JOHN 10:10 | LIFE, MORE ABUNDANTLY

LIFE, MORE ABUNDANTLY

JOHN 10:10

OCTOBER 22, 2017

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, MORE THAN ANY OTHER GOSPEL, WANTS TO PROVE THAT JESUS MATTERED; THAT JESUS WAS SPECIAL; THAT WE OUGHT NOT MISS THAT FACT; AND THAT TO DO SO, IS TO RISK MISSING OUT ON LIFE.

TO MAKE HIS POINT – REPEATEDLY – JOHN EITHER CAPTURES JESUS’ OWN WORDS ABOUT HIMSELF, OR PUTS THOSE WORDS IN JESUS’ MOUTH, BUT EITHER WAY, THERE’S NO MISTAKING WHO JESUS IS, ACCORDING TO JOHN.

THE BEST WAY HE DOES THIS IN THE GOSPEL BEARING HIS NAME IS IN JESUS’ – “I AM” STATEMENTS.

“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.  I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.  I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.  I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.  I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.”  (SEE HOW OFTEN THEY HAVE TO DO WITH LIFE?!)

TO THESE, JOHN ADDS THINGS LIKE: “THE WORD MADE FLESH; THE BRIDEGROOM TO OUR BRIDE; THE LAMB OF GOD;” AND STILL OTHERS.

BUT IT IS THESE “I AM” STATEMENTS OF JESUS THAT ARE PERHAPS THE MOST HELPFUL, AS THEY ARE THE MOST RELATABLE, AND THIS IS TRUE OF THE SECTION SURROUNDING THE SINGLE VERSE I READ A MOMENT AGO.

IN CHAPTER 10 OF JOHN, JESUS SAYS: “I AM THE SHEEP GATE” AND THEN SAYS A LOT ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE SHEEP TO ENTER HIS SAFEKEEPING THROUGH THE GATE THAT HE PROVIDES – THE GATE THAT HE IS.

BUT ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THIS CHAPTER, JESUS, OR JOHN SWITCHES THE ANALOGY, AND JESUS BECOMES THE GOOD SHEPHERD, THE ONE WHO CALLS, LEADS, CARES FOR, AND KEEPS HIS SHEEP.

THERE’S NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, AND IT’S BASICALLY SAYING THE SAME THING, THE GATE THROUGH WHICH HE LEADS US IS JESUS, AND THE SHEPHERD WHO LEADS US IS JESUS, AND EITHER WAY, IN THE END, WE ARE IN THE SAFE KEEPING OF JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

BUT IT IS VERSE 10 – THE VERSE I READ FOR THIS MORNING – THAT SEPARATES THE TWO ANALOGIES – THE SHEEP GATE AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD – AND THE LINE ITSELF SEEMS VERY OUT OF PLACE; AS IF SOMEONE JUST DROPPED IT INTO THE PASSAGE FROM ABOVE.

“THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY.  I CAME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY.”

NOW, IT’S NOT TOTALLY OUT OF CONTEXT, OF COURSE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THREATS AGAINST WHICH A SHEPHERD WOULD HAVE TO GUARD HIS SHEEP, WOULD BE THE THREAT OF THOSE TRYING TO STEAL HIS SHEEP.

SO, IT MAKES SENSE – BUT IT’S SORT OF AN ABRUPT SHIFT IN THINKING; JOLTING US IN THE MIDDLE OF SHEEP GATES, AND SHEPHERDS, AND SHEEP, AND ALL;

AS IF TO GET OUR ATTENTION; AS IF TO SAY: “HEY, LISTEN UP, I’VE GOT SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY;” AS IF TO SET IT OFF BETWEEN THE TWO WORD PICTURES JESUS/JOHN ARE OFFERING US.

SHEEP GATE – “THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY.  I CAME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY.” – THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

AND THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I WANT TO TREAT THIS SINGLE VERSE THIS MORNING – AS SOMETHING IMPORTANT; AS SOMETHING TO WHICH TO PAY ATTENTION; AS SOMETHING SET OFF FROM THE REST, BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HEAR.

BECAUSE, BASICALLY, WHAT JESUS IS SAYING HERE IS: THERE IS THAT WHICH STEALS, KILLS, AND DESTROYS LIFE; AND THERE’S ME, JESUS, THAT GIVES LIFE, AND NOT JUST LIFE, BUT LIFE ABUNDANTLY.

IT IS THE JUXTA-POSITIONING OF THESE TWO THAT SEEMS SO IMPORTANT, AND, INDEED, IS IMPORTANT.

FOR ONE THING, WE KNOW JUST HOW THIN A LINE THERE IS BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH; A SINGLE BREATH; ONE HEARTBEAT; ONE MOMENT YOU ARE ALIVE, THE NEXT YOU’RE NOT;

AND THINGS HAPPEN; TERRIBLE THINGS: ACCIDENTS, SHOOTINGS, WILDFIRES, HEART ATTACKS, STROKES, CANCERS – THAT, IN AN INSTANT, CAN STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY LIFE.

FOR ANOTHER THING, THAT FINE LINE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT WHICH STEALS, KILLS AND DESTROYS LIFE, AND THAT WHICH GIVES LIFE, AND GIVES IT ABUNDANTLY;

IT ISN’T ALWAYS JUST ABOUT LIVING, BREATHING, PHYSICAL LIFE;

IT IS ABOUT LIVING OUR LIVES; ENDURING OUR LIVES; SURVIVING OUR LIVES; NOT LIFE AND DEATH – BUT LIFE AND LIFE;

BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF THINGS THAT BREAK INTO OUR LIVES TO STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY OUR LIVES – OR AT LEAST, TRY TO;

AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF THINGS, CHRIST INCLUDED, ESPECIALLY CHRIST, THAT GIVE LIFE, AND GIVE IT ABUNDANTLY.

THIS AFTERNOON SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WILL RIDE IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE ZOMBIE BIKE RIDE – THE UNOFFICIAL START TO FANTASY FEST.

MOST WILL BE DRESSED AS ZOMBIES – THE LIVING DEAD; AS CHARACTERS FROM THE DAY OF THE DEAD; AND SOME OTHER PRETTY SCARY STUFF.

AND EVERYBODY, INCLUDING FAMILIES, WILL HAVE A LOT OF FUN; PRETTY HARMLESS FUN, AT THAT; AND THERE’LL BE A LOT OF LAUGHING, AND POINTING, AND MARVELING AT PEOPLE’S CREATIVITY, ETC.

TRUTH IS, WE ARE FASCINATED BY DEATH AND DYING;

AND I THINK WE PLAY AT IT, ESPECIALLY AROUND HALLOWEEN, AND IN THE ZOMBIE BIKE RIDE, THE HUNGER GAME MOVIES, THE TWILIGHT SAGA, AND ALL THE REST, AS MUCH AS A WAY OF PROTECTING OURSELVES AGAINST IT, AS A WAY OF TRYING TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK JESUS IS WARNING US ABOUT IN THIS ONE, BRIEF, INTERRUPTIVE VERSE, ABOUT WHAT STEALS, KILLS, AND DESTROYS LIFE;

AND ABOUT WHAT GIVES LIFE, AND GIVES IT ABUNDANTLY;

SADLY, IS, THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE ZOMBIES – A LOT MORE REAL-LIFE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND, LIVING DEAD, THAN WE MIGHT SEE, OR SUSPECT.

IF I WERE TO ASK YOU: “WHAT MAKES FOR ABUNDANT LIFE?”  HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THAT?

WOULD YOU SAY: JESUS CHRIST?

WOULD YOU SAY: BEING HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE?

WEALTH AND GOOD FORTUNE?

“HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS, WINS.”

MAYBE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THINGS AT ALL.

REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES WE WERE WARNED; THAT IT WAS SAID; THAT WE MAY HAVE SAID IT OURSELVES IN FACING HURRICANE IRMA:

THINGS CAN BE REPLACED, BUT NOT OUR LIVES; WE LOST EVERYTHING, BUT AT LEAST NO ONE WAS HURT; IT’S ALL GONE, BUT AT LEAST WE ARE ALIVE.

MAYBE LIFE, ESPECIALLY ABUNDANT LIFE, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THINGS WE HAVE.

MAYBE ABUNDANT LIFE IS BEING HAPPY; JOYFUL; FULFILLED; PERHAPS IT IS LIFE – LIVED TO ITS FULLEST; LIFE LIVED AT THE EDGES.

MAYBE IT’S THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES WHO MAKE US FEEL MOST ALIVE; OUR SPOUSES, CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES.

MAYBE IT’S THE THINGS WE DO; OUR EXPERIENCES; OUR TRAVELS; OUR JOURNEYS; OUR SERVING OTHERS, THAT MAKES FOR ABUNDANT LIFE.

MILLENNIALS SEEM TO HAVE LEARNED THIS LESSON EARLY ON, MANY OF THEM SHUNNING THINGS FOR EXPERIENCES.

IF WE WERE TO TAKE JESUS AT HIS WORD, LITERALLY, JUXTA-POSING THE FIRST HALF OF VERSE 10 WITH THE SECOND HALF, THEN IT WOULD BE THE ABSENCE OF WHATEVER STEALS, KILLS, AND DESTROYS LIFE – THAT WOULD BE THAT WHICH GIVES LIFE.

SOMETIMES IT’S EASIER TO SAY WHAT SOMETHING IS, BY FIRST SAYING WHAT IT’S NOT.  WHAT WOULD NOT ABUNDANT LIFE LOOK LIKE?

NOT ABUNDANT LIFE IS A LIFE LIVED WITHOUT WHAT?

ROMANCE, RELATIONSHIPS, WITHOUT MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS WITH FAMILY, OR FRIENDS, OR OTHERS; LIVING IN ISOLATION FROM OTHERS…

NOT ABUNDANT LIFE WOULD BE A LIFE WITHOUT WHAT?  MUSIC, ART, WINE…

WITHOUT SINGING AND DANCING AND LAUGHING…

WITHOUT FISHING, AND SAILING, AND SWIMMING…

WITHOUT SPORTS (PERISH THE THOUGHT!)

NOT ABUNDANT LIFE WOULD BE A LIFE WITHOUT WHAT?  WITHOUT HOPE, WITHOUT DREAMS, WITHOUT MEMORIES, OR A FUTURE…

NOT ABUNDANT LIFE WOULD BE THE LIFE OF THE LIVING DEAD – THOSE WHO ARE ALWAYS UNHAPPY, NEVER SATISFIED, CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING, FUSSING, FUMING, AND FIGHTING; FRUSTRATED, AND CONSTANTLY, CONSISTENTLY, AND CONTINUALLY PESSIMISTIC;

THOSE WHO HAVE NO SATISFACTION, NO CONTENTMENT, NO FULFILLMENT, AND LITTLE TO NO JOY, HAPPINESS, OR WHOLENESS OF LIFE.  THEY ARE THE ZOMBIES AMONG US; THE LIVING DEAD.

SO MAYBE JESUS WAS RIGHT IN THE FIRST PART, IN HIS DEFINING NOT ABUNDANT LIFE/LIVING – IT IS WHATEVER STEALS, KILLS, AND DESTROYS US, AND OUR LIVING.  IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF LIVING, AND LIVING ABUNDANTLY.

ANYTHING THAT ROBS US OF OUR JOY, OUR HAPPINESS, OUR CONTENTMENT, AND FULFILLMENT.

ANYTHING, OR ANYONE, WHO STICKS-US-UP AND TAKES AWAY OUR TRUE BEING; OUR SELF-WORTH; ANYTHING/ANYONE THAT DESTROYS OUR SELF-IMAGE; ANYONE WHO ABUSES ANOTHER, WHATEVER THE FORM OF ABUSE.

ANYTHING, OR ANYONE, WHO SNEAKS IN, WHILE WERE NOT LOOKING, AND STEALS, KILLS, OR DESTROYS WHO WE ARE, OR WHO WE COULD BE, WHO WE COULD HAVE BEEN, OR WHO WE ARE BECOMING.

BY THE WAY, SOMETIMES, STEALING, KILLING, AND DESTROYING LIFE, AND OURSELVES, IS A SELF-INFLICTED WOUND;

WE DO IT TO OURSELVES, BY FAILING TO CHOOSE THAT WHICH MAKES FOR LIFE, AND LIFE ABUNDANTLY.

BUT, IF WE WERE TO FOCUS ON THE SECOND HALF OF VERSE 10, THEN JESUS IS SAYING, SPECIFICALLY, PRECISELY, THAT IT IS HE, WHO PROVIDES ABUNDANT LIFE;

AND BY EXTRAPOLATION, THE THINGS HAVING TO DO WITH HIM; THOSE CHRIST-LIKE THINGS, THAT MAKE FOR LIFE, AND LIFE ABUNDANTLY.

SO, MAYBE ABUNDANT LIFE, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE THINGS WE’VE SAID IT IS; AND ALL THE THINGS WE’VE SAID IT’S NOT;

AS WELL AS IT BEING ABOUT HAVING, KNOWING, BELIEVING, LOVING, AND SERVING CHRIST;

MAYBE ABUNDANT LIFE IS WHAT WE MAKE IT, AND WHAT WE ALLOW CHRIST TO MAKE OF US.

CAN WE REALLY TELL ABUNDANT LIFE FROM NOT ABUNDANT LIFE, JUST BY LOOKING AT IT?

MAYBE, YES; MAYBE, NO.

YOU SEE, “PEOPLE WHO’VE GOT IT ALL” CAN BE JUST AS UNHAPPY AS THE NEXT PERSON.

AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE I’VE KNOWN WHO HAVE NEXT TO NOTHING, HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE HAPPIEST, JOYFUL, MOST FULFILLED, MOST ABUNDANT LIVING PEOPLE I’VE EVER KNOWN.

AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY DON’T HAVE IT SO BAD, ACT LIKE THEY DO:

FUSSING AND FIGHTING, COMPLAINING AND CRITICIZING EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, A LOT.

WHILE OTHERS, WHO HAVE EVERY REASON IN THE WORLD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT LIFE, FOR WHOM LIFE’S NOT BEEN VERY FAIR, DON’T.

SO, MAYBE, YES; MAYBE, NO; ABOUT BEING ABLE TO TELL ABUNDANT LIFE FROM NOT ABUNDANT LIFE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF ZOMBIES AROUND US; PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING THROUGH LIFE DEAD ALREADY; EVERY DAY.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO PLENTY OF PEOPLE, YOU MAY KNOW SOME OF THEM, YOU MAY BE ONE OF THEM, WHO HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY.

SOME OF THEM, MOST OF THE ONES I KNOW, ARE JESUS PEOPLE; SOME ARE NOT;

BUT WHAT THEY’VE FIGURED OUT, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, IS WHAT MAKES FOR LIFE, AND LIFE ABUNDANTLY, FOR THEM;

AND WHAT ROBS THEM OF LIFE; WHAT STEALS, KILLS, AND DESTROYS THEM;

AND THEY STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM WHATEVER THOSE THINGS ARE, WHOEVER THOSE PEOPLE ARE, AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN, AS OFTEN AS THEY CAN.

BUT WHAT THEY’VE ALSO FIGURED OUT IS THAT WHEN THEY CAN’T – WHICH IS, REALLY, MOST OF THE TIME, MOST OF LIFE, WHAT THEY’VE LEARNED, AND WHAT THEY PRACTICE, AND HOW THEY CHOOSE TO LIVE;

HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OTHER THINGS, OR OTHER PEOPLE;

IT HAS TO DO WITH THEM, AND FROM WHENCE THEY GET THEIR SELF-WORTH; THEIR SELF-RESPECT; THEIR TRUE BEING.

ABUNDANT LIFE, FOR THEM, IS ABOUT LIVING THE LIFE THEY ARE LIVING:

AS BEST THEY CAN, AS HAPPILY AS THEY CAN, AS FAITHFULLY AS THEY CAN, AS FULFILLING-LY AS THEY CAN;

AND, KNOWING THAT WHEN THEY DON’T, WON’T, OR CAN’T – THAT IT’S NEITHER THE END OF THE WORLD, NOR THE END OF LIFE AS THEY KNOW IT;

IT’S JUST ANOTHER DAY OF LIVING, AND BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT MAKES FOR LIVING LIFE, AND LIVING IT ABUNDANTLY, THEY KNOW THEY’LL GET BACK TO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AND MAYBE THAT’S ONE OF THE KEYS TO ABUNDANT LIVING AS WELL:

TO REALIZE THAT IT WILL BE, AND IT WON’T BE, AT TIMES; WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, KNOWING, DEEP DOWN, IT ALWAYS IS, EVEN WHEN IT’S NOT!