Jesus Promises Life

​Text: John 10:22-30
Service Date: 5.11.25
Sermon:

• In the scripture for today, we see the Jewish people’s desire to experience the deity of Jesus. They have been looking forward to the Messiah for centuries. They have been following the scriptures of their time and seeing the signs and miracles of the Old Testament. So, it is easy to understand their desire to know the truth and they were eager to encounter the Messiah.   
• Similarly to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, I believe we are also eager to encounter the Messiah and the messages that he teaches.
• We are eager to hear the teachings of Jesus while at the same time, we are eager to encounter the life-changing ministry of Jesus. Now, the question that we must ask ourselves is: what is our motive for wanting to encounter Jesus’ life changing teachings?
• Many of the people in Jesus’ time who were asking for proof did so for the wrong reasons. Most of these questioners didn’t want to follow Jesus if it required them to submit to his leadership. They hoped that Jesus would declare himself to be the Messiah and then overthrow Rome and restore the prosperity of King David’s golden age.
• It is also possible that these doubters hoped Jesus would identify himself so they could accuse him of making false claims to be God. Either way, there were groups of people that desired to know of Jesus’ deity strictly for political gain. It seems that they did not have a desire to follow Jesus for the purpose of the betterment of mankind.
• Now, the question that we must ask ourselves is: what is our motive for wanting to encounter Jesus’ life changing teachings? Is it for political gain or is it for the betterment of all of mankind?
• The truth is Jesus has more to offer us than political gain! What Jesus offers us is life, both life in the here and now and life far beyond.
• When we relate to Jesus’ teachings spiritually and we put Jesus’ words into action, then we can fully encounter the truth of who Jesus is. Our motives will be aligned with Jesus, and we can fully experience his deity.
• When we have the correct motives to hear Jesus’ words, we can effectively hear Jesus’ voice. Correctly hearing Jesus’ voice is vital to correctly following Jesus’ words. This is why the religious leaders of Jesus’ time could not fully hear and understand Jesus’ voice; they were not ready to follow Jesus’ words and put them into practice for the betterment of all the people.
• I believe this life is Jesus begins, acting in the service of others. So much of Jesus’ teachings is calling us to serve those that are considered less than; we feed the hungry, we provide for those who go without, we clothe the naked, and we welcome the immigrant and the traveler. This is the beginning of eternal life with Jesus; creating a world where people can experience life while here on earth.

Conclusion: Let us be people who earnestly seek God and learn to hear his voice. Let us be people who allow all people to experience the life that Jesus offers.