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The sixth hallmark of present salvation is missionary zeal, a desire to give to others what we have received so that more are added to the flock. All is not calm, however: there is chaos in the sheepfold, with predation by false shepherds. Yet the good shepherd will guard his own.
27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 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. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.
This transcript has been automatically generated
We continue in John. Hallmark of Christian experience number 6. And that is eagerness to tell, readiness for sacrifice. And the passage, chapter 4:27-38. And I’ll read that passage now.
Just then His disciples returned, and were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. But no one asked, What do You want? Or, Why are You talking with her? Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?
They came out of the town and made their way toward Him. Meanwhile His disciples urged Him, Rabbi, eat something. But He said to them, I have food to eat that you know nothing about. Then His disciples said to each other, Could someone have brought Him food? My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
Do you not say, 4 months more and then the harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields; they are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying, one sows and another reaps, is true. I sent you to reap what you’ve not worked for.
Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefit of their labour.
Now, with the assurance of victory after death as hallmark 7, which we have touched on already, There’s only one mark of present salvation missing, and rightly that one must fill the gap between number 5 and number 7. And what is it? It’s missionary zeal, a fruit of the Spirit. It’s Andrew bringing his brother to Jesus. It’s that strong desire to give to others what we ourselves have received.
It’s the compulsion of the Great Commission. It’s a determination to spread the gospel. It’s to play our part in sowing and reaping. Did not the risen Christ say to his apostolic company, as the Father sent me, so I send you?
I recall a Christian Union meeting when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge. An impassioned speaker was pressing the call to overseas work on everyone who was present. The heat was on us. Should we drop everything and leave immediately for the foreign fields? The chairman of the meeting sensed an emotional tide rising, and I look back on his concluding comments with a certain admiration.
He simply said, the call is indeed to go, but it doesn’t say how far. That turned out, in my case, to be rather helpful. For a student living very close to me received from their missionary visit not many days hence with wonderful results.
My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. Do you say 4 months are to wait before harvest time? I tell you, look, open your eyes, the fields are ripe for harvest now.
On now to the corresponding chapter 10. It is a glorious part of Holy Scripture, the Good Shepherd and His flock, and the Good Shepherd and His sacrifice. The Good Shepherd seeking, saving, speaking. How happy are His sheep, how content His flock, how peaceful the scene. But to talk like that is irresponsible sentimentality.
It’s gross complacency when you read what happens in chapter 10. Don’t we know by now that chapters 5 to 11 of John are of set purpose? Spoil all our idylls and wreck our fantasies. There’s trouble afoot within and without. Thieves and robbers and cowardly hard hands mean chaos in the sheepfold.
Outside are snatchers and kidnappers. Flocks scatter. Division and dissension is everywhere. True, the Good Shepherd will guard His own. Thank God for that.
We need that assurance. But as for one flock and one Shepherd, why, we’ll have to wait for that patiently. One Church, one faith, one Lord? That lies in the far distant future. No point in deceiving ourselves.
Evidently, John felt a responsibility to tell it as it is, both theoretically and practically, and he was given authority to do just that.
