“I AM THE SON OF GOD”
John 10:22-42
Series: “I Am: Who Is Jesus?”
Pastor Rusty Russell
New Day Christian Church, Southwest FL
April 5-6, 2025
INTRODUCTION:
We’re finishing John 10 today. Next week we will jump to “Palm Sunday” and the Triumphal Entry, which happens three months after today’s events. But today we’re studying one last debate Jesus has with the Jewish religious leaders. Today’s passage will answer an important question: Can you lose your salvation?
I. SCRIPTURE:
A. FESTIVAL OF DEDICATION (HANUKKAH) (v. 22-23)
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.
Hanukkah was a celebration of the rededication of the temple in 164 B.C.
B. THE DEBATE IN SOLOMON’S COLONNADE (v. 24-39)
1) IS JESUS THE MESSIAH?
24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
2) IS JESUS GOD?
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Jesus is in tough spot. They’re baring down on him about to kill him! Brilliantly, to diffuse the situation and keep them from stoning him, he will quote an obscure Scripture, from Psalm 82, where God says, “Wicked rulers, I call you gods, but you’re men.” The rabbis debated the meaning of this passage; most taught that God was saying, “I am delegating my responsibility to you – you are temporarily gods. But you’re not doing your job; you’re acting like mere men.”
Jesus will say, in essence, “If God can refer to them as temporary gods, representatives of God, why not refer to the one who actually comes from him as his Son?” Listen to his response:
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ‘? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came–and Scripture cannot be set aside– 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 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 in the Father.”
39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
John closes this passage by giving a summary of the next three months of Jesus’ life:
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
II. APPLICATION:
A. IF YOU’RE HIS SHEEP NOBODY CAN SNATCH YOU AWAY
[Jhn 10:27-29 NIV] 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
[Rom 8:38-39 NIV] 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
B. IF YOU NO LONGER BELIEVE THEN YOU’RE NOT SAVED
[2Ti 2:11-13 NIV] 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
SIDE ROAD: CAN SOMEONE LOSE THEIR SALVATION?
The church debates this.
At New Day we do not take an official stance on this issue. We do not believe it is an essential doctrine. We are free to disagree.
We all agree that a person who doesn’t believe shouldn’t expect to be saved. The debate is simply over whether they were ever saved in the first place.
[Heb 6:4-6 NIV] 4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
[1Ti 1:19-20 NIV] 19 [hold] on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
C. HOW TO BE SURE YOU’RE ONE OF HIS SHEEP
If you are his sheep, you’re saved and shouldn’t doubt his promise. Jesus says if you’re one of his sheep, no one can snatch you. From our text here are 3 simple questions to help you determine whether you’re his sheep or not. If you genuinely say yes to all three of these questions, you’re his and you’re saved.
1) DO YOU BELIEVE IN HIM?
(DO YOU BELIEVE HIS CLAIM TO BE THE SON OF GOD?)
Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders they’re not his sheep b/c they don’t believe. He tells them plainly who he is:
– “I and the Father are one.” (v. 30)
– “I am God’s Son.” (v. 36)
– “The Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (v. 38)
Do you believe he’s the Son of God? Remember the trilemma: Liar, lunatic or Lord. You must decide.
2) DO YOU FOLLOW HIM?
(DO YOU FOLLOW JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SHEPHERD?)
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Note what Jesus says in passing about the Bible: “…and Scripture cannot be set aside / broken…”
Remember his challenge to the would-be disciples a couple chapters earlier:
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Is he your personal Shepherd, Lord of your life?
WARNING: BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS EVENTUALLY ALIGN
[Heb 10:26-27 NIV] 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Your mind cannot stand to be in conflict. You cannot continue behaving contrary to your beliefs. Eventually, will either repent of your sins or you’ll change your belief about God.
3) DO YOU TRUST HIM?
(DO YOU TRUST HIS PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE?)
[Jhn 10:28 NIV] 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Do you believe that he has promised that to you? Then trust the promise. Don’t insult him by saying you’re not sure!
CONCLUSION:
Are you his sheep? Can you honestly say the Good Confession today? “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, my Lord and Savior.” If you can believe that, then step into his lordship by following his first command to be baptized. And be at peace today; trust that you are saved and no one can snatch you out of his hand!
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