Title: THE TARGET OF CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Focus: Jesus died and rose again for the elect; his death and resurrection targeted his sheep, the people of God.

Text: John 10:11-30

The language and story of the historic Christian faith is spoken and summarized in the Apostles’ Creed. Using a Trinitarian structure, the universal Christian Church speaks about the mighty acts of God--the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The work of God centers on creation, redemption and renewal or re-creation. The Apostles’ Creed, then, speaks the language of the historic Christian faith in summary form.

But when it comes to the particulars of the Bible’s teachings about God’s work, we begin to hear accents or emphases—some of which are even outside the scope of true Christian teachings. For example, here are 4 particular voices, each speaking with an accent. See if those voices represent your understanding of the Bible’s teaching particularly on the work of Jesus Christ:

Voice #1: Question: Do you consider yourself a true Christian? (Yes). Are you part of the Christian Church? (Oh no; I practice my religion by following Jesus’ example: love your neighbor; do good, and do unto others as you would others want to do unto you. In fact, I believe that all religions ultimately lead to God: Thus God will accept and bless all Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and all others who are spiritual or practice their religion with a sincere heart).

Voice #2: Question: Do you consider yourself a true Christian? (Yes). Do you believe that Jesus died and rose again from the dead? (Well, not in a literal sense; Jesus died, yes. But the old medieval notion that Jesus arose literally from the dead is naïve. When I speak of Jesus’ resurrection, I think of his teachings—Jesus’ teachings and Jesus’ moral example are for us to guide us in this life. The ideas about an afterlife, or judgment or eternal life and punishment are really outdated notions).

Voice #3: Question: Do you consider yourself a true Christian? (Yes). Do you believe that Christ’s death and resurrection leads to the salvation or gift of eternal life to all people in the world throughout the ages? In other words, do you believe that Jesus died and rose again for the sake of all humankind or only for those who believe in Jesus? (Yes, I believe that all people who say that they are Christians and who believe in Jesus will be saved).

These three voices can be heard regularly in our culture and society today. There are many other voices, each having a different or more nuanced accent when it comes to who benefits from Jesus’ death and resurrection. Here is the voice that represents the Reformed, Christian community of faith:

Voice #4: Question: Do you consider yourself a true Christian? (Yes). Do you believe that Christ’s death and resurrection will benefit all people or only a particular group of people, whom the Bible refers to as “the elect”? In other words, did Christ die and rise again from the dead only for the sake of the elect or for the sake of all people who say that they are Christians or who think of themselves as Christians? (No, I believe in light of Scriptures that Jesus died and rose again for the sake of the elect; Jesus’ death and resurrection targeted his sheep, the very people of God).

This last voice is the accent used at Calvary Church and in the Christian Reformed Church in N.A. and beyond. Today, I want to encourage all of us to shape our lives by the truth of God’s Word, so that God is honored and our lives reflect humility and gratitude.

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Using the acronym of F.A.I.T.H., we have emphasized so far that Calvary Church speaks the language of faith with a particular accent that represents the Reformed tradition or segment of the historic Christian Church. For example, in light of Scriptures we emphasize that sin and sinfulness clings to our human nature. By virtue of our human nature, all people have fallen into sin and are unable to save themselves. Hence the F—for Fallen humankind.

So we also maintain that it takes an act of God to become spiritually alive and to be saved. In fact, Reformed Christians maintain that God has adopted us into his family. Salvation is God’s work, from beginning to end. Hence the A—for Adopted by God.

Today we consider the I, which stands for Intentional atonement. “Atonement” is a biblical term that points to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We emphasize that Jesus’ work on the cross and in the tomb benefits not all people but only a particular set of people: the elect, or the people of God, or the sheep of Christ’s flock.

Now here’s the problem: why do we hear so many different accents when it comes to the target and the beneficiaries of Christ’s death and resurrection? Why these different accents within the historic Christian church and beyond?

The answer lies with two kinds of Biblical texts, which create tension in the minds and hearts of those who read and interpret these texts: There are a number of texts that speak of Christ’s death and resurrection in GENERAL terms; and there are a number of texts that speak in PARTICULAR terms.

Here’s a well-known classic text that speaks in general terms: (Jhn. 3:16,17)“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (There are other GENERAL texts as well, such as Jhn.1:9,29; 4:42; II Corinthains 5:19;Romans 5:18; I timothy 2:4-6).

These passages speak in general terms of Christ’s dying for “all” people and of his death as saving the “world.” But there are also texts that speak of Christ’s death and resurrection as being definite in design and as being targeted for particular people. In Matthew 1:21 we read, for example, that Jesus will “save his people from their sins.” In Matthew 26:28 we hear the Lord Jesus say in reference to the cup of the Lord’s Supper: “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Some texts, then, speak of Christ’s death and resurrection in general terms; others in particular terms. So, how must we come to terms with this tension, and why would Reformed Christians emphasize that Christ’s death benefits the “elect,” or the “people of God”?

The passages that speak in general terms are found in the context of the Jews who believed that only the offspring of Abraham, only the circumcised and those who keep the Law would be saved. The Jews in Jesus’ days had forgotten more or less that God’s salvation would come as good news offered to all the nations of the world. It is not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles who would be included as God’s people, as God’s elect, and who would benefit from God’s salvation that is worked out in Christ’s death and resurrection.

Here’s the key in dealing with this tension between the differing texts: The general statements in these biblical texts seek to correct this failure and misunderstanding of God’s covenant promise of salvation. The nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham. The world—not just believing Jews, but also believing Gentiles would be included in Christ’s flock, the sheep of his pasture.

That emphasis leads us to John 10:11-30. We observe the following:

a. Jesus makes a claim: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus assures the people that he is not a robber or fake Messiah. No, he is the one who will lay down his life (who will atone) for the sheep. That’s the claim Jesus makes.

b. Jesus’ points to his relationship with the sheep: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” There is a relationship of knowledge, of personal awareness and communication between Jesus and the sheep. The Christ and the sheep—they are deeply connected. They belong together. Jesus died and rose again for his sheep.

c. Jesus’ sheep make up one flock. Listen: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” In other words, there are two sheep pen; the one is called “the Jews,” the other “the Gentiles,” All human beings are like sheep that have gone astray. It is out of the pool of humanity (made up of Jews and Gentiles) that Christ gathers his sheep and lays down his life for them. Jesus’ death and resurrection targeted his sheep, the people of God.

d. One final observation from the text: Note the characteristics of Jesus’ sheep: They know Jesus; they listen to his voice; they see themselves and live in relationship to Christ, the good shepherd; they do not live on their own in separate flocks; rather, they consider themselves and are part of the one flock, the people of God, the church of Christ.

Passages such as this one lead Reformed Christians to emphasize that Christ died and rose again for the sake of the “elect,” with the intent to save those “whom the Father draws to himself,” or “whom the Father has given to Jesus.” They are the sheep, the people of God, the ones who are found in Jesus, the ones who are being built into a temple or building or flock or church or holy nation.

They are the people of whom we read in John 11:50-53 that “Jesus should die for the nation (of Israel), and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” They are the people of whom we read about in Revelation 5:9 “And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Thus Reformed Christians speak of Christ’s death and resurrection as Intentional atonement: that is, Christ death and resurrection targeted and benefits his sheep, the people of God. It is of them that Christ says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

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Now we must answer some questions: Why is it important to speak with the accent of Intentional atonement? Why emphasize that Christ’s death and resurrection targeted his sheep, the people of God?

Here’s why: #1. Christians must always seek to proclaim the truth as found in Scripture. To obscure, to limit, to deny or cover up the truth of Scripture is foolish and wrong.

Such distortions or sloppy approaches to the Scriptures lead to a distortion of God’s mighty acts in Jesus Christ. Careless approaches lead to a wrong understanding of Christ; a diminishing of God’s grace in Christ; and yes, people go astray when they live by wrong teachings.

A correct understanding of the target and benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection leads to a proper relationship with Christ and his people. When I need to find my way to Timbuktu and you give me a wrong roadmap, I will never get to my destination; I will get lost. When we misread the Bible’s roadmap concerning Christ’s death and resurrection, we will end up lost in our own imaginations, and ultimately we may miss our eternal destination. Christians, of all people, must seek to proclaim and adhere to the truth as found in Scripture.

Here’s another reason why it’s important to accentuate that Christ died and rose again for the elect: #2. Emphasizing Intentional atonement leads us to ask the question whether we are indeed part of Christ’s flock, the people of God. Or to put it another way: May I consider myself a beneficiary of Christ’s death and resurrection? May I consider myself to be part of God’s elect, to be part of God’s people?

The answer to such questions comes to us in the text: consider the relationship of Christ with his sheep: He knows them; they know him; they listen to his voice; they obey; they follow the good shepherd.

Surely, if we, having been made alive by the Holy Spirit, exercise the gift of faith, follow Christ and nurture this relationship between Christ and us, then surely we may declare with joy that we belong to Christ--body and soul, in life and in death.” Christ’s intentional work on the cross and in the tomb leads us to examine ourselves in relationship to the Savior. Are we living daily in a close relationship with Christ as our good shepherd, listening to his voice and Word, and doing his bidding?

Here’s one more reason: #3. Christians must never take for granted the blessing of knowing Christ and the responsibility that comes with knowing Christ and belonging to him. The blessing of knowing Christ should instill within us humility and gratitude. For our relationship with Christ is only possible because of God’s initiative, mercy and grace.

The responsibility that comes with belonging to Christ and his flock forces us to examine our lives every day, and leads us to think about our relationship with the church of Christ and our participation in the worship, life, mission and ministry of the church.

Let’s be clear on this: I cannot claim to be a Christian who belongs to Christ’s sheep pen or flock, if at the same time I embrace all religions as valid or acceptable in God’s sight. I only fool myself when I say that people can come to a saving knowledge apart from Christ. And I do not do anyone a favor, when I say that being a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a spiritualist, an agnostic, an atheist or a pagan of any sort does not need to know God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, “for” (as the mantra goes) “in the end everyone will be saved anyhow.”

Such lies Christians must avoid. Therefore we shape our lives by the truth of God’s Word, so that God is honored and our lives reflect humility and gratitude; and therefore, we learn to speak the common language of the Christian faith with the accent that says: Jesus died and rose again for his sheep, the elect, the people of God who make up the church and holy nation that looks forward to the day when God will make all things new.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.