Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” (vv.24-29)
Here we see a hostile ambush of Jesus as He simply walked into the temple. The sense is that the Jews encircled him, preventing His escape with a hostile purpose. The religious leaders (once again described as the Jews) refused to listen to or believe in Jesus. The problem wasn’t that Jesus was unclear about who He was and where He came from. The problem was that the religious leaders had hearts of unbelief that they wanted to discredit Jesus. Yet, the works Jesus did demonstrated that He was from God, and that He was true to His word.
The religious leaders wanted Jesus to speak plainly, and here He spoke more plainly than they probably wanted. Jesus previously told them they were not true shepherds (John 10:5, 10:8, 10:10, 10:12-13). Now Jesus tells them they were not even true sheep, because the Messiah’s sheep believe and hear His voice. Meaning, His people, those who believe He is the Son of God, hear and obey His Word - and He knows them.
In Jesus’s day many people that followed Him were not of Him. Not being true believers they wanted something from Him; healing, food, to witness one of His miracles. But those who truly believed He knows, and gives them eternal life (v.28).
Some people today are still looking for something from God. In times of trouble they check-in with Him, even make a request of Him pretending to know Him. Oh they might even go to church on occasion. But, according to our passage, He does not know them. Why? because they do not believe in Him (v.26) and neither do they hear His voice (v.27).
The Truth: “The Lord knows those who are His.” (2 Timothy 2:19)
