Day 1038: Safe in God's hands - John 10 vs 19 - 30

19-21 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

22-24 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.”

25-26 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. 27-30 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 10:19-30 English Standard Version

The Feast of Dedication (vs 22) wasn't one of the festivals instituted by God through Moses, but an eight-day winter festival in November/December to commemorate a victory God gave the Jews over enemies some 165 years before Christ came. Nowadays it's called Hanukkah, or, 'The Festival of Lights'. It's always been associated with light, so perhaps it wasn't coincidence that it was 'at that time' that Jesus had given sight to a man who'd been blind from birth. But the leaders of the people, whom John refers to as 'the Jews', were still in darkness, as vs 22-24 show. What did Jesus say their spiritual blindness was keeping them from seeing? (vs25-26)

The amazing miracles Jesus did, such as healing a man born blind, ought to have made them examine the teaching He gave. Their own law said: “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods’, which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them’ - you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

So if in His teaching, Jesus was calling people away from God - then His miracles may have been demonic, as some suggested, or a test from God to see if they would remain faithful to Him. But if His teaching was true to God's word, then they should've known that He had indeed come from God. There was, however, a deeper underlying problem to their unbelief. What was that? (vs 25-26)

They did not belong to His flock. Many of the leaders had drifted so far from God's word that they could not recognize His voice. It was to such people that, on another occasion, Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” Matthew 23:13-14. In contrast to their refusal to believe on Him, Jesus spoke the wonderful words we read in vs 27-30 concerning those who DID hear His voice, recognised who He was, and followed Him.

What comes to your mind if you think of sheep? I think of them as being not very strong, not able to defend themselves from wolves or lions, and also apt to wander and get lost. They really need a shepherd who is able to protect them. And so it is that Jesus gave a promise that those who hear His voice and follow Him, will have eternal life. It's a life that doesn’t perish, and there is no power that can take them out of the safe keeping of His hands. Why will they never perish or be lost? Because they are 'a flock' that God the Father has given to God the Son.

Here is the strong grounds for the certain hope a believer can have that he or she will be in the eternal presence of God. It won't be because of our goodness or strength, but because God is greater than all, and no-one can snatch us out of His all powerful hands. And the oneness of the Father and the Son makes the believer's safety even more secure. A Christian can truly say: ‘The Lord is my shepherd’.