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“WHAT DOES IT TAKE?”
GOSPEL SCRIPTURE TEXT:  JOHN 10:22-30

DR. DAVE RING, PASTOR
 LOS ALAMOS 1ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 11, 2007

SCRIPTURE TEXT: 22 Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."

MESSAGE:  “The Jews gathered around Him, saying, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense?”  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!’”

I have a lifelong friend who claims that he is an atheist.  Once, when my family and I had only recently moved to a new church, he came to visit us – and I proudly took him on a tour of the physical facilities of the congregation over which I had been given charge.  After the tour, he made a comment which was obviously calculated to rattle me.  “Do you realize,” he said, “that if God doesn’t exist, you’ll have wasted most of your life promoting nothing?”  I wish I could say that I had a snappy comeback for him.  I didn’t at the time, but since then I’ve come up with an appropriate response.  The next time he poses that kind of question, I’ll be prepared to say this:  “Yes, I fully realize that, if God doesn’t exist, I’ll have wasted 40 or 50 years promoting nothing.  But on the other hand, if God does exist, you’ll have wasted eternity.”
The apostle John, very early in his gospel, makes an astounding claim regarding a Galilean Jew whose name was Jesus:  “And the Word – the Word of God – became flesh, and dwelt among us.”  To support that claim, John relates a series of incidents -- truly astonishing incidents, associated with the life of this Jesus.

There was a wedding feast, and the guests ran out of wine. So Jesus was asked to help, and suddenly there was wine aplenty, in jars which had formerly contained only water.  A Samaritan woman met Jesus by an old well. While talking with him, she was flabbergasted by his knowledge of her entire life history. A man of Capernaum begged for healing for his dying son. Jesus assured him the boy would recover and, at the exact moment the promise was uttered, the boy began to mend.
A Jew of Jerusalem, a man paralyzed for 38 years, suddenly begins walking the streets of his hometown -- after being healed by Jesus. Unfortunately for him, he is spotted carrying the mattress upon which he formerly lay, and on the Sabbath day, no less. Notwithstanding, he is totally healed, although that amazing fact is almost ignored in the ensuing controversy over Sabbath laws.
Five thousand men and an uncounted number of women and children follow Jesus into a remote area to listen to him speak. They begin to hunger -- so Jesus feeds them all, with a handful of loaves and a pair of fish.

Jesus returns to Jerusalem and begins a ministry of teaching. Leaders from among the local Jewish clergy, resentful of the competition, attempt to have him arrested. But the officers sent to arrest him turn away, dumbfounded. They report back to their leaders concerning Jesus' strange authority: "No man ever spoke like this man!"

Another Jew of Jerusalem, this one born blind, finds Jesus and asks for healing. In response, wet clay is placed on his eyes by Jesus. When it is washed off, he can see. This is reported back to those same Jewish leaders who have become increasingly resentful of Jesus.
Eventually, as John records in the tenth chapter of his gospel, these leaders confront Jesus directly. "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us so!" Jesus' reply is straightforward, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me.” In modern language, I hear Jesus saying, "What does it take? You’ve heard and you've seen what I've done. If you can't believe on that basis, my saying so certainly won't convince you."
For six full years, two of my children took karate lessons. I’ve never personally practiced karate, but as a result of sitting through several hundred karate lessons, I can claim to be at least a “trained observer” of that martial art. I learned much about the feints and the kicks, the katas and the punches of karate. In karate, as most of you probably know, belts of various colors are worn to designate the level of skill mastered.

One day, while watching my middle son practice, I saw a man come into the practice arena, which is termed a “dojo,” who didn't look particularly different from anyone else. He wore a black belt, which, in karate, is a symbol of a high level of skill -- but I had previously seen dozens of others with similar black belts. However, as he got out onto the floor and began practicing, it was obvious that his karate skill was far beyond any I had ever before observed. He was, in karate terms, a true "master." Later, my son told me that this man was a five-time world champion in his weight class. I already knew that he had to be something very special, karate-wise, for his actions had clearly shown it.

The gospel writer John made a fantastic claim concerning one Jesus of Nazareth. According to John, Jesus was the Son of God -‑ the Word become flesh -- the Christ. As evidence, John recorded the actions of Jesus -- many of which were astonishing, even miraculous. But the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, despite being told of and, in some instances, personally witnessing Jesus' amazing actions, missed it.  ”How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

In response, Jesus could only say, in effect, "I've already told you. What I've done should have clearly answered your question. What does it take?"

At the beginning of this message, I told you about my childhood friend who claims to be an atheist.  I’ve been specifically working on him for some years now – and, more importantly, God’s been working on him.  He’s personally seen some miraculous occurrences, things that his rational mind simply can’t explain away.  He’s been prayed for more than once by believers, myself included, and has experienced the positive effects of intercession in his life.  On two occasions in the most recent six years the prayers of faithful people have moved him back from the very brink of death, much to the puzzlement of his doctors – and himself.  And just a few months ago he acknowledged to me that there was a crack in his formerly solid wall of atheism.  “There’s something more out there, Dave,” he admitted.  “I don’t know what it is yet, but I think I want to find out.”  I simply responded, “I’ll be praying that you find Jesus.”

And now, I would address you, the precious people present in this church this morning, directly and personally.  You have heard the gospel stories of Jesus of Nazareth. You have, no doubt, seen and talked with others who would claim, in His name, answers to prayer -- sometimes even astounding and miraculous occurrences. In all probability, you have on more than one occasion personally experienced God's power, released in your life.

What does it take? Are you still looking for answers, or have you seen and heard enough?  Is Jesus the Christ -- for you?  Amen.

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