Hear His Voice

John 10:27-42 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, make thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say you of him, whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blaspheme; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works: that you may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there. 

Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and He knows them, and they follow Him and He gives them eternal life, and they shall never perish or be plucked out of His hand.

The Father is greater than all the united forces of men, fallen angels, demons, and all enemies, so no one need to fear of being snatched out of God’s hand. The only thing one must do is come to God and permit His salvation and keeping power to be manifested. God cannot keep one contrary to his will any more than He kept Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-14; 1Tim. 3:6), angels (2Pet. 2:4; Jud. 1:6-7), pre-Adamites (Jer. 4:23-26; 2Pet. 3:5-7), demons (Matt. 8:29), Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12-21), and many others who willed to sin.

‘I and my Father are one’ One in unity (John 17:11, 21-23), not one in person or individuality (Dan. 7:9-14; 1Jn. 5:7; Acts 7:55; Rom. 8:34; 1Cor. 8:6; 11:3; Eph. 1:20-23; 4:1-6; 1Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 12:2; 1Pet. 3:22).

They attempted to stone Jesus again for blasphemy (John 8:59; Lev. 24:14-16) for stating He was in unity with the Father. ‘For which of those works do you stone me?’ Jesus healed their sick, casted out demons, cleansed lepers, raised the dead, fed multitudes, and taught them the truth at all times without charge. And this was His reward: being stoned.

‘You are gods?’ Quoted from Psalm 82:6. The word ‘law’ is sometimes used of all sacred writings (John 12:34; 15:25). If ordinary judges were called gods, why should it be blasphemy of Jesus to claim deity when He was the Son of God and one with God?

Jesus was sanctified by the Father and sent into the world by Him but the Jews said He blasphemed because He said He is the Son of God. Jesus asked them to judge Him on the basis of the works He did and to believe the works so that they might know and believe that He is one [in unity] with the Father.

They sought again to arrest Him (John 7:30, 32, 44). How He escaped is not stated. Jesus went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized and He stayed here opposite Jericho from December to the time of going back to Bethany to resurrect Lazarus. Then He went to Ephraim until April when He was crucified (John 11:54).

Many turned to Jesus for help and said John did no miracles but all things that he spoke of Jesus were true. There is no record of any miracle by John; but he had the power to do some, for he had Elijah’s power (Luke 1:17).