422. Walking in the Word, Wings to Fly

Jesus declared, for all the world to hear, that He is one with the Father. When we live by that truth, He will give us wings to fly. (John 10:22-42)

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Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am so glad you have joined us.

It is April, 2023, as I record this, and I want to take a moment to congratulate the authors of our newly released book, Joy Unspeakable. In case you missed all the hoopla, Joy Unspeakable was released last week, and within the first day, it went to number one best seller in 10 categories on Amazon. We are praising God for this success – but more important than numbers and charts is what God is doing through this book. The authors who shared their stories in Joy Unspeakable are ordinary people who serve an extraordinary God! Our purpose in sharing these stories is to shine the spotlight on God and remind all our readers of how great He is. Life can be tough, and yet God is tougher! That’s a fact He wants us to remember and constantly remind each other of. And just as Jesus taught using stories, today we still learn so much from stories. I hope you will pick up this book, or one of our other books, and be blessed and fed as you read. You can purchase the books by going to our website womenworldleaders.com, which will direct you to our publishing site worldpublishingandproductions.com. And while you are at womenworldleaders.com, make sure you fill out the contact form so you don’t miss out on any of the exciting offerings from the ministry!

On this, the Wednesday episode of the podcast, we take a few minutes to dive into scripture together. We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chronologically as we study Jesus’ life and learn what He wants us to know today. Today’s scripture comes from John, chapter 10, verses 22-42, and we will be reading from the New Living Translation.

Before we begin, let’s pray.

Dear Most Holy God, we thank you for the honor of being able to open your Word and meet with you in the Spirit at the same time! Father, you are so gracious to continually teach and lead us as we walk through this life. We do give this time to you and ask that you cleanse us of all unrighteousness so that we might be clean vessels with the ability to hear your voice clearly. I ask you to teach us what you want us to know today. We love and honor you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

We have been studying Jesus’ teachings to the crowds as He walks closer to the His death. Jesus is trusting God’s timing and path for Him, even though the crowds are getting riled up all around Him. Many are coming to Him in belief, but many are also turning against Him in anger.

This alone should be a lesson to us. It is easy for us to want to make people happy – but our true calling is to live by truth. It can be so difficult to discern the right path when we long for life to be easy both for us and for the ones we love. But Jesus teaches us by His actions that we are to ALWAYS hold to God, ask Him for His wisdom and guidance, and then trust the outcome beyond a shadow of a doubt, even when it seems things are getting stirred up around us.

John sets the scene for us beginning in chapter 10, verse 22…

22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 

Hanukkah was a celebration of the restorarion of the temple after it had been desecrated. This is important because, as we will see, Jesus is about to publicly declare Himself as the Son of God, leading to a restoration of humanity through salvation. God’s timing is always perfect. The more I study the Bible, the more I see God’s perfect plan and provision throughout all of history.

But even as the people celebrated the past restoration of the temple, many in the crowd were completely unaware that God was currently working in their midst orchestrating a greater restoration. Verse 24 continues…

24 The people surrounded (Jesus) and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

The people were looking for a strong warrior to lead them into freedom from government and oppression. In essence, they were looking for a Messiah who could do far less than Jesus, our true Messiah, was there to do. Jesus had taught this over and over, but they just weren’t getting it. God’s kingdom was beyond their wishes and dreams. Verse 25…

25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. 26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.

A couple of weeks ago we discussed Jesus’ declaration of Himself as the Good Shepherd. We uncovered that many were, and are, out to deceive and misguide us from following God.

I know I have said this before, but it is of utmost importance that we EACH know that God is God and He will ALWAYS guide us into truth through His Word and His Holy Spirit. Let me say it plainly – if ANYONE contradicts the Word of God, he or she is not speaking truth – whether he is ordained, a church or ministry leader, or even your own parent. God has given us each the opportunity to know HIM personally. His Word is living and active and relevant to your life. God will never lie or go back on His Word. Yes, biblical counsel is a wonderful thing and we can certainly learn from each other, but God always has the final answer through His Word and His Spirit. God gives each of us the choice to connect with God and then to decide to follow Him or follow someone else. A shepherd CAN be deceptive, but God is our authentic shepherd.

I say this not to make you paranoid, but to underscore that YOU are held accountable for your own actions. And God Himself will guide you and give you the strength to do what He calls you to do.

Jesus says…I am the shepherd…my sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me.

But…despite our foibles and misteps, Jesus then teaches of His abounding and amazing grace…saying…that once we say yes and become Jesus’ sheep…

No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.[a] No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 

What freeing and amazing words these are! When we give our lives to Jesus Christ and commit to living for Him, NO ONE can snatch us out of His hands! This should give us unadulterated freedom to do what God has called us to.

In college, I took a lot of phsychology classes, and I remember so vividly studying and learning about abused children. The findings went something like this…people who are abused as children are less likely to move out of their childhood home at an appropriate age. It is more likely that the child who has been treated well to move out and face the world on her own. At first glance, this seems backwards. Shouldn’t the one who is abused be clamoring to get away while the one who is covered and protected want to remain? But we are not logical beings.

When we learn through mistreatement that “the world is bad,” we become shackled to fear. Our wings are clipped.

But when we are showered with love and protection, we become empowered to become all we are called to be and to take on the world.

The devil wants to hold you in, to clip your wings and keep you from flying. He uses fear to control you.

Jesus, on the other hand, offers freedom. When you become His child, He empowers you to fly where you are called, and He promises that no one will ever snatch you from Him. And as far as you fly, as God’s child you know He will NEVER leave you alone. He will always be there beside you with His love and protection.

Then Jesus lays down the FULL truth of who He is, saying…30 The Father and I are one.”

The Jewish people recited the schma regularly…which states “Hear, O Isreal: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

They CLEARLY understood Jesus statement, “The Father and I are one,” to mean that Jesus is one in being with God the Father.

Jesus spoke truth, even though this statement put His own human life in peril…verse 31…

31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 

And Jesus continued speaking truth…fully understanding that His life was on the line, yet also understanding that there were some listening who needed to hear more…

32 …“At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures[b] that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’[c] 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Jesus is the real deal. If you still don’t believe Him and the words in the Bible, I want to encourage you to ask Him yourself. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you, and then watch expectantly.

The people asked Jesus to PLAINLY state who He was. And He did. And then He also pointed to His works, which lined up perfectly with the works that Scripture clearly stated the Messiah would do.

The people asked. Jesus answered. But many didn’t pause to objectively consider His reponse. Instead, they followed what they had already determined in their heart was the right answer. How many times do we do that. How many times do we go to God and ask Him a question, only to misconstrue His answer to what WE want it to be?

Jesus will NEVER force us to follow Him. But when we willingly follow Him, no matter how hard it may seem, I promise you He will give you wings to fly.

Verse 39 tells us that many were not willing to fly. Instead, they chose to be chained to untruth.

39 Once again they tried to arrest (Jesus), but he got away and left them. 40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” 42 And many who were there believed in Jesus.

When we listen to God, He will lead us to a place of safety. He will surround us with other believers who will love and support us.

Jesus’ life was more difficult than we can imagine, but God provided respite for Him. God gave Jesus a place to be re-filled, to remember and reflect on His goodness. God gave Jesus green pastures in which to lie down. And He will do the same for you and me. If we let Him.

Jesus declared Himself the Son of God – in unity with the Father. This fact is such a blessing to us. Through Jesus’ life and death, we are granted eternal salvation. The immediate future was scary for Jesus, but He considered the outcome worth it. That is something we should all remember. Although your road may look scary and bleak, you can trust that the God who loves you will give you wings to fly to an incredible outcome.

Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus…we can’t imagine all you went through for us…and yet we thank you for how strong you were. We thank you for holding close to God and walking in truth despite the effect of your own words and actions on your physical body. Jesus, you gave it all so that we could fly. We thank you, and we ask now that you infuse us with that same strength to choose the next right path – for you and for those you love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.