John 10:11 - Particular Atonement

John 10:11 

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Message: Particular Atonement

Time: John is not recorded as the author, but unanimous testimony of early Christians, like Iraneus in the 2nd century declare him the author. Plus, the eyewitness account give rise that it was one of the close knit disciples and Peter already penned through Mark and James died soon after the resurrection, which leaves John. It is thought this book was written between 85 and 95 AD. The Deity of Christ is a striking quality of John's gospel. 

What the Lord is Saying:

In Penal substitution, Jesus dies in place of others, but who are the others that He dies for? Whom did He intend to save? In John 10:11, Jesus, the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. Is every human being His sheep? Later in 10:26-27 Jesus says, you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice. Thus, there is a clear contrast in the words of Jesus - My sheep and not of My sheep. And so does the good shepherd lay down His live for everyone or just his sheep. Hard to say. Verse 11 says "the sheep." There is a common doctrine put forth of limited atonement versus unlimited atonement. In limited atonement, the thought is that Jesus lays his life down for his elect. Not everyone will be saved, that is clear and true, so if not everyone is saved, then did Jesus die for all people or only those that he saved. The Tabletalk magazine I read from the Reformed Faith states that Jesus died for only His Sheep, not all sheep. 

To explain further, if Jesus died for all sinners and meaning, he bore the punishment for all sinners, then it perhaps does not seem logical that some of those he paid the punishment for would then end up in hell. Now, many would argue as well that each person has a choice in his/her own salvation. So Jesus can die for all sinners and each sinner then chooses his own salvation. But this is something I have already studied previously. For instance, earlier this year I looked at Is Grace Cooperative. Granted this was a meaty sort of discussion as there have been a lot of competing thoughts on this issue. The message of the Gospel is to everyone, but we know not everyone will be saved - as we see also here there are sheep that hear and sheep that do not hear. Those that do not hear do not have in them the desire and the only way man has the desire is if God brings grace into a person's life to effect change and a new birth. 

Many thinkers argued something else, that man is involved in this process of choosing God. I think man sees this from his perspective, but it also seems very clear that many people, no matter how much arguing or reasoning you do with them, they refuse to encounter God and surrender to Him with their lives. It seems many sample God, but not many really seek Him and seek His word. So again, some will hear His voice and some will not. This is the way it is. But we are not to lose heart. We remain faithful. 

Thus, the clarification offered is Jesus dies for sinners and there are sinners that hear His voice. He does not die for those that do not hear His voice because then God would be unjust to punish in hell someone for who Christ died. This would mean that man needs to be involved and can in his soul have a desire for God apart from Him and that Jesus dies but the sinner is only changed when he chooses. But the argument we've studied is man only has a capacity or desire for God when God puts it there. God chooses us.  

I've studied this and studied it, but I will say, it is still a challenge to understand for me. But I press on and I continue to try to be faithful to His word and obedient to Him and in this obedience is speaking the truth of love to others. 

Promise: Christ died for all kinds of people, but Jesus did not die for everyone without exception. If you believe in Jesus, He had you particularly in mind when He made atonement for your sins. He loves you in particular that much. 

Prayer: O God, you have saved me. Part of my struggle with this verse is the struggle in you choosing me when I see others, that appear to not be chosen and are not on course to be chosen, from what I can see. I know that the road is narrow as you say. All I can say is thank you Jesus for showing me and leading me and letting me walk on this Narrow Road. O thank you God. You have made this unworthy man worthy. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of May is about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April was about salvation by grace alone; March about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January was about the doctrine of God.

- Attributes of Jesus - The Divine Nature of Christ meaning Jesus is God, the God-Man, God became man, The Human Nature of Christ Jesus has the qualities of man (hunger, needing rest, not knowing future events, being tempted), Jesus the Last Adam as Adam was our federal head in ushering all sin to man, Jesus makes all alive for those in Christ, Jesus the True Israel as Israel was called by God to be His true messenger, but Jesus is the one that truly fulfilled this call, Jesus the Messiah is the One that rescues and delivers His people

- The Word of Jesus - Obedience in Childhood reminds us that each day Jesus grew in obedience and favor with God, Obedience in Baptism showed Jesus fulfilled all righteousness, as John had been baptizing all new believers, Obedience in Temptation - like men called by God before, Jesus is tempted, but he resists and defends Himself with scripture, showing perfect obedience, Obedience under the Law as Christ was born under the Law, and kept the Law perfectly to redeem man, Obedience in Suffering as even in suffering Jesus learned obedience, a sinless man suffering for sinners, 

- His Titles - Christ Our Prophet, speaking for God, with divine inspiration, His words absolutely trustworthy and never fail to accomplish His purposes, Christ the Priest, clearing the way for human beings to approach the Father in heaven through prayer, Christ Our King is King of Kings, the last and final monarch of our lives for He did it all, 

- His Atonement - In Penal Substitution the penalty is paid by a substitute and Jesus paid the penalty of sin, once for all, and now with Particular Atonement is the reminder that Jesus had me in my mind when He went to the cross, not everyone, but only those who will hear His voice.