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Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Spurgeon - “Life is a matter of degrees. Some have life, but it flickers like a dying candle, and is indistinct as the fire in the smoking flax; others are full of life, and are bright and vehement.” (Read Spurgeon's full sermon LIFE MORE ABUNDANT or LISTEN ON YOUTUBE - 40 MINUTES LONG) Someone with a lot of life has stamina. Someone with a lot of life has increased energy. Someone with a lot of life has a large sphere of living. Someone with a lot of life has the ability to do things. Someone with a lot of life has an overflow of enjoyment. (David Guzik) Related Resources: Are all prosperity preachers charlatans and/or false teachers ... What does the Bible say about prosperity? | GotQuestions.org What does the Bible say about the prosperity gospel ... Destroy (perish) (622) apollumi from apo = away from or wholly + olethros = state of utter ruin <> ollumi = to destroy <> root of apollyon [Re 9:11] = destroyer) means to destroy utterly but not to cause one to cease to exist. Apollumi as it relates to men, is not the loss of being per se, but is more the loss of well-being. It means to ruin so that the person (or thing) ruined can no longer serve the use for which he (it) was designed. To render useless. The gospel promises everlasting life for the one who believes. The failure to possess this life will result in utter ruin and eternal uselessness (but not a cessation of existence). Apollumi then has the basic meaning of describing that which is ruined and is no longer usable for its intended purpose. Apollumi in Gospel of John - Jn. 3:16; Jn. 6:12; Jn. 6:27; Jn. 6:39; Jn. 10:10; Jn. 10:28; Jn. 11:50; Jn. 12:25; Jn. 17:12; Jn. 18:9; Abundantly (4053) perissos from peri - around, all-around, over and above) properly means "all around, more than (abundantly). Beyond what is anticipated. Exceeding expectation. Going past the expected limit. Exceeding some number or measure, more than enough, more than is necessary, superadded. Superabundance, extraordinary, profuse, abundant. Perissos primarily pictures that which is above and over, super-added, and came to denote what is superior and advantageous. Perissos is the root of Paul's word in Eph 3:20+ huperekperissou which is one of the numerous compounds of huper- beyond, over and above, of which Paul is fond. Perissos - 26v - abounds all(1), abounds all the more(1), abundantly(1), advantage(1), all the more(2), beyond(1), especially(2), even more(2), excessive(1), further(1), greater(3), John(1), more(5), more abundant(2), more extremely(1), much more(1), superfluous(1), utterly*(1), widely(1). Matt. 5:37; Matt. 5:47; Matt. 11:9; Matt. 14:5; Matt. 23:14; Mk. 6:51; Mk. 7:36; Mk. 12:33; Mk. 12:40; Lk. 7:26; Lk. 20:47; Jn. 10:10; Rom. 3:1; 1 Co. 12:23; 1 Co. 12:24; 1 Co. 15:10; 2 Co. 1:12; 2 Co. 2:4; 2 Co. 2:7; 2 Co. 7:15; 2 Co. 9:1; 2 Co. 10:8; Gal. 1:14; 1 Thess. 2:17; Heb. 6:17; Heb. 13:19 SAM STORMS - LIFE AND ABUNDANTLY - There is in the relationship of the Shepherd to his sheep everything you need for fullness of joy and life. Even if today your life has reached a crescendo of catastrophic proportions, the Great Shepherd of the sheep can provide you with life that is abundant and joyful and meaningful beyond what most people could only dream about. No matter where you are today, who you are today, no matter what is to come your way tomorrow, the Shepherd of your soul is willing able to supply you with everything necessary for the truly abundant life. It’s all wrapped up in your identity as one of the Good Shepherd’s “own” sheep. ILLUSTRATION OF ENTERING THE ONE DOOR, JESUS - Years ago there was a TV game show called, “Let’s Make a Deal.” The contestants had to choose between a prize that was visible to them or another prize that was concealed behind a curtain or door. The visible prize was usually a nice item, like an expensive stereo or TV set. Sometimes the unseen prize turned out to be a joke, such as 10,000 boxes of toothpicks. But at other times the person chose the visible gift and discovered to their horror that they had passed up, behind the curtain, a new car worth thousands of dollars. Whenever that happened, you felt with the contestant that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach that comes from making a major wrong choice. Don’t make that mistake spiritually. The visible prize is all the stuff you see in this world. But when you enter through Jesus as the door, you gain things that eye has not seen and ear has not heard, which have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9+). (The Door to Abundant Life) Charles Stanley - FREEDOM FROM GUILT -- Pathways to His Presence SCRIPTURE READING: JOHN 10:7–10 KEY VERSE: JOHN 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Once we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, our guilt vanishes. The sins that once haunted us are forgiven as we confess them before God. The penalty of sin was paid with the sacrificial death of Jesus. However, many believers struggle with feelings of guilt when they instead should feel the freedom of God’s love. As children of God, whenever we sin, we feel conviction—the Holy Spirit tugging on our hearts to resolve the sin against God. All other feelings of guilt should be devoid from our lives. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Once we ask God to forgive us for sinning, we need to return to His calling for our lives. There are consequences for our actions, but His forgiveness restores us to do His good work again. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). Guilt steals us of our joy and robs us of that life. It holds us captive for the actions of our past. However, once we ask God for forgiveness of our sins, God atones us. The guilty feelings for things in the past—even things over which we had no control—are from the enemy. God loves us, and He desires for us to live in His freedom, free from the guilt of the enemy. I acknowledge, dear Lord, that lingering guilt steals the abundant life You have promised believers. I leave that guilt at the cross, where it was crucified with You. ILLUSTRATION OF STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY - Cult leader Jim Jones stole, killed and destroyed under the guise of being a "shepherd" to his followers! Jones grew the People's Temple by purposefully targeting other churches. (STEAL) In 1970, Jones and 150 of his followers took a trip to San Francisco's Missionary Baptist Church. Jones held a faith healing revival meeting wherein he impressed the crowd by claiming to heal a man of cancer; his followers later admitted to helping him stage the "healing". At the end of the event, he began attacking and condemning Baptist teachings and encouraging the members to abandon their church and join him. The event was successful, and Jones recruited about 200 new members for Peoples Temple." Later in South America, over 900 members of this evil man's organization were forced to commit suicide (KILL AND DESTROY). ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION OF STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY - In 1997 a group known as Heaven’s Gate, tried to reach what they believed was an alien spacecraft. The tragic result was that 39 members of this cult committed mass suicide so their souls could be taken by the UFO to “another level of existence above human.” The thieves were "Bonnie Nettles (1927–1985) and Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997), known within the movement as Ti and Do, respectively." ILLUSTRATION - Howard
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Spurgeon - “In the Latin tongue the word for money is akin to the word ‘sheep,’ because, to many of the first Romans, wool was their wealth, and their fortunes lay in their flocks. The Lord Jesus is our Shepherd: we are his wealth.” (Full sermon Our Own Dear Shepherd) John Trapp on good Shepherd - So he is by an excellency, for he left his glory to seek out to himself a flock in the wilderness. "He feeds them among the lilies," Song 2:16; gives them golden fleeces, and shepherds to keep them, after his own heart; watcheth over them night and day in his Migdal Eder, or tower of the flock, Gen 35:21; seeks them up when lost, bears them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young, Isa 40:11; pulls them out of the power of the lion and the bear, punisheth such as either push with the horn or foul with the feet, Eze 34:19; washeth them in his own blood, and so maketh them kings and priests to God, Rev 1:5-6, Rev 5:9-10., so that they need not fear the spiritual Assyrian (ED: antichrist), Mic 5:5+. Under the old dispensation, the sheep died for the shepherd; but now the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep! -- Warren Wiersbe The good (kalos) Shepherd (poimen) lays down His life (psuche) for (huper - in place of) the sheep (probaton) - NLT = "The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." Lays down His life is a phrase used only by John (Jn 10:17, 18; 13:37-38; 15:13; 1 John 3:16). Under the LAW, the sheep died for the shepherd, but under GRACE, the Shepherd died for the sheep! Hallelujah! The preposition for is the Greek word huper, meaning "in place of", "instead of," "on behalf of," (see below) all of which speak of the Shepherd's willingness to be the substitutionary sacrifice -- His life laid down in place of the lives of His sheep. (cf Jn 6:51, Jn 11:50-51, Jn 18:14) The thieves and robbers kill the sheep, but the Good Shepherd gives Himself to be killed for the sheep! There is also irony in the fact that the Shepherd is the Lamb, John declaring "Behold, the Lamb of God (JESUS), Who takes away the sin of the world." (Jn 1:29+). In his first epistle John describes the efficacious work of the Shepherd writing that "He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for our only, but also for those of the whole world." Why did Jesus do this? John 10:18 indicates it was in obedience to the commandment received from His Father. Amazing love! THOUGHT - Good (kalos) speaks of beauty. Does the beauty of Jesus draw you daily into His presence in His Word and communion with Him in prayer? Does His matchless beauty and incomprehensible sacrifice as your Substitute motivate daily to live for Him (see Ro 13:14+)? Play and ponder How Beautiful is the body of Christ for a moment and may His Spirit cause you to fall more in love with Him as you do. Jesus died not as a martyr, but as our Substitute, that we might now life for Him! Below are multiples passages with Huper signifying substitution (often rendered for): Jn 10:15; "I lay down My life for the sheep." Jn 6:51 "for the life of the world"; Jn 11:50-51; "one man die for the people...Jesus was going to die for the nation," Jn 18:14; "it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people." Lk 22:19; "My body which is given for you" Ro 5:6, "Christ died for the ungodly" Ro 5:8 "died for"; Ro 8:32; "Christ died for us." 1Co 11:24 "My body, which is for you" 1Co 15:3 "Christ died for our sins" 2Co 5:14-15 "died for all....rose again on their behalf" 2Co 5:21 "be sin on our behalf," Gal 1:4 "Who gave Himself for our sins" Gal 2:20 "gave himself up for me" Gal 3:13 "become a curse for us" Ep 5:2 "gave Himself up for us" Ep 5:25 "gave Himself up for us" 1Th 5:10 "Who died for us," 1Ti 2:6 "Who gave Himself as a ransom for all" Titus 2:14 "gave Himself for us"; Heb. 2:9 "by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." 1Pe 2:21 "Christ also suffered for you" 1Pe 3:18 "just for the unjust"; 1Jn 3:16 "He laid down His life for us" As
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Spurgeon - from his sermon Our own dear Shepherd ‘I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.’ John 10:14–15 Good shepherd, do you mean to say that you have died for such as these? What! For these sheep? Died for them? What! Die for sheep, shepherd? Surely you have other objects for which to live beside sheep. Have you not other loves, other joys? We know that it would grieve you to see the sheep killed, torn by the wolf, or scattered, but you really have not gone so far in love for them that for the sake of those poor creatures you would lay down your life? ‘Ah, yes,’ he says, ‘I would, I have!’ Carry your wondering thoughts to Christ Jesus. What! Son of God, infinitely great and inconceivably glorious Jehovah, wouldst thou lay thy life down for men and women? They are no more in comparison with thee than so many ants and wasps, pitiful and obnoxious creatures. Thou couldst make ten thousand millions of them with a word, or crush them out of existence at one blow of thy hand. They are poor things, make the most you can of them. They have hard hearts and wandering wills and the best of them are no better than they should be. Saviour, didst thou die for such? He looks round and says, ‘Yes, I did. I did. I laid down my life for the sheep. I am not ashamed of them and I am not ashamed to say that I died for them.’ No, beloved, he is not ashamed of his dying love. He has told it to his brethren up yonder and made it known to all the servants in his Father’s house; this has become the song of that house, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain’! Shall not we take it up and say, ‘for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood’? Whatever men may talk about particular redemption, Christ is not ashamed of it. He glories that he laid down his ‘life for the sheep.’ The Good Shepherd As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock . . . , so will I look after my sheep. Ezekiel 34:12 Today's Scripture & Insight: Ezekiel 34:11–16 When Pastor Warren heard that a man in his church had deserted his wife and family, he asked God to help him meet the man as if by accident so they could chat. And He did! When Warren walked into a restaurant, he spotted the gentleman in a nearby booth. “Got some room for another hungry man?” he asked, and soon they were sharing deeply and praying together. As a pastor, Warren was acting as a shepherd for those in his church community, even as God through the prophet Ezekiel said He would tend His flock. God promised to look after His scattered sheep, rescuing them and gathering them together (Ezekiel 34:12–13). He would “tend them in a good pasture” and “search for the lost and bring back the strays”; He would “bind up the injured and strengthen the weak” (vv. 14–16). God’s love for His people reverberates through each of these images. Though Ezekiel’s words anticipate God’s future actions, they reflect the eternal heart of the God and Shepherd who would one day reveal Himself in Jesus. No matter our situation, God reaches out to each of us, seeking to rescue us and sheltering us in a rich pasture. He longs for us to follow the Good Shepherd, He who lays down His life for His sheep (see John 10:14–15). By: Amy Boucher Pye How does Jesus, the Good Shepherd, care for you? How could you offer Him any wounds that need tending or weakness you’d like strengthened? Dear God, You love me even when I go astray and wander. Help me to stay always in Your sheepfold, that I might receive Your love and care. A New View Of Change I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep. — John 10:14 Today's Scripture: John 10:7-18 People hate change, or so I hear. But the change we generally resist is the kind that we think will make our situation worse rather than better. We eagerly change jobs when it means higher pay and more influence. We happily move to a bigger house in a better neighborhood. So it’s not change in general that we hate; it’s change that involves loss—sometimes physical; other times emotional or psychological. Change is both inevitable and necessary. If everything stays the same, no one is growing. But we have a Shepherd who guides us through change and leads us to a better place. Getting there may be difficult, as it was for the Israelites in reaching the Promised Land. They grumbled when their situation got worse rather than better (Ex. 15:24; Num. 14:2). But we have the example of Jesus. In less than a week, He went from being the leader of many to being abandoned by all. Between Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the Good Shepherd became the Passover Lamb. Because Christ willingly went through suffering, God elevated Him to the highest place (John 10:11; Phil. 2:8-9). Not all change is pleasant, but when we’re being led to a better place by Someone who loves us, we don’t need to fear it. By: Julie Ackerman Link I know not, but God knows; Oh, blessed rest from fear! All my unfolding days To Him are plain and clear. —Flint Faith in Christ will keep us steady in the stormy sea of change. John 10:15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. EASY (14, 15) I know them in the same way that my Father knows me. And they know me in the same way that I know the Father. I will die so that I can save my sheep. GWN John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep as the Father knows me. My sheep know me as I know the Father. 15 So I give my life for my sheep. BGT John 10:15 καθὼς γινώσκει με ὁ πατὴρ κἀγὼ γινώσκω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ τὴν ψυχήν μου τίθημι ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων. KJV John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. NET John 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father– and I lay down my life for the sheep. CSB John 10:15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. ESV John 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. NIV John 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. NLT John 10:15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. As: John 1:18 6:46 8:55 17:25 Mt 11:27 Lu 10:21 Rev 5:2-9 And I: Jn 10:11,17 15:13 Isa 53:4-6,8,10 Da 9:26 Zec 13:7 Mt 20:28 Gal 1:4 Gal 3:13 Eph 5:2 1Ti 2:5,6 Titus 2:14 1Pe 2:24 1Pe 3:18 1Jn 2:2 Rev 5:9 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 14:21+ He who has My commandments and keeps (OBEYS) them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” John 14:23+ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep (OBEY) My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. John 17:25-26+ “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” JESUS INTIMACY WITH US COMPARED TO INTIMACY WITH HIS FATHER!!! Read this verse as the continuation of John 10:14. Dear believer, if the truth of this verse doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will! Even as the Father (pater) knows (ginosko) Me and I know (ginosko) the Father - Jesus continues the declaration from Jn 10:14 stating that His knowledge of us is on the same level as His knowledge of the Father! THIS IS AN AMAZING TRUTH! The Son and Father have been perfectly intimate for all eternity and Jesus is saying His sheep now know Him in a similar way (albeit to me an incomprehensible intimacy, union, communion which we have a preview of now, but which will come to fruition in eternity!!! See related passages above)! Of course, we cannot carry this too far (thus incomprehensible), for our relationship with Him will not be as intimate as it is with the Father (for Both are truly God, something we will never be), but it will be in that "general category!" Our goal on earth now should be like that of Paul who knew God probably as well as any other human being and yet declared in Phil 3:10-11+ "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (See also Hosea 6:3) THOUGHT - Do you desire to know Jesus more and more? Does your time in His Word and in prayer with Him substantiate that you truly do want to know Him more like Paul in the passage above? If you truly want to know Him more, let this song be your prayer Oh, I Want To Know You More. Our Shepherd wants His sheep to want to know Him more and more! Have you left your first love (Rev 2:4+)? If so, read and obey (enabled by the Spirit) the Shepherd's commands to remember, repent and redo the deeds you did at first (Revelation 2:5+), and the Spirit will restore your first love ardor you once knew when you first fell in love with Jesus! See the vital association of increasing intimacy with the Father and the Son and (Spirit enabled) obedience in John 14:21+ and John 14:23+. Steven
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Spurgeon - from sermon The Father’s love to his dying Son ‘Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.’ John 10:17 The connection of our text enhances our Lord’s love. It stands connected with the Good Shepherd. It is he that lays down his life; he gives it for the sheep. Will a man die for sheep? Yes, that may be. But could the Son of God die for such base creatures as we are? We were, of ourselves, by no means so great a treasure to Christ as a sheep is to a man, yet he thought far more of us than shepherds do of their flocks. We were by nature only as so many foxes, or serpents, or creeping things, but the Lord Christ, having set his love upon us, would not rest till he had laid down his life for us. Alas! We were as ungrateful as we were unworthy. We even opposed the efforts of our Saviour. We acted more like goats than sheep, for we butted with our horns against our Shepherd. We were stray sheep and did not return at his call: we did not follow him, but we went farther and farther away. We were lame as to returning; but ‘when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.’ We are sheep, too, that still go astray very grievously. Woe is me that this should be true of me! After having been brought back on his shoulders, after having been pastured by his care, yet still we go astray! We are sheep that were lost; we are sheep that would lose themselves again, if they could, sheep that make a very poor return to him that shepherds us. ‘Is this thy kindness to thy friend?’ is a question which might often awake sad memories in our hearts. Beloved, let us love our Lord more! Surely we cannot help it, as we perceive our own undeserving and the greatness of his love whereby he laid down his life for us. John 10:18 "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." BGT John 10:18 οὐδεὶς αἴρει αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ. ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτήν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν· ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου. KJV John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. NET John 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father." CSB John 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father." ESV John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." NIV John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." NLT John 10:18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." man: John 18:5,6 Jn 19:11 Mt 26:53-56 but: John 2:19-21 Isa 53:10-12 Acts 2:24,32 Acts 3:15 Php 2:6-8 Titus 2:14 Heb 2:9,14,15 This: John 6:38 Jn 14:31 Jn 15:10 Ps 40:6-8 Heb 5:6-9 Heb 10:6-10 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JESUS' WILLINGNESS TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE No one (oudeis - absolutely no one) has taken it (His life) away (airo) from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative - This verse in effect reiterates that Jesus was in full control of the events concerning His crucifixion and resurrection. Of course while Jesus was in control of His crucifixion, it does not say men did not kill Him. Clearly men were responsible (and were allowed to kill Him) as described in the passages below... Acts 2:23+ this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you (JEWS) nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men (ROMANS) and put Him to death. 1 Thessalonians 2:15+ (Jews) who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, Later in John we read Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and (VOLUNTARILY) gave up His spirit. (John 19:30+) Steven
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Spurgeon - “All who are one with Christ have a certain family feeling, a higher form of clannishness, and they cannot shake it off. I have found myself reading a gracious book which has drawn nigh near to God, and though I have known that it was written by a man with whose opinions I had little agreement, I have not therefore refused to be edified by him in points which are unquestionably revealed. No, but I have blessed the Lord that, within all his blunders, he knew so much of precious vital truth, and lived so near his Lord.” (Full sermon Other Sheep and One Flock) Steven
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Spurgeon - When any ordinary man dies he only pays ‘the debt of nature.’ If he were even to die for his friend, he would simply pay a little earlier that debt which he must pay ultimately, but the Christ was immortal, and he needed not to die except that he had put himself under covenant bonds to suffer for his sheep.” (Full sermon Personal and Effectual Calling) David Guzik on take it up again - It doesn’t surprise us that the Watchtower (the Jehovah’s Witnesses) deny that Jesus could take His own life up again. Yet some others (such as modern faith movement teachers Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Fred Price, and others) teach that Jesus suffered as a victim in hell, and was saved only by the intervention of God the Father – that Jesus did not have power to take it again. For more discussion of the error of Jehovah's Witnesses on John 10:16 you can borrow David Reed's excellent book Jehovah's Witnesses : Answered Verse by Verse, page 78. This commandment (entole) I received (lambano) from My Father (pater) - What commandment? That He lay down His life and rise from the dead. In perfect obedience to His Father, Jesus carried out His Father's will that He give His life for the world and rise from the dead. Phil 2:8+ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Bob
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Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for he has a right to lead us wherever he pleases. We are not our own, we are bought with a price—let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the servant obeys his master, much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. We are not true to our profession of being Christians, if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander. Submission is our duty, cavilling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” Wherever Jesus may lead us, he goes before us. If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but his everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the assurance of eternal salvation, because he lives, we shall live also. We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which he leads us all end in glory and immortality. It is true they may not be smooth paths—they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant.” Let us put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, his purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy. We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ; and when rain and snow blow into our faces, his dear love will make us far more blest than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world’s fire. To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions, or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after thee. John
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Spurgeon - from his sermon The security of believers; or sheep who shall never perish John 10:27–30 I could not tell you exactly in English words, but the Greek gives here a kind of personality to the whole company. ‘My sheep hear my voice,’ that is, the whole of the flock of God. ‘I know them,’ that is, again, the whole flock of them, altogether. But, ‘they follow me’ is in the plural number. It is as though it said, ‘They, each one, follow me’. We, who are the Lord’s chosen, hear en masse and the Lord knows the whole church, for, as a whole, it is redeemed by Christ, but we individually follow, each one for himself, through grace. We each one follow him. ‘They follow me’. I like that singular personal pronoun. It is not written, ‘they follow my commandments’, though they do. It is not said, ‘they follow the route that I have mapped for them’, though they do that, but, ‘they follow me’, distinctly. In their individual personality they follow their Lord in his individual personality. They have recognized himself above his words, above his ways and even above his salvation. ‘They follow me’, says he. This is a grand mark of a Christian, not merely a life of morality, a life of integrity, a life of holiness, but a life of all these in connection with Christ. They follow him, not holiness, nor morality, nor integrity, apart from Christ, but they follow their Lord. A good life is good in any man. We cannot speak evil of virtue, even when we find it in the ordinary moralist, but this is not the complete mark of Christ’s sheep. The virtues of Christ’s sheep are in connection with himself. The Christian is holy and all that, but that is because he follows his perfect Master and keeps close to him. This is one of the peculiar and unfailing marks of the child of God. A W Tozer - ENJOYING GOD FOREVER My sheep hear my voice…and they shall never perish. John 10:27–28 It should be illuminating to us that the difference between unbelief and faith, between man’s point of view and God’s, often comes to light as the believer faces death. We are told that when John Wesley was dying, he tried to sing but his voice was nearly gone. Although his own theology was Armenian, he was trying to sing the words of an old Calvinist hymn: I will praise my Maker while I’ve breath, And when my soul is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler powers. That is at least one reason why I cannot get all heated up about contending for one theological position over another. If Isaac Watts, a Calvinist, could write such praise to God and John Wesley, an Armenian, could sing it with yearning in his last moments, why should I allow anyone to force me to confess, “I don’t know which I am!” I was created and redeemed that I should worship Him and enjoy Him forever. That is the primary issue in our Christian walk! Hearing Christ, Not Chaos My sheep listen to my voice. John 10:27 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 10:1–6, 27 After watching TV news for hours each day, the elderly man grew agitated and anxious—worried the world was falling apart and taking him with it. “Please turn it off,” his grown daughter begged him. “Just stop listening.” But the man continued to spend an excessive amount of time on social media and other news sources. What we listen to matters deeply. We see this in Jesus’ encounter with Pontius Pilate. Responding to criminal charges brought against Jesus by religious leaders, Pilate summoned Him and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33). Jesus replied with a stunning question: “Is that your own idea . . . or did others talk to you about me?” (v. 34). The same question tests us. In a world of panic, are we listening to chaos or to Christ? Indeed, “my sheep listen to my voice,” He said. “I know them, and they follow me” (10:27). Jesus “used this figure of speech” (v. 6) to explain Himself to doubting religious leaders. As with a good shepherd, He said that “his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (vv. 4–5). As our Good Shepherd, Jesus bids us to hear Him above all. May we listen well and find His peace. By: Patricia Raybon What do you hear on the news or social media that makes you feel anxious? How can you give more time to hearing the voice of God? Loving God, in a noisy world, when You speak to my heart, mind, and spirit in and through the Scriptures, may I hear You over all. For further study, read Being Jesus Online. Herd Instinct My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. — John 10:27 Today's Scripture: John 10:14-30 Near the village of Gevas in eastern Turkey, while shepherds ate their breakfast, one of their sheep jumped off a 45-foot cliff to its death. Then, as the stunned shepherds looked on, the rest of the flock followed. In all, 1,500 sheep mindlessly stumbled off the cliff. The only good news was that the last 1,000 were cushioned in their fall by the growing woolly pile of those who jumped first. According to The Washington Post, 450 sheep died. The Bible often refers to human beings as sheep (Ps. 100:3; Isa. 53:6; Matt. 9:36). Easily distracted and susceptible to group influence, we would rather follow the crowd than the wisdom of the Shepherd. I’m glad the Bible also describes sheep in a positive way. Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd . . . . My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:14,27). So the big question for us is: Whom are we following? One another? Self-centered shepherds? Or the voice and direction of the Good Shepherd? Our challenge is to avoid the mistake of the sheep who blindly followed one another over a cliff. We must make it our daily purpose to ask ourselves: Am I listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd? Am I following Him? By: Mart DeHaan Savior, like a shepherd lead us, Much we need Thy tender care; In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare. —Thrupp Follow Christ, not the crowd. Stop Talking, Start Listening Part 1 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27 When was the last time you heard the voice of God? Most of us spend so much time talking to God, we don’t take the time to listen! This week Joe Stowell begins a new series titled Hearing God’s Voice by taking a look at the first of five habits of effective listeners. Joe points out that as followers of Christ we’ve been given the equipment we need to hear God speak. But the equipment can’t work properly if we allow Satan’s noise to silence the voice of God. This is illustrated in Jesus’ story of the shepherd and his flock in John 10. As you strive to develop these essential listening skills, you’ll find yourself more in tune with God’s leading in your life. - Joe Stowell Known In Heaven My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. — John 10:27 Today's Scripture: John 20:11-18 Mary stood by the entrance to the empty tomb and wept in misery that her Lord had died. She longed for “the touch of the vanished hand,” as Tennyson lyrically described death’s cold finality, “the sound of the voice that was still.” Then Jesus appeared. In her grief, Mary’s eyes deceived her, for she thought He was the gardener. But when He called her name, she knew Him immediately. She cried, “Rabboni!” which means Teacher (John 20:16). People ask me if we’ll know one another in heaven. I believe that we will know and be known there. When Jesus received His glorified body, His followers recognized Him (John 20:19-20). And someday we too will have a glorified body (1 Cor. 15:42-49; 1 John 3:2). “Rejoice,” said Jesus to His disciples, “because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Someday we’ll hear again the voices of loved ones whose names are written in heaven—voices now still. We will hear the father who spoke our name with rough affection, the mother who called us in from play. There’s one voice, however, that I long to hear above all others—my Lord Jesus, calling my name: “David.” And, like Mary, I will know Him at once. My Savior! By: David H. Roper I will meet thee again in that deathless land, Whenever thy foot shall imprint the strand; And the loveliest things that have here been mine Shall there in eternal beauty shine. —MacDonald Goodbyes are the law of earth—reunions are the law of heaven. WE KNOW WITH WHOM WE GO - NIV - Once a Day, Walk with Jesus My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 A musician who ignores the conductor, a soldier who disobeys his commander, a reporter who covers his eyes and ears—such situations are hard to imagine. But no one has any trouble at all thinking about sheep who fail to follow their shepherd. Everybody knows that sheep are just that dumb. Charles Spurgeon points out why Christ’s use of the shepherd-sheep imagery in John 10 is both appropriate and compelling. WALK WITH CHARLES SPURGEON “We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for he has a right to lead us wherever he pleases. “We are not our own; we are bought with a price (see 1 Corinthians 6:19–20). Let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. “The soldier follows his captain, the servant his master. Much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. “We are not true to our profession of being Christians if we question the bidding of our leader and commander. Submission is our duty; making excuses is not. “Wherever Jesus may lead us, he goes before us. If we do not know where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road?” WALK CLOSER TO GOD Think back to the familiar phrases of Psalm 23. What does the Good Shepherd whom you follow do for you? Provision: “He makes me lie down in green pastures” (verse 2). Refreshment: “He refreshes my soul” (verse 3). Leadership: “He guides me along the right paths” (verse 3). Following the Shepherd is not a chore, but the way to an abundant life. When the shepherd calls, be quick to follow. After all, you are his! The Language Of Whistling I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them. — Zechariah 10:8 Today's Scripture: Zechariah 10:1-8 On La Gomera, one of the smallest of the Canary Islands, a language that sounds like a bird song is being revived. In a land of deep valleys and steep ravines, schoolchildren and tourists are learning how whistling was once used to communicate for distances up to 2 miles. One goat herder who is using this ancient language once again to communicate with his flock said, “They recognize my whistle as they recognize my voice.” The practice of whistling also shows up in the Bible, where God is described as a shepherd whistling for His sheep. This image could be what the prophet had in mind when he described how God will one day whistle to bring a wandering and scattered people back to Himself (Zech. 10:8). Many years later Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). That may be the whistle of a shepherd. Sheep don’t understand words, but they know the sound that signals the shepherd’s presence. Misleading voices and distracting noises still compete for our attention (cf. Zech. 10:2). Yet God has ways of signaling us, even without words. By events that can be alarming or encouraging, He reminds us of His guiding, protecting, and reassuring presence. By: Mart DeHaan Father, it is a noisy world. Thank You for always calling to us above the din and ruckus that distracts us. Help us to recognize Your voice and follow Your leading. The call of God can always be heard. John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. BGT John 10:28 κἀγὼ δίδωμι αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπόλωνται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ οὐχ ἁρπάσει τις αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου. KJV John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. NET John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. CSB John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-- ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. ESV John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. NIV John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. NLT John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, NRS John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. NJB John 10:28 I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand. NAB John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. YLT John 10:28 and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish -- to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand; MIT John 10:28 I give eternal life to them, and surely they will never be destroyed for all time to come. Nor will anyone grab them out of my control. I give: John 3:16, Jn 3:36 Jn 5:39,40 Jn 6:27,40,47,68 Jn 11:25 Jn 17:2 Ro 5:21 6:23 1Ti 1:16 1Jn 2:25 1Jn 5:13-20 Jude 1:21 they: John 3:15 4:14 5:24 6:37,39,40 14:19 17:12 18:9 1Sa 2:9 Job 17:9 Ps 37:28 103:17,18 125:1,2 Pr 4:18 24:16 Isa 45:17 54:17 55:3 Jer 31:3,34 32:40 Mk 13:22 Ro 5:2,9,17 8:1,29,33-39 Php 1:6 Col 3:3,4 2Th 2:13 1Pe 1:5 Heb 7:25 1Jn 2:19 5:13,18 Jude 1:1,24 no one: John 17:11,12 De 33:3 Ps 31:5 Lu 22:31,32 23:46 Ac 7:59 2Ti 1:12 Heb 7:25 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 3:16+ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:36+ “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 5:39-40+ “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. John 6:27+ “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” John 6:40+ “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:47+ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. John 6:68+ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 1 John 2:25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. We Are Safe & Secure in the Shepherd's Hands! THE GREATEST GIFT IN ETERNITY: ETERNAL LIFE, ETERNALLY SECURE! And I (present tense - continually) give eternal (aionios) life (zoe) to them (cf Jn 10:10, Jn 3:16, Jn 3:36, Jn 11:24-26) - And (kai) links this great truth with the three truths in Jn 10:27. Eternal life is the gift of gifts -- Living now and then forever with the Shepherd! Eternal security is based on a fact, not a feeling! And they will (absolutely) never perish (apollumi) - Again and (kai) is like a chain linking these incredible truths together! Eternal life does not end which is emphasized by will never perish. No is an emphatic, strong double negative (ou me), the strongest way in Greek to emphasize that the Good Shepherd's sheep will absolutely never perish, never come to ruin, never be lost, never be destroyed. And then Jesus addresses the question for how long (it is difficult to see this in most of the English translations). The literal Greek reads "and they shall not perish -- to the age" which means to all eternity! One English translation, the CSB, picks up this truth rendering it "they will never perish-- ever!" The MIT is good also as it says "surely they will never be destroyed for all time to come." Or to paraphrase it "They shall not ever perish forever!" In summary, these two phrases give a double emphasis regarding the absolute security of every sheep of the Lord! Of course, Jesus is not saying His sheep will never experience earthly afflictions, adversities, disasters (hurricanes, floods, etc), but assures us that we will never experience an eternal disaster! "The Good Shepherd has made it His mission that we all arrive home safely!" (Bell) This is one of the strongest passages on the security of the believer anywhere in the NT. Mark it down beloved "stinky sheep," our Good Shepherd continually watches over us because we belong to Him! If we are genuinely born again, new creatures in Christ, since we were not saved by our "good" works, we cannot lose our salvation by our bad works. Of course "bad works" will undoubtedly have some impact on our eternal rewards! Most of us know individuals who professed to be saved and later went back into sin as their lifestyle. They did not lose their salvation. Do not be deceived, for they were never saved in the first place! Their return to wallow in sin only proves that they never truly trusted Jesus as their Savior. In short, eternal security is reserved for true sheep! Warren
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Spurgeon - WE believe in the eternal security of the saints. First, because they are Christ’s, and he will never lose the sheep which he has bought with his blood, and received of his Father. Next, because he gives them eternal life, and if it be eternal, well then, it is eternal, and there can be no end to it, unless there can be an end to hell, and heaven, and God. If spiritual life can die out, it is manifestly not eternal life, but temporary life. But the Lord speaks of eternal life, and that effectually shuts out the possibility of an end. Observe, further, that the Lord expressly says, “They shall never perish.” As long as words have a meaning, this secures believers from perishing. The most obstinate unbelief cannot force this meaning out of this sentence. Then, to make the matter complete, he declares that his people are in his hand, and he defies all their enemies to pluck them out of it. Surely it is a thing impossible even for the fiend of hell. We must be safe in the grasp of an Almighty Saviour. Be it ours to dismiss carnal fear as well as carnal confidence, and rest peacefully in the hollow of the Redeemer’s hand John
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Spurgeon - John 10:28 The Christian should never think or speak lightly of unbelief. For a child of God to mistrust his love, his truth, his faithfulness, must be greatly displeasing to him. How can we ever grieve him by doubting his upholding grace? Christian! it is contrary to every promise of God’s precious Word that thou shouldst ever be forgotten or left to perish. If it could be so, how could he be true who has said, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I never forget thee.” What were the value of that promise—“The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” Where were the truth of Christ’s words—“I give unto my sheep eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” Where were the doctrines of grace? They would be all disproved if one child of God should perish. Where were the veracity of God, his honour, his power, his grace, his covenant, his oath, if any of those for whom Christ has died, and who have put their trust in him, should nevertheless be cast away? Banish those unbelieving fears which so dishonour God. Arise, shake thyself from the dust, and put on thy beautiful garments. Remember it is sinful to doubt his Word wherein he has promised thee that thou shalt never perish. Let the eternal life within thee express itself in confident rejoicing. “The gospel bears my spirit up: A faithful and unchanging God Lays the foundation for my hope, In oaths, and promises, and blood.” J J Knapp - Pluck Them Out of My Hand John 10:28 As often as we look at the unsteadiness and faithlessness of our own heart, we can hardly believe, that, once we are taken by God’s grace, we shall never perish till all eternity; rather, that our salvation is certain and sure. We continually stumble and we have to pray daily for forgiveness of guilt. Our heart is, even when it has initially been renewed, still inclined by nature to all evil and in itself incapable of any good. Yes, many a one, as child of God, has fallen deeply, so that in his own perception no restoration seemed possible any more. Then to believe that we shall not be cast away,—behold, our own heart spells out the contrary for us, it cannot grasp it. Everything changes, however, when we look away from ourselves, and fix our glance upon the faithful God, who does not allow the work of His hand to fail, upon the faithful Redeemer, who does not allow him to slip away whom He once embraced with the hand of His almightiness. He says it so comfortingly in the words printed above: “Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”Christ speaks here of a twofold hand, first of His own hand of power, and afterwards of the hand of the power of His Father. In essence these two are one, of course. Nevertheless, in this distinction is contained a rich comfort for the burdened soul. It seems like the Lord wants to say unto us that we are not only borne by the hand of Christ, but that under the hand of Christ also the hand of the Father has been placed to keep us and to sustain us. A hand under a hand! Borne by a double almightiness. Kept by the grace of the Son and by the grace of the Father,—yes, now we understand the message that we shall not go lost in all eternity! Let us watch that we do not sin upon this truth, saying, “Once grace, always grace,” and that it does not matter what ways we walk in. In such a way we would give our souls in the hand of the Evil One with a text upon our lips. Christ never promised to keep His sheep in a way of carelessness and reckless trust, but rather in a way of obedience and holy conduct, like it precedes: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”Where this hearing and following is found, there, and there only, may we comfort ourselves with the keeping by Him, who is more than all, more also than our constrained heart; by Him, from whose hand nobody can pluck us in all eternity. In His Grip I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. — Philippians 3:12 Today's Scripture: Romans 8:31-39 When we cross a busy street with small children in tow, we put out our hand and say, “Hold on tight,” and our little ones grasp our hand as tightly as they can. But we would never depend on their grasp. It is our grip on their hand that holds them and keeps them secure. So Paul insists, “Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). Or more exactly, “Christ has a grip on me!” One thing is certain: It is not our grip on God that keeps us safe, but the power of Jesus’ grasp. No one can take us out of His grasp—not the devil, not even ourselves. Once we’re in His hands, He will not let go. We have this assurance: “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” (John 10:28-29). Doubly safe: Our Father on one side and our Lord and Savior on the other, clasping us in a viselike grip. These are the hands that shaped the mountains and oceans and flung the stars into space. Nothing in this life or the next “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). By: David H. Roper Father, I thank You for the nail-pierced hands that reached out in love and took me by my hand. You have led me by Your right hand throughout life. I trust You to hold me and keep me safe to the end. The One who saved us is the One who keeps us. No Snatching I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. —John 10:28 Today's Scripture: John 10:25-39 In the mid-1950s, General Motors displayed more at their auto shows than just cars. At one show in Miami, GM featured a display of a million one-dollar bills, as well as the Hope Diamond (the largest blue diamond in the world). One afternoon a thunderstorm came through the city, lightning flashed, and the lights went out. Immediately truckdrivers with their flashlights rushed to the special display and formed a circle around the armed guards who were already there. The diamond and the cash were now safely guarded with two levels of security. In John 10, Jesus described the security of His people: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (v.28). When we know Jesus as Savior, we’re secure in His hands; we cannot lose our salvation. But there’s another level of security. Jesus continued, “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” (v.29). The Hope Diamond and the large sum of cash were quite safe with their two levels of security. How much more are we eternally safe in the hands of Jesus and His Father, the Almighty God! By: Anne Cetas For Further Study - What is the basis for our security in Jesus? Get some answers by reading Safe And Secure. Christ’s work makes us safe; God’s Word makes us sure. The Great Earthquake I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. —John 10:28 Today's Scripture: John 10:22-30 On December 26, 2004, an earthquake shook the whole earth. Many people didn’t feel it, but the South Asian region and parts of Africa suffered a devastating tsunami as a result. According to reporter Randolph Schmid, however, “No point on Earth remained undisturbed.” That earthquake, he tells us, “shook the ground everywhere on Earth’s surface.” The 19th-century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard says that his world was rocked when his religious father told him he had cursed God for the mistreatment he was getting from others. His father’s actions shook Søren so much that he called the event “The Great Earthquake.” He wondered for the rest of his life if his family was cursed by God for his father’s actions. We too have had or possibly will have “earthquakes” in our lives. But it’s comforting to know that under the worst of circumstances, our faith in God can—and will—hold us fast. After all, “He’s got the whole world in His hands,” and that means “He’s got you and me, brother and sister, in His hands.” No one, nor any disaster, can snatch us out of our heavenly Father’s hands (John 10:28-29). His grip will hold us into all eternity. By: Vernon Grounds Neither life nor death can ever From the Lord His children sever, For His love and deep compassion Comforts them in tribulation. —Berg Our unknown future is secure in the hands of our all-knowing God. THE HANDS OF GOD - Ian MacPherson - Usable Outlines and Illustration - No man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. —John 10:28 There is a familiar story of how once Heinrich Neine, the German-Jewish poet, was observed standing before the famous statue of the Venus de Milo in the Louvre, Paris, said to be the finest sculptured representation of the female human form ever made. It represents the Greek goddess of love, the work of an unknown genius who has imparted to the cold dead marble almost the properties of living warm flesh. But the figure, though the torso is perfect, is armless. After contemplating it for some time and reflecting that it depicted a deity, the poet was heard to exclaim: “Yes, you’re beautiful, but you have no arms to reach down to me!” The love of God has arms and hands. Think of those hands particularly today. Think of the gifts they bear. The hands of God were never empty hands except when nailed to the cross, and then they were empty because they had nothing more to give. The hands of God are giving hands. They have grasp but no clutch. Think of the lift they give. Many years ago a Unitarian preacher was holding forth in the open air commending his creed to a crowd. Among those listening was a poor painted prostitute, who for a while listened to him. Presently, however, she moved off unimpressed, commenting: “Your rope’s not long enough for the likes of me!” But in Christ the hands of God reach down to lift the least, the lowest, the last, and the lost. Think of the grip they have. An old lady who late in life had accepted Christ as Savior was always praising God for her spiritual security. One day a friend said to her: “You seem pretty confident about this Savior of yours! I wouldn’t be so sure about it, if I were you. What if He lets you slip through His fingers?” “But,” protested the old lady with a quiet smile, “that can never happen. I am one of His fingers!” Let me no more my comfort draw From my frail hold of Thee; In this alone rejoice with awe, Thy mighty grasp of me. —Principal Shairp “Sire,” said one of Napoleon’s veterans to his emperor, “give me a grasp of your conquering hand, and I will dare the impossible!” ASSURANCE, A NEW BLESSING FROM GOD JOHN 10:28, 29 - Billy Apostolon - Preach the Word I. THE MEANING OF ASSURANCE. 1. It means the believer has security; John 10:28, 29. 2. It means the knowledge of eternal life; 1 John 5:12, 13. 3. It means there is knowledge of being God’s child; 1 John 3:1–3. II. THE NECESSITY OF ASSURANCE. 1. It is necessary to know the forgiveness of sins; 1 Peter 2:24. 2. It is necessary to please God; Heb. 11:5, 6. 3. It is necessary when facing life; Rom. 8:38, 39. III. THE MEANS OF ASSURANCE. 1. Assurance comes by the Holy Ghost; Eph. 4:30; 1 John 5:10. 2. Assurance comes by believing on the Son; John 3:36. 3. Assurance comes by the Word of God; John 5:24. IV. THE PERSONS WHO CAN HAVE ASSURANCE. 1. Those who are kings … David; Ps. 23:4–6. 2. Those who are suffering persecution … Job; Job 19:25–27. 3. Those who are believers in Christ … Paul; 2 Tim. 1:12. V. THE TRAGEDY OF NOT HAVING ASSURANCE. 1. Without assurance there is no peace; Col. 3:15. 2. Without assurance there is no blessedness; Ps. 32:1, 2. 3. Without assurance there can be no true witnessing; Acts 8:35. VI. THE TIME WHEN ASSURANCE COMES. 1. It comes when the gospel is understood; Col. 2:2; 1 Thess. 1:5. 2. It comes when there is faith; Heb. 10:22. 3. It comes when God’s Word is kept; 1 John 2:5. VII. THE JOY THAT COMES WITH ASSURANCE. 1. Assurance produces the knowledge of Christ’s presence; Matt. 28:20. 2. Assurance produces the fearlessness of death; John 11:26. 3. Assurance produces the certainty of the resurrection; Ps. 17:15. John 10:29 "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. BGT John 10:29 ὁ πατήρ μου ὃ δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζόν ἐστιν, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται ἁρπάζειν ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ πατρός. KJV John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. NET John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand. CSB John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. ESV John 10:29 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. NIV John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. NLT John 10:29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. NRS John 10:29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. NJB John 10:29 The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no one can steal anything from the Father's hand. NAB John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. YLT John 10:29 my Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of the hand of my Father; MIT John 10:29 My father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one can extricate them from the father's hand. Who: John 6:37 17:2,6,9,11 is greater: John 14:28 Ex 18:11 Ps 145:3 Da 4:3 Mal 1:14 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE FATHER'S GIFT TO HIS SON....YOU! My Father, Who has given them to Me - This is an amazing, humbling thought, that the Father gave each believer to His Son. My Father....is greater than all - "Is superior to all." Jesus speaks of His Father's infinite omnipotence and surpassing sovereignty. There is no one higher, no one stronger, no one greater! Period! Case closed! This truth about the Father serves to substantiate the following declaration regarding the eternal security of every saint. Father, I thank You for the nail-pierced hands that reached out in love and took me by my hand. You have led me by Your right hand throughout life. I trust You to hold me and keep me safe to the end. The One who saved us is the One who keeps us. John
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Spurgeon - A swallow having built its nest upon the tent of Charles V, the emperor generously commanded that the tent should not be taken down when the camp removed, but should remain until the young birds were ready to fly. Was there such gentleness in the heart of a soldier towards a poor bird which was not of his making, and shall the Lord deal hardly with his creatures when they venture to put their trust in Him! Be assured He hath a great love to those trembling souls that fly for shelter to His royal courts. He that buildeth his nest upon a Divine promise shall find it abide and remain until he shall fly away to the land where promises are lost in fulfilments. John 10:30 "I and the Father are one." GT John 10:30 ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν. KJV John 10:30 I and my Father are one. NET John 10:30 The Father and I are one." CSB John 10:30 The Father and I are one." ESV John 10:30 I and the Father are one." NIV John 10:30 I and the Father are one." NLT John 10:30 The Father and I are one." NRS John 10:30 The Father and I are one." NJB John 10:30 The Father and I are one. NAB John 10:30 The Father and I are one." YLT John 10:30 I and the Father are one.' MIT John 10:30 I and the father are one." John 1:1,2 5:17,23 8:58 14:9,23 16:15 17:10,21 Mt 11:27 28:19 1Ti 3:16 Titus 2:13 1Jn 5:7,20 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 14:9-11; 20 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. John 17:11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. John 17:21-23 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. JESUS DECLARES HE IS ONE IN ESSENCE WITH THE FATHER
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Spurgeon quips "If they cannot answer holy arguments with fair reasonings, they can give hard answers with stones. If you cannot destroy the reasoning, you may, perhaps, destroy the reasoner; and this naturally suggests itself to the heart which is rendered cruel by obstinate unbelief. He who hates truth soon hates its advocate. You must not consider yourself to have been unsuccessful in your proofs when your opponent waxes wroth at them: peradventure it is your success which has startled his conscience, and rendered it needful for him to become malicious to retain his obstinacy. Yet it is a very wretched business when a man knows that he is wrong, and therefore attacks the person who has convinced him.” (A Cheering Incident at Bethabra)
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Spurgeon - A cheering incident at Bethabara - sermon John 10:39–42 I suppose it was a lovely quiet spot by the banks of the Jordan, with only a little village or hamlet, named Bethany, close by. The word Bethany was altered by Origen into Bethabara, I suppose for distinction’s sake. It really was Bethany, and so our Lord had two Bethanies. It was there, in a rural retreat, that many believed on his name. O hills of Piedmont, when the Vaudois preached the Christ amidst your valleys, it may be said of you ‘many believed on him there’! O mosses and hill-sides of Scotland, in the Covenanting times, ‘many believed on him there’! Talk not so exceeding proudly, O cathedrals or great tabernacles, for many have believed on Jesus by the highway side, out on the village green or under the spreading oak. Out in the desert of southern France, where men fled for their lives to hear the gospel, many believed on Jesus. In what place cannot Jesus triumph? He needs no Solomon’s temple; in its porch he finds critics; but yonder by the willows of the Jordan he finds a people that believe on him. Go forth, heralds of the cross, and preach the gospel everywhere beneath the arch of heaven. At the corners of the street or on the hillside publish the proclamation of the Great King. Let the trees of the wood sing out and the inhabitants of the rock sing. In all ears proclaim the gospel, till by river, sea and plain it shall be said, ‘many believed on him there.’ Thus have we seen that it is pleasant to note the place where we first believed in Jesus. John 10:40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. BGT John 10:40 Καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πάλιν πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου εἰς τὸν τόπον ὅπου ἦν Ἰωάννης τὸ πρῶτον βαπτίζων καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ. KJV John 10:40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. NET John 10:40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. CSB John 10:40 So He departed again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and He remained there. ESV John 10:40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. NIV John 10:40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed NLT John 10:40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. NRS John 10:40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. NJB John 10:40 He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to the district where John had been baptising at first and he stayed there. NAB John 10:40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. YLT John 10:40 and went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John was at first baptizing, and remained there, MIT John 10:40 So he went away again to the east bank of the Jordan, to the place where John at first was baptizing, and he remained there. the place: John 1:28 Jn 3:26 there: John 7:1 Jn 11:54 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 1:28+ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 3:26+ And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” John 11:54+ Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. Region of Perea HE WENT AWAY And (kai) links the increasing hostility of the Jews in the previous section with His departure from Jerusalem to a less hostile region, which proved to be much more receptive to His message. He went away are such sad words because He would not return to Jerusalem again until Palm Sunday, to present Himself as Israel's King and then as the Passover Lamb, the One Who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29+, 1Cor 5:7+). And He went away again beyond (east of) the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing (baptizo - "beyond the Jordan" = Jn 1:28+, cf Mt 3:1-6+; Mk 1:2-6+; Lk 3:3-6+) - We are not sure exactly where this site east of the Jordan River was located, but it was probably about 18-20 miles east of Jerusalem in the region of Perea (see maps above). Recall that Jesus' public ministry had begun with His baptism by John, Peter explaining "you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, (see Mt 3:15-17+) and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:37-38+) MacArthur on the place where John was first baptizing - The statement is ironic, since the area where John first began became the last area in which Jesus stayed before He left for Jerusalem and crucifixion. The people remembered John's testimony to Christ and affirmed their faith in Him (Jn 10:41, 42). (Borrow The MacArthur Study Bible page 1605) And He was staying there - NLT - "stayed there awhile." Note in the timeline above (Jesus' Public Ministry), this passage brings to a conclusion Jesus' late Judean ministry. In fact His public ministry is drawing to a close as the opposition has steadily increased to the point the Jews are now determined to kill Him. They will get their opportunity a few months later at the Passover in Jerusalem! Merrill Tenney points out that "Perea was the domain of Herod Antipas, where the rulers in Jerusalem had no authority. Jesus would be safe from harassment there – at least temporarily.” (Expositor's Bible Commentary, first edition) Leon