A Set Up - John 10:22-29

After teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and healing a woman, Jesus and his disciples go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication. The IM gives us some background on what the Feast of Dedication is saying, “The Feast of Dedication is also known as Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah means ‘dedication’ in Hebrew. This commemoration celebrates the rededication of the Jerusalem temple and its new altar in about 165 B.C. Syrian warriors led by Antichus Epiphanes had desecrated the temple in 168 B.C. and tried to wipe out the Jewish religion. But freedom fighters led by a family of priests- Judah Maccabee being the most famous- repulsed the Syrians in a war of liberation for the Jewish people. A story in the Talmud recounts that the Maccabees found on a small amount of oil when the captured the temple and witnessed the oil miraculously burn for eight days. Based on this account, the Feast of Dedication lasts eight days beginning on the 25th of the month of Kislev, which roughly corresponds to the beginning of the month of December.” Honestly, I never knew the reason for Hanukkah, except for a brief blub they did about it lasting for 8 days on an episode of The Nanny.

While walking on Solomon’s porch a group of Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly?” It seems like a reasonable request, Jesus is asking people to change what they’ve always known and believe what He is telling them. It would be difficult enough if Jesus had come as the Christ that most Jews were expecting, the militant, red robed, glory out of the sky Messiah that would conquer Rome and make them free. But that’s not how he came, He came as a humble carpenter, not making some grand entrance, and preaching peace and service and treasures in heaven. Most Jews were not expecting that. Many weren’t looking for a Messiah, and those that were anticipated a great warrior, so when this other guy shows up, it is understandably a hard sell, and only the most humble and open are able to see Jesus for who he really is, the Son of God. Those still harboring any doubt, and honestly I’m afraid that I would be one of those because of the whole “born in Bethlehem” thing, would be reasonable in asking for confirmation directly from the source. But we also have to remember that do declare yourself the Messiah in ancient Israel was a capital offence, which I find ironic because how is the Messiah supposed to proclaim himself when he comes if it is illegal. This law forces the future Messiah to conform to their expectations where it is so obvious that he is God and no one dares to question it.

I’ve always wondered why Jesus kind of beat around the bush with his answers here. I imagine that since he is the Christ, he should simply state, “yes I am the Christ” and everyone would be like “oh sure, ok yeah, I believe you,” and fall in line. Considering that a self-proclamation of divinity is punishable by death, anyone who asked that question would be setting the other person up for serious problems. If we think about it, if the Messiah does come in the way that Jesus does, those who believe in Him would know that an admission would mean certain death, no one would ask that question so as to avoid any trouble. It would be like loving your dog, but then setting him loose on the highway, your beloved pet would surely get hit by a car, you don’t do it in order to keep them safe. Because these Jews ask Jesus to proclaim himself the Messiah under the guise of “we’ll believe you” and set him up for problems, we can deduce that they were no sincere in their “doubt” and they were just trying to set him up.

Jesus answers them in a correct but round about way saying, “I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.” He’s basically saying, “I already told you, but you didn’t listen. The miracles that I do and the doctrine that I teach would have convinced you if you were humble enough to receive me.” He’s careful not to make any inflammatory remarks but still says that they have had enough evidence to know for themselves. The words used to make the statement about the sheep make it seem like being a part of Christ’s fold is a matter of chance, not personal responsibility. There’s a difference between “you don’t believe because you aren’t one of my sheep” implying that Jesus chooses the sheep to follow him, and “you don’t believe because you have chosen to not be in my fold yet,” which implies, that the sheep choose the shepherd.

Jesus clears up what might have sounded like him choosing the sheep by saying, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” It’s interesting because looking at a flock of sheep, the sheep get there because the shepherd picks them out at the market or they are born into the fold already, and that might be applicable to the Jews at this time because they are the only ones hearing the true gospel and being given the choice to follow or not. It was probably jarring for the Jews at that time, who had always been a relatively unified people because they had been considered the “chosen ones,” to learn that they weren’t automatically included in a new Jewish group simply because they were born a Jew. Even though it might seem like we have a “shepherd picks the sheep” scenario here, we can see that Jesus’ special fold consists only of people (sheep) who choose him.

I’m watching a really interesting series about the Unabomber, and in the beginning of the first show, Ted Kaczynski refers to the people who are well-adjusted contributors to society as “sheep.” He says that they blindly follow whoever is talking the loudest, and I disagree with that. What we’ve learned about sheep is they might not be the most intelligent animals out there, but they are smart enough to know their own shepherd’s voice, and to only follow him. Similarly, those who believe in Christ recognize his truth and will hopefully obey only him. The IM quotes President Brigham Young as teaching, “When an individual, filled with the Spirit of God, declared the truth of heaven, the sheep hear that, the Spirit of the Lord pierces their inmost souls and sinks deep into their hearts; by the testimony of the Holy Ghost light springs up within them, and they see and understand for themselves.”

While actual sheep are notoriously vulnerable, Jesus assures his people (sheep) that “they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Sheep are susceptible to attack by other animals, vicious ones, but Jesus says that with his sheep, that’s not possible. No nefarious person can take a person out of the Savior’s care, as long as you choose to be there, nothing can remove you, Jesus is more powerful than any other power out there and if you choose him, then he chooses you too.