Eternal Security
John 10:22-42
22. Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.
The Feast of Dedication / Hanukkah is the celebration of the cleansing and re-dedication of the temple under Judas Maccabeus in 164 BC. The king of Syria Antiochus Epiphanes (God manifested) The Jews called him Antiochus “Epimanes” (crazy)
23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
Jesus Israel’s true king! God manifest in the flesh!
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
John 6:35 I AM the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, & he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 8:12 I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
John 8:58 Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. (V. 24)
John 10:7 “Most assuredly, I say to you, I AM the door of the sheep. (10:9)
John 10:11 “I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (10:14)
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.
The blind received their sight!
The deaf received their hearing!
The lame were leaping!
The mute were singing!
Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer & the tongue of the dumb sing.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
27 My sheep hear My voice, & I know them, & they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, & they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Is Jesus your Shepherd?
Are you one of His sheep?
Do you hear His voice? ( not audible / Word of God )
Do you know Him?
Are you following Him?
Do you have eternal life?
Does Jesus have hold of your life?
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father’s hand.
Deity
Eternal Security!
As GENUINE followers of Jesus… Jesus taught that we are Eternally Secure!
Like a child walking, holding hands with his mom & dad is SECURE… we are infinitely MORE secure!
As Jesus’ followers we are ETERNALLY SECURE in the hand of the Son & the hand of the Father. Sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted… having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
No stranger
No thief
No robber
No hireling
No wolf
No nothing shall be able separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8)
IF your a GENUINE believer you THEN you are in Good Hands… Eternally Secure!
Jesus doesn’t want us to live in FEAR!
Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
30 “I and My Father are one.”
Deity
Jehovah Witnesses came to my door.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
Background- Hanukkah
32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.
This is who Jesus claimed to be.
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 the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
Deity
39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. 41 Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
42 And many believed in Him there.
As GENUINE believers…His followers…His sheep… Jesus taught that we are Eternally Secure!
Jesus doesn’t want His sheep to live in FEAR!
With that said we need to understand there is a very real TENSION in the New Testament…
There are STRONG WARNINGS we need to be aware of…
2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in THE LAST DAYS perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Hebrew 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
Ephesians 5:5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
If your someone who claims to be following Jesus… but your practicing sin you should FEAR!
Matthew 7:23 “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
“Feast of Lights” because of the lighting of lamps and candles in Jewish homes to commemorate this event.