The 23rd Sunday after Trinity

SERMON - Jesus Is Plainly the Christ!

INI

Text: John 10:23-30

And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? 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, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

In the name of Jesus—the Christ, our Good Shepherd, dear fellow redeemed:

It does not take a rocket scientist to see that we face many problems in our present world—just watch the evening news, read the headlines of a daily newspaper, or simply observe what is going on around you! Every problem we face can be traced back in some way and to some form of sin. Until we deal with the foundational problem of sin, which means that we must deal with the sinful nature of man’s heart, we cannot deal successfully with the problems caused by sin. Unfortunately, most people do not understand this. Intellectuals believe that talk about sin is old-fashioned and simply the sophomoric babbling of religious quacks. Secular humanists suggest such talk violates every principle of political correctness, for you cannot speak of sin or impose upon anyone your sense of morality! Rather you must speak of ignorance and social, cultural, and economic disadvantages leading to maladjusted thinking and inappropriate actions, which can only be corrected by larger social welfare programs and increased educational opportunity!

God, however, has provided a solution for the problem of sin. He has done so in the person of Jesus. He promised to send a Savior immediately after the fall into sin. He called that promised Savior—the Messiah (Hebrew), or the Christ (Greek), or the Anointed One (English). God’s solution provides the only basis upon which we can successfully deal with sin and the problems caused by sin. Satan, however, who delights in leading people to deny the root problem of sin, also distorts in people’s minds the concept of a Savior from sin. Satan certainly does not want anyone to receive and believe in Jesus. Therefore, he misdirects people’s thinking, leading them to desire someone other than Jesus to solve their problems.

People have often looked to political leaders to solve their problems, and upon occasion viewed them as potential saviors. That was certainly the case for many of the Jews of Jesus’ day. They were looking for a political Messiah to free them from the control of Rome and to establish a powerful earthly kingdom like that of David. That is why in our text the Jews came to Jesus and asked Him, “How long do you keep us in doubt?” Then they urged Him, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!” You see, Jesus did not fit their concept of what the Messiah—the Christ—the Anointed One should be. Jesus does not fit the concept of what most Americans today want as their Savior.

During last year’s presidential campaign and throughout his first year in office, President Obama has been referred to seriously by many of his supporters and mockingly by some of his detractors as the “messiah”—as the “anointed one” who will solve our many international, national, and personal problems. Clearly in our day, we Christians must carefully articulate the truths revealed in our text, so that people might see sin as the root problem—the problem behind all other problems and Jesus as the ultimate solution for sin. Let us, therefore, take up the arguments of our text and show that JESUS IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST! His works bear witness to that fact! His sheep benefit from that fact! His relationship with the Father confirms that fact!

I.

In response to those Jews confronting Him Jesus said, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.” Jesus’ works bear witness to the fact that He is the promised Christ! Among those works were the many signs and miracles that Jesus performed. If you read through the four Gospels you will find that there are thirty-six different accounts of specific miracles performed by Jesus. Besides those specific accounts there are numerous references to Jesus performing multiple healings as crowds of people came to hear Him preach, bringing with them their sick friends and relatives.

Those signs and miracles were intended to confirm for those listeners the truth of Jesus’ words and demonstrate that He was indeed the promised Savior. Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night rather than by day for fear of his fellow Pharisees, acknowledged that fact when he met Jesus with his greeting: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (Jn. 3:2). Jesus stated to His disciples after it was reported to Him that Lazarus was sick: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (Jn. 11:4). Indeed, Jesus would go to Bethany some days later and call Lazarus back from the grave! When the imprisoned John the Baptizer sent his two disciples to Jesus asking whether or not Jesus was indeed the Christ, Jesus responded: “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Mt. 11:4-6). John in summarizing the purpose of his Gospel says: “Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:30-31).

God sent Jesus to deal with the sin, so that we might overcome the problems created by sin. There is no greater problem than death! But in spite of Jesus’ obvious power over death, many of the Jews of Jesus’ day did not believe in Him, even as many people in our day do not believe in Him, because their hearts are dominated by sin’s darkness. They fail to comprehend the fact, witnessed so clearly by His works, that JESUS IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST!

II.

Yes, JESUS IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST! Jesus informs us that His sheep benefit from that fact! Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” The blessings we (who are Jesus’ sheep by virtue of our faith in Him) receive find their basis in His work of redemption. Earlier in this chapter Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:11). He then explains that as the promised Christ, He chose to lay down His life and then take it back again (cf. Jn. 10:17-18). On Calvary’s cross Jesus gave up His spirit (cf. Jn. 19:30). No one and nothing took it from Him. He voluntarily died in our place after having borne the just judgment of God upon our sins, which had been placed on His shoulders (cf. Is. 53:6, 12). Through death, He conquered death and so released us from any necessary fear of death. By tasting death for us, the writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus destroyed the devil and his power to use death to instill fear within our hearts (cf. Heb. 2:9, 14-15).

We are by grace through faith the precious lambs of Jesus. We hear His voice and as the Spirit works within our hearts, we are led to follow Him. Jesus says that He possesses the power to give us eternal life. He assures us that we will never perish—that is, suffer eternally for our sins, for they have been removed by His redemptive work. We rest safely in the hands of our Good Shepherd, and no one and nothing can remove us from those powerful, but gentle hands (cf. Is. 40:11).

This past Wednesday it was my privilege to comfort and encourage the family and friends of Lucile Flowers of this very thing. The Lord took Lucile’s soul home to heaven a week ago Saturday. We laid her body to rest this past Wednesday, but at her funeral service, while tears were shed, we celebrated the fact that while Lucile’s earthly life had ended, her eternal life had only just begun—eternal life in the presence of God in heaven! These thoughts are not the ravings of religious lunatics, but the true, spiritual facts based upon the promises of JESUS who IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST! We His sheep benefit from that fact!

III.

Finally, we see that JESUS IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST, because His relationship with the Father confirms that fact! Jesus says, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” Many Bible critics claim that Jesus never claimed to be God, but that rather some of His early followers proposed that idea in order to honor Him. That conjecture is simply not true! Jesus could not be any clearer than He is right here—“I and My Father are one!” Yes, the subject of the nature of the Trinity is complicated—in fact, it is too complicated for our mortal minds to fathom! We need simply accept what God had revealed to us through His Word!

Those who would deny Jesus’ divinity point out that Jesus here says that His Father “is greater than all.” Therefore, they reason the Father must be greater than Jesus, and so they cannot be one. But Jesus has just finished stating that His sheep are in His hands and no one can snatch them out of those hands, even as His sheep are in His Father’s hands and no one can snatch them out of those hands. He and His Father are equal in their love for and protection of us, their believing sheep! He is one in power, one in honor, one in presence, and one in promise with the Father! JESUS IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST!

It is only through Jesus that the root problem of sin can be and has been solved. The apostle John tells us in his 1^st Epistle, “He (Jesus) Himself is the propitiation (the satisfactory payment) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (2:2). It is by means of repentance that God cleanses us of our sin and removes our reasons for guilt (cf. 1 Jn. 1:9). With a heart cleansed and a conscience freed, we are able to approach the problems caused by sin within our individual and corporate lives with the love necessary to overcome them. We can approach any and all issues with the confidence of Paul: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Will we or any human being ever rid the world entirely of the problems of sin? No, that is not God’s plan. This world will ultimately be destroyed and replaced by “new heavens and a new earth” (cf. 2 Peter 3:10-13). Therefore, do not look for an alternate savior, or place your trust in any man to solve the world’s problems. Rather, embrace Jesus! HE IS PLAINLY THE CHRIST! Then strive to walk in your faith, to exercise your love, and to look forward with hope to Jesus’ return at the end of time and the consummation of God’s eternal plan! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
Soli Gloria Deo!