John 10:1-42
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
John 14:5-14
Jesus is the Way, the Only Way to God
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Matthew 16:13-20
Peter Confesses Jesus is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
There have been different teachers and prophets like Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Krishna, Moses, and Jesus...These specific men are each related and still relate to a particular religion...But as one looks at each religion, some of these men are different in their accounting of their specific religion...All Hinduism does not point to one specific major teacher or prophet, but is a religion that is based on the teachings of the Vedas, ancient scriptures, many of which were brought to India around 1500 b.c. by the Aryans...But some traditions of Hinduism do believe Krishna was one of its leaders...And each of these religions have some fundamental truth in them and some wisdom in them...And in most of religions they point to a Great Source or Supreme Reality that Surpasses All Things...Most of us call the Supreme Reality -our LORD and our God...
To me, One Particular Person and Man stands out in all these different religions...And it is because of what this Man said about Himself...Yet, He is a humble and quiet type Man...And what He said was so unique, that it makes Him so completely different than any of the other teachers and prophets of religion...This Man called Himself a number of things...He called Himself a Good Shepherd...But that is not what makes Him unique...He called Himself the Bread of Life...That in itself is not unique to many, I suppose...But what stands out about this Man, is that He called Himself an equal to God...And He says He can give us eternal life...Plus this Man routinely went around forgiving people of their sins...He routinely went from village to village healing people of various diseases...These things, if one believes them, would make Him Divine...And He did do many works of miracles (He just did not due one) that showed us that He was Divine...And He does not say He did these different healings, forgiving, and miracles on His Own...He gives Someone Else credit...He says in the above verses, "The works I do in My Father’s name testify about Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep...My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me...I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand...My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand...I and the Father are One."...This statement saying I and the Father are One makes Him equal to God...Saying that I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me, is another statement that compares Himself with God, or at least says He has a special relationship with God -unlike any other man...And the religious leaders of His day took great exception to Him saying statements such as these...So much exception, that they would have Him executed on a cross...
But He would not stay dead long...He actually came back from His physical death after three days and is alive even today...That is, if you believe in Him...
This Remarkable Man said many, many other remarkable things, such as I AM the Truth, the Way, and the Life...Imagine calling yourself Truth...Saying that you are Life, and the Way to God, in fact, the Only Way to God...In this particular teaching here, He did not say follow My words or My teachings, but follow Me...This Man said no one gets to God except through Me...So by following Me, you can get to God, and that is the only way you can get to God...So some of the things He said sounded so strange or different or quite unique...Or maybe you think all the above things He said are very unique...So you need to reflect on why He might have said them...And you must ask yourself who do you say He is?...And He actually ask His Disciples this question of who do people say I AM?....
And He regularly showed comparisons and the closeness He has with God, as stated above...This Man said to one of His Disciples named Philip, "“Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?...Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father...How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?...Don’t you believe that I AM in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?...The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority...Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work...Believe Me when I say that I AM in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves...Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I AM going to the Father...And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son...You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.."...Even after saying statements like this very regularly and as a matter of fact, very surprisingly this Man was not considered an arrogant Man, but a Solitary Man, who often went to be alone in a solitary place to pray to the One that He called His Father, the One who was living in Him and doing His work...So as He talked about His Father, it was often done not in a separate way, but One of a Special Union and togetherness...More like a Duality with His Father, God...
This Man taught us that God knows who we are and that we are self-centered, sinners, who need guidance and forgiveness...He would die for our sins on a cross, so we could be forgiven and get closer to God through Him...Then He would take His life up again and teach His Disciples for another forty days after His death...
So to me, of all the above religions known to humanity, only through this Man can we see God...And we can see God as a Man...In this Man we see God reaching toward us, providing a Way for us to have a relationship with Him...This Man proves that there is a Divine LOVE who has a divine heart, who will meet our needs, draw us to Him, and show us that in life there is this purpose, because of Him...And because He died on a cross to save us and bring us salvation, He would live again and be resurrected and bring us this atonement for our sins...He is still alive to this very day...He rose two thousand years ago and today He still lives!!!...So He can offer us a new life not only two thousand years ago, but even today...And if His words are true, then He must be Divine, and the only way to God...And through this Most Remarkable Man, this would show God's LOVE in action...
So when compared to all the different men mentioned above, He, I believe is like no other man...He is unique and His religion of Christianity is therefore unique because of Him...