27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never die. No one can snatch them away from me. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than everything, and no one can snatch them away from the Father’s care. 30 The Father and I are one.”
These few verses form part of a longer passage in which John reports a lively debate between Jesus and the people about his relationship to God the Father. It ended with the people wanting to stone Jesus. When Jesus challenged their murderous intentions they answered, ‘‘We do not want to stone you because of any good deeds, but because of your blasphemy! You are only a man, but you are trying to make yourself God!’’(John 10:33).
Jesus sees deeper into their hearts than they realised. He knew they would not accept him “for they are not my sheep” (verse 26). And they were not his sheep because the Father had not given them to him as his believers. Jesus hints at the mysterious gift and wonderful grace of faith. No one can believe in Jesus unless he is given the grace by the Father.
In John 6 Jesus conveys this idea in another way. Jesus told his puzzled listeners that he was the bread of God and they needed to feed on him if they wanted to live (John 6:25-59). Once again the gracious gift of God is needed for faith to believe. And the Father is the sole giver of grace.
If God the Father gifts an individual with grace, that person belongs to Jesus and becomes one of Jesus’s “sheep”. They are given the ability to grow in understanding of all that Jesus teaches and to receive eternal life. But for growth to occur we need to be in constant touch with Jesus.
The people who wanted to stone Jesus had not yet received the Father’s gift of faith. If their hearts and minds were open, they would have seen that this was an opportunity to seek the Father’s help and grace to believe. But the “goats” declined (Matthew 25:32) and refused to accept Jesus as God’s Son.
In this age of uncertainties we can have no stronger promise than the one Jesus gives to those who follow him: no one and nothing can separate us from God. This is explained further in Romans 8:38-39. It is the truth – nothing can separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. This promise is not only for this life but extends beyond our death into eternity.
MEDITATIO
In these few verses Jesus mentions several benefits of being one of his sheep. Think about what each one means to you.
As Christians, we believe that God knows everything, but sometimes we act and pray as though he doesn’t. In verse 27 Jesus reminds us that he knows each of his sheep individually. Do you find this reassuring or uncomfortable? Consider your response to this.
“My sheep listen to my voice … and they follow me.” How good are you at listening to Jesus’s voice and doing what he says? Ask Jesus what would be best for you to do to help you be more obedient.
If faith in Jesus is a gift from the Father, how should this influence our attitude to people who don’t believe in Jesus?
ORATIO
Bring what God reveals to you from this passage and your time of meditation to him in prayer. Don’t rush this – take your time. Read Psalm 100 and use this to give thanks to God for giving you the gift of faith in Jesus.
CONTEMPLATIO
Have you considered that as a believer you are the gift of the Father to his Son, Jesus? Think about your relationship with Jesus your shepherd.
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