Speaker 1: 0:00

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus. Royce is right, and many of you have mentioned it it's been several weeks since I've personally had the joy and privilege of being here with the church family. And no, it's not because I've been on a three-week bender because the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Actually, I was in Philly for a little bit, actually had a great opportunity to take my son Silas during winter break to go explore job opportunities and apprenticeship school for industrial electrical work and it was a great trip. It was nice to be in Philly after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, to be quite honest, but before that I was dealing with pneumonia for like two and a half weeks. It was horrible. I thought I was better. I pushed, it got worse and so I was kind of I was down for the count for a while, but grateful to be full of health and energy and vitality and have the opportunity to preach God's Word to you this morning. So would you take your Bible and go to John, chapter 10. John, chapter 10, verses 22 through 42, is our text for the morning. Let us hear God's word.

Speaker 1: 1:08

At that time, the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was walking in the temple in the colony of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him how long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them. I told you, and you do not believe the works that I do in my Father's name. Bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. The Jews picked up stones again to stone him, and Jesus answered them I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of them are you going to stone me? And the Jews answered him it is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. And Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law? I said you are gods. If he called them gods to whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God. If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 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 am in the Father. Again, they sought to arrest him but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first and there he remained and many came to him and they said John is God's word. May he add his blessing to his reading and preaching by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Speaker 1: 3:40

If you watch live television, I'm sure you've seen a few insurance provider commercials Commercials like you know, with Flo from what? From Progressive, or Limu Imu and Doug, thank you from Liberty Insurance. Finish this slogan like a good neighbor. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

Speaker 1: 4:06

One of my favorite insurance commercial campaigns is the mayhem from Allstate. In those commercials mayhem is personified as a character who represents chaos, accidents and unexpected situations, and so, like a car crash or a roof collapsing or they're hitting a deer in the road. So when mayhem shows up, you better be covered right. When mayhem shows up, you better be in good hands of protection. Each advertisement ends with a voiceover that says mayhem is everywhere. Are you in good hands? That's the slogan of Allstate Insurance. You're in good hands. One of my favorite Allstate commercials just to kind of throw one out to remind you is one where the mayhem character is standing alongside the back door of an SUV while the driver is trying to see outside the back and the voice of Mayhem basically says I'm a blind spot. I have one job hide big things. And then, as she's trying to look in the back, a pickup truck is coming over in a blind spot and Mayhem says you're good. And then she crashes over into the car and spins out and then pan out Mayhem is everywhere. Are you in good hands? These are great commercials, a great marketing campaign. Even when unexpected and chaotic situations arise, you can be confident that if Allstate is your insurance provider, you will be covered, you will be protected, because their hands of service are reliable, trustworthy and will work for you when you need it. With Allstate you're in good hands. Now, that's not just a slogan that started with. Allstate You're in good hands is an idiom that's been around for decades. It's an idiom that means that when you're facing a difficult situation and there's some uncertainty involved, then it's good to know that someone who is capable, someone who is competent, is taking care of the situation.

Speaker 1: 6:20

For example, something that happened in the last couple months for us you guys, some of you who know us, you know that we have some really, really big dogs, big giant schnauzers. And my dog, vader, who's a 105-pound giant schnauzer, was having some issues with his toe. He lost his toe now and I'm like man, this thing won't heal up. We took him to the vet. We found out that he had a tumor in his foot and had to have his non-weight-bearing toe amputated, and so he took him to the vet. He goes back for surgery. The veterinarian technicians are taking him back, but what do they say to a dog owner like me as they're taking Vader back for his surgery? They look at me and says don't worry, vader's in good hands. In other words, our vet is really good at doing this. This is kind of scary. This is kind of unprecedented for you with one of your dogs, but be sure of this, your dog is in good hands. The doctor knows what he's doing.

Speaker 1: 7:20

In our text today, john, remember the evangelist. John the evangelist wants his readers to know that those who believe in Jesus Christ, those who put their faith and trust in the Son of God, those who are placing their body, soul and spirit, their now and forever, in his hands, are placing them in the best hands ever. Those who are under the care and protection of the good shepherd can trust that when mayhem strikes, when chaos comes, when trials and temptations arise, there's no better place to be than in the loving, caring hands of Jesus. He's the good shepherd who holds on to his sheep and no one can snatch them out of his hands. Catch them out of his hands. There's no one more competent, no one more capable and no one committed, more committed to our well-being than Jesus, amen. And so if Jesus is your Savior, shepherd, I got good news for you this morning You're in good hands.

Speaker 1: 8:43

Yes, sin, temptations, trials, brokenness are everywhere, but with Jesus, church, we are in good hands. So when Jesus says in verse 28, no one will snatch us out of his hand, and again in verse 29,. This is going to be an amazing theological point a little later. No one's able to snatch us out of the Father's hand, jesus' hand, the Father's hand whose hand? This is awesome, we'll see later.

Speaker 1: 9:12

But here should be our response we should be relieved. We should be relieved knowing this that God's people, his church, you and I, could not be more safe and secure than in the hands of Jesus, who is one with the Father. That's the big idea I want us to explore this morning. God's people could not be more safe and secure than in the hands of Jesus, who is one with the Father. So I want to give you three reasons from the text this morning why this is the Father. So I want to give you three reasons from the text this morning why this is the case, three reasons why you are safe and secure in the hands of Jesus. And I would even say this three reasons if you're not a Christian this morning. Man, first of all, thank you so much for gathering with the church for worship this morning. I hope you've sensed the beauty and the significance of Jesus Christ in our worship and our liturgy this morning. But if you're not a Christian this morning, here's what I'm hoping will happen, that you will see, that your eyes will be open to see that Jesus Christ is worthy of your trust and that there's no better place to be than safely in the palm of his loving and infinitely strong hand. Three reasons why we are safe and secure in the hands of Jesus.

Speaker 1: 10:32

Here are the points ahead of time. The hands of Jesus are proven hands verses 22 to 26. The hands of Jesus are generous hands verses 27 to 28. And then the hands of Jesus are God's hands verses 29 to 39. First, the hands of Jesus are proven hands. Before I get into why his hands are proven, tested, reliable hands, we need to follow John's setting up of the context here. Look at verse 22. At that time, the feast of of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. This might be a new festival to you. What is the Feast of Dedication? Well, it was winter and Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon.

Speaker 1: 11:16

The context of this teaching is different and later than the previous section, even though it's covering similar themes about Jesus being the good shepherd. And I believe John follows the previous pericope with this moment because he wants to further push home the point that Jesus really is a good shepherd. Remember, john is an evangelist. He wants everyone in the world to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, that you should believe in him and when you believe in him, you have life in his name. He wants you to believe, and there's something about this aspect of the glory of Jesus being the good shepherd that John's not done with yet, even though, as Royce, pastor Royce preached last week on Jesus being the good shepherd who guards his sheep, who gathers his sheep, who gives his life for his sheep. Even though that should be enough, john wants to go a little further and tease out a little more. Let me tell you how good this good shepherd really is, and so he's recalling another time that Jesus talks about himself as the good shepherd and what it's like to be in the hands of his eternal care. And so that's what John is doing, and this is happening here. It's happening here at the Feast of Dedication.

Speaker 1: 12:37

Now, this is not one of the festivals prescribed under the old covenant law. This is not like Passover, or booths or tabernacles, which was from the last section, or even Pentecost. The Feast of Dedication was a newer festival that became an annual celebration. We know it today as Hanukkah. Hanukkah was a celebration held in winter to celebrate God's deliverance during a period of time called the Maccabean Revolt.

Speaker 1: 13:07

Now, I could totally nerd out and do like history stuff here for a long time, but that's not Brody's like. Yeah, go ahead, do that, nerd out, let's get into the apocrypha this morning, right? Yeah, no, but this is a significant moment just about 30-some years before the birth of Jesus. So you are very aware that during the intertestamental period between Malachi and Matthew there's about a period of 400 years.

Speaker 1: 13:51

There's about a period of 400 years and at 167 BC there rose up a very evil, an evil leader named Antiochus Epiphanes IV, and he came into Jerusalem and he oppressed the Jews. He outlawed Jewish worship, he took away religious freedom, he desecrated the temple and erected an altar where unclean animals were sacrificed, just to push it in the face of Jews offering pigs and hogs and other animals that were unclean for the Jewish people. Well, this ignited the Maccabean revolt, led by a group of warriors called the Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabees, whose nickname was the Hammer. That's a great nickname. If you earn the nickname the Hammer, you better tell everybody that's your name. What's your name? I'm the Hammer. Okay, if you earned that, you gotta kind of run with it.

Speaker 1: 14:46

So they defeated Antiochus, epiphanes, and they rededicated the temple and a miracle was celebrated. It happened during that time where the menorah in the temple burned non-stop for eight days with little, little tiny bit of oil in the lamp and that's why Hanukkah is referred to as a festival of lights how God miraculously kept the light burning while God's people overcame this evil ruler. That's why Hanukkah is referred to as a festival of lights. They believe God kept things going and handed them the victory. So you can read all about this event, not in the scriptures, but in a section of books that's often referred to as the Apocrypha and 1 and 2 Maccabees. It talks about this whole Maccabean revolt and the significance of it. It's pretty phenomenal.

Speaker 1: 15:40

But this is the context that John is using to set this up in chapter 10, verses 22 to 42. But I think the main point here is not to go looking for all the connections between the feast of dedication and what Jesus teaches here, but here's basically what's happening finds himself in a religious context that affords the opportunity to answer questions that really drive toward the reality of who he really is and what he came to do? I mean, this was a moment. The Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, was a moment where they were celebrating the hammer, who came in and took out Antiochus, epiphanes. And so here are God's people. They're waiting for the Messiah. When is someone like the hammer going to come and take out Rome?

Speaker 1: 16:31

So this kind of is the historical, a fresh historical context, a fresher historical context than even Pharaoh in Egypt or in Babylon. This is very, very fresh to them. We were overcome, we were oppressed, and then a leader, a messianic figure, stepped up. But we know we're still waiting for the real Messiah. Could it be this Jesus? And so questions are being asked and Jesus, never missing an opportunity to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, entertains their questions, but, as Jesus often does, he doesn't answer the questions they ask, but answers the questions they should have asked.

Speaker 1: 17:14

So all of this is the context in which Jesus is giving more teaching on what it means for him to be the good shepherd and why his sheep are safe and secure in his hand. And so you should believe in him, you should put your trust in him. Well, what makes his hands so worthy of your trust? Well, the first thing that is revealed here is that the hands of Jesus are proven hands. I mean they are reliable, experienced and tested hands. Jesus is not a novice at taking care of his people. That's the point. When you put your trust in Jesus to save and sustain you, you are not taking a blind leap of faith. The hands of Jesus are greatly experienced at taking care of his sheep.

Speaker 1: 18:17

So when the Jews say in verse 24, how long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. And Jesus is like keep you in suspense. I've told you, I've shown you. Yet you don't believe. They should have believed, right. They should have put their lives in his hands. They should have trusted him to save and sustain them.

Speaker 1: 18:43

Why Jesus says in verse 25, look at what my hands have done in your midst, look at all that I've done. Now you have to understand this is getting really close to the end for Jesus, even though there's a lot more left of John's gospel, because we're only in chapter 10, starting in chapter 12 through chapter 21,. Those chapters there, those last nine chapters of John's gospel, only cover one week in the life of Jesus. So, in a sense, as we get to chapter 11 and we look at Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We're just kind of moments away from Holy Week and so this is kind of the end.

Speaker 1: 19:16

This is towards the end of Jesus's public ministry and it's basically for three and a half years. For three and a half years I've shown you. For three and a half years I've told you who I am. And then he says plainly in verse 25, the works that I do in my father's name, they're enough to bear witness about me. They're enough the works that my hands have done bear witness. The Father sent me. And again to John's point you can believe in me. You should trust me. I'm capable. These are proven hands of saving and care.

Speaker 1: 20:01

So here's the point under this first point is that there is ample evidence in the scriptures that the hands of Jesus are reliable, that he is the Messiah sent by the Father to rescue, rule and restore God's people. He is the long-awaited prophet, priest and king. He is the good shepherd who, prophesied in Isaiah, chapter 40, will come and gather his sheep into his bosom and make sure that they make it all the way home to the Father. They will make it home because Jesus has reliable, proven, grounded hands. I mean, just think about the point he's making here in verse 25. Look at all that he's done to bear witness to this through John's gospel. I mean, jesus has proven that he's trustworthy, hasn't he? I mean, we've been going through John's gospel now for quite a bit.

Speaker 1: 20:58

Do you remember what the hands of Jesus have been doing? The hand of Jesus turned water into wine in John 2, 1 through 11. What Water into wine Miracle. The hand of Jesus healed the official's son in John 4, 46-54. He didn't even have to be in that son's presence. He healed him from a distance. That's how powerful and mighty the hand of Jesus is. The hand of Jesus healed a paralyzed man in John 5, 1-5. The hands of Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children in John 6, 16-21. The hand of Jesus well, actually the feet of Jesus walked on water In John chapter 6, verses 16 through 21,. The hand of Jesus healed the man born blind that Ricky preached about in John chapter 9, verses 1 through 42. The hand of Jesus will raise Lazarus from the dead really soon, here in John chapter 11.

Speaker 1: 21:51

Look what Jesus can do. Trust him. He's got a full resume of being capable and caring for his sheep. And if that's not enough, what does John say in one of the last verse of this gospel John 21, verse 25, it should be on the screen Now.

Speaker 1: 22:16

There are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. He did so much, he cared so much, he healed so much, he taught so much, he healed so much, he taught so much, he provided so much, he protected so much, that there wouldn't be enough space on God's green earth to contain all the books that would speak of the infinite love and reliability of the hands of Christ. So what's the point? Trust his hands to care for you. So what's the point? Trust his hands to care for you. Believe that if you're in the hands of Jesus, you are in reliable hands.

Speaker 1: 23:10

God's people could not be more safe and secure than in the hands of Jesus, who has proven that he can do for us what no one else can do for us. And that leads to the next reason. We're safe and secure in the hands of Jesus? Because the hands of Jesus are generous hands. They're proven, but they're also generous. Look at verse 28, verse 27. My sheep hear my voice and I, I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Notice the generosity, the generosity that Jesus graciously shows to those who follow him, to those who rest in the care of his hands.

Speaker 1: 24:02

But before I point out how this directs our attention to the generosity and grace of his hand, I want you to first consider how Jesus knows who you are and what you need. Want you to first consider how Jesus knows who you are and what you need. Oh yeah, his hand's available for his sheep, but not just as a flock in mass. Jesus knows you personally, intimately, individually, and because he knows everything there is to know about you, he knows how and when and what to do about every single one of your needs. That's mind-blowing. Where's that in the text? My sheep hear my voice and I know them. I know them. He knows his sheep personally. The Greek word here for know is gnosko. It highlights knowing something from intimate, personal experience. It's knowledged, gained through experience. So what Jesus is saying is here I know my people individually, intimately, personally, experientially. There was a day when I spoke to them. They heard my voice, they came to me and from that day forward, I have been committed to knowing everything there is to know about them so that I can give them everything they need when they need it. Is that not amazing? He doesn't just manage a flock, he knows each and every individual sheep under his care, each and every individual sheep under his care.

Speaker 1: 25:57

If you want to go in a deeper dive to how amazing this is and I will run out of time to do this myself but if you want a text to meditate on that will just fill your soul with confidence that you are known by Jesus, then spend some time this week reflecting on Psalm 139. Here's just a highlight. Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways, even before a word is on my tongue. Behold, o Lord, you know it altogether. You hand me in behind and, before ready, you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain it. Where can I go from you? Where can I go from you? Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you're there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you're there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me.

Speaker 1: 27:12

Here's the relationship between trusting in the hand of Christ's care and your personal life. Is that this Jesus, this good shepherd, knows you, knows everything about you, is never not dialed in to what's going on in your life, is never not dialed into a thought, never not dialed into a desire, never not dialed into a need. He knows dialed into a desire, never not dialed into a need. He knows everything about you, and this is not creepy. This is relieving, because Jesus uses this knowledge of you not to creep on you or report you to Big Brother, but he uses his knowledge of you to know exactly how to use his hand to care for you. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It's so high I can't attain it.

Speaker 1: 28:11

There's a degree to which this is incomprehensible for us, because even though we care for each other, we're not with each other all the time. Like I was sick for two weeks and I was away for a trip and this is no secret, rachel and Peter Prayer are some of our family's closest friends and we went over and had dinner with them on Friday. I think it had literally been three weeks since I saw them face-to-face. And what happens in the space of three weeks? A lot that you don't know about what's going on in each other's lives and even though you care for each other, you're limited in knowing what's going on. You're limited in knowing what's going on. You have to actually be face-to-face with someone and do something we call catching up so we can care for each other and pray for each other. There's no catching up with Jesus.

Speaker 1: 29:06

He knows, he cares and he uses that knowledge to give generous grace. Look at what he does for each and every one of his sheep that he knows so well. He says I give to them, I give to them. And before we even look at what he gives, let's first be in awe of that he gives. He gives Church. Jesus is a giver. Jesus is a generous giver. He takes his generous hand and here's what he does for us, church he gives us grace upon grace upon grace upon grace. It's good news. Grace upon grace upon grace, upon grace. It's good news. He doesn't use his hand to push us away. He doesn't use his hand to take away from us. He doesn't use his hand to slap us around for being dumb, weak, vulnerable and unable to care for ourselves sheep. No, jesus is the good shepherd who uses his hand to give to his sheep. What do we call this? We call this grace because we don't deserve it, but oh, my brothers and sisters, we desperately need it, amen. So what does he give in particular here in the text? Well, he gives eternal life. And I give to them eternal life.

Speaker 1: 30:34

And, if you recall, this has been mentioned a number of times throughout this series and I know I mentioned it when I spoke from John, chapter 7, back in January that eternal life is not just talking about a quantity of life, like life forever, which it's that Amen. That's great, that's good news. But it's also talking about a quality of life. Quantity of life, a quality of life, a life where God's people thrive and flourish under the saving reign of Jesus. To use Peter's words, it's a life where his people have everything they need for life and godliness through Christ. Or, to reflect back on the old covenant, it's Psalm 23.

Speaker 1: 31:23

When Jesus is your shepherd, you shall not want. You have every single thing you need. You need provision. He makes you lie down in green pastures. You're exhausted and in comfort. He takes you beside still waters. You feel depleted. He restores your soul. You feel like life is closing in on you and you're fearful as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Well, you don't need to fear evil, because he's with you. You start to go astray, like we're all prone to wander. Lord, I feel it. He's got this rod and his staff and he knocks our feet out from underneath us with that rod and pulls us back with his shepherd hook. Amen, I don't know about you, but I need my feet to be knocked out from underneath me sometimes because I am not always going the way I should, even though I love Jesus and want to follow him. He's a good shepherd and he does this now, until we reach the father's house where we dwell in his presence forever. That's the end of the psalm. That's eternal life.

Speaker 1: 32:25

By the way, I'm describing eternal life. I'm describing that Jesus gives himself to his people that they might thrive and flourish under his love, under his reign, under his care, under his saving grace, now and forever. That's what he gives us. I mean, that's what you call an all-inclusive package. Okay, he also gives eternal protection. They shall not perish, and I'm going to choose not to go really deep into this just for the sake of time.

Speaker 1: 32:59

But this is not just talking about eternal damnation and hell. It's that, but it's more than that. Remember. We experience difficulties in this life, in this sin-cursed world. It's dangerous to be sheep. Right, there are wolves, there are harsh conditions, sometimes there is scarcity of food, you know. And so Jesus not only promises that we will not ultimately perish, he promises that he will protect us on our way to the Father's house, where we will dwell forever. So this is part of the promise here. He gives us protection by promising that we will not perish, but then also, something that's so beautiful and so relieving, is that he gives us eternal security. No one will snatch them out of my hand no one. Your eternal security and salvation is not based upon your ability to hold on to Jesus, but it is based on Jesus' commitment to hold on to you. That is good news. Your eternal salvation and security is based on Jesus' commitment to hold on to you. He will never lose his grip on us and no one will ever be able to pry us out of his hand.

Speaker 1: 34:36

We're going to sing a song at the end of our liturgy here he Will Hold Me Fast. These words are potent. When I fear my faith will fail, christ will hold me fast. When the tempter would prevail, he will hold me fast. I could never keep my hold through life's fearful path, for my love is often cold. He must hold me fast and here's the good news he will hold me fast. He will hold me fast, for my Savior loves me, so he will hold me fast. He will hold you. He's holding you right now. That's such good news. Charles Spurgeon put it this way if Christ holds you, let the storms rage. If Christ holds you, let the trials come. If Christ holds you, you are safe, for no power can tear you from his hand.

Speaker 1: 35:40

Third reason and finally, the hands of Jesus are reliable because they are God's hands. And this could be a whole sermon in and of itself. And if we had a great, I was hanging out. Do you know what your pastors do? Your pastors hang out on Thursday night talking about how they can best serve you with a sermon, and they run it by one another and they get input. It's such a beautiful thing and I was hanging out with Royce and Daniel on Thursday night and I know this me preaching this message. This is what you get from me when I preach this message and it doesn't change the truth of the text. But if Daniel were preaching this message, this point would be the sermon. Oh, this is good. This is the theological hotspot of this text. The hands of Jesus keep us safe and secure, because the hands of Jesus are the hands of God. Jesus and the Father are one.

Speaker 1: 36:51

Oh man, verse 30 is such a potent, potent statement about the identity and significance of Jesus. He's not just a prophet, he's not just a priest, he's not just a king, he's not just some other messianic figure foreshadowing another one to come? Oh, he is it. He is him, and guess what he is. Divine one to come? Oh, he is it. He is him, and guess what he is divine.

Speaker 1: 37:19

And on this Transfiguration Sunday, we're highlighting the fact that Jesus not all the time he hid it, but at certain moments Jesus would reveal his glory, his deity, that he was not just a good person, he was the God-man. Just a good person, he was the God-man. And this is one of those moments where he's saying, in just a few words in the Greek language I'm God, I'm God, verse 29,. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. All and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.

Speaker 1: 37:58

Notice that Jesus equivocates his hand with the Father's hand. In other words, jesus' hand and what it's able to do is equal to the Father's hand and what he's able to do and the Father is undisputably what God, the Father, has given us to Jesus. The Father, who is God, the Father, who is greater than all, cannot have his hand pried open and he will not drop or lose a single one of those whom he's given to his Son. And Jesus says what's true of the Father's hand who holds you is also true of my hand that holds you because I and the Father are one.

Speaker 1: 38:42

The Father and the Son are one in many respects in relationship to the context here. They are one in their purpose to keep and protect the sheep. They are one in their power to keep and protect these sheep. But ultimately, the Father and the Son are one in their power to keep and protect these sheep. But ultimately, the Father and the Son are one in essence. The Father and Jesus are co-equally God. I and the Father are one, distinct in person, yet one in essence. It's not that Jesus is saying that my hand and the Father's hand are the same hand. No, no, no, no. They are two separate persons, yet what their hands are able to do are the same because they are one in essence. The hand of Jesus is the hand of God.

Speaker 1: 39:33

Now, even though the overarching purpose of this text is not to prove the deity of Jesus, this statement is certainly one of those spots in John's gospel where he just kind of says what he's been saying from the very first verse of this gospel In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Back in chapter 8, 8 before Abraham was I am all right. Jesus is God. He's the second person of the triune Godhead. To be in his hands, cared for by his hands, to receive from his hands is to be served by the hand of God. We are safe and secure in the hands of Jesus because his hands are God's hands. How do we know that's what he meant.

Speaker 1: 40:27

Well, after Jesus says I and the Father are one, the Jews pick up stones to throw at him. Okay, we're going to kill you now why you just committed blasphemy what they say in verse 33, because you, being a man, make yourself God. It was clear to him that what he said there to their ears, to their Jewish ears you are equivocating yourself with God. That's exactly what Jesus was doing when he said I and the Father are one. It's interesting.

Speaker 1: 40:59

From this point forward and I'll be honest, this is a tough passage from this point forward, jesus doesn't deny the claim. He never does that, nor does he deeply defend it. Maybe this is a pearls before swine scenario, I don't know. He would know what's going on in the hearts of those who are asking. Just tell us plainly. Jesus basically says even if you don't believe I'm God, you should not be that upset with me, because if you knew your Bible, you would know that there were other times in the Bible where God called other individuals lowercase g gods, and it wasn't blasphemy. And so he quotes here Psalm 82, verse 6. And basically says even God used lowercase g god to refer to most likely angelic beings as lowercase g gods. So don't get all hot under the collar because I called myself the son of God. Don't pick up stones, put them down, because if you knew your Bible better, you would know that if you want to come up with a better argument for saying I'm not who I say I am, you wouldn't use this one.

Speaker 1: 42:14

Many scholars are just perplexed as to what Jesus is truly arguing here, but what's clear is that Jesus is showing these Jews, who are so righteously committed to upholding the Scripture that they really don't know the Bible like they think they do. Committed to upholding the scripture, but they really don't know the Bible like they think they do, and instead of believing in him, they want to kill him. I do find it ironic as we're kind of bringing this down to a close, that his highlighting the security of Christians being in the hands of God like no one can snatch you out of my hand, no one can snatch you out of the Father's hand, john, reveals that these Jews that are arguing with Jesus have little puny hands. You ever see those little tiny hands that people use like in skits and stuff? I see these guys with little hands. Why do I say that?

Speaker 1: 43:01

Look at verse 39. And they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. You got the hand of Jesus. You got the hand of the Father. There's no one greater than the Father. Like, imagine, like big Hulk hands. Imagine Avengers Hulk taking Loki Puny God. It's like Jesus puny hands. They can't even grab on to Jesus and do him in like they want to. Their hands are no match for the hands of Jesus, because he has the hands of God. That's just a little side point there. When there's like some irony and humor here, we should reveal it and we should laugh. It's great. Sometimes Jesus makes us look funny too, when we think we know what's better than him. Right?

Speaker 1: 43:47

The point for us here is to press into the assurance and security this brings. We could not be more safe and secure than being in the hands of Jesus, who is one with the Father. There are good reasons for entrusting your life into the hands of Jesus. His hands are the hands of God. They are proven hands. They are generous hands. They are open hands to all who believe and follow him. It's those very hands listen, those very hands that promise to hold on to us are the same hands. Just a couple weeks from this point, that will be pierced for our transgressions, those hands will be nailed to a cross. And from the blood that would flow from those hands and from his side and from his thorn crown brow, it would be from those hands, crucified in our place on the cross, that our greatest need would be met the forgiveness of our sins, the covering of our shame, the removal of our guilt, the deliverance of judgment. Church. If Jesus' hands would bleed for us, then we can trust the hands of Jesus to do everything else for us. It was Charles Spurgeon who said trust the hand that was nailed to the cross for you. It will never let you go.

Speaker 1: 45:25

Some continue to deny this, like these Jews that are arguing with jesus. But we never walk away. John is never satisfied with us walking away from an episode, just thinking that people argued with jesus and didn't believe. I love the way this episode ends in verses 40 to 42, jesus goes across the Jordan and many believed in him there. Many, they believed that although mayhem is everywhere in Jesus, they're in good hands.

Speaker 1: 46:04

Listen, if you're not a Christian this morning I just can't think of a. I can't say this any other way than just saying this directly you are not in good hands. You're not in good hands if you're trusting in yourself. You know. You know that your hands are not sufficient for everything you need in this life, let alone the afterlife. Whatever you are relying on to make life work this morning, I hope you would be like these individuals on the other side of the Jordan, that they would look at Jesus, look at what he said, look at what he's done, look at how he's revealed himself in his glory and say yes. Those hands that bled for me, those hands that are extended toward me, those are reliable hands. I need those hands to save me. I need those hands to sustain me. I need those hands to take my hand and lead me to the Father's house where I will dwell in God's presence forever.

Speaker 1: 47:10

If you're not a follower of Jesus this morning and you're exploring the truth claims of Christianity, would today be the day that you grab onto the hand of Jesus and he will not let you go? He will save you, he will forgive you, he will restore you and he will promise you eternal life? If you are a Christian, you could not be more safe and secure right now than in the hands of Jesus. What kind of mayhem is going on in your life right now? What's your chaos level? If there's none at the present moment, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. There will be some that comes, and it's usually when we least expect it.

Speaker 1: 47:56

And here's what Jesus is revealing about himself. Here's what John is revealing about Jesus as the good shepherd. Jesus will get you, jesus will protect you, jesus will provide for you. You're in good hands when you're in the hands of Jesus Right now. Here's what I want you to do as we close. I want to encourage you to pray that you be more aware and attentive to the fact that you are in the hands of Jesus.

Speaker 1: 48:30

It would be a contradiction to this text if I were to say hey, sometimes as Christians we get out of the hands of Jesus. We need to get back in. No, no, no. You are in the hand of Christ and the issue isn't whether you need to be more in his hand or more in his grip. The issue is I need to be more aware that I am.

Speaker 1: 48:49

So much of the Christian life is not something new, something different, some new spiritual experience. It's living in the reality of what's already mind-blowingly true. You are in the hand of Christ and he will not let you go. You are safe, you are secure, you have all that you need to flourish and thrive under his saving reign. And he has promised he will hold you fast, he will not let you go.

Speaker 1: 49:26

Oh church, for some reason I feel like I've preached long, but maybe this is what we needed. That's not an excuse. You are in good hands. You are in good hands and your good shepherd will hold on to you all the way to the end.

Speaker 1: 49:53

Father, we thank you for your son, the good shepherd who gathers his sheep, who guards his sheep, who gave his life for the sheep, who gave his life for the sheep, who holds his sheep in his hand and will not let them go. And, father, this morning we are, by faith, believing that that's us, that's Redeemer Church, that is, these precious families, these individuals that your son knows by name. We are in his hands and he will not let us go. And we are safe and secure, no matter what life throws at us, no matter what bitter providences we face, no matter what kind of mayhem comes our way. We are safe and secure in the hands of Jesus and I pray that throughout this week we become more aware of that, jesus, send your spirit. Send your spirit to make us more aware that there's no safer and more secure place to be than where we are right now, as Christians, in the hands of Jesus, who is one with the Father. We pray in his name.