Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” “Snatch them out of My hand,” said Jesus, and "…snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Jesus told them plainly that He was the Christ—just like they asked Him in vs. 24. Jesus wasn’t a good man showing all mankind how to be your best you. He wasn’t a mere mortal who for a time had the spirit of the Christ upon him. He was the Christ in flesh. He was God the F...

John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. Don’t you love this verse?! Jesus is the giver of eternal life and every single sheep will be safely drawn into the fold—not one will be lost. What a comfort it is to be in the hand of Jesus Christ! How do we know if we are in His hand? We hear His voice and follow Him. We do not fol...

John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand." Jesus’ sheep are given to Him by His Father. He is greater—more powerful—than any one who would like to snatch His sheep out of His hand. His sheep can’t be snatched out of His hand because not only are the sheep in Jesus’ hand, they are in the almighty, all-powerful F...

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; Living to love with Jesus is like being an impersonator who sounds like another. We want to be sure our “voice” is the same as our Shepherd. He will speak through us if we speak with His words and His Spirit in love and care for His sheep. We can trust God to give His sheep ears to hear His voice as He puts them in our paths....

John 10:26 “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. Those who don’t believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, the Door, the good Shepherd, the Light of Life, the one who lays down His life for us, don’t believe because they are not His sheep. They follow another shepherd, the shepherd of the world. They recognize the voice of their shepherd, Worldly-wiseman, and they believe he is th...

John 11:28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." What more needed to be said. She knows she’s in right relationship with Jesus. She believes. Apparently her answer was affirmed by Jesus. He sent her to get Mary. Look at Martha’s love for Mary. She knows her time with Jesus will be filled with emotion, so sec...

John 10:25. Jesus answered them when they asked Him, "If you're the Christ, tell us plainly," "I told you, and you do not believe the works that I do in my Father's name. These testify of Me." What do these works testify of regarding Jesus? Just to name a few, the miracles testify that God is with Him. They tell us that Jesus's passion is for the name of His Father. They tell us that Jesus is the...

John 10:24. The Jews then gathered around Him and were saying to Him, how long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Some people want to know who is the Christ. God may put one or more of them in our paths today. How can we tell who they are? Love them for their highest good, which is pointing them to Christ. When possible, make a statement that might beg a question...

John 10:22-23. At that time, the feast of the dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was Winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple and the Portico of Solomon. In 165 BC, when Judah Maccabee recaptured the temple, after it had been desecrated by a Syrian king, he ordered it to be cleansed, a new alter to be built and new holy vessels to be made. After these steps, the temple was rededicated to th...

John 10:21. In verse 20, there were some, many in fact, said, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to him?" Then John says, "Others were saying, 'These are not the sayings of one demon possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind can he?'" Although many are afraid of Jesus, there are others who cannot deny what Jesus has done and who He is in spite of what we don't understand a...

Live to Love Scripture Encouragement, John 10.20. John 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” Hm. Why did people listen to Jesus? Let’s see. In the last 24 hrs, God testified about Him by healing a lame man and a blind man. He claimed that God was His Father and that He is the Light of life, the door to safety and peace, and the good shepherd. No...

Welcome to today's Live to Love Scripture Encouragement. John 10:19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. The words of Jesus often cause division. They bring out what’s in the hearts of people. If there’s a good heart, humility gives Jesus access to their lives. If pride, His words are toxic to them and they find ways to dismiss, change, or censor them. Sometimes, when w...

John 10:18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” On the front side of the cross, you can see why the Pharisees were constantly scratching their heads as they listened to Jesus. However, from our post-cross perspective, our heads explode with w...

John 10:17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.” Isn’t this an amazing revelation? Jesus told the Pharisees why the Father continuously loves Him. It’s because He continuously lays down His life (implied for the sheep). “So that” is a purpose clause indicating that He gets His authority to take up His life again because He willingly, obedien...

John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” Can you see, “What does He mean?” displayed over the faces of the Pharisees? I can’t help but think He was referring to the Gentiles—that’s all of us who were not born of Jewish descent. We have become one flock with all of the Jews who...

John 10:15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” We are known and loved by Jesus as Jesus is known and loved by the Father. We know and love Jesus as Jesus knows and loves the Father. Don’t miss this. Jesus is going to unpack this relationship more in John 14. The Father and Son relationship is the pattern and source of the relationship between J...

John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,” Jesus repeated His claim to be the good shepherd. He certainly didn’t want them to miss what He is. How comforting it is to know that He knows His own. He knows everything about us individually as well as collectively. And we each know Him. We know His voice. We know when He is near. We know that He loves us and will not le...

John 10:13 “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.” The hired hand is only concerned about his or her pay and personal safety, not the sheep. He or she cares only about the sheep to the degree that it results in reward, whether money or significance. Just like Jesus is the door and the shepherd, the Pharisees were the thieves and robbers and the hired hands. As w...

John 10:12 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” A new character enters the story. The hired hand. He’s not the thief or the robber. He has no ownership of the sheep and therefore won’t lay down his life for the sheep. When the wolf comes, he runs, which le...

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Jesus is the Door and the good Shepherd in Jesus’ parable. He’s a good shepherd because He will do whatever it costs to save His sheep—even to laying down His life. He is prophesying what He will do to save us and give us abundant life. God’s love: the sustained direction of the will (He lays) toward the highe...

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” If the voice isn’t that of Jesus, then loss, death, and destruction come upon those who follow the thief. Jesus came so the sheep may have abundant life. Why didn’t Jesus just say, “Hey, guys, follow Me and leave everything else behind”? I think it’s because He was jealous for t...

John 10:9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” Jesus spoke lovingly and clearly. He is the door through whom anyone may be saved and find satisfaction for the hunger of the soul. Such a simple gospel! When I read this, I leave this world behind and run into Jesus. He is my door, my salvation, my pasture. My soul runs to You, Jesus...

John 10:8 “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” The sheep had been waiting for a long time for the voice of their shepherd. As He delayed in coming there were apparently many voices, voices of the thieves and robbers, calling out to them. Jesus explained to them why some people, like the man who received sight, followed Him instead of them. They finally...

John 10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. Look at the incredible patience of Jesus. They don’t understand, but He endured with them. If we live to love with Jesus, we will endure with those who don’t understand who Jesus is or who we are. Watch in this and the following verses how Jesus is clear and concise. In the figure of speech he used, He...

John 10:6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. Mark 4:11-12 gives us insight into God’s love for us. “And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while heari...