John 10 Devotional

John 10 25-27 …"I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”

Application: Do you think you are a trustworthy person, why or why not? For most people trust is earned and in a world flooded with sin, it’s very difficult to trust anyone. Why? All are sinners and have fallen short of the Glory of God. Therefore, if everyone is a sinner, everyone has the potential to hurt you. I think it is hard to trust people, but every now and then I find someone who can be trusted. What standards do I set that allow me to consider a person trustworthy? Strength, Consistency, and Protection. You see, you can not tell if someone is trustworthy under perfect conditions. In actuality, you can only tell if someone is trustworthy under difficult circumstances. This truth is reflected in John 10: 22 – 27. The Scripture says in vs. 22 that during the Feast of Dedication, Jesus was in the Temple walking in Solomon’s Porch. Now, there is a lot of background with this, but I will only make 2 brief points. (1) The Feast of Dedication is an event commemorating when God miraculously kept a candle lit for eight days on one day’s supply of oil. You may know of this day, it’s called Hanukkah. (2) Solomon’s Porch, where Jesus was talking from, is the place of judgment where Solomon would judge the citizens of the “Kingdom of Israel” during his reign. Ok, with this background in mind let’s dive back into the text. Jesus is once again being challenged by the Jews regarding His identity. He, being the light of the world, responds once again in a way revealing the hearts of his inquisitors. Jesus responds to their questions about his identity by saying, “I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” You see it is the background that makes Jesus’ words clear. Why? Well, it was God who kept the candle burning eight days on one days worth of oil, and these very people who are celebrating what God did with that oil are refusing to accept what He was doing in Jesus. The irony is, at this point in the Gospel of John, Jesus has performed several miracles, which all of Israel knows about. However, these Jews would not accept His words even though they had seen His miraculous actions. As a result, they are being judged as not being His sheep because they won’t accept Him; this is why He was at Solomon’s Porch. Even though these Jews did not believe Him, there were others who did. Remember these were difficult times. Jesus still had to go to the cross. However, Jesus remained strong, and consistent, and His actions proved he had the ability to protect them, even from the death, which will happen in Chapter 11. His actions spoke even louder than His words. Like wise, throughout history, there have always been people who have trusted God. These people have taken the time to get to know Him. As a result, they heard His voice. These people eventually realized He is strong enough to get them out of any situation they face, even death. They have learned, from their relationship with Him that God is consistent, will cheer for them, support them and believe in them even when they have given up on themselves. Finally, these people have learned to depend on him for protection; regardless of the valley they walk through, they will not worry because only He can keep them from any real harm. They choose to follow him because they are familiar with His voice and they have learned to trust it. Do you know what is interesting? Sheep are considered to be the least intelligent animal on the planet. They will even eat themselves to death if left alone. But, the interesting point is, even sheep, who are the “dumbest” animal on the face of the earth knows the voice of their Shepherd, what excuse do we have? BAAAA!

Three action steps:

1. Take the time to memorize John 10: 25-27.

2. Do you trust God? Why or why not?

3. Are you taking the time to get to know him?