Good Shepherd
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Have you ever played this game with small children? You hold something tightly in your hand and challenge them to remove it. Most likely the child will be unable to do so because you are stronger than them. This is the example that Jesus gives here to reassure us that those who trust in God are kept safe because he is stronger than our spiritual enemies. We can find this especially comforting on a day like today as we witness the baptism of a child into the family of God. As long as we trust in God who saves us, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Caveat: We can wander off. Note the exhortations not to do so!
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Brief explanation of The Feast of Dedication
Brief explanation of The Feast of Dedication
Feast of Dedication n. — an eight-day Israelite holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC.
The reconstructed temple was later modified by King Herod, and it included an area also known as Solomon’s Porch (, KJV), Solomon’s Portico (ESV), or Solomon’s Colonnade (NIV). This structure was on the east side of the temple and was covered with a roof, thus providing more protection from the weather than the temple courtyards. Passing west through Solomon’s Porch (toward the temple) would place one in the Court of the Gentiles.
At this time the Jewish leaders asked a very important question. It is the same question they asked of John the Baptist several years earlier. Who are you? Are you the Messiah? God’s word prophesied that God would send a very special person who would be anointed to deliver his people. (Messiah or Christ means “the Anointed One”) This person would demonstrate who he was by his words but mainly by his actions such as prophetic teaching and the performing of miracles. Jesus was well-known for doing both. The problem was that there was a disagreement and misunderstanding about just what the Messiah would deliver the Jews from. Would it be from their spiritual enemies or from the Romans who occupied Jerusalem and the surrounding territories? At this time most people favored the latter.
Note Jesus’ reply.
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe 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 shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
We do well to ask, “When did Jesus tell them?”
52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
The reconstructed temple was later modified by King Herod, and it included an area also known as Solomon’s Porch (, KJV), Solomon’s Portico (ESV), or Solomon’s Colonnade (NIV). This structure was on the east side of the temple and was covered with a roof, thus providing more protection from the weather than the temple courtyards. Passing west through Solomon’s Porch (toward the temple) would place one in the Court of the Gentiles.
We also read in Matthew that Jesus privately confided with his disciples that he is the Messiah.
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
The order to keep quiet was because of the aforementioned misunderstanding and beliefs about the work of the Messiah.
Later Jesus would swear under oath that he is the Messiah.
63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered.
There can be no mistake. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the Messiah and he himself confirmed it.
But note the response? It was for this very reason that the Jewish leaders decided that he must die. Why? Jesus tells us.
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe 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 shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
He uses the well known illustration of a shepherd and his sheep. is a favorite of many Christians because it teaches how our God watches over us as a shepherd cares for his sheep. Jesus’ identifies himself as “The Good Shepherd” who laid down his life for the sheep. Christians are often described as sheep. (And not always in a good way.)
(NIV)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Here Jesus does compare us to sheep in a good way. Just as a sheep will listen to its master’s voice, we listen to him and follow him. We trust in him as our Savior by faith and we seek to live for him who died and was raised again. We remain in him and he remains in us.
7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
These words are meant to give us comfort and hope and not meant to be abused by those who seek the easy way out. There have been those historically who abuse their relationship with Jesus as their Shepherd by excusing their lack of dedication to this promise with this rationale. “Well, if we are in God’s hands, it doesn’t matter how we live or profess our relationship with Jesus. After all, we are promised that no one can remove us from God.” Much has been debated about such an attitude by theologians and lay people alike for centuries.
Lutheran view[edit]
Lutheran view[edit]
Like both Calvinist camps, confessional Lutherans view the work of salvation as monergistic in that "the natural [that is, corrupted and divinely unrenewed] powers of man cannot do anything or help towards salvation",[24] and Lutherans go further along the same lines as the Free Grace advocates to say that the recipient of saving grace need not cooperate with it. Hence, Lutherans believe that a true Christian (that is, a genuine recipient of saving grace) can lose his or her salvation, "[b]ut the cause is not as though God were unwilling to grant grace for perseverance to those in whom He has begun the good work… [but that these persons] wilfully turn away…"[25]
I believe there are enough warnings to Christians in the Bible to be on guard against those who would rob us of our faith that should not take this promise lightly and use it as a license to not be diligent. (See encouragement in the baptismal liturgy.)
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
Our Lord commands that we teach his precious truths to all who are baptized. Christian love therefore urges all us, us, especially parents and sponsors, to assist in whatever manner possible so that ________ may remain a child of God until death.
Illustration. One insurance company seems to relate to this idea of being protect by another’s hands when it says, “You are in good hands with All State.” It is a promise to protect our property and wealth in case of a disaster. It does not prevent disaster but promises to help in case of such an occurence. But there are limits. One limit is that if you persistently engage in risky behavior or try to cheat the company by false claims, you will not remain in good hands with All State. Our God certainly promises to protect us and give us hope and he is the one who has made us the sheep of his pasture. He promises to keep us as his own and we find great comfort and hope in those promises. But if we engage in risky behavior and do not remain in him and his Word, we can squirm our way away from him just as a child can at times escape the grasp of a parent.
Conclusion: This confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders is a key them throughout the gospels. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism to be our prophet, priest, and king (the Messiah). He openly taught and did the works of God but did not go about self-proclaiming he was the Messiah. When it became evident that he was there were those who used this evidence against Jesus because they did not believe. On the other hand, there were those who were his sheep who listened to his voice and who trusted in him so much that they were willing to sacrifice everything for him. God’s Word continues to give us evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. Through our baptism, we are brought into his fold as his sheep. May we continue in the means of grace so that our faith will become even stronger because God, our Father, is greater than all and through him we have eternal life. Amen.
“Once saved always saved.” See how this passage is used to support this idea. See how other passages question the “Perseverance of the Saints.”
Like both Calvinist camps, confessional Lutherans view the work of salvation as monergistic in that "the natural [that is, corrupted and divinely unrenewed] powers of man cannot do anything or help towards salvation",[24] and Lutherans go further along the same lines as the Free Grace advocates to say that the recipient of saving grace need not cooperate with it. Hence, Lutherans believe that a true Christian (that is, a genuine recipient of saving grace) can lose his or her salvation, "[b]ut the cause is not as though God were unwilling to grant grace for perseverance to those in whom He has begun the good work… [but that these persons] wilfully turn away…"[25]