Truth For Life

Announcer: When Jesus healed a blind man, there were some who rejoiced over the miracle and praised God. The authorities, on the other hand, shunned the healed man and sought to stone Jesus. Today on Truth For Life, Alistair Begg explains why people are similarly divided even now, all these centuries later, when someone comes to saving faith in Jesus.

Alistair Begg: Our truly, truly, comes at the beginning of John chapter 10, but I’d like us to read from verse 24 of John chapter 9. John chapter 9, verse 24 to verse 6 of chapter 10, and the context is that Jesus has healed this man who was born blind. And this has resulted in quite a dialogue between the man and his parents and the Pharisees and so on. And we pick it up in verse 24.

So, for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” And they’re referring, of course, to Jesus there. He answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I’ve told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing. You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and you would teach us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. Amen.

Our gracious Father, we thank you that you have chosen to speak to us, making yourself known to us as we have pondered already this morning. And we pray that in your mercy and in your kindness, we might find as we turn to the pages of your holy Word, an encounter with your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in a way that changes our lives and sets our feet on the path of your appointing. Hear us as we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Well, there you have our truly, truly, the opening verse of chapter 10. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.” Now in verse 6, you will notice that John says Jesus is here using a figure of speech. And it is important for us to understand the Bible in the way in which the Bible is presented to us. In other words, where there is metaphor, where there is allegory, where there are figures of speech, we need to remind ourselves that that’s what we’re dealing with. We’re dealing here with a picture.

Now, in each of these truly, trulys, we’ve said to one another, it’s very, very important that we do not fall into the trap of isolating this single statement from the surrounding context. The surrounding context of the Bible, the surrounding context of the immediate place in which these words are said. And so, I want to do that. I want to do it, first of all, if you like, in terms of the historical reality of the context, and then in terms of the immediacy of it, recognizing a number of things.

First of all, that when we read our Bibles, and when we read particularly through the Old Testament, we very quickly come upon the fact that God reveals himself and speaks as the shepherd of his people. So, for example, the psalmist cries out, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, to your people.” That’s the first verse of Psalm 80. We find the same thing runs all the way through the work of the prophets. And perhaps most memorably, because many of us know Isaiah 40 fairly well, we have loved that 11th verse, which reads, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arms. He will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who have young.” It’s a wonderful picture. A picture of the invisible God expressed in this particular way.

So, we first of all find that God is revealed as the shepherd of his people. When we read the Old Testament, we also very quickly discover that God, having, if you like, entrusted the privilege of shepherding to undershepherds, then has set the standard for how those shepherds should operate. And we discover that very quickly he speaks against many of these shepherds. And the reason he speaks against them, for example, in Jeremiah 23, and I’m choosing not to stop on all these places, but I’ll give you the note of them so you can follow up. In Jeremiah chapter 23, God says of these shepherds, “The weak you have not strengthened.” I gave you as shepherds to make sure that you strengthen those who are weak, that you care for those that are my own.

And in Ezekiel, you find very much the same thing. “The lost,” he says, “you haven’t sought. And with force and with harshness you have ruled them.” So, God, the shepherd of his people, entrusts shepherding to others, and when they foul out, God speaks concerning them. As we read, of course, through the Bible, and as we discovered when we went through first and second Samuel, the people of God, through the Judges period, and then in the establishing of kings, were constantly looking for the one who would come that would fulfill all of God’s plans and purposes. And so, we weren’t surprised when in Second Samuel, and you may want to turn to this, just to remind you that there is a Second Samuel, although how could we ever have forgotten, in Second Samuel 5, “Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, ‘Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led us and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be my prince over Israel.’”

So, we have this amazing advancement, if you like, in the story, as God sets in this position of responsibility and privilege David his own servant. And we discover, of course, in the Psalms, that he chose David his servant, and he took him from the sheepfolds. What a good plan to take somebody who was himself a shepherd in order to shepherd his people. Somebody who would care for lambs and for little ones, someone who in the physical frame would embody the picture of Isaiah 40:11 would seem to be an ideal choice. And there, of course, from the fields of Bethlehem, where he cared for sheep, there would come the one who was to be the ultimate shepherd.

So, if you’re following this, what we’re acknowledging is that when we view the panorama of things as we come to chapter 10, we’re not suddenly arriving at a metaphor that emerges from nowhere. God first as the ultimate shepherd of his people. Shepherds who do a bad job under the judgment of God. David raised up in a unique position, pointing forward to a kingdom that will never fail, and to a shepherd who will never let anybody down. And that, of course, is that when God promises personally to come and to seek and to feed and to provide, the ultimate fulfillment of that is in the Lord Jesus, which brings you to chapter 10. And in verse 11, he makes the declaration, “I am the good shepherd.” And again, in verse 14, “I am the good shepherd.”

Now, what we have here then, is Christ likening, if you like, the gathering of his people, his church, to a sheepfold. An immediate and obvious picture for people who were his listeners. In an agrarian culture, in that kind of environment, this, he was not pulling something strange. He was actually just using a picture that everybody understood. God assembles his people in this way. And Jesus is actually comparing himself to the door of entry, as we will see. And the reason he does that is because he is the only way of entry into his church. The church is the sheepfold, Jesus is the shepherd, and Jesus is the way of entry.

That is all I think I want to say in terms of the context, in terms of its historical context. But the reason I read from chapter 9 was so that we would get a grasp of the immediate context in which Jesus makes these statements. The people that are referenced in chapter 9, that we meet in chapter 9, are giving a very poor showing of what they might be as those who are supposed to care for the sheep that are around them. So, for example, in verse 16, I think it is, “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can this man who is a sinner do such signs?’ And there was a division among them.” And you have this amazing confusion and chaos.

The people also remember, at the end of chapter 8, had decided the best thing they could do with Jesus, who we now meet as the good shepherd, is to pick up stones and kill him for blasphemy. That’s at the end of chapter 8. Then you go into chapter 9. Then we find ourselves in chapter 10. And by the time you get to chapter 10, verse 31, it is a repeat performance. The Jews picked up stones again to stone Jesus. Now, this is the immediate context. This is his listening group, not exclusively the religious leaders, but the crowd and the leaders among them. And what they can’t cope with is the fact that this man, who was blind from birth, can now see. And that this man who can now see is testifying to them that this man, who they wanted to stone, is the one who is responsible for his sight.

And it is, it’s really quite terrific, isn’t it, where almost with frustration the man says to him, “Look, I don’t know many of the things you’re asking me.” This is verse 25. “But I do know this, once I was blind, but now I can see.” And this, of course, is the great picture of what it means to become a Christian. Becoming a Christian is not somebody who has decided to become religious out of an irreligious background, or to become a different kind of religious person from a different kind of background. No, it is somebody who has been blind, somebody who has been enslaved, being set free and being granted sight.

Because after all, when Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth and he spoke, taking up the word of the prophet, he used that very prophecy to say, “I’m here and I’m here to do this. Sight to the blind, and freedom to those who are captives.” He’s already said to these folks, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” What did they say? “We are not slaves to anybody at all. We don’t need your truth.” And now he says to them, “You’re essentially blind, and like this man, you need to be made to see.” And they’re somewhat sarcastic, as you see, at the end of chapter 9.

Now, what they’ve been doing, of course, is conducting an investigation. That’s what authorities usually do. “Let’s conduct an investigation. Let’s put a committee together and see what’s going on here.” It’s one of the things that in bureaucracies wastes a ton of money and a tremendous amount of time, when usually the answer is right there, right as bald as your nose on your face. And that’s the problem. Why do they need an investigation? The thing is straightforward. The man was blind, now he sees, and the issue is Jesus of Nazareth. “No, no, we’re going to have to check this out.” Verse 26, they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

And I love his response. I think a couple of you chuckled as I read verse 27. He answered them, “I’ve told you already.” Well, he’s told them already. In verse 11, the man, “I told you already, the man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and I received my sight.” And so now they come back to him and he says, “Look, I told you about this already. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” Wow, that’s a, that’s a pretty, that’s a, that’s an elbow in the ribs right there. That, that is.

But what do we discover? He says, “I told you already, and you would not listen.” They could not because they would not. If we make it to another Sunday, we will discover Jesus says them straightforwardly in verse 26, “You do not believe because you’re not among my sheep.” “I told you this,” he says, “and you had it as clear as you can see with your own eyes. Even my parents realize what has happened.” So, instead of rejoicing, they reviled him. They reviled him. That’s what it says. That’s not very nice. I mean, just on a, just on a fairly superficial level. I mean a guy who’s been blind all his life, could you, do you have a modicum of compassion in you? To say, “Well, you know, we, we’re not pleased about the Jesus part, but hey, you know, it’s nice you, you can see.” No. No, they reviled him.

“You are his disciple,” they said, “We are the disciples of Moses.” “Who do you think you are? We understand everything. You were born in utter sin. You’re going to teach us?” The picture is very clear, isn’t it? And so, verse 34, “They cast him out.” They cast him out. They had already made a plan for casting people out. You will see that in verse 22. “His parents were equivocating when they were approached by the authorities. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any, if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, to be the Messiah, he was to be put out of the synagogue.” Absolute clarity. No doubt about it. And so, they did what they had planned to do. He fits the bill. They cast him out.

Now, the reason I tried to read into chapter 10 with hardly taking a breath was in order to make the point that there is no chapter break. And I take it that Jesus goes on to say what he says about thieves and robbers because he has these characters in his gaze. They who should be the shepherds are acting more like thieves and robbers. And he actually says quite clearly in verse 39, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Now, we’re going to not exegete this now. It’s a masterful piece of work by Jesus. Let’s just hold with the notion that for judgment I came into this world.

A bell is going off in at least three heads at the moment, saying, “No, no, no, wait a minute, that’s not true,” because Jesus says, “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” Is that, is it just three heads or are there, are there more heads thinking along those lines? I think that’s in chapter 12. Yeah, it is. It’s chapter 12 and verse 47. Jesus says, “If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I don’t judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”

So then what in the world is Jesus saying here, “For judgment I came into the world, but I didn’t come as a judge”? He says, “My coming inevitably creates division. My words create a distinction. A distinction that is obvious already in the response of the Pharisees. We are the disciples of Moses, you are his disciple.” Their judgment is that Jesus is not what he claims to be, and the judgment of the man is that clearly, whoever he is, he has the power to change.

Now, as I struggle over that for a moment or two, my, my mind went to Simeon in, in chapter 2. Remember, Simeon was the man in the temple, takes you back to Christmas for a moment or two. Actually just takes you back to Luke chapter 2. He’s been reading his Bible and he realizes that there is one who is going to come, someone who will be the perfect priest, the perfect prophet, the perfect king. He’s waiting for him, he’s looking for him, and here they place this baby in his arms, and what does he say? “I can die now.” And Simon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.”

In other words, he understands that when Jesus steps forward, it will force people to decide whose side they’re on. Are they following Jesus? Are they following their own agenda? Are they following religious material? Whatever it is it is. And he actually says then in verse 35, “so that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Now I take it that that is what we are finding here in John chapter 10. Jesus by his word and by his works exposes the hearts of these religious leaders. These are the ones who are looking for the one who is to come, and he stands before them and they reject him.

And it’s not a matter of speculation, it’s a matter of eternal significance.

Announcer: You’re listening to Alistair Begg on Truth For Life, and we’ll hear more about the good shepherd on Monday’s program.

We hope you’re enjoying this study of these important statements Jesus makes in John’s gospel, these truly, truly statements. And the book we’re currently recommending to you is a book that will help you share Jesus’ teaching with children of all ages. It’s called How to Teach Kids Theology: Deep Truths for Growing Faith. We live in a culture that increasingly denies God and defies his word. If the next generation is to stand firm in the faith, it’s important that we not only share what we believe, but also teach them how to think deeply about God and the Bible. How to Teach Kids Theology equips you to lead conversations about the core beliefs of Christianity. It’s not just a how-to guide, it offers formats and lesson plans for teaching biblical truths to children from preschool all the way to the college years. The book includes sample activities to help you make learning interactive and to prompt important discussions about how to apply biblical truth to everyday life. Today is the last day we’re recommending the book How to Teach Kids Theology, so be sure to request your copy when you give a donation today at truthforlife.org/donate, or call us at 888-588-7884.

We are glad you’ve studied God’s word with us this week. Hope you enjoy the weekend and are able to worship with your local church. On Monday, we’ll talk about recognizing Jesus’ voice, the same way a child can recognize his mom or dad’s voice even in a crowded room.

The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth For Life, where the learning is for living.