Are you “Pressing On to Know the Lord”? - Hosea 6:3a
Last week we took a look at who Jesus is and we saw that the Father in heaven revealed through Peter that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. And, that this declaration, this fact is the very foundation upon which the church is built.
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be taking a look at why Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God came to earth. It wasn’t just to say, “Howdy!” and to check up on how we’re all doing down here!
The section of Scripture that we’re looking at today follows the great story of Jesus healing the man born blind. This event takes the entire chapter of John 9.
Late last summer we went through a four part sermon series on John chapter 9 so I hope I wasn’t the only person awake those Sundays! Anyway, go back and read it again! It’s one of my favorite stories from the Bible.
John 10:1-10
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and 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.”
“Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what He was telling them.”
“Therefore Jesus said again, ‘Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.’
“I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (superabundant in quantity/ superior in quality)
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”
The analogy of God as the Shepherd of Israel was a theme found throughout the books of the Old Testament.
Psalm 23:1-3 says,
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Sounds like the Lord is a GREAT Shepherd, doesn’t it? That sounds like a great life for a sheep.
So, when Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” He’s talking about His sheep and if we have come to the place where we have responded to the call of God, turned away from a life of sin and have placed our faith and trust in Him then we are one of His sheep!
Let’s try a different analogy here; one that we might be more familiar with.
Born Into Captivity - Let’s assume that you were born to parents who had been abducted by terrorists who hate you and everything about you. You were born into that captivity. You have been given only what it takes to keep you alive.
Constantly Cold - Many days and nights you have spent shivering with just enough clothing and shelter to keep you alive, but no more.
Unending Hunger - You live a life of constant hunger but don’t realize that it is unusual because you’ve never been full and don’t particularly crave food because all you’ve ever been given is waste from the garbage, all moldy and filthy and filled with maggots.
Unending Thirst - You are constantly thirsty because you only get enough water to keep you alive and most of that is putrid and foul.
Beatings Are Normal - You don’t know what love is because you’ve only ever received beatings. You don’t know why you are beaten every day but apparently this is what life is like for everyone.
You Are Filthy - You are completely filthy but don’t know it because you’ve never bathed, not even once in your life. You must drink whatever water you’re given because of your unquenchable thirst so even if you knew what washing was, which you don’t, you wouldn’t waste the water on it.
Unaware of Another World - You live in a room that is so small that you barely have enough room to lay down and part of that room is filled with your human waste as there are no toilet facilities. When the door opens you only see darkness and there are no windows.
You are alive, but, is this living?
Salvation!
One day Someone opens the door and it’s not the terrorist, it’s someone else. Someone Who speaks to you in a way that no one has ever spoken to you before. He tells you that you have been enslaved by a terrorist all of your life. You can hardly believe it and you tell Him that this is just how life is, there is no other way.
He invites you to come through the door. He tells you about a life that is so different from the one you know that you cannot even imagine it.
You must make a decision. Do you trust Him? Is it worth the risk?
You take His hand and He leads you out of that cell that has been your world all of your life.
In the daylight you can see that there is something different about His skin and yours. What is it? He takes His hand and rubs the back of your hand. The coating on your hand turns almost to mud and you see that your skin is just like His. And in the excitement you rip off your old tattered clothing and in a moment you are washed completely. It’s like you’re a new creation!
Then He gives you clean clothing. Warm, soft clothing. It’s like you’re being hugged all of the time because the clothing is so comfortable.
He leads you to a table that is covered with things you’ve never seen before. It’s food! It doesn’t look anything like the wretched slop you’ve been given all of your life and instead of just enough to keep you alive there is an abundance!
Then you notice a pitcher of liquid. It is crystal clear. You think it might be water but the only water you have ever seen or tasted before has been filthy, waste water, like the gray water in a septic system. Buy this is different, it shimmers with purity. You take a sip. It is water! It’s delicious!!! And it’s abundant!!! You can drink all of the water you want!
You look at the Man who has rescued you from such misery. The Man who has freed you and washed you and clothed you and fed you and satisfied your thirst and you realize that He is more than a Man and you want to spend the rest of your life finding out everything there is to know about Him and serving Him because He has rescued Him and you love Him with all of your heart and soul and mind and strength!
In a spiritual sense, we were all born in captivity to a terrorist, the evil one, the devil. The one who kept you in prison and tried to make you think that you were alive. That the life you were living was all there ever would be.
Romans 5:12 says,
“…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned …”
Romans 6:23a
“For the wages of sin is death …”
1 Peter 5:8 - the devil is a terrorist
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Like it or not, we were all born captives to the terrorist of the universe. Just like that person described earlier; you were spiritually shivering, starving, dying of thirst, filthy and beaten, we did not know any different. We thought that was life.
Then, somehow, perhaps a relative or friend or stranger told you about Someone who could rescue you from the life of death you were existing in.
They told you the most unbelievable story. That there is a life truly living! That the God of the universe loved the people of this world so much sent His One and Only Son and that whoever believes in Him, whoever places all their faith and their trust in Him, will not only have a brand new life of freedom but will have eternal life as well!
Then this person told you how they had once been enslaved to sin and could not escape from the evil one. But by believing in God’s One and Only Son, Jesus, you turned away from rebellion against God and He changed your life completely!
Here’s the great good news …
Yes, the wages of sin IS death …
BUT! The gift of God is eternal live through Jesus Christ our LORD!
We have been set free from the bondage to sin by Christ Himself, the penalty paid in full on the Cross of Calvary.
We can be washed clean from our sinful past by the blood of Jesus Christ.
We no longer need to starve but can feast at the table of the Bread of Life, our Great Savior.
We no longer need to die of thirst but can drink from the living water that refreshes for ever.
We no longer need to endure the beatings that sin cause in our lives but can be healed and supported by Christ and His living body on earth, the Church.
We can have freedom. Freedom! Glorious Freedom!
Glorious Freedom
Once I was bound by sin's galling fetters
Chained like a slave I struggled in vain
But I received a glorious freedom
When Jesus broke my fetters in twain
Freedom from fear with all of its torments
Freedom from care with all of its pain
Freedom in Christ my blessed Redeemer
He who has rent my fetters in twain
Glorious freedom wonderful freedom
No more in chains of sin I repine
Jesus the glorious emancipator
Now and forever He shall be mine
