“My sheep hear my voice — and I know them — and they follow me. (28) And I give unto them eternal life — and they shall never perish — neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Jn.10:27-28
The Lord Jesus Christ declares from these verses — not the way that He hopes it will be with all those that are truly His sheep — but the way that it truly is! There is not being proclaimed here His intention — but rather His accomplishment! There is no doubt about it — that which He has said — His “sheep” hear. And, they hear — not because they know Him — but because He knows them!
The next thing the Lord Jesus says is that those He knows follow Him. A precedent is being revealed here by our Savior — as to how things are — as well as, how things are always going to be.
This is such a blessed text for us to learn how wonderful our Savior truly is! Every single one of us who have — by the grace of faith — fled for refuge to Jesus Christ realize all too well — two things simultaneously: 1. That we are fallen sinners and, therefore, we are in dire need for something that only God can do. Only God can get us safely through this wicked world — without ultimately ending up in hell. This kind of eternal salvation that the Bible describes — is completely under sovereign God’s government and control! And, 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God — sent into this wicked world to do for us exactly what needs to be done in order to eternally save us! The gospel declares that He has already accomplished this — for all who are His sheep.
That’s why Jesus says: “And I give unto them — eternal life and they shall never perish”. John says in another place: “And this is the record — that God has given unto us — eternal life — and this life is in His Son! He that hath the Son — hath the life — he that hath not — the Son of God — hath not the life!”
The only view that we sinners can have of “eternal life” — is in the Lord Jesus Christ and what the Word of God describes and declares of His person and work as our sovereign Savior and substitute! This is exactly what the Pharisees could not — and as a result — would not believe! Hence, Jesus told them: (26) “But ye believe not — because ye are not of my sheep!” Notice He did not say: “You are not of my sheep — because you do not believe”. No — believing does not make you a “sheep”. If one is a “sheep” — they will hear and believe the gospel of God’s grace! And, in this way — they will hear and believe the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will hear and believe and follow the Lord Jesus Christ — throughout their lives. Praise His Name!
For His Glory Only!
John Carpenter
