The Feast of Dedication usually takes place about
two months after the Feast of Tabernacle. John 10:22 tells us that this was the
time of the Feast of Dedication. And the discussion between Jesus and some of
the Jews took place in Solomon’s colonnade. It was winter season, so the colonnade
was an appropriate place where they could be shielded from the cold weather.
Jesus’ message on the Good Shepherd helps to
bridge what He had said at the Feast of Tabernacle recorded in John 7:14-9:41, with
what He would do at the Feast of Dedication seen in John 10:22-39. We cannot
tell the precise point that He shared the message on the Good Shepherd, but we
can see that His mind was filled with thoughts on the theme of the sheep at
this Feast of Dedication. Verse 24 indicates that some of the Jews wanted Him to
clearly reveal His identity. They wanted Him to state if He was the Messiah or
not. They felt that He was keeping them in suspense by not stating clearly one
way or the other. Their intention wasn’t obvious, but it was highly likely that
they wanted to trap Him to find an excuse to nail Him. Jesus of course had stated
clearly to some who inquired of Him privately, but He did not announce it
openly yet because it was not the moment. Doing it before the time would
unnecessarily arouse the authority to aggression and might cut short the plan
of God.
In response, Jesus pointed them to the evidence
shown by the miracles He had done. They should have been able to identify Him from
those miracles, for they were all done in the name of His Father. The logic is
clear; if God is His Father then obviously He must be the Son. Those who
questioned Him were dissatisfied with His answer. That’s because they were not
His sheep, hence they wouldn’t be able to perceive what He had said. Though
they could hear physically, they couldn’t make sense of His words. However, Jesus
insists that His own sheep would be able to recognize His voice and understand
what He has said. They would gladly and committedly follow Him. Such followers
have no doubt whatsoever Who Jesus really is. Those who opposed Him were different.
Because they were not His sheep and they would remain so by choice. They had
willed not to follow Him.
One wonderful thought in this text is
that He would give to His sheep eternal life and no one would be able to snatch
them out of His hand. There are people who believe that once you have become
Christ’s you will never be lost again. This verse simply tells us that no one
can snatch you out of God’s hand but it didn’t say that one cannot walk away
from Him. The aim of this verse is to contrast between the power of God and the
power of Satan or any other opposing powers. No one has the capacity to steal a
sheep from God’s fold, once he or she remains completely and resolutely in their
trust in Christ. Jesus will care for the one who absolutely surrenders to Him. The
preserving work in a committed soul would be the Father and Son’s joint responsibility.
Here we see Christ making one of the strongest statement concerning His deity. He
declared, “I and the Father are one.”
It is so good to know
Christ and be able to recognize His voice because we are His sheep. He will guide
us and bring us to the place where we should be. We will no longer be like
immature babes tossed to and fro by every wind and doctrine, and the deceitful
scheme of the evil one. We are Christ’s own. And we will keep growing in depth
in our spiritual life as we seek to hear and apply the Word of our Great
Shepherd.
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