Saturday 23 March, 2019

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.” 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.” 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 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 in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. 40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.

John has just recorded Jesus talking about himself as the good shepherd & his sheep (people) knowing his voice. Jesus now continues this as he is ambushed while walking in the Temple. The Jewish leaders want to know if he is the predicted Messiah, the Saviour. Jesus’s response shows them that they are not his sheep or they would recognise him & the miracles he’s done.

It seems as though these Jewish leaders already had their minds & hearts made up, they were ready to dismiss him either way. Jesus said plainly “you do not believe because you are not my sheep”.

I need to be careful to keep my heart following Jesus, so that I don’t miss what he’s doing or what he is speaking to me, lets not be like these leaders who because they didn’t like the answer, it wasn’t what they wanted to hear, they completely missed the salvation they had been waiting for. They walked away from eternity.

Jesus it’s my desire to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you for your promise of eternal life & for the security, care & love you show me as the Good Shepherd. Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson