I AM the Resurrection and the Life

 

Good morning! He is risen! Today we are going to focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is unique in history because He predicted His resurrection and then it took place. We find the first reference of this in John 2. The context is that it was almost Passover, and Jesus went into the temple courts and found some people selling animals for sacrifice and others exchanging money. The passage says that He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out. (This was the first – but not the only – time He did this.) The passage continues: 

The Jews then responded to Him, “What sign can You show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and You are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple He had spoken of was His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. – John 2:18-22

Jesus predicts His death and resurrection here close to the start of His ministry, and He even explains how long He will be dead – three days. And for us, as we today celebrate His resurrection, it is important to note that Jesus explains that this was a proof of His authority. 

Now, the importance of the crucifixion cannot be overstated. Jesus went to the cross willingly, as the only person who had never sinned, to die for the sins of others, to die for you and me. And we receive the gift of salvation – of being saved from our sins – through faith in Him, a faith that is demonstrated through a prayer of repentance to Him and through a commitment to let Him be Lord of our lives. That is, we live for Him because He died for us. 

But the resurrection of Christ serves a different purpose – as this passage explains, it proves His authority. It proves that He is not only man, but God. It proves that His sacrifice for our sins was accepted by God. And it proves that we can trust everything He says.

In Matt. 12, the crowds bring to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. What a combination! The passage is not clear about whether the blindness and muteness were caused by the demon, or whether the man had already been blind and mute before the demon came upon him. But in any case, Jesus fully heals this man of all three conditions – He removes the demon, makes him able to talk, and makes him able to see. The Pharisees, seeing this, say to themselves that Jesus must be in league with Satan so as to be able to do this. Jesus hears their thoughts and responds, condemning them for their evil hearts. Then the Pharisees and teachers of the law demand that Jesus give them a sign. 

He [Jesus] answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. – Matt. 12:39-41

Again, Jesus predicts His death and resurrection, this time by comparing Himself to the prophet Jonah. Indeed, for all apparent purposes, Jonah was dead and gone when the giant fish swallowed him. Who could possibly survive that? Yet, three days later, Jonah reappeared, at the location God had told him to go, to Nineveh, a wicked city. It was an absolute miracle that Jonah was alive – just as if he had been resurrected from the dead. And, in contrast to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, in response to just a few words from Jonah, the entire place, all of Nineveh, repented. 

And so we see here a second purpose of the resurrection – it should drive people to repent of their sins and turn to Christ to save them. 

In both accounts, Jesus is telling all His listeners, disciples and enemies alike, that He will die and rise from the grave. But He also repeatedly told His disciples this when He was alone with them. We see this, for example, in Matt. 16. This conversation takes place immediately after Jesus commends Peter for realizing that Jesus is in fact the Messiah prophesied throughout Scripture.  

From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” – Matt. 16:21-23

I have sympathy for Peter in this conversation, as I think I would have expressed a similar sentiment at that time. Nobody wants to face the fact that someone that they love will be leaving them. How much more so the Messiah! But Jesus’ seemingly harsh response to Peter is justified, in that Peter is tempting Jesus to change the outcome – the exact same thing that Satan did when talking with Jesus after His 40-day fast in the desert.

Staying with Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples again, a chapter later:

When they came together in Galilee, He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. – Matt. 17:22-23

And Matthew records a third time this happens:

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” – Matt. 20:17-19

This time, Jesus is even more specific – He says everything – He will be mocked. He will be flogged. And He will be crucified. 

How do the disciples respond? Well, the very next verses record the disciples arguing with one another over who will get to sit at Jesus’ right and left hands in His kingdom. That had to be somewhat disappointing. In response, Jesus turned traditional honor-shame dynamics upside down and told them that if they want to be great, they must be like a servant or slave. And He finished by saying, that they must do this “just like the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

And there is even a fourth time in Matthew that Jesus predicts His resurrection. This time it is immediately before the events themselves take place:

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” – Matt. 26:31-32

Jesus did not doubt that He would arise 3 days after His crucifixion. But that did not make facing what was about to happen easy. Continuing in Matt. 26:

Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” – Matt. 26:36-39

And He prayed two more times. In between these, He went to check on His disciples, and they were sleeping. As far as I can tell, Jesus had never before asked His disciples for emotional or spiritual help and support – and in this time of greatest trial, they utterly failed Him.

And we know that on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My, God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Jesus certainly intellectually knew the answer to this, as it says in Isaiah 53:

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. – Is. 53:10 

And indeed, the Lord did “crush” Him. Not just physically, but emotionally, and I believe literally spiritually – in that God separated Himself from Jesus, removed His presence from Him. And it was in this that Jesus felt utterly forsaken. This was necessary – for our sake. He had to bear the full weight of our sin in order to be a sacrifice for us, in order to take away our sin.

With all these truths about the resurrection and crucifixion in mind, I want to turn to the time when Jesus said, as per our title, “I am the resurrection and the life.” What a provocative statement!

This passage occurs in John 11. The context is Lazarus, a man from Bethany and the brother of Martha and Mary, the Mary who poured perfume on Jesus feet and wiped His feet with her hair. Lazarus fell ill and died, and Jesus did not make it to Bethany with His disciples until Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. This was not because Jesus was unable to be there sooner; indeed, Jesus could do anything – He could blink and be there, if He wanted to. But He delayed coming, He says, for His disciples’ sake. This was to build their faith.

Upon arrival, Jesus had this conversation with Martha:   

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask.” – John 11:21-22 

It is easy to gloss over this verse – but I think this verse shows that Martha has tremendous faith! It would have been easy to doubt in Jesus, to question whether He was who He said He was, after the seeming failure to save Lazarus. 

And this is an important lesson for us – it is easy for us to become discouraged in God when things to do go the way we had hoped or prayed. It is easy to question either God’s goodness or His power, or both. But God is always good, and He is also all-powerful. It is OK to be disappointed, and even to grieve. But it is not OK to be disappointed in Him. We need to trust in His goodness and power, that He is doing what is not only best for us, but best for everyone. And in this incident, we will see the reasons behind everything in a few verses. But in our lives, we may have situations in which we don’t see the reason for what God is doing (or not doing) until we can ask Him in heaven. But we can be sure that His answers will amaze and awe us, and we will again confirm that God is all-good, all-powerful, and the very definition of love.  

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” – John 11:23-24

Martha is misunderstanding Jesus’ answer, but this is understandable. What is about to happen goes beyond all reasonable expectations. And again, she should be commended for her faith – in believing in the resurrection at the last day. The entire organization of Sadducees did not believe this, for example. 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26

And so we come to Jesus’ powerful if somewhat cryptic statement. What does it mean? Well, I think we gain insight by going back to John chapter 1. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. – John 1:1-4

Jesus is the Word, and the Word is the author of life and the sustainer of life. “In Him was life.” Outside of Him there is no life. I am further reminded of this passage from Col. 1:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. – Col. 1:15-17

It’s not like Jesus will just replace a battery in us like we are some kind of toy, and turn us back on, and then leave us alone. Jesus is the battery. And much more than that – He literally holds us together. He does it now, on a temporary basis, temporary because we die, temporary because we are sinners, and the curse of sin is in this world and has been in this world since the sin of Adam and Eve. But Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Because He has paid for our sin with His life, and because we have put our faith in Him, we will receive the gift of forgiveness, and He will raise us in Him and hold us together in Him and give us life in Him, forever. Jesus is our resurrection and our eternal life!

And to demonstrate this truth, what Jesus did next was His last public miracle. And boy was it public! Bethany is only two miles outside of Jerusalem, and the news of what Jesus did next spread not only throughout Bethany, but throughout Jerusalem, and beyond. 

Now Jesus left Martha with a question: Do you believe this? And here is her response:

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” – John 11:27

After a very emotional meeting with Mary, Martha’s sister, we come to the climax of this wonderfully true story:

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” He said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. – John 11:38-44

Lazarus was dead one day longer than Jesus. But that means nothing. It is no harder for Jesus to resurrect someone who has been dead for 2000 years than it is to resurrect someone who has been dead for an hour. Notice that Jesus did nothing “to” Lazarus. No medicine, no touching, nothing. The Word spoke, and Lazarus returned to life. 

And Lazarus’ resurrection created such a huge stir in Jerusalem that it set into play the plot to kill Jesus once and for all. And likely no more than a month later, it was Jesus in a tomb, not Lazarus. The Messiah, the Word, was, shockingly, dead.

Because this is Easter, let’s read about the greatest resurrection of all, the resurrection of Jesus. From John 19, picking up the account immediately after Jesus has died on the cross:

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” – John 19:31-37

Breaking the legs of a crucified person who has not yet died causes them to die quickly, because they cannot raise themselves up to get breaths of air. Jesus had already died, so there was no reason to do this, and piercing Jesus’ side was done to be sure Jesus was already dead. 

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. – John 19:38-42

The “day of preparation” refers to being the day before the Sabbath, Friday. It was a “special” day of preparation because it also took place during the Passover week. No work was to be done once the day was over, so everything had to be done quickly. Now it is Jesus being wrapped in strips of linen instead of Lazarus. Matthew tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was rich. He had to be rich to be able to afford a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. The tomb was in the same general location as where the crucifixion occurred. 

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” – John 20:1-2

John is the other disciple. Matt. 28 gives additional details including the fact that an angel had rolled away the stone. Despite experiencing the resurrection of Lazarus, Mary does not consider the possibility that Jesus has risen from the dead. This is understandable, because even the miracle that someone raises someone else from the dead is unbelievably rare, but the idea that someone dead could raise Himself from the dead, or that God the Father could do it without working through a person, was unprecedented and therefore unthinkable, just as, after 3 days, it was still unbelievable that Jesus was actually dead. 

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. – John 20:3-10

I love the level of detail in this passage. John wants every recorded precisely because he is describing himself and the incredible things he felt when he saw the stone rolled away and the strips of linen but no Jesus. Jesus had told him this would happen – that He would rise after the third day, and here it was coming true before their very eyes. And then we come to the most exciting part:

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” – John 20:11-15

There is much gentle humor in this scene. The angels are in on the good news – they know Jesus is risen. Jesus of course knows this too. But Mary is so sad that she is not observing carefully or thinking clearly. Normally angels instill fear when seen, but not in Mary’s case. And you would think that she would recognize Jesus, but Jesus apparently has this trick that He can appear to people and they don’t recognize Him. It will happen again later, with two of the male disciples on a road to Emmaus. 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that He had said these things to her. – John 20:16-18

And this is what we celebrate today. Jesus is risen!

I want to leave the story at this point, and briefly talk about some evidence from archaeology that we have that the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection are true. A source I have used for this is an article entitled Jesus’ Resurrection: An Archaeological Analysis” by Matt Dawson in the Answers Research Journal, the May 2021 issue. 

Let’s start by talking about the probable location where all this took place. This is now the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, located west-northwest of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

What evidence is there that this is indeed the location? Let’s start from the historian Eusebius, who wrote in the early 300s AD. He explains that Constantine built a structure at the location of the Resurrection. But how did Constantine know where to put it? It was because the spot was marked by those who hated early Christianity. It is indeed a wonderful irony that we have these haters to thank for helping us stay connected to multiple key archaeological sites that date back to the time of the New Testament! Jerome, a historian from the late 300s to early 400s, explains that Hadrian had put a statue of Jupiter on the precise spot where the tomb was and the resurrection occurred, and a statue of Venus on the nearby spot where the crucifixion occurred. Hadrian died in 138 AD, only about 100 years after the death of Christ. So we are not talking about a large gap in time at all here. And Eusebius and Jerome record that when Constantine cleared the site of Hadrian’s pagan shrine, the tomb was still amazingly intact underneath the mound. And so in 330 AD, Constantine and his mother Empress Helena had built on the site a mausoleum called the Anastasis, the Greek word for resurrection, and what he called the Martyrium church (martyrium is the Greek word from which we get the word martyr), with an outdoor courtyard between the two structures. Archaeology has since uncovered some of the remains of this Constantinian complex, validating the writings of Eusebius and Jerome. 

Now within the church there today is a small structure called the Edicule, built around the remains of the burial tomb of Jesus. This structure underwent a restoration project in 2015-2017, and during this time archaeologists uncovered multiple layers including two marble plates, filling material, mortar, and bedrock. The mortar was sampled and dated to the time of Constantine. 

Other archaeological work on the site has shown that it rests on a quarry of high-quality limestone dating to 800 BC, a perfect site for later making tombs out of rock. After the highest quality stone was taken, it became a garbage dump for several centuries, and as is often the case, it then became a location for burial sites. Archaeology has also confirmed that the location in general was turned into a garden or orchard in the first century BC, based on soil analysis and dating. 

We know that the tomb that existed at the center of Constatine’s site was destroyed by a Muslim commander Calif-al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 1009, but remnants of the tomb remain at the Edicule. The structure has been determined to be that of an antechamber and an arcosolium, a shallow place with an arched ceiling, in contrast to a quadrosolia, which has rectangular cuts with a straight top, or kokhim, which have small openings that go deep into the rock. 

A single arcosolium in a tomb is a sign of it being the tomb of a very rich person, because having the arch is “wasteful” when you could cut multiple quadrosolia or kokhim. Note that only an arcosolium would have allowed for enough room for two angels to sit where Jesus’ head and feet had been. Additional kokhim have been found at the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (away from the Edicule), confirming that the site was indeed an established burial location used around the time of Christ. 

When one enters the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a staircase on the immediate right goes up to a location claimed to be the location of the crucifixion. But this is a relatively recent tradition. The church has three major apses. When archaeologists transpose the current site of the church with the remnants of the Martyrium Church built by Constantine, the apse of the Martyrium and the smaller apse of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher line up perfectly. Because apses were where the exact locations where commemoration of events took place, it follows that this should be the location of Golgotha, where Christ was crucified.  

Now this church is within the present-day walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, but these walls are not the same as the walls at Jesus’ time. Archaeologists have determined that this location is indeed outside the walls of Jerusalem at that time. The “third wall” only had foundations laid in AD 41-44, and even then it was not completed because Caesar worried that it would encourage the Jews in Jerusalem to revolt. And the Jews did revolt in AD 67-70 and later in the early 100s, and Hadrian built the larger city wall only upon rebuilding the city after that later revolt. 

Matt. 27:39 and Mark 15:29 imply that Jesus was crucified near a road, in a visible location. John 19:20 says that Jesus was buried “near” the city. Heb. 13:12 says that Jesus was crucified outside a city gate. Ancient writers such as Quintilian (ca. AD 35-90) agree that crucifixions are made in very public places to serve as examples to the people. The location fits all these descriptions, and recent discoveries of what is likely the “Gennath” gate would place the Church of the Holy Sepulcher just outside this gate. ‘Gennath’ means “garden”, by the way. 

Another archaeological detail we should discuss is the stone “rolled” to close the tomb described in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. (John does not give specific wording as to how it was removed.) Archaeology has found that round stones were rare and only used in the tombs of the very rich. The tomb is also described as cut out of the rock, and rock-cut tombs were also only for the rich. (Caves were used for the poor.)

Some have suggested that Jews were never crucified, but additional evidence of the crucifixion of Jews is found in a Jewish ossuary (burial container) inscribed as Jehohanan. This is one of several ossuaries found together, and one gives additional historical information that dates the dates of death to sometime between AD 7 and AD 70. 

What is interesting is the skeleton of Jehohanan, which clearly has been crucified. In fact, there is a nail remaining in the right heel bone, probably remaining there because it was too difficult to remove. Beneath the head of the nail there remained a 2cm piece of olive wood that was used to keep the heel pinned to the cross, preventing the nail from pulling through the foot. 

What is interesting is that here we have an example of a Jewish person crucified and then the body taken by Jews and buried, in contrast to the standard practice of leaving crucified bodies on the cross post-mortem for days to be eaten by birds and other animals and then taken down and thrown into large pits unburied. So we have here an example of a Jewish person not only being crucified, but also being buried after the crucifixion, just like the situation with Jesus. For even more evidence, there is also an ancient Roman document called the Digesta which states that, as long as the person was not convicted of treason, the bodies of those crucified were to be released for burial to any who asked. And Jesus, as the gospels clearly explain, was not found guilty of treason. In fact, Pilate and Herod found no fault in Him. And the process of asking permission is exactly what Joseph of Arimathea did. 

There is a lot more indirect evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. The last one we will talk about today is something called the Nazareth Inscription, which has been dated to the 40s AD, only a decade or so after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Basically, the inscription is a legal edict from Caesar that people are not allowed to move bodies from tombs with intent of “malicious deception”, and if they do, they will receive the death penalty. This is very strange, as it does not warn against robbing dead bodies, only moving the body itself. There is no rational reason to just move a dead body. It has no value. 

What is going on here is that the spread of Christianity had come to Caesar’s attention, hearing the claim that Jesus’ followers had stolen the body – the exact false claim it says that Jews said in Matthew. Not wanting such a ruckus to spread to other cities if someone stole another body, it makes sense that Caesar would issue such a law. And so, just like with Hadrian, we again see God using the enemies of the Kingdom of God to – despite their best intentions to do the opposite – provide evidence and support for the claims that Christ indeed rose from the dead. Hallelujah!

At this time, I would like us to take Communion as a church together. As it is Easter, we will do this a little more formally than we normally do. Go ahead and come up now and take the bread and the cup and bring it to your seat. 

Let’s turn to the Last Supper, and look at the account in Luke 20:

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. – Luke 20:14-20

Here, too, Jesus was clearly predicting His resurrection. Indeed, the resurrection is completely woven into the fabric of communion. We take the bread and the cup to remember until He comes. And so, we come together to praise Jesus for not shirking back, but going forward to the cross. We take the bread to remember that His body was given for us.

And we take the cup to remember that His blood was shed for us.

And we thank Him for the new covenant in His blood, which has been poured out for us. By faith, and not by any works of our own, we join the kingdom of God, and seek to live for Him, taking part in building His kingdom until He comes.

I AM the Good Shepherd

Hello everyone!  We’re carrying on in our series titled “I AM …” Carl opened the series with an introduction from Exodus 3 where God spoke to Moses from the burning bush.  Moses asked God what is His Name.  God answers, “I AM.”  And in fact, the Hebrew is written in a way that the meaning is I am and I will be, connecting us to the eternal nature of God, the one who is and was and ever will be. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus too used the same expression when talking about Himself in John (6, 8, 18).  Jesus is the I AM.  He is God.

In addition to the absolute I AM statement, there are many other pictures of Jesus that explore His character, His works (what He has done for us), and His purpose now and in eternity.

In case you missed one of the messages, and you want to keep up.  These are the I AM statements of Jesus that have looked at as well as the ones we will look at in the coming weeks.

Feb. 25th I AM (Ex. 3, John 6:20, 8:24,28,58, 18:5)

March 3th … the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48)

March 10th … the Light of the World (John 8:12, 9:5)

March 17th … the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7)

March 24th … the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14)

March 31th … the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

April 7th … the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

April 14th … the True Vine (John 15:1)

April 21th … the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36)

April 28th … the Word (John 1:1, 14; Rev. 19:13)

May 5th … the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13)

May 12th … the Bridegroom (John 3:29)

May 19th … the Root/Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)

That brings us to today’s message.  We will look at Jesus’ statement, “I am the good Shepherd,” from John 10.  Interestingly, this is the third message in a row that continues from the same passage from John with the light of the world coming from chapter 9 and the door of the sheep coming from the beginning of chapter 10.

Let’s pray together, and then we will dig into this beautiful picture of our Savior and what He is like.

Lord Jesus, we pray that You would help us to understand You more.  Teach us from Your Word, strengthen each of these Your saints.  We pray that You would be glorified more and more.  It is in Your Name, we pray.  Amen.

In John 10, Jesus is addressing a group of people in Jerusalem.  We don’t know how many exactly, but it is a mixed group.  It’s the Feast of Tabernacles, so mid-October, a busy time in Jerusalem.  It’s the fall before Jesus will go to the cross.  The location is not specified, but it could have been in the outer courts of the temple.  Some and likely all of the twelve were there.  The man who had been born blind and who Jesus had healed is there, perhaps with some of his friends and family.  Some of the Pharisees are there.  There are enough people there that after the verses we are going to read from John 10 that many were on either side of the debate about Jesus.  I say all that to say that this message was for all of them to hear.  Jesus was testifying to them who He is.  In John 10:11-18, Jesus said …

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” – John 10:11-18

There is a lot we can look at in this passage.  Before we start looking at ways this passage connects with other parts of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, let’s not skip over what is right in front of us here.

What does Jesus say it means for Him to be the good shepherd?

The Good Shepherd

1. Lays down His life for the sheep

2. Is the owner of the sheep.

3. Will not abandon the sheep when they are attacked.

4. Will not run away.

5. Cares for the sheep.

6. Knows and is known by the sheep.

7. Has other sheep (not from this pen).

8. Will bring all His sheep into one flock.

9. Will lay down His life and will take it up again.

Let’s unpack each of those quickly.

As He lays down His life for the sheep, we can think about the crucifixion.  Jesus stands in the gap for us.  He provides for us eternally by His sacrifice.

Jesus is the owner of the sheep.  We are purchased by His sacrifice, His blood.  Revelation 5:9 says it plainly, “With your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

He does not abandon.  He will not run away.  He will never leave us, nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) He protects us from the evil one. (John 17:11, 15)

Jesus cares for the sheep. (I Peter 1:5) In Mark 4 (v.38-40), Jesus was sleeping as they crossed the Sea of Galilee.  A storm came up, and the disciples were afraid that the ship could capsize.  They woke Jesus crying out, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  Jesus calmed the wind and the waves, and then he asked them why they were so afraid.  We shouldn’t be afraid.  We have Jesus as our shepherd and he cares for us.

Jesus knows His sheep and is known by His sheep.  It is hard for a shepherd to care for his sheep when he doesn’t know them and their condition.  I watched several short videos about sheep with a certain focus on shepherding in Israel, and one was very 21st century.  It was about a smart phone app and software that helps the shepherd.  The developer talked about how the software is designed to work on three levels.  It allows them to know the status of each individual sheep, the status of the flocks, and the overall status of the operation, the farm.  Now, Jesus doesn’t need software to do this, but He does see the individuals and the communities of believers and the entire body of Christ.  He knows His sheep.

He has sheep not from this pen.  Jesus is talking to Jews.  The sheep not from this pen are obviously Gentiles.  We can also think about these other sheep as coming from every tribe and language and people and nation.  Literally, phyle (family, phileo, Philadelphia, phylum) and glossa (word, glossary) and laos (group, laity) and ethnos (ethnicity).

Even though all these sheep may come from different places and languages and backgrounds and experiences, Jesus is going to make them into one flock.  This is totally awesome and amazing.  We know it, but it is still wondrous to stop and reflect upon it.  Jesus is forming us into one body.  That’s so cool.  This picture of a shepherd is so powerful.  We are individuals in a flock.  We are part of a great body of believers.  And yet, it’s not like we’re a drop of water in the ocean that has no identity.  We are sheep in the One flock.

Finally, we are reminded again that the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  Not only that, He takes it up again.  He has the power and authority from the Father to do it.  This again points to Easter, Jesus’ sacrifice and His glorious resurrection.  I know it’s a week early, but He is risen!  (He is risen indeed!)  I love Hebrews 7:16.  It tells of Jesus as our great high priest.  It says He, “has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.”  Jesus’ life is indestructible.  He can lay it down, but He can also take it up again.  Wow!

So, that brings us through what stands out when we look at the passage.  Jesus lays down His life for the sheep.  He is the owner of the sheep.  He will not abandon the sheep when they are attacked.  He will not run away.  Jesus cares for the sheep.  He knows and is known by the sheep.  Jesus has other sheep (not from this pen).  He will bring all His sheep into one flock.  And, He will lay down His life and will take it up again.

Of course, there is much more that we can say here.  But let’s just take a moment, bow our heads and thank Him for being our Good Shepherd.

Shepherds, sheep, and shepherding are everywhere in the bible.  Sheep 206 times in 194 verses (40 times in NT).  Shepherd or shepherds 124 times in 116 verses (22 in NT).  Interestingly, there’s not much drop off comparing the occurrence rate in the Old Testament to New Testament.  It works out to about 80/20.  The Old Testament and New Testament are split 77/23 on word count.

Who are the shepherds in the Bible?

Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, Moses, David, Amos.  Of course, you could include Adam and Noah and his sons.  

Who is the first person named as a shepherd?  I mean which verse includes the word shepherd and another person’s name?  The verse is Genesis 29:9.  Jacob has fled from Esau.  He’s also been sent to Paddan Aram to find a wife.  He starts talking to some shepherds at a well, and while he was still talking with them, Rachel comes with her father's sheep.  And then, it adds the reason she came, “for she was a shepherd.”  To this day, it is not uncommon that girls are shepherds in the wilderness.

If we look a Moses and David, what roles did they ultimately have?  Moses led the people from Egypt, through the wilderness (or desert), and on to the Promised Land.  David was the King of Israel, and the man after God’s own heart.

What was Moses’ backstory?  He was born in Egypt, placed into a basket in the Nile as a baby, but rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh and then raised in the palace.  When he had become an adult, he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite.  To rescue the Israelite, he struck and killed the Egyptian.  When he realized that this event had become widely known, he flees into the desert where he stays until God calls him to return to Egypt.  What is Moses doing for these 40 years that he is away?  He is a shepherd.  In part, God prepares Moses to lead the Israelites by allowing or leading him to be a shepherd.

David grows up as youngest brother and a shepherd.  His experience as a shepherd allows or enables him to shepherd the people of Israel as their king.  I’ve thought over the years that conflict in the workplace is not that much different than conflict among children.  Apparently, a good way to learn how to lead people is through shepherding.  (II Samuel 5:2, the people made David king; Psalm 78:71, God brought David from tending the sheep to shepherd His people Israel)

Going back to Moses, do you remember that God wouldn’t allow Moses to enter the Promised Land?  I always get a little hung up on that, and I never really realized how Moses reacts.  God tells Moses that he will be gathered to his people as his brother Aaron was.  Then God tells Moses why.  It’s because Moses did not honor God as holy before the people at the waters of Meribah Kadesh.

It’s like a perfect moment to think about yourself.  Have a pity party.  Think about what you did wrong.  Think about your older brother who had already died.  What does Moses do?  He doesn’t do any of those things.  He talks to God.  Does he ask for something for himself?

Moses said to the LORD, “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. – Num. 27:15-18

I think that’s so cool.  Moses was a good shepherd.  Once he found out that he wasn’t going to lead the people into the Promised Land, his first thought was that there needed to be a new shepherd for the people.  God immediately answers Moses and appoints Joshua.  Joshua too was a great leader of the Israelites.

If we reflect on Moses’ prayer, we can see that Joshua is the immediate fulfillment.  But, we can also see that Moses’ prayer is pointing to a deeper need, a need for all-time for the people of God.  We, the people of God, need someone to go out and come in before us.  One who will lead us out and bring us in so that we, “the Lord’s people, will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”  God has a much bigger answer for Moses’ prayer than just Joshua.

Even Joshua’s name preconceives a greater fulfillment.  Joshua is the leader who will lead the Israelites after Moses dies.  Yeshua, Jesus, will lead the people of God now and forevermore.  Moses told the people of Israel about the one who would follow him in Deuteronomy (18:15-19) as the Prophet.  Peter and Stephen confirm in Acts (3:19-26 and 7:37) that Jesus is the Prophet that Moses foretold.  Jesus is the ultimate Good Shepherd whom Moses asked God to provide for His people.

In the Old Testament, God also is the shepherd of Israel.  When Jacob at the end of his life blesses his son Joseph, he tells him, “God ‘has been my shepherd all my life to this day.’” (Genesis 48:15)

David testifies in Psalm 23 that “the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing, I shall not want.” (v.1) You know that Psalm as well as I do.  What else does David say of God’s provision?  

He makes me lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside quiet waters

He refreshes my soul

He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

You anoint my head with oil

My cup overflows

He concludes the Psalm saying, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  God is the Good Shepherd.  He shepherds his people even where it is difficult to shepherd.

Psalm 78 tells of how God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, how “He brought his people out like a flock.” (v. 52) It says that “He led them like sheep through the wilderness.”  The holy land is 70% wilderness, nearly desert.  Although, the Israelis are actively working to reclaim and use more and more land.  But shepherding in the wilderness requires a great deal of skill.  You must know where to find grass, where to find water.

We just read Psalm 23 where it talks about green pastures.  In the wilderness, there aren’t any green pastures.  At least, not the verdant carpets that we think about when we think about pasture.  I heard one speaker say that in the west, we think about pasture as a sharing sized bag of M&M’s.  In desert grazing, it’s like 1 M&M and it’s brown and hard to see.

The wilderness or desert is not the place of abundance.  It is the place of “just enough.”  When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God gave them manna to eat.  It was just enough for one day except on Friday when they would gather enough for two days so they wouldn’t have to gather on the Sabbath.  This thinking of “just enough” is reflected in the Lord’s Prayer.  We are told to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Isaiah 40:11 says “He [the Sovereign Lord] tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”  God is able to lead His people through the wilderness even the lambs and those who have young.

Sadly, the rulers of Israel after King David, they were not good shepherds.  You can read about it in Ezekiel 34.  The passage in John 10 that we read talks about the hired hand, how he would run away when the sheep were attacked.  Jesus explained that this hired hand “cares nothing for the sheep.”  That’s what we find as the description of the “shepherds of Israel” described in Ezekiel.  Verse 8 says that they “cared for themselves rather than for My flock.”

What will God do about this situation?  For one thing, it says He will remove those bad shepherds.  After that,

… this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.  I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.  I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.  I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. – Ezek. 34:11-16

After another interlude about what the Lord will do with not only the bad shepherds, but also the bad sheep.  He concludes …

I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.  I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.  I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. … You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign LORD. – Ezek. 34:22-24, 31

Jesus is that Good Shepherd.  He is the Son of David.  Today is Palm Sunday.  The day where Jesus came into Jerusalem on the Sunday before His crucifixion.  Do you remember what the people cried out as he rode in upon the foal of a donkey?

“Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” – Matt. 21:9-11

This is the prophet whom Moses foretold, the good shepherd who Ezekiel foretold, and the Micah too foretold, saying …

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. – Micah 5:4

That comes just after the familiar passage that is quoted in Matthew that we read at Christmas.  “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” (Matthew 2:6 and Micah 5:2) Here in Micah 5:4, we see how He will shepherd.  In the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of His Name, and the people of God will live securely and His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

We too are His sheep, and we are caught up in this good news for His people.  Zechariah in the Old Testament and Peter in the New say something very similar.

The LORD their God will save His people on that day as a shepherd saves His flock. They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. – Zech. 9:16

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. – I Pet. 5:4

We have the promise that the Lord will save His people as a shepherd saves His flock which is awesome.  Then, we see that His people will sparkle like jewels in a crown.  Peter tells us why.  We will sparkle in His land because the Chief Shepherd will give us all crowns of glory that will never fade away.  Isn’t that fantastic?

I’ve got a couple more verses here to end on.  Jesus is not only the good shepherd.  He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  Revelation 7:17 brings both of them together.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; “He will lead them to springs of living water.”  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” – Rev. 7:17

The good shepherd takes care of our every need.  Physical, mental, spiritual.  He is truly the good shepherd.  With Him, we have nothing to fear.

I’m going to close with Hebrews 13:20-21 which is a blessing, a benediction.  Please bow your heads again.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. – Heb. 13:20-21  

I AM the Door of the Sheep

Last week, Carl talked about Jesus healing the man that was born blind and how the Pharisees threw the blind man out of the temple.   Today, I want to pick up where that story left off in John chapter nine after the blind man that Jesus healed was thrown out of the temple by the Pharisees.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. – John 9:35-41

The Pharisees were acting as a door to God and deciding who had access and who did not.  This blind man was a perfect example of this.  He had been born blind and he had been healed by Jesus.  This was an obvious miracle performed by Jesus.  However, that did not fit their political play book because they were trying to portray Jesus as a sinner and a friend of sinners and telling people that they should not follow Him.  So they threw this former blind man out of the temple.  They wanted people to know that they (the Pharisees) were the door/gatekeepers to God and they would decide who had access to the temple (and to God) and who didn’t.  That is why Jesus goes directly into a metaphor about a door/gate to the fold of the sheep in John 10:1.  

Realize that these chapter and verse separations did not exist in the original Bible.  Chapter numbers were added in the early 13th century AD and these were later subdivided in to verses in the mid-16th century AD. 

So before the 13 century there was no break between what is known today as John Chapter 9 and what is known today as John chapter 10.  

So with that in mind we go directly from Jesus telling the Pharisees that because they claimed that they were not blind, their guilt remains and we move into the next series of verses about sheep and a gate/door.

Let’s begin with Chapter 10 verse 1:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.”  – John 10:1

What is the fold of the sheep or what is often called the sheep fold?  It is a corral with one door, where in the evening the shepherd would herd the sheep in for their protection.

“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” – John 10:2-3

Either the shepherd or a watchman/doorkeeper would lie across the door opening where he would sleep for the night.  If a thief or a wild animal comes to steal a sheep at night the shepherd or the watchman/gatekeeper would hear the commotion, he would rise and protect the sheep. 

Shepherds would sometimes even share a sheep pen and put all their animals in this enclosure. All of the village sheep would be in one fold which was the place of protection for the night.

In the morning each of the shepherds would call his sheep by name and they would recognize his voice and their name and they would come to the door and follow their shepherd to pasture for the day.

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” – John 10:4-5

Obviously Jesus is referring to himself here going ahead of the sheep.  Verse 6 says:

Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. – John 10:6

Now Jesus wanted there to be no mistake that He was referring to himself here.  So verse 7 begins:

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” – John 10:7b

Since the blind man wasn’t healed in the way that the Pharisees expected God to heal and on a day that they expected God to heal, they determined that the healing couldn’t be valid.

Instead of rejoicing that the blind man had experienced a miracle from God, they decided they would act as a block or obstacle to access God. This action implied that they were trying to be the gatekeepers to God.

This is why Jesus then replies in John chapter 10, “I am the gate for the sheep.”

The NASB version translates this verse as:

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” – John 10:7 NASB

Jesus is essentially saying to the Pharisees “I am the gate or door, not you. I am the one who decides who comes in and who goes out, and who experiences God.

When Jesus refers to himself as the gate or door of the sheep, he’s using a familiar metaphor for his listeners. It would’ve been commonplace to see shepherds and sheep wandering around following their shepherd and them putting the sheep down for the night.

“All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” – John 10:8

Here Jesus is not only referring to this blind man who is responding with his worship but to all the crowds who would hear His voice and follow Him.

“I am the gate [rendered door in the NASB]; whoever enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. – John 10:9

Jesus gives instruction to His sheep entering the gate/door in similar passages in Matthew chapter 7 where He says:  

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matt. 7:13-14

In today’s culture there is a prevailing theme that all religions are alike and that we all pray to the same God or Supreme Being.  Don’t buy into this lie.  This lie was created and propagated by Satan the father of lies. This lie is the broad road that heads to destruction that Jesus is talking about here.  

Jesus goes on to say: 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

The NASB version translates the second half of this verse 10 as:

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10b NASB

In the corresponding passage in Matthew 7 Jesus gives instruction to watch out for these false prophets.  

“Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. – Matt. 7:15 NASB

Now false prophets in our day would also include those who misinterpret true prophecies and try to persuade others that their interpretation is correct.

Jesus also goes on in this passage to tell us how we can recognize these people dressed in sheep’s clothing.  He says:

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” – Matt. 7:16-20

Now it is obvious here that Jesus is not only talking about the words of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and the false prophet’s words.  No. Here He is also talking about their spiritual fruit.  

The late Herschel Martindale who was instrumental in starting our church here in Clemson back in the early 70’s would say if you want to know if a person is being led by God “check the fruit”.

Paul describes this fruit in Galatians 5 where he describes the fruit of the spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Gal. 5:22-23 

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were pretending to be sheep led by God but their fruit was obviously bad.

The false prophets of our day pretend that they know the true interpretation on prophecies and that they are being led by God.

If we check the fruit of their lives we will find it obviously bad.

There are three takeaways you should remember from today’s message:

1. Jesus is both the gatekeeper and the gate. He is on duty day and night leading and guarding His followers.
   
   
2. He gives us instructions on how to recognize the messages of the false prophets and the false teachers from His message and the men and women who truly follow it.
   
   
3. The followers of His message will produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  The followers of the false prophets and false teacher’s messages of our day cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit because they are not being led by the Holy Spirit.  

 

I AM the Light of the World

 

Welcome! We are in the middle of a series called “I AM” in which we seek to really understand the I AM statements of Jesus.  These statements were always bold and provocative, meant to point out that Jesus was far from a normal everyday man. Today’s I AM statement comes from the Book of John, chapter 8:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Imagine standing up in a public place, maybe in a grocery store, or at your place of work, or, if you are a student, in your classroom, and saying so that all can hear, “I am the light of the world! Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!” How would those within earshot react? Well, they might discretely go tell the manager at the store, or your supervisor at work, or call campus security at the university, and say that there is an out-of-control crazy person who needs to be dealt with. Notice that he says I am the light of the world, not a light of the world. Talk about delusions of grandeur, right?

And in fact, times have not changed that much, because those in the crowd around Jesus have similar thoughts. Let’s look at the response:

The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” – John 8:13 

Now, you might say that this would certainly not be your own response, but let’s look a little deeper. The nature of the Pharisees’ response makes it clear – even apart from the previous chapters of John – that this is not the first time the Pharisees and Jesus have been in contact. In fact, it feels like we have just been dropped into the middle of an ongoing debate in which the two sides, Jesus and the Pharisees, have known each other and have been arguing with each other for a long time. And the previous chapters of John make it clear that this is exactly the case. Even if this is the beginning of a new confrontation, the lack of introductions makes it clear that they are picking up where they have left off. 

And the Pharisees don’t even bother to respond to the bold claims of Jesus directly. It is as if at this point they don’t really care what He says – it is all nonsense to them. And so their response is, in effect, “You can say whatever outrageous statement you like, but there is no reason to believe you when you talk like a madman like this.” 

But Jesus was no madman. He was telling the truth, using figurative language, of course. But He is truly the Light of the World. The main things we will do today is to look at the meaning of Jesus’ powerful claim, look at how it ties in with other Scriptures, and look at what it really means for us.

The theme of light is widespread in Scripture. Light is symbolic of goodness, holiness, and grace. In contrast, darkness is symbolic of wickedness, sin, and judgment. Note that darkness is the absence of light. It is not the other way around. Light shines into darkness. Darkness cannot overwhelm light, but light can and does overwhelm darkness. 

Consider the beginning of Genesis. Does God call darkness into being? No. He calls into being light. Starting at Gen. 1:1: 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. – Gen. 1:1-4

The light was good in Day 1. But God does even more with light on Day 4. 

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. – Gen. 1:14-18

Now on face value this passage is clearly talking about the sun and the moon, and it is interesting how God describes their purpose: they are for the benefit of people. They help us know when it is daytime and nighttime, and they help us know the seasons (to mark sacred times) – and days and years. And they light the earth.

It feels good to get out on a sunny day and feel the sunlight on your skin. Our bodies even depend on light – it’s not just plants that do that. Our bodies make Vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Amazing!

Light is a major theme in Exodus. God first appears to Moses as light in the bush that burned but did not burn up. And the contrast between light and darkness is made very clear in one of the plagues against the Egyptians at the time of Moses. From Exodus 10:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. – Ex. 10:21-23

The darkness was a plague; light is a blessing. It is impossible for me to imagine three days of total darkness. Clemson experienced a total eclipse in 2017, but that was nothing like total darkness. In our days of cellphones always a short reach away, we really cannot understand what three days of total darkness was like. Growing up, my family once all overslept on a vacation because, while we slept, so much snow came down that it blocked our one window to the outside world. But even then, someone woke up, looked at the time, and turned on a light. 

But let’s move on. When Pharaoh finally had had enough of the plagues and released the Israelites, how did God lead the Israelites? With light. From Exodus 13:

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. – Ex. 13:21

A pillar of fire to give them light. There is something almost magical about a campfire at night, is there not? How much more powerful must it have been to behold the power of God in the pillar of fire!

And a little later, when the Egyptians pursued the Israelites and were about to overtake them, God stepped in and saved them, ultimately by parting the sea, letting them pass through but then drowning the Egyptian army, but even before this, what did God do? He intervened with light and darkness. From Ex. 14:

The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. – Ex. 14:19b-20

And so God uses light to guide us and protect us and save us. 

Later, in Sinai, Moses went to the foot of a mountain to receive the Law from God. The mountain is described as being covered by lightning, that is, by continual flashes of bright light. And then we have the following events in Ex. 24:

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. – Ex. 24:15-17

A consuming fire that did not actually consume. I am struck by the parallels between this encounter and that initial encounter that Moses had at the burning bush. And in this description we see the holiness of God – so light also symbolizes holiness. 

The theme of God as light is also found repeatedly in the Psalms. Here are but a few examples:

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. – Ps. 18:28 

Another equally valid way to translate the Hebrew is to say that You, God, are my lamplighter. You, God, light my lamp. And how does one light a lamp? With light – with fire. I find this a nice picture of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives – we cannot light our own lamps; we cannot turn our own darkness into light. The Lord must do it. 

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? – Ps. 27:1a

Here we see a similar idea – we are not our own light. The context of both passages is the idea of being saved, of accomplishing victory. But this second passage also speaks of taking away fear. If the Lord truly is our light, if He truly saves us, then there are no enemies we will ever have to face alone, whether human enemies or spiritual ones. I have a story – one I don’t think I have ever used in a sermon, at least not that I can remember. 

When I was a kid, back in grade 4 or 5, I started helping an unlikely friend with his homework. I don’t really remember how it started, but we ended up once in the library together. I was there because I had read everything in my English classroom, and so when we had reading time, I was allowed to go to the library to find something else to read. This unlikely friend, named Carl Green, yes, another Carl, was the opposite of me. I was tiny; he was huge. I was a nerd, he was destined for football. I was white, he was black. But we somehow connected, and he really appreciated that I helped him with homework. One day he got accused of doing something bad to a student who was a bully – I don’t remember exactly what, but I knew it was false, because during that time – I think during lunch – Carl was with me. So I went to the principal and told him. And after that, Carl was really my friend. I later had a problem with bullies when I would come home from school, and this led to me trying to take long routes to avoid them. So I told my friend, and he told me to go alone the normal route, where the bullies were, and he would be waiting for me. And this is what happened. The bullies started bothering me, and then Carl Green showed up, and scared them really good. I never had problems with those bullies again. You could say that Carl Green was my salvation. Who did I need to fear? Nobody. How much more so if the God of the universe, the Light of the World, is your protector!

You [God] are radiant with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game. – Ps. 76:4

Here God’s light is used to describe God’s majesty. Majesty is not a word we use often today. Usually majesty is associated with being a king. This is out of our area of experience, as we do not have a king in America. But the idea conveys impressive beauty and dignity – picture a king in kingly garments, walking solemnly to his throne. In comparison, you do not feel adequately dressed or composed or trained or skilled to go before him. And how are game-filled mountains majestic? They too can have a beauty, a grandeur, that takes your breath away. I picture impressively steep mountains, with amazing views, and with goats leaping around as if it is nothing. 

The Lord wraps Himself in light as with a garment. – Psalm 104:2a

This also speaks to the idea of majesty. But it is not the royal robes that make our King majestic. It is His very character, His very identity, His holiness, His goodness. This is what takes our breath away, what makes us feel unprepared and inadequate to go before Him. Like Isaiah, we cry, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 

The Lord is God, and He has made His light shine on us. – Ps. 118:27

But just as God remedied Isaiah’s problem – He had one of His attendants, one of the seraphim, fly to Isaiah and touch his lips with a live coal, a glowing coal, God takes us, as we confess our sin to Him, and remedies our problem. His light is made to shine on us – we no longer are inadequate because of our lack of majesty; instead, we are clothed with His majesty. This is a beautiful truth – we are indeed clothed with Christ, covered by His blood, which was shed for us. 

And speaking of Isaiah, light is a major theme in the book of Isaiah, and some of the most messianic prophecies, those most directly pointing to Jesus, include the theme of light. Again, here are but a few examples: 

In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. – Is. 9:1b-2

We know that Jesus is from Galilee and He identified Himself as a Galilean. And so, yes, it is a great honor for Galilee to be able to say “Jesus was one of us!” And here the passage focuses on light as a source of hope, of rescue, of salvation. In a land of deep darkness, a light has come to save people from this darkness. The light is the gospel, and the gospel is all about Jesus, what He has done. 

Here is a second passage from Isaiah:

This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness; I will take hold of Your hand. I will keep You and will make You to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. – Is. 42:5-7

We know that this passage is speaking about Jesus from the fact that He is to be a covenant and a light for the gentiles, but also from the immediately preceding verses, which tell us that He is God’s servant in whom God delights (or is well-pleased with). And it tells us that God will put His Spirit on Him – both of these ideas clear reference to Jesus’ baptism. It describes His kindness, saying “a bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not put out.” And it says that He will establish justice and that even the islands will put their hope in Him.

Here is a third passage from Isaiah: 

He [the Lord] says: “It is too small a thing for You to be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob     and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make You a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” – Is. 49:6

It is hard to imagine a passage more directly speaking of Jesus. Of course there is Isaiah 53, which describes the crucifixion and resurrection. But I recall that when I was a brand new believer in graduate school, I was told that the rabbis had the proper interpretation of Isaiah and that the object of these verses was actually the nation of Israel. Well, it is hard to see how the nation of Israel is going to restore and bring back itself! No, this is clearly referring to a person. Throughout history, only one Person has been a light for the Gentiles, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth. Only one person can eternally save even a single soul, and that Person is Jesus, Light of the World. 

And then we have this passage which is also one of our old Scripture songs:

“Arise, shine, for Your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon You. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon You and His glory appears over You. Nations will come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of Your dawn. – Is. 60:1-3

Again, we see the theme of salvation coming to the whole world through the Light of the World. It says that “the Lord rises upon You” – yes, He literally rises. He is risen. He is the risen one. 

And the theme of light continues in the New Testament. We have looked at the “In the beginning” in Genesis. Let us now look at the “In the beginning” in John.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5

The Word, the Logos, is Jesus. Jesus was with God in the beginning, and Jesus is God. And He is the light – the light of all mankind. And I am struck by the fifth verse – that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. God and Jesus – one great God; two great Persons of light. And this reminds me again of Genesis chapter 1 – I want to go back to this. Here are verses 14-18, reformatted:

And God said, 

(A) “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky
to separate the day from the night, 

  (B) and let them serve as signs to mark sacred
        times, and days and years, 

  (C) and let them be lights in the vault of the sky 

                to give light on the earth.” 

                And it was so. 

     (X) God made two great lights—

                   the greater light to govern the

       day and the lesser light to govern the night. 

  He also made the stars. 

  (C’) God set them in the vault of the sky 

                to give light on the earth, 

  (B’) to govern the day and the night, 

(A’) and to separate light from darkness. 

And God saw that it was good. – Gen. 1:14-18

Where we have the two lights, the greater light and the lesser light, placed there for the sake of mankind, to mark sacred times – what a curious thing to say – at a time when no “sacred times” have yet been established. It makes me wonder if even the Genesis 1 passage had a second, more hidden message – that of the two lights, the greater (Father) and the lesser (Son) – and before I go on let me make clear that I do not think that Jesus is in any way inferior to God the Father, far from it! But I do think there is a parallel in how, just as the moon gives off the light of the sun, reflected to us for our benefit, so the Son wholly obeys the will of the Father, and He reflects the Father’s desire for us for our benefit. I wonder if this is something we are meant to consider. Kind of an “easter egg” in Scripture. I believe Scripture is filled with such “easter eggs.” One reason I think this is that Genesis 1:14-18, on the events of the fourth day – by the way, the middle day, if you include the final day of rest – is unique among the accounts of each day in that the verses are arranged as a chiasm.

What is a chiasm? A chiasm is like climbing up one side of a mountain, getting higher and higher, perhaps going through a layer of forest and next a layer of scraggly bushes, and then a barren layer, above the tree line, and then at last the very peak – where you find an amazing view – and then descending on the other side, going through the various kinds of brush in reverse order. Using letters to describe the various types of terrain, we could call the regions A, B, C, X, C’, B’, and A’, where X is the peak of the mountain. 

I would argue that this passage also has the structure A B C X C’ B’ A’, where A and A’ have a common theme (that of separation of darkness and light), B and B’ have a common theme (that of governance and serving in a leadership role), and C and C’ have a common theme (that of giving light to the world). I would point out that Jesus is all these things. He will separate darkness and light – the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats – believers from unbelievers. And He is a leader - in servant leadership as the one who washed our feet, who died for our sins – and as one who will lead as King of kings and Lord of lords. And He is the Light of the World. And at the center, the X in our A B C X C’ B’ A’ are the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day – this would be the Father, who is unapproachable by the unholy, who lives in light – and the lesser light (again, not less powerful or in any way inferior, but simply subservient, obedient); the lesser light is Jesus, who brings the light of salvation to the night, to those who are in darkness. 

But we have wandered down a rabbit trail (or maybe up one). Let’s continue to look at the theme of light in the New Testament. 

I find the theme in the birth accounts of Jesus. First we have the shepherds:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. – Luke 1:8-9

Radiance – a great shining – was undoubtedly amplified even more when the great company of angels suddenly joined this one angel, saying “Glory to God in the highest.” 

And then we have the devout man, named Simeon, who was able to pick up the baby Jesus at the Temple, who said, praising God,

“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” – Luke 2:29-32

And this brings us full circle back to Jesus’ ministry. Jesus repeatedly used the theme of light and spoke of Himself as the light of the world. 

Recall John 8:12, that we opened with:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

In this passage we see the fulfillment of everything we saw in the Old Testament. His holiness, majesty, protection, salvation, goodness, and more. To follow Him means to have the light of life – a life without fear, a life that we do not live for ourselves, but for Him, a life of abundance, of blessing, a life that is ultimately eternal in Him. 

Now, this is not the only occasion that Jesus describes Himself in these terms. In John 9, we have a situation where Jesus’ disciples ask whether a man they see who has been blind since birth had sinned or his parents had sinned so that this had become his lot in life. Jesus gives this answer to their question:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” – John 9:3-5

And so we see here that being the light of the world also means being the restoring one, the healing one. And this is exactly what Jesus does: He heals this man, making him able to see. And the disciples, in a hilarious sequence of events, question him. I love that this man gives short answers; he is not intimidated by the Pharisees, but give short answers that must infuriate them. “Where is the man who did this?” “I don’t know.” “How did it happen?” “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.” “What do you have to say about Him? It was your eyes he opened.” “He is a prophet.” Then they question his parents, who were more fearful of them, and they say, “He’s an adult. Ask him yourself.” Then they bring the healed man back, and say “Give glory to God by telling the truth.” (Basically they are calling him a liar.) “We know this man (meaning Jesus) is a sinner”, they say. And then his reply: “Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know – I was blind, but now I see!” They continue to question him, and he says the best line of all: “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become His disciples too?”

How did this man have such boldness? Why wasn’t he afraid of them? Because He had been touched by Jesus – Jesus had transformed his life! He was now able to see, for the first time in his life! He had been healed, and although he at this point knew next to nothing about Jesus, he was willing to identify himself as a Jesus follower. 

And with that, let me turn to the application. We have been talking about how the idea of Jesus as the light of the world pervades Scripture. Well, now consider this:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matt. 5:14-16

This familiar passage almost becomes new again, even shocking when we look at it in view of the passages we have already discussed, doesn’t it? You, yes, you, are the light of the world. You are a Jesus representative, a Jesus ambassador, a disciple. 

A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Just like that blind man could not hide what had happened to him, if you are a follower of Jesus, there are also things that have happened to you that you cannot hide, even if you try to do so. It doesn’t matter if you have been a Christ follower for a long time or for a short time – He has changed you and is continuing to change you, and people are going to notice, even if they don’t understand it, even if they don’t like it – like the Pharisees investigating the man who was no longer blind.

But don’t try to hide it! That is the point of the rest of this short passage. Let your light shine! Now, don’t think this means it is about self-effort; if you go there, you are entirely missing the point of this passage. He is the greater light – you are a lesser light. And in this case, truly a lesser light – in every sense of the word. In fact, there is nothing in you that is solely of you that is light at all. What you are is a light reflector. Just as the moon shows the light of the s-u-n, you reflect the light of the S-o-n. Your job is not to try hard to be good; your job is follow Him, to repent when you do not do so, to read and obey Scripture, to pray, to listen to Him, to do what He prompts you in your heart to do. You are to be one of His disciples, too. 

We have a beautiful picture of this in Moses. Recall that after being with God, Moses’ face was radiant; that is his face reflected the light of God, and this resulted from spending time with God. Moses wore a veil because his people were afraid to come near him. But we are people of the New Testament, and the time for a veil is past. Let me close with this passage from 2nd Corinthians:

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! – 2 Cor. 3:7-11

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Cor. 3:12-18

Go, unveil your faces. Go, be very bold. Go, and be who you are, the light of the world.