John Chapter 10

Factions; division; irreconcilable differences. A demon, the enemy; the other side. While such words may sound like phrases ripped from today's headlines, they also fully reflect the reality of how the Pharisees saw Jesus--especially once they realized that he was stating clearly, directly, and openly, that He is One with God.

Anyone who made claim to be God without it being true was guilty of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death, and the Pharisees were ready to carry out the execution. In John 10, they pick up rocks to stone Jesus to death because He claimed to be God; and yet, as the people who were witness to these interactions were forced to consider, "What if Jesus is telling the truth? What if He really is God?"

In John Chapter 10, Jesus' claim to the people that He is God is meant to bring hope, comfort, and encouragement to a people in bondage--in bondage to Rome, to the Law, and to sin. And yet, when He declares to those who will listen that He is the Good Shepherd Who tends, cares for, and lays down His own life for His sheep, the Pharisees are enraged.

Why would a message of hope bring such anger? Jesus' promise of deliverance--from sin to salvation--spelled the end of the power of the Law. The strength of the Pharisees came from their adherence to the letter of the Old Testament Law, but as Jesus so clearly declared, He had not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5).

John Chapter 10 is a beautiful message of the joy and the peace that Jesus offers to His sheep, who hear His voice and who follow Him. As he promises them, He has come to bring life, abundantly.

Come join us, 6:30 pm, Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Panera Bread, The Greene, as we seek to know the One Who offers hope and freedom for all who will believe!

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