Communion Sunday – John 10

Monica and I have been here now almost 2 weeks-13 days to be precise. And I’m happy to say that we’ve sorted through lots of boxes, we’re getting lots of things set up and put in their right place, bedrooms are getting arranged and in the process, we’ve eaten NY pizza 4 times! But you may not realize that 6 of us moved into the house. Obviously, you know Monica and I, then there’s Jacob, Macie, and William-but the 6th member of our family is our cat, Callie.

She made the long drive across the country when we moved here there was no way that Callie was going to be left behind. But Monica and I never used to be cat people, in fact, we never used to be pet people-but 4 years ago we moved to a new house in our town and we hadn’t been there for more than a month when Callie showed up. And it was almost as if she was letting us know that she owned the place; that our new house was her house and we were just renting from her. If you have a cat, I’m sure you’ve wondered whether you own the place or your cat does! But funny story-the first night Callie showed up at our house was in Sept when we were hosting the opening night of Small Group for the year. All the kids were outside playing while as adults we were inside having small group Bible study-and this cat showed up and the kids played with her and she’s never left. So I like to think of Callie as our theological cat-that she showed up for Small Group ready to dive into God’s Word! But the reason I bring her up-besides introducing you to our cat-is to say that of anybody in our house she listens to Jacob the most. She cuddles with him, hung out with him in the van as we drove here, she sleeps on his bed every night and when he calls to her she comes. Callie’s an inside/outside cat-and we were worried about this coming to NY. We had fears of letting Callie out into the backyard and then never seeing her again. That she would be one of those cats that you hear about in the news who turns back up at our old house in IA 3 months later. But she’s adapted to the backyard well, and if we’re never sure where she is all Jacob has to do is call for her and before you know it she comes out of the bushes or out from under the deck and starts running up to him. She knows Jacob’s voice.

And that’s exactly how the Bible describes the nature of our relationship with Jesus-as His followers we know His voice-except Jesus doesn’t describe us as cats, but as sheep. So open your Bibles to John 10. Here this morning we’re celebrating communion together. And I’m looking forward to it and think it’s great timing on my first official Sunday here following the installation service. But to lead us up to communion I want us to see what Jesus says about Himself in John 10. Take a look at how the chapter begins-and this is Jesus Himself speaking-v. 1. Back in Jesus’ day in the early 1st century sheep were kept in a pen which had a gate through which the sheep entered and exited. And so if you’re not using the gate-meaning the door-but trying to sneak in or climb in some other way like robbers do then you’re probably not supposed to be there-because look at who does use the door-v. 2-4a. Why? What’s their reason for following Him-v. 4b. And notice the difference-v. 5. So right away I want you to jot this down Following Jesus means: Knowing His voice. That’s where it begins. Do you know Jesus’ voice? Do you recognize it? This passage is saying that there are other voices in this world. That just as the sheep could be led away by a stranger’s voice, so can we. Just turn on the news or listen to the radio or start watching Youtubers (I can’t believe that’s a career!)-but there are thousands of voices out there. So much noise, so many words, tons of opinions and millions of ideas. So we’ve got to know the right voice to follow which is Jesus. But how do we know His voice? How are we sure? Don’t miss the simplicity of this passage. It’s not hard, we don’t have to go anywhere or get special headphones-back to v. 3. That’s what Jesus does with each of us. He calls us by name. He says I know you, I’ve come for you, you are mine-so follow Me. Isn’t that what happened to the disciples-Mark 1:16-20. I still think Zebedee is really confused here-Guys, what happened? Why am I sitting in this boat all by myself? Are you coming back? But despite a lonely dad, the idea is that James and John heard Jesus’ voice and they followed Him. And I just want to ask this morning if you’ve heard Jesus’ voice? Because His methods haven’t changed-He still calls out to each of us. He calls us by name as He speaks to our hearts and says Follow Me. Now obviously we don’t audibly hear Jesus’ voice like they did-and we might be inclined to wish we did. That if only I could hear Him speak then I’d know what to do. But through God’s Word, we hear His voice as we read it, through the voice of other people speaking to us and sharing their testimony we hear His voice. Maybe you had a friend or a co-worker who talked to you about Jesus, maybe it was a message you heard at church or even from a book you read where you just knew that Jesus was speaking to you. Sure it was their words or their voice, but you knew it was Him. Jesus speaks right to our hearts when He calls us to follow Him. I can still remember that in my life as a sophomore in high school doing this thing called a quiet time and reading Romans thinking Wow-Lord you are speaking right to me! It was undeniable-so the big question each of us has to ask ourselves is whether we’re like the sheep of v. 3-4. To ask yourself-Have I heard His voice? Do I know His voice? And if you don’t know it, if you haven’t heard it-or maybe it’s been a really long time since you’ve heard His voice-to say Lord, I’m ready to hear from you speak to me. And that’s a prayer request He answers every time.

Look at what Jesus goes on to say to us in this passage-v. 7-8. So we’re back to Pt1. We have to listen to Him and not anybody else-because look at what He’s telling us-v. 9-10. Isn’t that a huge contrast-being destroyed vs having abundant life! I realize none of us are actually sheep-but try to put yourself in a sheep mode, to think like a sheep. What is it you want most? Pastures to go eat food. I haven’t talked to any sheep, but I’m assuming that if you’re a sheep there’s nothing you want more than a giant field of grass and clover to just eat away to your heart’s content. As people maybe you love a giant bag of Doritos or a package of Oreos-for sheep it’s grass. So staying in the sheep pen is miserable and confining-but going out to a good pasture is like a 5-star restaurant-and that’s what Jesus says He’s providing. The door of the sheep pen leads outward to green pastures. Jesus doesn’t want His sheep staying put in the pen that’s not where life is found. That’s the place where you’re cooped up and stuck and the thieves and robbers want to break in and destroy the sheep-but Jesus is promising an abundant, peaceful, blessed life in the pastures He provides. And of course, we realize that He’s not actually talking about sheep. This isn’t a passage where some sheep farmer is getting good advice for how to take care of his flock. Here in this passage, Jesus is talking about people like you and me. And He’s saying that just as a good shepherd will provide abundant pastures for his sheep to roam, so Jesus will provide abundant, eternal life for us. Just picture the greenest, most thickly grass-covered pasture imaginable-a sheep’s greatest dream. That’s what Jesus provides eternally for you and me. Neverending life in His presence. Whereas for a sheep grass as far as the eye can see would be amazing-so for us time as far as the eye can see is what Jesus provides. Life on this earth is too short, too quick, too fleeting-it’s always going away and there’s never enough of it, The days and the hours fly by and life is over before you know it-but not eternity. When Jesus is saying in v. 10 that He’s come to provide life so that we may have it abundantly He wasn’t kidding. Jump to the end of the chapter-v. 27-28. Eternal life and never die that’s what our good shepherd Jesus provides. Life that just keeps coming, life where there’s always more and never less. There’s not a better prize or goal in all the world than that. This is what every single one of us is after-and it’s precisely what Jesus has come to give us. But it doesn’t come cheap. There’s a great cost for eternal life-and I want you to see what it is and who pays for it.

Look at v. 11a-and what makes Him so good? v. 11b. That’s an incredible statement. Not that you know a lot of shepherds-but what shepherd would die for his sheep? What farmer would die for his cows or his chickens? None-because the shepherd or the farmer is a human who’s much more valuable than a few sheep or cows, right? Jesus is the Son of God, the 2nd Person of the Trinity, the greatest being who’s ever stepped foot on this planet-and He says He’s willing to die and lay down His life for some lowly humans like you and me. That’s incredible-especially when we remember the sobering truth that we weren’t good humans; that we weren’t people who’d done it all right and lived nobly and honored God. That instead we were sinful humans who’d rebelled against God, done our own thing and tried to live without Him. Think about it, what’s the first thing that the first humans on planet earth ever did? They heard God’s command to not eat of the tree and immediately said-You bet, Lord, will do. No! They said-Forget that, we will eat from the tree. Who cares what you say, God, we’re going our own way, that fruit looks tasty. Right out of the gate mankind rebelled against God-and it’s continued today with each of us. Look at Isa 53:6. I don’t know about you but I know my heart and my life and I’ve said No way to your commands God, I’ll go my own way and live how I want and do what makes me happy. I’m sure you have too-and that’s the definition of sin. This is communicated so clearly in 1 John 4:10 NIV. And that’s exactly what Jesus is saying here in John 10-laying down His life is the atoning sacrifice that pays for our sins. Look at v. 11-13. The hired staff aren’t giving their life for the sheep-no way. They’re not dying on behalf of them. When trouble comes they’re out of there, let the wolves have them-they don’t care about the sheep-but not the good shepherd. He’s different-v. 14-15. And that’s the second point to jot down Following Jesus means: Accepting the truth of His death on our behalf. That’s what He’s commanding us to do. As lost sinful sheep, the rescue plan wasn’t Him just going to get us or shouting out to us, saying-leave all that sinful stuff you’ve gotten yourself entangled in and come back here. If that’s all it took, that’s what Jesus would have done. But He didn’t because we weren’t just stuck in our sins, God’s Word says we were dead in our sins. As Romans tells us-The wages of sin is death. Our sin was so bad someone had to die for us and the glorious good news of the gospel says that someone who died was Jesus. It should have been us, it ought to have been us-but He died on our behalf to pay for our sins so that we might be forgiven and have eternal life in Him. That’s the truth you have to accept; the truth you have to trust in. Not to say-I’m doing pretty good, I think I’ll make it to heaven. But to say, I’m not doing very good but I know the One who is good and He’s loved me enough to die for me. I like what author Jared Wilson says-Imperfect Disciple, 30-32. And that’s exactly what we need to understand this morning as we hear what Jesus is telling us-You can’t save yourself, but I have come to lay down my life for you. Look at v. 17-18. Jesus repeats that phrase lay down His life 5 times in this span of 8 verses. He doesn’t want us to miss it. But here’s what I love most about this passage-Jesus is telling us to accept the fact that He needs to lay down His life for us because He’s already accepted the fact that He’s willing to do so. Did you catch that? Look back at v. 18-He lays down His life of His own accord. Jesus wasn’t a victim or someone helplessly captured and arrested but He freely offered Himself on the cross. And He’s saying this before He’s ever gone to the cross-because He knows He’s going to. Laying down His life is what He’s committed to because it’s His mission. If I was in Jesus’ shoes I’d still be thinking it through weighing the pros and cons saying I might lay down my life for the sheep. But there’s no might with Jesus. This is a statement of fact and it was completely voluntary-no one takes it from me. Jesus wasn’t forced or coerced or talked into something. At any moment Jesus could have stopped His crucifixion, He could have freed Himself from the nails and removed the crown of thorns. He could have kept Himself from suffering and dying-and who could blame Him? We didn’t deserve His death in any way-yet He knew that His death was the only way to save us. The Father had given Him a cup to drink-and that cup was laying down His life for you and me. Jesus accepted that reality. He was willing to do it, more than willing because v. 14-15. And that’s what brings us to communion this morning.