Talking Walk
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Your walk talks, and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.
That phrase was instilled in me when I was in high school. My youth pastor at the time challenged us to recognize that what we say matters and what we do matters, but what we do often matters more.
All of our life communicates. Our actions communicate our beliefs. Our words can reveal what’s in our hearts. In fact Jesus even said:
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
That pithy phrase about a Walk that talks, is trying to get across that our actions speak louder than our words.
As we’ve been studying the Gospel of John, we’ve seen Jesus refer to his actions or his signs over and over again as confirmation of Who He is. Today, as we look at John 10:22-42 - we’ll get to see an encounter that Jesus had with religious leaders where his actions spoke one thing, but people refused to listen. Then, when his words seemed to confirm what his actions communicated, he was misunderstood.
We have to keep in mind, all communication is two sided.
There is the sending side - what we say or do.
There is the receiving - what others understand.
What we find is that a lot of people are seeing and hearing the same things - but only some are really understanding Jesus. the same is true today.
The Context
This is about three months after the encounters that Jesus had during the feast of Tabernacles. John tells us that it was winter time and that it was the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah. Jesus was in the temple in Jerusalem.
In this passage we get to see first of all that…
Jesus’ walk talks - revealing His identity and mission (John 10:22-30)
Jesus’ walk talks - revealing His identity and mission (John 10:22-30)
So, here in the temple, several of the religious leaders gathered around him and bluntly asked him:
John 10:24 (ESV)
“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
They want verbal confirmation of the very thing that some people suspected about Jesus.
But, knowing what we’ve seen in the book of John, if Jesus said “I am the Christ” or “I am the Messiah” - how would they respond? Most likely, they would have picked up stones on the spot and sought to kill him. They might have opened an inquiry and asked for proof of his claim. They would ask for signs and wonders (the very things that Jesus had been doing).
But, one of the other things that we have to keep in mind is that for so many of these religious leaders - the words “Christ” and “Messiah” carried with them political ramifications. They thought the Christ would be a conquering King (and He will be), but not yet. They thought He would overthrow the current regimes. But Jesus came for a different purpose, a different mission, a different revolution.
Jesus responds to their question in this way:
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.
Now, Jesus never publicly said - “I am the Christ.” In private settings he referred to himself as the “Son of Man” (which has divine and anointed connotations) and confirmed to the woman at the well (individually) that he was the Messiah (John 4:26). So is Jesus lying when he says “I told you”? No, I think he communicated, as we see in the next verse, that his actions are speaking on his behalf.
He’s letting his walk talk.
But he also points out to them that they don’t understand because they are not his sheep. They have not been called to believe and frankly don’t really have an interest in believing. They want a Messiah that will fit in their own box. They want a Messiah that will serve their agenda.
Ultimately, they are not part of the flock that Jesus is gathering.
Jesus continues...
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
With these words, He reiterates something we considered last week, that as a good shepherd, Jesus gathers, guides and guards the sheep.
He does this as part of the mission that God ordained for him. He conveys that it is ultimately God the Father who appoints these people to be Jesus’ sheep.
So how do Jesus’ actions confirm his mission and identity?
As we’ve seen before, prophets foretold hundreds of years early about the coming of Messiah.
They communicated that he would heal the sick (Isaiah 35:4-7 ),
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
He will also cause the blind to see (Isaiah 29:18-19
In that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
and he will do so much more.
Up to this point in John’s gospel, we’ve seen Jesus heal the sick (John 4:46-54) , the lame (John 5:1-17), and the blind (John 9), perform other signs and wonders like feeding the 5000 (John 6:1-15) and walking on water (John 6:16-21) which could all be considered indicative of messengers of God.
Jesus whole ministry seems to be around showing people that He is the one in whom people can believe - leading up to His ultimate action on the cross.
His walk talks!
Does mine? Does yours?
Point of Application
As followers of Christ, what do people see in our actions - in our walks.
Can they identify us as followers of Christ?
Can people see that we are on the mission that God has placed before us - to make disciples, to love God and others?
Do our actions simply show that we are good people or simply moral? Do our actions reveal that we are more concerned about our own comfort or political preferences or personal needs than we are about reaching the world around us?
I think part of what happens is that we have bought into the false quote attributed to Francis of Assisi...
“Preach the gospel always, when necessary, use words.”
The problem is - Francis never said that.
Secondly, while the gospel can be lived out in sacrificial love, in marriage, in service to our community - it can’t be communicated fully until we use words.
Written words - like in the Bible or tracts or books, social media posts (of course we need to be careful here), emails and letters.
Spoken words - in conversations.
Jesus used both. He not only performed miraculous signs, but he also conveyed profound and eternal truths. In fact, as Jesus explains his actions, He includes a bold statement:
I and the Father are one.”
It’s in response to this that we get to see that
Jesus’ Talk Talks - but not everyone understands (John 10:30-39)
Jesus’ Talk Talks - but not everyone understands (John 10:30-39)
There is a lot of debate as to what Jesus meant by “I and the father are one.”
He could be referring to one substance/person - meaning that he is claiming divinity here.
He could also be referring to one mission or goal or mind - implying that they are unified in their ministry toward the sheep.
Jesus is connecting the dots for the Pharisees.
The Pharisees clearly thought that he was claiming to be God.
The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
To which, Jesus gives a defense from Scripture:
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
Again - the Words of Jesus are not being properly received.
For these accusers, no amount of biblical or even logical apologetic will suffice. They simply will not believe and they want to take action.
Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
Point of application
It’s important for us to remember that people may be offended by our speech. Hopefully, not because of how we speak, but because the gospel is offensive.
In order for the good news to be received, the bad news has to be acknowledged - that we are all stuck in sin and doomed for eternal separation from God. Most of us think that while we may not be perfect - we’re pretty good - and so accepting that fact could be offensive.
The message of the gospel can also be offensive because Jesus’ ways are different than ours. He calls us to die to ourselves and take up our cross and follow him - where as our society calls us to follow our hearts and be whatever we want to be, do whatever we want to do, etc. He calls us to sacrifice and suffer for the glory of God and the good of His Kingdom. He calls us to lay down our rights.
The message of the gospel can also be offensive because it is exclusive. Jesus said:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
There is one way to the Father - and that’s through the Son.
Just as Jesus was misunderstood, we should expect to be misunderstood. In the midst of that, we should still hope!
So as Jesus engages with these religious leaders, they want Jesus to speak, but when he lets his actions speak - they don’t believe him so they want words. When Jesus gives them words - they accuse him of blasphemy - even when his words were supported by his actions.
So as Jesus escapes from their grasp, he ventures across the Jordan to the place where John the Baptist served. In that place, we learn that...
Jesus’ walk and talk resulted in belief by some because of another’s testimony (John 10:40-42)
Jesus’ walk and talk resulted in belief by some because of another’s testimony (John 10:40-42)
He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.
This week at Art Camp Joanna Borman and I had an interesting conversation with one of the moms. As she was dropping off her daughter, she expressed how grateful she was for the camp, but also for how what we were teaching reinforced what she had been instilling in her daughter at home. As parents, sometimes the lessons we’re trying to teach our kids need a bit of outside reinforcement. There are so many times when I’ve come to Danielle with an epiphany - only to have her say “yes, I told you that many times.” - I just couldn’t hear it.
It seems that Jesus experienced the same thing on the other side of the Jordan. These people were very familiar with John and his ministry - especially as he taught people about Jesus. He called people to repentance and pointed people to Jesus. When Jesus came back through and began teaching and performing miracles - they believed.
Point of application
As God creates opportunities for us to share the good news with people, sometimes it will result in faith. But other times, it’s simply a seed planted - only to be watered by someone else and someone else and someone else. Don’t lose heart if your witness falls on deaf ears.
Keep letting your walk talk and your talk talk, and as others walk and talk the gospel with you, God will be glorified and in His perfect time, people will be drawn to him.
If you’re not yet a follower of Christ, I pray that God would give you eyes to see his works and ears to hear his words, faith to believe, and a desire to respond.
Let’s pray.
Benediction:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Sources:
Carson, D. A. The Gospel according to John. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991.
Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
Milne, Bruce. The Message of John (The Bible Speaks Today). Downers Grove, IL. Inter-Varsity Press, 1993