Message by Larry Thacker Jr. from June 25, “My Sheep Hear My Voice”
We will be in John, Chapter 10, starting with verse 22. Jesus is back at the temple, this time during the Feast of Dedication, what we know as Hanukkah. The Jews have gathered around Him and are pressing Him to tell them plainly if He is the messiah. Jesus gives them their answer, but not the way they wanted. He says in verse 25, ““I told you, and you do not believe;”. Indeed He has told them, and I think they know it. I think this is another attempt to draw Him into a trap.
Now he tells them again using the shepherd metaphor that we saw in the first part of the chapter. He also provides the reason why they do not believe, “you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. (v. 26) Many of us will be familiar with the next two verses, particularly v. 28. We take comfort in it. However, it doesn’t stand alone, and it is v. 27 that used to scare me. That fear came from a misunderstanding of its context, though as followers of Jesus we should all be hearing His voice. But what does it mean to hear His voice, and how do we do that?
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28 Legacy Standard Bible
Are you listening?
