Gospel: John 10:11-18 (Easter 4: Series B)

Jesus says, “I know my own and my own know me.” Hearers might experience this as Law or Gospel, depending on their context. The structure suggested here walks through two Law experiences and then two Gospel experiences. In their scriptural context, these words of Jesus are good news, Gospel. But despite our Lord’s intention, hearers may nevertheless receive them as convicting or condemning words. So, this sermon begins with the possibility of receiving these words as Law and then moves into the textual context to proclaim them as Gospel through the use of four rhetorical units.

1. To be fully known by God is to be vulnerable and exposed.

Jesus knows you. Jesus knows everything about you. Jesus knows your every thought, even the ones you try to bury. Jesus knows your every word, the ones your filter catches before they are spoken aloud, the ones you look over your shoulder before you speak, the ones you would only dare speak at a whisper. Jesus knows your every action. He knows what you spend your money on and what that says about your heart’s true treasure. He knows your browser history and every single image or video which has appeared on your screen and exactly how long your eyes lingered and lusted. Jesus knows you. Jesus knows everything about you. So, when Jesus says, “I know my own,” that can be scary. This is why, to be fully known by God is to be vulnerable and exposed.

Some ideas to develop this rhetorical unit:

• A serial depiction of all God knows, like the above paragraph.
• An image of an interrogation light or a police lineup in front of a two-way mirror.
• A dialogue between someone with a guilty conscience and their well-intentioned friend who offers comfort with the phrase, “But it’s okay, because God knows your heart.”

2. Knowing God can be scary too.

Jesus knows His own and His own know Him... and knowing God can be scary. Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.” It might be embarrassing to realize God knows us, but it can be downright terrifying to know God, His unyielding standard of righteousness and the consequences of offending such a one. It is not as if the God of the Old Testament was judgmental and angry and now He is “over it.” The God of the New Testament is the same God. Neither His character nor His standards have changed. To know God as He truly is, is to recognize His absolute intolerance of sin. This is why, knowing God can be scary too.

The God of the New Testament is the same God. Neither His character nor His standards have changed.

Some ideas to develop this rhetorical unit:

• A serial depiction of verses like Romans 1:18 that reveal the righteous character of God.
• A biblical narrative about God punishing sin, highlighting the fact that God’s view on the acceptability of sin has not changed.
• A monologue/character as God laments how lightly people take His expectations or their own sin, saying things like, “If they only knew Me,” and, “If they actually knew how this offends Me and what I am capable of...”

3.God does know His own, and He loves us. 

Our hope is neither in avoiding God’s gaze, nor that God will see “the real me” (as if the deeper motives of our heart would somehow make things better for us). God does know His own, and He loves us. He looks at us and sees us, with compassion. He sees us as sheep without a shepherd. He has compassion for us as the Good Shepherd. He knows the threats we face, both within and without. He knows the brokenness of our condition. He knows the evil Foe who threatens to devour us. He knows not only our guilt, but especially our helplessness. He knows the plight we find ourselves in and that there is no one who is righteous and no one else who is coming to save. Jesus says, “I know My own,” and He truly does love us.

Some ideas to develop this rhetorical unit:

• Walk through the imagery of John 10, focusing on the dangers we face as sheep.
• Recite Psalm 23 (or lead the room in a shared reading), emphasizing the needs of the sheep.
• Bring together many quotations about God knowing the plight of His people (like Exodus 2:23-25 and Mark 8:2), emphasizing God’s gracious attentiveness.
• Tell a narrative about someone who felt like God was absent or ignoring them, who then found comfort in the promises of God’s gracious attentiveness towards them.

4. Through Jesus, we know God.

The proverbial saying we have been looking at is good news. Jesus says, “I know My own and My own know Me.” Not only is God aware of our mess, but He is mighty to save, and His heart is towards us. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and we are His own. “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:7). Today, we hear His voice. We hear it in the words of Absolution. We hear it in the words of Scripture. We hear it in the words of Benediction. We hear His voice in the words of His self-revelation.

“God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is how we know God: The loving sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He laid down His life for us, and He did so with His eyes open. He knew our sin. He knew our helplessness. Now, through Jesus, we know His love. Jesus says, “I know My own and My own know Me.” By knowing Jesus, we know God the Father. “From now on you do know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7). Jesus says, “I know My own and My own know Me.” So, through Jesus, we know God.

Some ideas to develop this rhetorical unit:

• Share a series of vignettes when God’s saints in ordinary situations have found comfort in knowing a promise of God fulfilled in Jesus.
• Use an imaginary dialogue between a person and God the Father, where the person wants to know God and the Father keeps pointing to what He has accomplished through Jesus.
• Explore the text of John 10 by emphasizing the actions of Jesus and what they reveal about the heart of God.

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Additional Resources:

Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on John 10:11-18.

Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching John 10:11-18.

Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach John 10:11-18.

Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!

Lectionary Podcast-Dr. Charles Gieschen of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN walks us through John 10:11-18.