You are Jesus’ little lamb. - John 10:22-30

Today is Mother’s Day.  This is a good day for us all to take a moment and thank God for the women who gave birth to us and raised us, who drove us to our events and activities, who introduced us to Jesus and stayed up late at night worrying about us and praying for us.  Today is a good day to celebrate our mothers, but it is also a good day to figure out who among you and your siblings is your mother’s favorite child.  In my family I think it is rather obvious which one of my mom’s children is her favorite.  She dotes on and is most protective of my youngest sister.  Growing up she gave the most time and attention to my middle sister.  My oldest sister is the one my mom depends on and trusts the most.  But my mom only has one little blue jay.  That’s right, for as long as I can remember my mom has called me her little blue jay.  She doesn’t have cute pet names for any of my sisters, just me, momma’s little blue jay.  I don’t know why she calls me her little blue jay, I don’t know how my mom came up with that pet name, all I know is it irritates my sisters, and for me that is enough to convince me that I am momma’s favorite, and that my friends is what mother’s day is all about.

I think a pet name is a pretty good indication that you are someone’s favorite.  A pet name is a term of endearment, an expression of affection, an assurance that you are loved.  I tell you this because two of my sisters are here today and as any brother might do I want to rub it in their faces that I am momma’s little blue jay but even more than that I want to comfort and encourage you.  You see, You are someone’s favorite.  I know that you are because you too have been given a pet name; a name that is used to let you know how dearly someone cares about you, that expresses this person’s affection for you, that assures you that you are loved.  You are Jesus’ little lamb.

Not everyone is thrilled with the pet name Jesus has given you.  In fact, when Jesus first started to refer to His followers as His sheep there was a group of people that were far more irritated than three jealous sisters.  Saint John tells us Jesus was teaching in Solomon’s Colonnade or porch.  The historian Josephus tells us this section of the temple was a remnant of Solomon’s original structure.  It was an open space with a roof and wall on the back side but was open on the front to provide a view of the temple.  Solomon’s Colonnade appears to be a favorite place in which Jesus would preach to and teach His followers.  Which probably explains why even after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven early Christians would often gather in Solomon’s Colonnade to continue preaching and teaching. 

Solomon’s Colonnade provided some shelter from the weather.  Which was appreciated because on this occasion it was winter.  However, Jesus was not the only one braving the elements.  The temple grounds were likely filled with people who had come to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, more commonly known to as Hannukah, the festival of lights.  Hannukah is a celebration of the Maccabean revolt which drove out the Syrians who had desecrated the temple.  During Hannukah the Jewish people celebrated  the rededication of the temple to the glory of God.  Hannukah, as you know from Adam Sandler, is celebrated at the same time we celebrate Christmas.  However, Hannukah has more in common with the fourth of July.  Hannukah is a celebration of independence from an occupying force and resilience in the face of oppression. There is a certain cockiness that is often found among those celebrating independence and resilience.  Which might explain why there seems to be a bit of a “hold my beer and watch this” mentality among the mob of people that surround Jesus.  John tells us, “24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.””  The modern Greek expression is “how long will you annoy us?”  The mob gathered around Jesus is far from friendly.  In fact, they are 6 verses away from picking up stone to throw at Jesus. 

Jesus is not at all intimidated by this mob.  “25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”  With His teaching, with His preaching, and with His miracles Jesus had made it abundantly clear that He was the promised Messiah.  They just didn’t want to believe it, they had their own thoughts and ideas about what a Messiah should be, so they ignored the evidence.  Jesus didn’t exactly have a pet name for people who were “ever hearing but never understanding; ever seeing but never perceiving.”[1], but he had a name for them.  He called them a “brood of vipers”[2].

In contrast to the brood of vipers slithering around Him, Jesus describes what it means to be one of His little lambs.  Jesus said, “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 can snatch them out of my hand.”

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice.”  Listening is an essential description of one of Jesus’ little Lambs.  Yet listening is not an easy thing for us to do.  After all we have so much to say.  We have wants and needs that need to be articulated, fears and frustrations that need to be vented, and there is always plenty of whining and complaining to be done.  Jesus tells us to come to Him in prayer; He wants to hear what we have to say about anything and everything, but He also wants to speak to us.  Talking to Jesus in prayer is good, but listening to Jesus in bible study is even better.   In 2 Timothy 3:16 the Holy Spirit reminds us that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”  The bible is the breath of God.  In the pages of Scripture Jesus teaches and preaches to His followers as clearly as He spoke to His disciples in Solomon’s Colonnade.  However, It is not always a pleasant conversation.  The teaching is not so bad, but the rebuking and correcting can be irritating.  When Jesus exposes our sin, it is tempting to tune him out like the brood of vipers did.  But even when Jesus is correcting and rebuking, His little lambs hear love in His voice.  We hear not the voice of one that is eager to condemn but the voice of one who is eager to forgive.  Which is why Jesus’ little lambs take time to listen to their savior as He speaks to them through the pages of Scripture. 

Jesus said, “I know my sheep, and they follow me”. As true God Jesus knows everything about everyone.  As our creator Jesus knows us literally inside and out.  As our Savior Jesus knows our deepest darkest deeds.  Jesus knows your ignorant prejudices and judgmental opinions, He knows every rude and crude thing you have ever muttered under your breath, He knows every shameful thing you have ever done when you thought no one was looking.  Jesus knows your every sin.  Guilt and shame tempt us to be annoyed with Jesus just like the brood of vipers were annoyed with Jesus.  But deep down we know Jesus is the one that should be annoyed with us.  Because of our sin, Jesus should say to you and to me, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” [3],   But instead Jesus says to you and to me, “follow me.”.  Jesus invites us to follow Him to the foot of a blood soaked cross where your deepest darkest deeds have been punished.  He invites you to follow Him to a cross where the LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  He invites you to follow Him to a cross where the victorious cry, “it is finished” proclaimed that the debt of all sin, including your sin was paid in full.  Jesus’ little lambs follow Him because He leads them to the place where sin was punished, and sinners are forgiven. 

Finally, Jesus said, “I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”.  The brood of vipers that gathered around Jesus pretended they wanted Jesus to speak plainly to them, but what they really wanted was for Jesus to tell them what they wanted to hear so they could do what they wanted to do. They wanted Jesus to tell them a pretend truth.  Pretend truths can be tempting, but the bible warns, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.”[4]  Thankfully, Jesus actually speaks plainly to His sheep, He speak not of pretend truths but of real promises.  Jesus promises eternal life to you and to all who believe.  And that eternal life is exactly what Jesus says it is, it is eternal, it does not end or perish.  And because Jesus rose from the dead victorious over sin death and the devil no person on the planet nor demon of hell can take that eternal life from you.  When Jesus said no one can snatch you out of His hand He expressed it in the strongest words available to the Greek language.  In effect Jesus is saying it is absolutely impossible and in all other ways completely inconceivable that anyone will ever be able to snatch you out of Jesus’ hands.  By the grace of God, Jesus’ little lambs have learned that a real promise is better than a pretend truth.   

A pet name is a pretty good indication that you are someone’s favorite.  A pet name is a term of endearment, an expression of affection, an assurance that you are loved.  Hoping to really stick it to my sisters, I looked up the qualities of a blue jay to see if I could better understand why my mom calls me her little blue jay.  Turns out blue jays are known to be aggressive and territorial.  They are, and I quote “highly vocal, using a variety of calls and raucous cries to communicate and intimidate others.”  I don’t think being momma’s little blue jay is the complement I thought it was.  Perhaps, all these years, I have confused my sister’s irritation with amusement, perhaps I am not my mom’s favorite child after all. Oh well, at least I am still Jesus’ little lamb, and so are you. Jesus still speaks to his followers through the pages of Scripture and by God’s grace you are here listening to His voice.  Jesus knows your deepest darkest deeds, yet by God’s grace He leads you to a cross where your every sin is forgiven.  Jesus doesn’t offer you pretend truths; by God’s grace He gives you a real promise of eternal salvation.   By God’s grace, you are Jesus’ little lamb.  Amen.

[1] Matthew 13:14 & Isaiah 6:9-10

[2] Matthew 23:33

[3] Matthew 25:41

[4] Proverbs 16:25