King Jesus
All month, we’ve been looking at the first half of John 10 and exploring Jesus’s words about being the gate for the sheepfold and being a good shepherd. As we wrapped up last week, we looked at the shift in the people as they listened to Jesus and how some of them recognized him as Messiah and how others thought surely he was demon-possessed.
This week is Christmas, but as I read John 10, I can’t help but think of Easter and the hope of eternity. According to Dallas Willard, eternal life is defined once in Scripture, in John 17:3.
John 17:1-5
After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life - to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
This mirrors what Jesus says back in John 10:14-15, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”
And then in John 10:17, “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
All of Advent has been marking time toward the arrival of Jesus, both as a baby and in the future. Before Jesus was born, people had been waiting for thousands of years for him to come, and now we wait for his return. Those waiting long ago definitely didn’t expect Jesus to arrive as a helpless baby. Yet, even as a baby, some recognized him as Messiah.
In Luke 2, we read about the shepherds’ encounter with the angels and their excitement to run to town and see the Messiah. We know what a big deal it would have been for them to leave their sheep to find this mysterious baby, yet there is an urgency and excitement to see if it is true. After seeing Jesus, they told everyone they saw what they had witnessed.
In Luke 2, we also read Simeon’s words, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Simeon then spoke a blessing over them and said to Mary, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Even then, holding Jesus as a baby - just 40 days old, Simeon understood that Jesus was the Messiah Israel had been waiting for and that he would also be the salvation of ALL people. Simeon understood that he was looking at the Son of God and that one day, in the not-so-far-off future, that baby would be the salvation of the world.
In this same chapter in Luke, we meet Anna, a widow living in the temple who observed Simeon talking with Jesus and his family and began praising God because she understood who this baby really was.
The moment Jesus showed up, the story changed. Not only would he be the Good Shepherd who would welcome all people into the fold, but he would be the spotless Lamb who would make that invitation possible.
In Matthew 2, after observing the star in the sky, the wise men understood that the long-awaited King of the Jews had come. King Herod’s own priests and teachers affirmed to him, from the Scriptures, what the wise men knew to be true.
Matthew 2:6
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’
These words come originally from the prophet Micah and remind us that the term shepherd is often used in Scripture to refer to those in charge of a particular group of people.
As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, not just for Israel but for all people.
May these words from Isaiah encourage you today as you prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus!
Isaiah 9:6-7
For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his
shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice
from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the
Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
Merry Christmas - Melissa