John 10:22-42 “The God Who Won’t Let Go”

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We're back in John's Gospel this morning.

We've been encountering Jesus there time and time again, learning who he is, seeing

most recently Jesus as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and then

takes it up again in resurrected glory to give life forever to us.

We're going to read the rest of John chapter 10 this morning.

John 10 · chapter mention

But before we do, I want us to notice something that Jesus mentions in this passage almost

as an aside.

It is a fundamental premise that he states in his argument to make a different point,

but it's really important for us to consider briefly because it shows us Jesus' view of

the Bible.

What develops in this passage that we're about to read is that Jesus is about to be stoned.

And just like in that difficult trial of his temptation by Satan, when the going gets tough,

Jesus quotes Scripture.

In fact, in an effort to hold off his potential murderers, Jesus quotes that famous line of

the rarely mentioned Psalm by the really unknown guy, Asaph, Psalm 82.

Is that what's on the tip of your tongue?

You were thinking, that's where I would go in that moment, Psalm 82.

No, I don't know if that would be my go-to.

And then what Jesus states is the foundational premise of his whole argument.

He says, and Scripture cannot be broken.

Every jot and tittle of every word on every line of God's word is completely certain.

It is utterly infallible.

It is absolutely true, Jesus says.

It is his view of the Bible.

It's the way he uses the Bible in every situation, counting on it.

Do you approach God's word that way?

Followers of Jesus?

Do you follow him only in his loving example, his wise teaching, his gracious forgiveness?

Or do you follow his view of the Bible, too?

It cannot be broken.

Not one word, even Old Testament words, not one will misguide you.

You can stake your life on it.

He does.

You must order your life by it.

He does.

He came, he says, to fulfill the law and the prophets, not to abolish any of it.

So yes, we may need to study its appropriate application.

But not in order to avoid submitting ourselves to its authority.

In order to trust the authority of our own wisdom or our own culture.

No.

Does God's word guide our lives the way it did Jesus' life?

Is it on our lips the way it was on his every time he was squeezed?

That's what came out.

Does it examine us rather than the other way around?

If we say we follow Jesus, it must.

And that is part of why we read it together every week.

Read it personally every day.

God, thank you for your word.

God, thank you for your word.

It is truth.

It is truth.

If we come to you this morning and ask that you would teach us your truth.

That you would transform us then by your truth.

Your word is truth, Father.

And we ask you to do that in Jesus' name.

Amen.

John 10 at verse 22.

The word of God.

The word of God which cannot be broken.

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 part of my flock.

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.

The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

And Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the father.

For which of them are you going to stone me?

The Jews answered him, it is not for a good work that we are going to stone you.

But for blasphemy.

Because you being a man make yourself God.

Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law?

I said you are gods.

If he called them gods to whom the word of God came.

And scripture cannot be broken.

Do you say of him whom the father consecrated and sent into the world you are blaspheming?

Because I said I am the son of God?

If I am not doing the works of my father then do not believe me.

But if I do them even though you do not believe me.

Believe the works that you may know and understand.

That the father is in me.

And I am in the father.

Again they sought to arrest him.

But he escaped from their hands.

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first.

And there he remained.

And many came to him.

And they said John did no sign.

But everything that John said about this man was true.

And many believed in him there.

Thus far God's holy word.

It is yet another encounter with Jesus.

Where John wants us to consider who he is.

And whether we believe him.

The story centers around the identity of Jesus.

Doesn't it?

It is what they ask him about.

At the beginning of the conversation.

It is what they start to stone him for.

In the middle of it.

It is what many believe in him.

About by the end of it.

Jesus identity.

Particularly as divine.

Is crucial.

But Jesus doesn't enter into merely theoretical discussions about nuanced theology.

He also shows here why his identity matters.

He teaches doctrine that makes a difference.

Let me give us a picture of this that we'll come back to some this morning.

Imagine that you are hiking up on a mountain near some steep and dangerous looking cliffs.

You can't even see how far the fall is below.

Maybe you are up on the local land trust trails.

Maybe you have taken a visit to Chattanooga.

And you are there at Rock City.

And you are coming to enjoy the beautiful views.

But you look up and you see near the edge of the cliff a toddler and an adult.

Okay.

The toddler looks excited and energetic.

And he is running around at the edge of the cliff.

And you look and you see them.

And they are hand in hand.

Okay.

Now let me ask you something.

You start to wonder.

Who is holding whom?

In this toddler and adult situation.

And by the way does it matter?

Does it make any difference who is holding whom?

Let me ask you that.

Does it make any difference if the adult is merely standing there with hand available?

It's there in case you need it.

But it's just hanging limply while the adult distractedly looks all around.

And presently the toddler is holding on to that hand.

But at any moment the toddler could decide to let go, run off, frolic and go anywhere to his own danger.

Or would it make a difference if in fact the toddler who seems to know nothing of the dangers around him is actually being held, this is likely, in a vice grip by an adult who says,

I am holding you and you are going nowhere whether you want to or not.

I'd suggest it makes all the difference in the world.

Who is holding whom?

Even if the toddler stumbles then, even if the toddler falls, even if the toddler tries to run off, he will be safe.

The distinction in who is holding whom makes all the difference in the world.

Jesus doesn't want us to miss the glorious doctrine or the great difference that it makes in this passage.

The overarching doctrine will start there.

Another issue here in Jesus' teaching is his unity with his father.

We've seen Jesus' divine nature come up repeatedly in John's gospel.

It's on almost every page, but perhaps never so directly to this point as verse 30 of chapter 10.

I and the father are one.

Clearly here, God the father and the son are two distinct persons.

They interact with one another in relationship here, fulfilling different roles.

They're even referred to in the plural.

I and the father are one.

But the two are mysteriously united.

Are said to be one.

In what ways, we might ask?

What does Jesus mean here?

Well, first, they are united in grace.

They're specifically united in the giving of the gift of salvation.

Life eternal with God, giving that gift to undeserving people.

Referred to here as sheep in Jesus' analogy.

Jesus' sheep hear his voice and follow him.

And verse 28, I give them eternal life.

Jesus is giving a gift.

Now keep looking.

Who else is giving gifts?

Verse 29, my father, who has, same verb, given them to me.

What great gifts are being given here by the father and the son.

Just ponder it for a second.

This is eternal life.

Relationship with God as a free gift.

Salvation by grace alone.

These are called the doctrines of grace because they flow to undeserving sinners.

From the unending supply of love in the heart of the triune God himself.

We've read it in chapter 1.

To those who received him.

Who received the gift.

Not earned it.

Who merely believed in his name.

John says, Jesus gave the right to become children of God.

Listen, I don't want you to miss this.

There's only a few words in the passage.

But brothers and sisters, let your heart soar to this for just a minute, okay?

We are brothers and sisters because God the father and God the son together in eternity past

decided for their grace and love to overflow to us.

That they decided they were going to rescue us and adopt us into their family.

The father said something like, son, my love is so overflowing and so full that I've got a gift to give to you.

A people.

A bride.

Lost sheep to bring into our fold.

And Jesus the son responded and said, oh father, my love too is so overflowing that I will be the good shepherd.

And I will go lay down my life for those sheep so that I may bring them into our family.

That's how they're going to be saved.

They'll become my brothers and sisters.

They'll become sons and daughters of God.

Wow.

Father and son in covenant together for our sakes.

Who deserve nothing.

Grace flows and flows and flows.

It's gifts.

Gifts all over the place.

Gifts to our unending blessing.

Right?

I say unending blessing because father and son grasp onto us and won't let go.

Verse 28.

No one will snatch them out of my hand.

No one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand.

Both of those.

Now we have, as it were, the toddler teetering on the cliff grasped tightly by two adults.

That's the way you would do it, isn't it?

Two adults grasping on two mighty hands that will never let go.

The father and the son united in their grip on us.

Who is holding on to whom?

Wonderfully.

Reassuringly.

Graciously.

His is the love that will not let me go.

Amen?

Listen, some of you talk theology.

You talk about the perseverance of the saints.

That's us making it to heaven.

It is not something that should be credited to our account.

We persevere because of the preservation of the saints by our mighty God and Savior.

It was never my strength to grab hold of him in the first place, was it?

It was grace, grace, grace.

And so it's not up to me to hang on or else.

No, no one is able to snatch us out of his hand.

And that is wonderful.

But we can't stop there in understanding the unity of the father and the son.

It's not only in grace, but also in glory.

It's not only in action and purpose that they decide to come rescue us,

but it's also in being and divinity.

See, some of you, like me, have had conversations with people who've come and knocked on your door.

And you've talked with a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness

who would like to take you to John 10, 30

and explain to you at great length how this is a unity merely of action.

Jesus does things that God does.

He gives.

He saves.

He holds us.

But Jesus is not claiming to be divine, they say.

He's not fully God.

He's just God-like or godly.

Please, please, please don't stop there and miss the full glory of the Savior, okay?

There is so much more than unity in action and purpose.

Now, I will admit to you, the grammar of the sentence itself doesn't demand our understanding it that way.

It certainly allows for the understanding that I and the Father are one means in our very essence

as we believe Jesus, the Son, very God of very God.

But the context does demand this very straightforward reading of Jesus' words,

I and the Father are one.

Just a couple of points here to help you.

First, when someone tells you it's merely a unity of action,

just consider what those actions are that Jesus and God the Father are united in.

The clearest one is giving life,

which throughout the Bible is the prerogative of Yahweh alone and no one else.

And then it is preserving life eternally.

That's another God job in case you're unclear on that.

You can't claim to do those things without claiming to be divine.

It's not as though Jesus is saying that God, by the word of his power, speaks the Son into existence.

And over here we have a child who picks up a yellow crayon and some paper

and draws a round picture with rays coming out from it.

And now we say, oh, look, you both made the Son.

You're one.

It's not the same thing.

The actions themselves here are uniquely divine.

Next, when Jesus comes back to this teaching, this point he's making,

he comes back to it in verse 38.

He says that the things he does, the works, the actions,

are to demonstrate the reality of his union with the Father.

There's something else they're pointing to that clearly predates and undergirds his powerful actions.

The Father in me and I in the Father, two in one.

By the way, we will see the Spirit in this relationship later in John.

I know it's three in one.

But listen, one difficult, glorious concept at a time, okay?

Just one for this morning.

Last, in case you're still wondering how to take Jesus' words here,

both times he says this about being one with God,

what do the people listening to him do?

Pick up stones to kill this blasphemer?

Right?

Let's arrest him.

They don't miss it.

You, being a man, make yourself God.

Yep, he doesn't correct them on that.

Except, just notice this for a second,

they miss the glorious, the wonderful reality

that actually, what's really happening here,

Jesus, being God,

made himself man.

Plenty of men claimed to be doing things

that would further God's purposes.

They were claiming to be godly.

That was no problem.

Jews loved that.

This one, Jesus,

was claiming to be one with God.

That we can't have.

We won't tolerate it.

Indeed, as John keeps showing us in so many ways,

the word was with God,

and the word was God.

One in grace,

one in glory.

Fully, fully God.

Glorious truths, right?

Glorious truths.

And,

let's not miss what Jesus would have us hear.

The difference

that these wonderful doctrines make in our lives.

first,

they should lead us to

unusual humility.

What I mean by that is that the picture here

of Jesus giving eternal life to his sheep

is not of sheep competing to win the prize,

of best sheep.

It's not what happens, is it?

We're not receiving a reward.

We are recipients of grace.

Palms up, right?

Empty-handed,

grateful recipients,

more interested in the greatness

and glory of the giver

than in anything about us.

That grateful humility will always be

warm and welcoming to others

because you don't think you're any better than they are.

These doctrines of grace ought to make a difference

in that normally achievement-oriented,

task-rewarding,

success-honoring people like you and me,

isn't that how you spend most of your weeks?

We now delight in,

we now seek out,

we are now exceedingly patient with

those who don't achieve,

those who fail to perform,

those who get overlooked by everyone else

because all of a sudden we're not so high and mighty,

down here,

humble,

dependent,

needy,

receiving grace.

Nobody looks lower than us.

There's nobody beneath me.

I so need what you need.

Isn't that the way God loved and welcomed you

into his family,

isn't it?

I dare say it's the way he is showing us

that the love of the Father and the Son

flows to us

and then through us

to many,

many others.

As many have said,

gratitude is the current

of the river of grace.

When you marvel

at God's amazing grace to you,

sing it,

shout it,

show it

in a life

of humility.

But when I say humility,

please don't hear

wimpy,

fearful,

woe is me.

It's not at all what Jesus is talking about.

Jesus is telling us

that the glorious truth

of his unity with the Father

is to inspire

unusual security

in his sheep.

It's not just enough

to know that he is divine,

that he's part

of the eternal Godhead,

the second person

of the Trinity,

that his is the mighty hand

that flung out the stars,

that it's his outstretched arm

that parted the Red Sea

and delivered his people

from Egypt.

No,

that's not enough.

Jesus wants you to know

something more.

Jesus wants you to know

that that almighty hand

is holding you

and it won't let go.

Hear it again.

I give them eternal life

and they will never perish.

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.

That is the difference

that the glory

and grace

of Jesus

make for us.

We're now

the toddlers,

aren't we?

We're on the cliff's edge.

We're playing around.

We're having fun.

We're completely oblivious

to anything

that might

could happen,

the danger

that could come

to us.

No fear

in the world

about what could come next

and the uncertainties

that lie ahead

because we are grasped

tightly

by God

the Father,

by God

the Son,

by a strong

Savior

who will not

let us

go.

See,

the picture

of security

is not

people cowering down,

curled up in a ball,

deep underground

in a cement bunker

surrounded by

the most amazing

system of vaults

in the world

just trying to survive

to get through

one more dangerous day.

No, no, no, no, no.

Jesus wants those

who believe in him

to hear his voice,

to follow him

confidently

into the world

with nothing to lose,

with eternal life

secure forever

with him

and a whole creation

in front of you

to enjoy him in

and to share him with.

That's the life

Jesus is offering us.

The underground

zip lines

of the Louisville

Mega Cavern

have been there

recently.

They're about

a hundred feet

above

a rock floor.

Several hundred

feet

of zip lines

stretched across

this dark

cave,

darkness

everywhere.

It's a bit scary.

One of our guides

through the dark

cave was a young

woman who was

joyfully zipping

around from line

to line.

She was joking

around as she

invited others

into the fun

that she was having.

She was screaming

with delight

as she flew

several hundred

feet across

the zip line

and her voice

was echoing

off the rock

walls all around us.

after watching

her for a while

another man

in our party

chuckled and

said to her

you always

wanted to do

this job

didn't you?

She said this

she said

actually

no

actually

I've been

really afraid

of heights

my entire

life.

In fact

I really

wasn't sure

my first time

in here

I'd ever

come back

but I've

learned to

trust

what's

holding me.

I've

learned

to

trust

what's

holding me.

Are you

learning

to

trust

what's

holding

you?

Who

is

holding

you?

Maybe

you're not

so much

afraid of

heights

or the

edge of

a cliff

but you're

afraid of

your sin

your

weakness

your

death

your

world

falling

apart

with a

war

your

family

falling

apart

with

arguments

you're

afraid of

your

failing

your

not

being

enough

your

missing

out

your

grip

slipping

friend

listen

listen

to

Jesus

it's

not

about

the

strength

of your

grip

it's

about

his

and

nothing

can

separate

you

from

the

love

of

God

in

Christ

Jesus

your

Lord

nothing

can

snatch

you

out

of

his

hands

yes

it is

we sing

it

prone

to

wander

Lord

I feel

it

prone

to

leave

the

God

I

love

I

understand

you're

being

afraid

you're

going to

run

off

from

him

but

I

know

whom

I

have

believed

and

am

persuaded

that

he

is

able

to

keep

that

which

I've

committed

unto

him

against

that

day

we sing

that

too

oh

love

that

will

not

let

me

go

I

rest

my

weary

soul

in

thee

it

is

well

it

is

well

with

my

soul

sing

those

two

resting

in his

strong

grip

trusting

what

holds

me

I

can

zip

around

joyfully

I

can

savor

the

view

it's

glorious

for me

or

Jesus

I

can

point

others

to the

path

of

life

and

I

can

quit

chasing

security

everywhere

else

Thursday

I

thought

I

was

going

to

write

this

sermon

about

having

security

in

God's

strong

grip

on

us

that

was

the

plan

for

the

day

on

Thursday

I

wrote

zero

words

zero

didn't

feel

good

instead

God

took

me

by

the

hand

and

one

event

after

another

in

my

life

and

in

others

lives

that

I

love

all

day

he

just

kept

showing

me

the

things

that

I

grasp

it

for

security

and

how

they

vanish

as

quickly

as

I

reach

for

them

picture

a

vapor

a

bubble

that

you

grab

it

and

as

soon

as

your

hands

around

it

it's

gone

or

if

you're

with

me

in

the

cliff

imagery

if

you're

still

dangling

on

the

ledge

these

are

the

little

weeds

and

twigs

that

as

we

start

falling

we're

grasping

for

everything

that

we

can

to

hold

us

and

it

just

leaves

us

empty

handed

and

we

crushed

I

can't

share

most

of

the

details

this

morning

but

God

showed

me

how

I

look

for

security

in

health

in

money

in

job

security

in

fitting

in

in

being

right

in

being

able

to

fix

in

my

commitment

and my

resources

to

make

it

all

right

one

after

another

after

another

what

are

you

grasping

at

to

hold

you

friend

I

challenge

you

if you

haven't

experienced

this

if you

haven't

lived

this

already

try

it

see

how

quickly

anything

you

want

to

grasp

at

will

disappear

and that's

not what I

want you

to

experience

I

don't

want it

to

stop

there

experience

that

there

you

are

and

you're

frantically

flying

off the

cliff

and you're

grasping

an empty

hand

and I've

got

nothing

and all

of the

sudden

a

strong

hand

grasps

you

it reaches

out to

you

it holds

on to

you

and it

will

not

let

go

my

only

comfort

is that

I belong

body

and soul

in life

and in

death

to my

faithful

savior

Jesus

Christ

he's

holding

you

he is

fully

paid

for all

my sins

with his

precious

blood

and set

me free

from the

tyranny

of the

devil

in fact

he also

watches over

me in

such a

way

that not

a hair

can fall

from my

head

apart

from the

will of

my father

in heaven

in fact

all things

must

work together

for my

salvation

I give

them

eternal

life

and they

will never

perish

and no

one will

snatch them

out of my

hand

no one

is able

to snatch

them

out of my

father's

hand

I

and the

father

are one

let me ask

you something

as we

prepare to

come to

this table

if all

that is

true

regardless

of me

and how

tightly I

cling to

Jesus

then why

bother with

this table

Jesus

why would

Jesus want

us celebrating

this sacrament

if he's

going to

hold on

to us

forever

no matter

what

whether we

hang on

to him

or not

I think

at least

one of the

reasons

at least

part of

his view

of this

table

is that

he wants

all of

us

always

to remember

his grace

and his

grasp

both

of those

things

his grace

to give

us life

and his

grasp

to keep

us in

that life

forever

it's why

as the

crowd

gathers

around

Jesus

in this

passage

with

stones

in their

hands

to kill

him

that he

actually

keeps

pleading

with them

to understand

that they

would know

that he

indeed is

God

and that

they

can find

life

in him

that they

would come

and believe

in him

Jesus

keeps

pleading

with them

that's

what he

would say

to you

this morning

if you

are here

and you

don't yet

trust

in Jesus

that could

be for

any number

of reasons

if you're

here and

you don't

believe

in him

yet

maybe

it's

because

this is

the first

time

you've

ever

heard

the

good

news

of

Jesus

maybe

you're

here

and you've

been in

church

your whole

life

you've

heard this

many times

but you're

just not

quite

convinced

yet

maybe

you're

a young

person

and you've

grown up

in church

but you

have never

yet yourself

trusted

in Jesus

confessed

your sins

to him

received

his forgiveness

then to

all of you

who fit

those

categories

let me

invite you

not to

come to

take bread

and wine

this morning

but come

receive

Jesus

he is the

one

who will

hold you

and never

let you

go

he invites

you

today

to come

and trust

him

we would

love to

talk with

you more

about him

if you

do trust

him

if that

is your

great

comfort

your

only

comfort

then I

want you

to come

this morning

empty

handed

because you

are coming

to receive

all that you

need

so you can

let go

of all those

other things

that you've

been grasping

at all over

the place

you can

let them go

in fact you

have to

it's the only

way to come

you come

empty handed

because you're

here to

receive

his grace

again

his grace

and his

grasp

he

won't

let

you

go

let's

pray

Jesus

thank you

for that

thank you

for that

promise

thank you

for the

fact that

you let

go of

your life

that you

would grab

onto us

use these

common elements

for a sacred

purpose

that we

would trust

you

more

we ask

in your

name

amen

for more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org