A Divine Presence Reduced to an Animal Herder

(32) A Divine Presence Reduced to an Animal Herder
(John 10:22-42)
Rev. Mark Kosko

 I. Jesus was the GREAT I AM!
Moses asked God his name
Jews and Yahweh’s Law were held against Jesus
It was blasphemy to even utter YHWH’s name- we not only utter it but sometimes in vain.

 II. The GREAT I AM resorts to Analogy and Human Reasoning to prove the Truth
Shepherd analogy explains the relationship we have with Jesus but it also reduces Him to an ordinary animal herder
“But if I do it . . . “ v.38: Jesus attempted to persuade the Jews he was the Son of God even by suggesting “if” he performed miracles.

 III. Jesus Gives his Sheep Eternal Life
Jesus healed the blind man in order that we may believe and have eternal life
The Jews contradicted their own reasoning in rejecting Christ
What is this life compared to an Eternity with Him?

 IV. Observation of the Passage:
The shepherd analogy is comforting symbolism to us but we also run the risk of reducing God to an ordinary knowable thing, and then we lose sight of the terrifyingly awesomeness of the GREAT I AM.

 V. Application Questions:
Do we have a fear and awe of God when we view Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior?
The Jews at least witnessed Christ’s miracles, two thousand years later do we have faith and belief in Scripture