HF119 - The Mystery of the Other Sheep
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Wed, May 26, 2004
Subject: Bible Study HF119 - The Mystery of the Other Sheep
Hebraics,
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd." (John 10:16)
The work of salvation is not without its mysteries. One mystery is how that every person who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, are actually a gift of the Father to the Son. Jesus said that all these peoples belonged to the Father and were given to Him. Such a mystery this.
Then we have this mystery of other sheep. Jesus said that the Father had sheep scattered among the nations. But He would search them out, they would hear His voice, and they would come to Him. Such a mystery this.
Let's take a look at an interesting study.
This is Bible Study HF119 - The Mystery of the Other Sheep.
In this kind of study it is easy to get bogged down with terms like predestination and favoritism, while our greater need is really to understand that while God is no respecter of persons, yet He does do things far beyond our ability to comprehend. Paul said it best; "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom 11:33)
Now with regard to other sheep. The Lord is speaking of peoples from all cultural groupings. These lost sheep are Gentiles that were never part of the makeup of the nation of Israel. Both Paul and Peter make this quite plain.
In speaking to the 'chosen' in the church of Ephesus, Paul said, "Remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'Uncircumcision' by the so-called 'Circumcision' ... remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise..." (Eph2:11,12.)
Paul 'twice' calls these Gentile believers to remember where they came from. They came out of all the nations. And yet they were God's sheep. In the very beginning of this letter Paul tells them that they were chosen in Christ "before the foundation of the world." (Eph1:4) This alone tells us that all believers irregardless of racial or national or ethnic background had their names recorded for the Lamb before the world was. Such a mystery this.
Peter tells us much the same. He says that all saved people, regardless of national origin, were destined in Christ, from before the foundation of the earth, that is, they were to become a uniquely 'chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's own possession.' (1Pet2:9) He goes on to say that these peoples were outside Israel, that while they were once 'not a people,' but now they are the very people of God. (V10)
But what then of Israel after the flesh? Was she not chosen? Absolutely. But we have to remember that behind Israel's purpose was God's greater plan of redemption for all of humanity. Israel after the flesh was just as fleshly as any other people. In fact it was Israel heaped in idolatry who killed the prophets. And it was Israel's religious leaders who had Christ crucified.
And yet in all this God's purposes were being accomplished.
The Lord's scattered sheep were to be found throughout humanity,
not just in Israel. This is why Paul could say, "For if their
rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but
life from the dead?" (Rom11:15)
And so Israel had her part to play in
the mystery of God's 'other sheep.' Certainly God had sheep in
Israel. But He also had sheep that were not of that fold.
Of course the defining Scripture will always be John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Then we look at Revelation 5:9,10 where the redeemed are said to sing a new song. Notice it says, "And they sung a new song, saying, 'Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.'" (kjv)
Now let's come back to what Jesus said about these other sheep. He said, "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me." (John 10:14) If we follow this through, we soon find that God's 'other sheep' actually recognize the voice of the Shepherd calling them. Thus every person who is born again has heard the beckoning call. Such a mystery this.
This means that the 'other' sheep will actually recognize who Jesus really is. One example we have of this is with a Roman centurion who came to Jesus concerning his servant that had become paralyzed. When the Lord offered to come to his house, this centurion said something that even made Jesus marvel. Listen carefully:
"Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." (Cf. Matt8:5-13)
This Roman soldier is demonstrating the saving faith that will be found in all who hear the Shepherd. Let's follow this further. It says, "Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, 'Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.'"
What was so great about this man's faith is that he was actually demonstrating the kind of faith that is inclusive to the new covenant, and the new covenant was not yet in effect. It is at this point that Jesus speaks of the covenant to come, in how that many in Israel would reject Him, but multitudes of Gentiles would do exactly what this Roman soldier had done.
Listen again: "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
The point is that those in Israel who reject Jesus, would lose all covenant rights, while all who come to Him, that is, from Israel and all the nations of the world, would enter into a communion with Him that would be beyond anything known to date. The Lord said in another place that the kingdom of God would be taken away from the 'rejecting' Israel, and given to a group who would bear its fruit. Such a mystery this.
But how would all the 'other' sheep hear the voice of the Shepherd? They would hear His voice through the carrier of the gospel. Again this is why the gospel carrier is reckoned as one with beautiful feet. Paul said, "How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!'" He then adds, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom10:15,17)
The hearing the voice of Christ is found in the preaching of the gospel. And Paul nails it down by saying, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him."
So how do the sheep find the great Shepherd? They don't. They cannot find Him on their own. He finds them. They have to hear His voice. Paul tells us how this works. In quoting from Isaiah, God says, "I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me." (V20) The people did not know to ask. They did not know to seek.
The bottom line is that no one gets saved on their own. They must hear the Shepherd calling them. Someone may say, "Well, they can reject His calling!" Let's see how that fits in with something that Jesus said.
Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day." (John 6:37-39)
Such a mystery this.
Perhaps I need to close out my part of the study for now. Let me simply add a personal observation. In my forty years of ministry, I have found a common thread that seems to run through the testimony of most every believer. The thread has to do with their coming to the knowledge of salvation. The testimony runs this way; "It seems like I've known Him since a child." Or, "It is like I've finally come home."
In fact I'll add one more plus. When a person truly receives Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, which cannot be done without Him, you don't have to tell that person that when they wake up the next morning, the devil is going to tell them they did not receive anything. That is really a dumb thing to tell anyone.
No, the truth of the matter is that the person who has received eternal life knows it. They know it the next morning, and the next morning, and the next morning. The reason is because they carry the testimony of the Shepherd in the deep of their humanity.
Yes --- It is a mystery all.
The study is open.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)