relationship with God.
Jesus was using this metaphor of being a good shepherd in a day and place where the people he was talking with understood very well what he meant in that image…
The story from John 10:22-42…
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Verses 22-23: The setting is the Feast of Dedication (Today it is Hanukkah or The Feast of Lights)…
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Verse 24: The Confrontation…
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Verses 25-27: The Rebuke…
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Verses 28-30: Jesus can guarantee his sheep Salvation and Security because of who he is…
(See also Colossians 1:15-17 and Romans 8:38-39) -
Verses 31-33: The response of the Jewish leaders is an attempt to kill him…
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Verses 34-38: Jesus’ Defense by His Person and Purpose (See also Psalm 82:6) …
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Verse 39-42: The response of the Jewish leader and of others…
Action Steps:
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Reflect on where you are in your relationship with Jesus: Ask: Do you hear the voice of Jesus in your life?
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Practice the Way of Jesus: Spend time with God in the spiritual practices of Sabbath, Solitude, Silence, Prayer, and Scripture
Taking It Home
We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, and small group. They are also useful for self-reflection.
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What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
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What is difficult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
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What is God saying in these passages and through what we heard in the message about Himself? About people? About you?
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What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages in the Bible, and from what we heard in the message?
