I love the Gospel according to John, especially chapter 10. It is such a rich chapter. Jesus starts off telling the scribes and the Pharisees that they are thieves and robbers in verse 1. They were supposed to be the religious leaders of the people; but they weren’t leading the Jewish people at all. They merely burdened them with all of their man-made rules. (Don’t worry; I will get to the monkey bars later on).
Jesus also explains in John Chapter 10 that in biblical times, people didn’t use sheep dogs to round up the sheep, like we do nowadays in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Shepherds used to speak to their sheep, sing to them and call them by name. It’s hard for us to understand this, but that’s how they did it back then.
In verse 9, Jesus says I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by Him (John 14:6). Jesus is the door. He is the way. He is the only way of salvation (Acts 4:12). Are you saved? Have you turned away from your sins and put your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? (Acts 20:21)
In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that Satan is a thief and he only comes to steal, kill and destroy. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). He draws you in with the pleasures of sin. The Bible says that sin is pleasurable for a season. But Satan is not your friend. He deceived Eve in the Garden and he’s been deceiving human beings ever since. Sin takes over your life. It steals everything from you. Sin will destroy you. But more importantly than that, Satan will steal your very soul. He will deceive you to the end of your life and if you die in your sins as an unbeliever, he will have destroyed your very soul. You will die and go to Hell, where you will spend eternity.
But in this same verse, Jesus says that He has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus wasn’t talking about the Joel Osteen prosperity gospel. No, Jesus was saying that when you are truly saved, when you have been born again, the Holy Spirit resides inside you. No matter what you go through in life after salvation, Jesus is right there with you through the Holy Spirit. We wonderfully gain eternal life when we are truly saved. We also receive the Helper, the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us for the rest of our physical life here on earth (1 John 2:27). This is true abundant life.
Jesus goes on to tell us that He is the Good Shepherd. That He lays down His life for us (John 10:17-18). He willingly gave up His life, He willingly suffered physical pain and the wrath of God as He hung on that cruel cross for your sins and my sins. He died there, was buried and rose from the grave on the third day. God offers you eternal life, life everlasting, if you repent and believe the Gospel. Have you turned away from your sins? Have you put your trust in our Lord and Savior? (Hebrews 12:2)
In this chapter, Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice. Do you hear His voice? Do you hear the voice of the Master? Do you follow Him? Or do you claim Him as Savior, but not as Lord? Do give Jesus lip service but your heart is far from Him? Are you a follower of Jesus? Do you deny yourself and pick up your cross daily?
In John 10:29, Jesus says, My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man can pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Are you saved? Are you in God’s hand? When I was a kid, we used to play outside. We didn’t stay inside all day playing video games. When I was in grade school, I lived less than a mile from school. After school and on the weekends, some of my friends and I would go to the school grounds and play on the school ground equipment. I used to play on the monkey bars. I loved climbing around on the monkey bars. I had a lot fun doing that.
We live in the Bible Belt. I dare say most people around here have had some kind of religious experience at one time or another. Maybe your parents are Christians. Maybe you’ve gone to church all of your life. Maybe you’re a good person by our standards – man’s standards. Even now, maybe you still go to church regularly.
But have you truly surrendered your life to Jesus Christ? Or are you like I was as a youngster climbing on the monkey bars, are you climbing around on the outside of God’s hand? Maybe you are close to God, but you are not really saved. Maybe you are religious (like the scribes and Pharisees were), but you are not saved. Maybe you said the sinner’s prayer when you were a youngster, but you’ve never been born again.
Are you truly saved or are you almost a Christian? Are you in God’s hand where no man can pluck you out of or are you on the outside of God’s hand, climbing around where Satan and sin entice you away? Where Satan can steal, kill and destroy your very soul? Are you saved? Do you have the assurance of salvation? If you die tonight, are you sure you will go to Heaven? Do you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd? Are you resting in the joy of the Lord? Are you resting in the peace of God that passes all understanding? Are you resting securely in God’s hand? Or are you close by; just climbing on the outside of God’s closed hand? Are you truly saved? (Romans 10:9-10)