You can trust Jesus

John 10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

You Can Trust Jesus

If you’re a Christian here, odds are that what you believe about a whole host of issues make you a minority. It’s not fashionable to hold on to Christian beliefs on sex, marriage, gender identity, and lots more. And the more open you are about what you believe, the more excluded you will become.

It can be lonely being a Christian and nobody should feel guilty if you are tempted to doubt whether you’ve made the right decision.

I want to show you from this passage today that you can trust Jesus. Even if nobody will stand with you. Even if you’ve been cast out of your social group. Even if you’re the only one left. You can trust Jesus.

Because that’s the context for John 10. Last week in chapter 9 we are told the blind beggar had just been cast out of the synagogue. He’s literally an outcast. No social identity, no community access, no religious support, no nothing. Thanks Jesus. Maybe I was better off being blind.

No! Straight away john 10 tells us we can trust Jesus.

There are three reasons the Bible gives us to trust Jesus.

1. He speaks our name

2. He leads us onward

3. He gives us life

Firstly, Jesus speaks our name.

Look at verse 3.

3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Who here owns a pet? What’s the first thing you do when you get a pet? Give it a name right. But I bet none of you picked a name when you get a new phone. That’s just weird, who does that? Why do you name your pet but not a car?

Surely one reason is the connection you have. Its why parents pick names for their children.

What does it mean that Jesus speaks our name? For starters, it shows how much you mean to him. And second, it shows that you are included in his circle. You might be a social outsider – just that weird Christian that never gets invited to the cool parties. You might be a cultural outsider – maybe you’re an international student here for the first time. Or you could be a moral outsider – you’re the only one in your course who still thinks marriage should be reserved for male/female couples.

You can be excluded by the world, but you are included by Jesus. He speaks your name and calls you.

Secondly, he leads us.

Look at verse 4.

4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

The picture here is of a shepherd leading his flock from the front. Which means if there’s a ridge to climb or a valley to cross, he goes first. What does that mean? There’s nothing which you and I will face which Jesus hasn’t already faced and gone through.

Have you been excluded from something? Jesus was excluded by his own family. Have you been wrongly accused of something? Jesus was charged with a crime he didn’t commit. Have you been hurt by someone you trusted? Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest friends which ended up killing him. Do you feel lonely? Jesus spent days in the bush and on what was the hardest day of his life, his friends couldn’t even stay awake to be with him. Do you feel like no one understands you? Jesus was mocked and laughed at even as he was dying on a cross.

Jesus goes before us, and we follow him, for we know his voice. He speaks our name. He leads us onward.

And lastly, he gives us life.

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Up till this point, Jesus doesn’t do anything that some other religious leader can do. You can argue that Allah knows your name too. You could make a case for some famous person in the world to be our leader. Lots of people have very inspiring stories and examples.

So, what is special about Jesus? What can Jesus do for us that nobody else in the universe can? Look at verse 10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

It’s strange how people believe the first part but not the second. Everyone knows that they will die one day. One day our very life will be taken from us. And yet so many people find it difficult to believe the second part. That Jesus will give us life.

Maybe it’s because of that the abundant life is. I can tell you what it’s not. It’s not health wealth or prosperity because look at Jesus, he had none of those things. By all our standards, he lived a horrible life. You guys know Jesus died as a criminal naked and bankrupt right? He didn’t have the abundant life.

In fact, he abandoned his life so that we can have the abundant life. The life that he has with God.

That is the life Jesus gives us. To be with God now and forever.

Can you trust Jesus?