Never Give Up

Psalm 68:1-4, 28, 32-35                            Romans 8:34-39                             John 10:22-42

Never Give Up

Antiochus Epiphanes, one of the most infamous successors of Alexander the Great, banned Jews from practising their religion and tried to make them worship the Greek god, Zeus. During his oppressive reign, there was a dispute over the leadership of the Temple and a power struggle for the High Priesthood. As a result, Antiochus personally entered the Holy of Holies in 169 BC, stole the temple's precious gold and silver vessels, and appointed his own High Priest, a man by the name of Menelaus. 

He then decided to Hellenize Judea, which led to the end of the sacrificial system, the prohibition of circumcision, and the construction of a Greek altar to Zeus inside the Temple on December 25, 167 BC. There, Antiochus sacrificed pigs, sprinkling the altar with the blood of the sacrifice. He also commanded that the Jewish scrolls be sprinkled with a broth made of the pig's flesh, forced the priests to eat the flesh, and had the Menorah, the lamp signifying the presence of God in the Temple, extinguished. According to the Jewish 1st Century historian, Josephus, those Jews who refused to comply with his demands were crucified along with their circumcised children hanging around their necks. 

A while later, when an erroneous report of the death of Antiochus was circulating, the deposed High Priest recaptured Jerusalem, causing Menelaus to flee for his life. But, according to 2 Maccabees 5:11–14, when Antiochus, who was not dead as supposed, heard about this, “he thought that Judea was in revolt. Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery.”

After restoring Menelaus as High Priest, Antiochus then helped the Hellenised Jews by issuing decrees against the traditionalists. He made Jewish rituals and traditions illegal and transformed the Temple in Jerusalem into a hybrid pagan-Jewish sect that worshipped Zeus. Antiochus then built a Greek citadel called the Acra in Jerusalem for Hellenized Jews and Greek soldiers. 

A while later, a priest by the name of Mattathias of the house of Hasmon led a revolt against this tyranny. Unfortunately, within only one year, Mattathias died, but his son, Judas Maccabaeus, continued the struggle and subsequently led the Jews to victory over the forces of Antiochus. 

In December 164 BC, exactly three years after Antiochus had defiled the Temple, Judas recaptured Jerusalem, all except the Acra. He then had “righteous priests” cleanse the Holy Place and erect a new altar of unhewn stones. They then rededicated the sanctuary on December 24 (Kislev 25 in the Hebrew calendar), offering sacrifices as prescribed in the Law. He commanded a celebration of eight days, a festival that became known as “Hanukkah” or, as it is in the English translation, the “Festival of Dedication” or the “Festival of Lights” that commemorates the defeat of Antiochus as well as the renewal of proper worship. The outcome of this victory was the rise of the priestly kings known as the Hasmoneans, a dynasty that lasted until the Romans took over Judea in 63 BC.

This is the background to the Gospel passage we read today. Freedom from the tyranny of those who would seek to impose false worship and the renewal of true worship through the intervention of a deliver. 

The tragedy of it all is that those who were responsible for the maintenance of the Temple in the 1st Century AD were descendants of the Maccabees/Hasmoneans. They were known as the Sadducees, upper-class wealthy aristocrats and members of the high priestly family, who served on the Sanhedrin together with the Pharisees. 

But unfortunately, they were largely conciliatory toward their Roman overlords, often cooperating with the authorities and the Herodian rulers, so that they might maintain stability and protect their positions of authority. The Romans, through their political authority, often manipulated the selection of the High Priest by approving candidates who were favourable or accommodating to Roman interests. This meant that, indirectly, the Romans had a hand in the appointment of the High Priest, a rather important religious position.

The Sadducees' cooperation with the Roman powers was multifaceted. They had a vested interest in maintaining the functioning of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was not only a religious centre but also a significant economic and social institution…remember Jesus' attempt to drive out the money changers and merchants from the Temple precincts in John 2:13-17? If history teaches us anything it is that nothing is quite so lucrative as a religion. So, because they feared that disruption or interference in Temple activities might provoke a harsh response from Rome, potentially leading to severe consequences such as the closure of the Temple or other punitive actions, they endeavoured to keep the peace at all costs. 

This is one of the reasons why they opposed Jesus. In John 11:47-48, we read: “Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man (Jesus) is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

This political collaboration for the sake of maintaining the Temple's operation was viewed negatively by the other Jewish sects, like the Pharisees and the Zealots, and was one of the reasons for the establishment of the Essene community at Qumran. Many thought that the Sadducees compromised Jewish individuality and Jewish religious principles by aligning with foreign powers for their own benefit. The accusation of being collaborators with Rome was a significant point of contention and opposition against the Sadducees.

But the sad truth of this was that the Temple was once more a place of compromise, a hybrid pagan-Jewish sect just as it had been under Antiochus Epiphanes. One can then hardly miss the irony of the question then: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah (or the deliverer), tell us plainly.” 

It has often been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Israel had a long history of would-be deliverers. Moses delivered the people from slavery in Egypt, and look at what happened to them in the wilderness! Joshua delivered them from defeat during the period of the conquest, and look at what happened to them after they had settled in nicely! Various judges delivered them from different oppressors, only for them to be oppressed again later because of their ongoing sin. Saul and David delivered them from the Philistines, and Solomon brought in a period of peace and prosperity only to lose it all through temptation and false worship. And the Maccabees delivered them from Antiochus, only to lose it all to the Romans…up and down they went all the way through to the time of the New Testament. One would have thought that by now they would have realised that any human deliverer was useless. 

And yet, their idea of the Messiah was all too human. They were expecting some conquering hero like Joshua or David or Judas Maccabeus…perhaps that was the reason they asked this question during this particular festival commemorating the deliverance of Judea and the rededication of the Temple. 

But it is difficult for anyone to adopt a different view once they have formed a definite opinion on something. That’s why opinions are such dangerous things…they can not only blind you to opposite points of view, but they can also rob you of the truth. 

And that was certainly true here. “I did tell you,” Jesus insisted, “but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.” 

Obviously, Jesus did not fit their bill…he was not the hero they wanted…and so even though his works and his words testified to the truth about his identity, they simply could not see it. Judging by their reaction in verse 31, they had pretty much made up their minds about their Messiah, so it doesn’t seem as if they were expecting an answer that would have changed their opinions…rather they seem to have been wanting a reason to denounce him and get rid of him.

Even so, Jesus did not shrink from answering their enquiry. He maintained that his words and his works had already given them the answer to their question. But then he added the stinger. He said the reason they missed the obvious was because they were not his sheep…that’s why they could not hear the voice of the Shepherd. Ouch! These were the leaders in Israel…these were the teachers of the law, and the maintainers of the Temple. 

In this brief discourse, Jesus underlined some basic principles. 

Firstly, he stated without excuse or elaboration that only his sheep hear his voice. Those who are not of his sheep do not respond because they do not hear. 

Secondly, as we saw last week, he declared that he knows his sheep and his sheep know him as intimately as the members of the Trinity know each other. “My sheep listen to my voice,” Jesus said, “I know them, and they follow me.” Or as Paul later wrote to Timothy, “…the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are his…” (2 Timothy 2:19).

Thirdly, Jesus affirmed that eternal life is a gift, not something to be earned by merit. The biblical presupposition is clearly that man cannot and will not seek after God as sin prevents him from doing so. (See Psalm 14:2–3, Isaiah 59, and Romans 3:11) That is the main problem with all human deliverers too…they cannot deliver because they themselves need to be delivered. Although humans will generally tend to search for something higher or more powerful than them, they will never reach an understanding of the one true God without the enlightening and regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. 

Fourthly, Jesus made it very clear that the life he would give to those who believed in him was guaranteed by both him and his Father. Nothing could ever snatch his sheep from his hand. As Paul said in Romans 8:38-39, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

The reason Jesus gave for this bold statement was that God is the greatest power and authority there is and he is subject to none but himself. He is greater than all by virtue of who he is…he is God the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of all things. Everything in the entire universe has reference to his will and his command and therefore his declaration cannot be overturned by anything or anyone. The sheep of his pasture are secure by the desire and decree of him who upholds all things by the word of his power.

But it was Jesus’ final statement that brought about the violent reaction. “I and my Father,” Jesus said, “are one.” 

Now, if you stop and think about their reaction to this statement one cannot help but marvel at their blindness. After everything Jesus had said and done, who else could he possibly be? This is why he said, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” Jesus' works mirrored his Father's works…and therefore his works testified to their oneness. 

One becomes even more acutely aware of the nature of their blindness in their answer to his challenge. Let’s backtrack a bit to catch the flow of the discussion. In verse 24 they asked him to reveal whether or not he was the Messiah. Jesus told them that his words and works had already supplied the answer to their question, but since they wanted a direct answer, he gave them one. Yes, I am the Messiah…but not your idea of the Messiah, as any human messiah would simply not be able to fulfil what God had promised…no human messiah could fulfil Genesis 3:15…no human messiah could reverse the effect of the fall. So yes, I am the Messiah. I am God, the only possible eternal deliverer.

For this direct reply, they wanted to stone him to death. In a moment of amazing patience, Jesus once more revealed to them the ludicrous nature of their reasoning. Every one of his words and works supported his statement…which one of these warranted the death penalty? Who else but God could have said and done what he had said and done?

But they could not see the wood for the trees.  To them, he was a mere human…and not one with a good pedigree at that… even though they could not explain how a mere human, a demon-possessed human, or a mad human could do the works he did. They would much rather attribute his works to the devil…as if the devil could do what he had done! That is blind, indeed! 

But why? Why could they not acknowledge him to be who he said he was? Well because that would blow the whole warp and woof of their theological worldview to pieces. Everything they believed, everything they taught, everything they lived for…everything would be overturned…and that meant they stood to lose all they ever held to be true and all they ever held dear, especially their life that was so bound up with all that happened in and around the Temple. If the Lord himself had, indeed, suddenly returned in person to his Temple, they were in deep, deep trouble.

So, Jesus once again calmly brushed aside their objection by citing Psalm 82:6 where the judges of Israel were called gods by virtue of their position as representatives of God. If mere human representatives could be called ‘gods’, how much more would the title not fit the divine representative of God on earth?

Yet, even here, when the spiritual blindness and deadness of his hearers is as plain as day, Jesus still graciously extended a word of appeal. “Do not believe me,” Jesus said, “unless I do the works of the Father. 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 am in the Father.” This merciful and persistent call of the shepherd even to those who appeared not to hear serves as an example to us. If the one who knew the mind of God could still lovingly reach out to those who refused him and who rejected his gift of life, how much more should we not persist in presenting the Gospel to those who reject it time after time? We don’t know the mind of God as far as the salvation of others is concerned. If Jesus never gave up on anyone, neither should we. 

Sadly, this new appeal was once again violently opposed and Jesus left the volatile situation and went to an area beyond the Jordan where John the Baptist had once ministered. It was the memory of John’s faithful preaching and teaching that now led many to believe in Jesus. Although John never lived to see this renewed swell of faith, he had planted the seeds which now germinated and grew. 

And, as such, the faith of John’s one-time disciples serves as a stark contrast to the lack of faith of the Jews in Jerusalem. Both had heard John’s preaching. Both had heard Jesus’ words and both had seen his works. Yet, only one group believed…

“My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus said, “and I know them, and they follow me.” There is no if or but in this sentence. There are no ifs and buts with God. He knows his own and he holds them in the palm of his hand…no power in all creation, things visible or invisible, can ever snatch us from his hand.

This is the word of the Lord. Believe it, receive it, accept it, apply it, and thank God for it. 

But there is a sad parallel between this passage and the Church today. Just as the Sadducees were the descendants of the Maccabees/Hasmoneans, so we, dearest beloved brethren, are the descendants of the Reformers! We are the children of those who died for the Word! But what is being done even now in the modern Church? Are we not fast becoming a hybrid pagan-Christian sect? 

God’s Word is once more being ignored or swept aside to give way to man’s thoughts and traditions as we bow to the demands of a self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-gratifying, self-centred, hedonistic society. God’s Word is being cast aside for the opinions of the world.

The Lord Jesus once more walks in the midst of those who dare to call themselves by his name and he is once more rejected and ridiculed by those who ought to know better. Like Judas Maccabaeus, the Reformers fought and died to deliver us from empty religion…and like the Sadducees and Pharisees our Church leaders fear that living out the holy otherness we are called to might provoke a harsh response from the world, and so they endeavour to keep a peace that will cost us dearly. We cannot say we love God and walk in darkness…we cannot, and we must not. There can be no collaboration with the world.

Those of us who remain faithful and true to our Shepherd are equally in danger of being stoned, literally or figuratively, but we have his witness and the witness of the great cloud of witnesses and more witnesses down throughout the ages and the witness of his constant presence with us to keep and guide us through these perilous times. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you his kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

These accusers have been faced before…they have been overcome before…and, by his grace, we will overcome them once more. It has been decreed by the Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end.

Many may say that it seems foolish to continue to pursue purity and holiness…why not throw in the towel and give in to the revisionists, they ask?  True…“the disciples of Jesus will be made to look and feel like a fool. Yet, fools for Christ formed the Early Church. And as that tiny band of believers grew, the world witnessed the power in such foolishness.” (Brennan Manning, The Signature of Jesus (Multnomah, 1996), p. 87)

We should not give up as long as he does not give up. He will cleanse and purify his church as he has done before. 

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2023