John 10:22-30
His Sheep Hear His Voice
Read the passage
22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,
23and Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s Colonnade.
24So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.
26But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.
27My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
29My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
30I and the Father are one.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
It is winter, and Jesus is walking in Solomon's Colonnade at the temple during the Feast of Dedication. People gather around Him and demand a plain answer: is He the Christ? Jesus says He has already told them. The works He does in His Father's name also testify about Him, but they do not believe.
Jesus describes His sheep as those who listen to His voice and follow Him. He knows them and gives them eternal life. Hearing Him involves more than being close enough to catch His words. His sheep receive His guidance and go where He leads.
Their security rests in His care. Jesus says they will never perish and no one can snatch them from His hand. He then speaks of the Father's hand: the Father who gave them to Him is greater than all. The sheep are not left to defend themselves against every power that threatens them.
Jesus concludes, “I and the Father are one.” Father and Son do not have competing purposes for the flock. The life Jesus gives and the Father's keeping belong together. To someone afraid of being lost or forgotten, this is a promise to trust: the Shepherd knows His own and has the power to hold them.
Questions
1 What does Jesus tell the people who ask him plainly whether he is the Christ?
AnswerJesus points to the works He does in His Father's name as witnesses about Him. The people do not believe because they are not His sheep; His sheep hear His voice, and He knows and leads them.
2 Why do Jesus' sheep hear his voice and follow him?
AnswerJesus' sheep hear His voice and follow because He knows them and gives them eternal life. Their response rests on His relationship with them and His keeping power, not on their ability to secure themselves.
3 What does Jesus promise about the sheep no one can snatch from his hand?
AnswerJesus promises His sheep eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of His hand or the Father's hand, because the Father is greater than all and Jesus and the Father are one.
4 How can our household learn to recognize Jesus' voice through his word and follow him together?
AnswerRead His words in Scripture, ask what they call us to believe or do, and help one another respond. A voice that claims to speak for Jesus should be tested against what He has actually taught.
What This Means for Us
When fear makes us wonder whether we can hold on, Jesus directs us to His hand and His Father's hand. His promise gives us reason to pray honestly about what frightens us. We depend on His strength, not on our ability to feel secure all the time.
His sheep also listen and follow. Read one of His promises together, then consider something He has taught that your family needs to obey. Trust in His care and a willingness to follow Him belong in the same response.
Prayer
Father, help us recognize Jesus' voice among the voices that compete for our trust. Keep our household secure in your care, humble in obedience, and gentle with people who are still learning to listen. Amen.