John 10:22-30 We’re All Waiting

John 10:22-30  We’re All Waiting

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The Jews gathered around Jesus and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Who are you?  I’m not asking what your name is.  I am asking, “Who are you?”  The question is much deeper than your name, your gender, your race, or your nationality.  It seeks your essence. 

Christians, unlike superheroes, do not wear masks, or hoods or costumes to readily identify themselves. 
We may wear a cross, but we cannot wear faith, hope or love on our sleeves. Love for God must be lived.  And we show our love for our Lord Jesus Christ just like our Lord showed his love for us and for Thomas; by the marks on our hands and on our feet; in our words and in our actions. 

The Jews asked Jesus, Who are you?  Stop leaving us in suspense?  Tell us.  Did they really need to ask Jesus who He was?  Couldn’t they figure it out through Scripture, through the prophets, through his words of compassion and forgiveness; by his miracles and sacrifices?  Does someone need to ask you if you are a Christian?  They shouldn’t.  It should be obvious by the way you life your life.  Have you made yourself obvious or are you still waiting to come out at the right moment?  Well, the moment has arrived.

Imagine receiving a gift that is enclosed in a box and wrapped in beautiful paper.  Imagine telling the person that gave it to you, “Thank you so much for this beautiful box.”  How ridiculous would that be?  How ridiculous would it be to put that box in your room and never open it?  Are you a gift that is still waiting to be opened?  If so, it’s time to come out of your box.  It’s time to end the mystery of who you are.  Life can be lived like a shell.  But there is something better in the inside that is waiting to come out.   

Who are you?  I can’t think of a better answer than this simple one:  I am a beautiful gift from God to the world.   Yes you are.  You are a gift that was meant to be unwrapped; a gift that was meant to be revealed for the glory of God.  You are not small.  You are gigantic, and you are gigantic because you were meant to be another Christ.

It seems to me that in order for an institution to survive, it needs to have an enemy.  Well, we have plenty of institutions that would love to be our enemy.  And let’s not fool ourselves.  It was God that allowed the early Christians to be persecuted.  Yes, God allowed Christians to be hunted down and savagely beaten and tortured.  Like lambs they were led to the slaughter.  Like ground beef they were fed to the Lions.  And I know why.  How else would the Christian communities get out of their box?  How else would they scatter like seed in the wind and fall in a thousand different places.  Persecution is an ideal way for the Church to continue to come out of its box; to reveal the difference between being born from above and being born from below.     

When Dan Savage savagely spoke out against Christians in his recent childish fit-throwing tantrum, he forced the Christians in the audience to do something.  He forced them to come out of their box.  Around one hundred students walked out on their foul mouthed speaker.  By walking out in silence they made a thousand statements that were loud and clear:  Christians do not use vulgarities.  Christians do not wish harm to those who hate them.  We love everyone even if we do not agree with everyone.  We are not ashamed of God or that God is above men.  

Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.  The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.  Yes they do.  Do your works testify to the Lord?

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.     Do you listen to Christ?  Do you follow Him wherever He goes?  Do you go up the mountain with Him?  Do you follow Him inside the boat?  Will you stand by Him while He is crucified?

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.  The Father and I are one.  Are you one with the Lord?

We are all waiting in suspense to find out!