John chapter 10. Just delightful
to be here. I'd like to read verse 15 of John
chapter 10. As the Father knoweth me, Even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep." I've entitled this message, For
Whom Did Christ Die? For whom did Christ die? Now, he did die. He said, I lay
down my life. He is the only one to yield up
the ghost. No mere man ever did that. Do you know, death couldn't even
come to him until he gave it permission. And at that time
he yielded up the ghost. He was not a victim. Look in
verse 17 of John chapter 10. Therefore does my father love
me because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No
man taketh it from me. He was not a victim, but I lay
a doubt of myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my Father." Now, he did die. And there was a reason for his
death. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. There was a reason for his death. He died for a reason. What was the reason of his death? Old age? Disease? Accident? Murder? No, there's only one reason for
death. One reason. What is that reason? Sin. The soul that sinneth shall surely
die. Scripture says in 2 Corinthians
5, verse 21, he was made to be sin. Now that word sin in that
passage of scripture I just quoted, he was made to be sin, it's not
a verb, it's a noun. He was made the thing itself. Who His own self bear our sins
in His own body on the tree. The Lord hath laid upon Him the
iniquity of us all. Now the sins of those He died
for so truly became His. that he said in Psalm 40 verse
12, my iniquities have gone over my head as a heavy burden. They're too heavy for me. He didn't say Todd's iniquities
imputed to me. He said my iniquities. That's how truly my sin became
his. The reason for his death was
sin. It was not to provide us the
greatest example of obedience, although it did. It was not to show us how much he
loved us, although it did. He died because of sin. Isaiah 53 verse 8 says, for the
transgression of my people was he stricken. That's why he died. Because of sin. For whom did
he die? He did die. They took him down
from the cross, a lifeless corpse. He did die. He did die for a
reason. He did die for sin. Now the question
I want us to consider is for whom did he die? But before I
attempt to answer that question from the scriptures, let me ask
another question. Why ask this question to begin
with? Is it an issue? Is it an issue
the scripture raises? Is this an important question?
Should I even be asking this question? Why ask this question?
Is it a question that we ought to ask? Well, I believe it is.
And let me give you five reasons as to why I believe this question
must be raised. For whom did Christ die? Now,
here's my first reason for asking this question, because I want
to know the answer. I want to know the answer. I want to know the truth. Now, I want to be right about
this. Who doesn't? Everybody wants
to be right. I want to be right. I probably don't do real well
with people when they disagree with me. I want to be right.
But I don't so much want to be right
right here as I want to know what's right. I want to know
what God's word actually teaches. I even want to know if the word
of God really addresses this issue. I want to know the truth.
Does the word of God address this? Now, here's my second reason
for asking this question, for whom did Christ die? First, because
I want to know the truth regarding this, but secondly, I want to
know the truth regarding who he died for so I can know what
his death means. I cannot know what his death
really means without some understanding of who he died for. And let me
try to give you an example of what I'm trying to talk about.
For whom did Christ die? Well, let's talk about Judas
for just a moment. Is Judas called in the scriptures
the son of perdition? Is there any doubt where this
man is, Judas, right now as I speak? And this is a hard thing to talk
about, I realize that, but he's in the lake of fire right now.
He's in eternal destruction, whatever that means, Judas. Did
Christ pay for his sins? Did he die for him? If he did, If he did, what does his death
mean? What did his death do? If he died for somebody, and
if he paid their sin debt and put away their sins, and they're
said to be complete, as you would think, and they wind up in hell,
that would be what you said wasn't so, wouldn't it? The difference between Judas
and, let's say, Peter, if Christ paid for the sins of Judas just
as much as Peter, and we know Judas is the son of perdition,
we know Peter is in the presence of the Lord, whatever that means
right now. If Christ paid for the sins of
them both, if he died for them both, that means it's not the
blood of Christ that saved them. It's something Peter did. that
Judas did not do. Now, I really do not know what
the death of Christ means. If I do not know for whom he
died. For whom did Christ die? Here's
another reason why I ask this question. I want to know so I
can know how to preach the gospel. If he did die for all men without
exception, then I am telling a lie if I say he did not. And if he did not die for all
men without exception, then I am lying. I am lying if I say he did. If I assure the crowd I'm preaching
to, God loves you and Christ died for you. I'm not preaching the gospel,
am I? If He didn't die for all men, without exception, can I
call upon all men to believe and all men to repent if He didn't
die for all men? Yes, I can. Yes, I can, honestly
and sincerely. But I know this, if I don't know
for whom he died, I'm not going to know how to preach the gospel.
Now, you can just write that down. You cannot know how to
preach the gospel. You do not know how to call upon
men to believe and to repent and come to Christ unless you
know for whom he died. For whom did Christ die? Here's
my fourth reason for asking this question. I want to know so I
can determine if I'm one of them. And as a matter of fact, that's
probably the biggest reason for me. I want to know. I want to know if he paid for
my sins. I want to know if I can have
this assurance, this glorious assurance that his death brings
his people. Turn with me for just a moment
to Romans chapter 8. Verse 32. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him freely
give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is He that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. I want to know if I am
an us. Am I in that group? Because you look at the blessings
this us experience. If Christ died for you, you must
be saved. I mean, you don't run the risk
of the hazard of the possibility of being anything but saved if
Christ died for you. Now, I want to know if I'm in
this group, this us. I sure want to be, don't you? Here's my fifth reason for asking
this question, for whom did Christ die? Paul said concerning Christ
and his death, he loved me. That's already been
quoted tonight. He loved me. And he gave himself
for me. Now, I know this. If I can be
assured that He loved me and gave Himself for me, I know I'm
going to love Him in return and I'm going to give myself wholeheartedly,
unreservedly, lock, stock and barrel to Him. This is actually
the key to consecration. This is it right here. This is
the key. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5,
verses 14 and 15, For the love of Christ constraineth us, because
we thus judge that if one died for all, then are all dead, and
that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him that loved us, and gave himself
for us. So here's five reasons for asking
this question. I want to know the answer. I
want to know for whom he died. I want to know the answer to
that question. I want to be able to understand the meaning of
Christ's death. I want to know how to preach the gospel. I want
to know so I can know if he died for me. And I want to be whatever
it means to be totally consecrated to him. That's what I want to
be. Now, what does God's word actually
teach regarding this subject? What is the answer the Bible
gives, not what does Our preacher or denomination teach, not what
is the answer given by the seminary professors or a systematic theology,
not what is the Calvinist view or the Arminian view. What is
the answer the Word of God gives to this question? Does the Word
of God actually deal with this issue? Well, look back in our
text in John chapter 10. Here in one simple statement,
the Lord Jesus answers this question. He said in the last phrase of
verse fifteen, I lay down my life for, say this with me, the
sheep. I lay down my life For the sheep. For whom did Christ
die? The sheep. Now, it's simple,
isn't it? I mean, there's just no... There's
what the Word of God says. I lay down my life for the sheep. Well, does the Bible deal with
this? I just read it. There it is. Now, who are the
sheep? Who are the sheep? That's an
important question, and we're going to consider that because
the sheep are identified very clearly in this same passage
of Scripture where he says, I lay down my life for the sheep. Well, who are the sheep? Well,
look over in verse 24. The one thing that I want to
point out before we go on is not everybody is a sheep. Look
in verse 24. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If
thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." You know, that's a... If he's
the Christ? I mean, they just drift with
their unbelief and their wickedness. If he's the Christ. He's the
Christ. And he wasn't making them to doubt. Their unbelief
was causing them to doubt. Their wickedness, their evil
nature was causing... He wasn't making them to doubt. He never
made anybody to doubt. His Word is truth. Oh, His Word
is words of spirit and life. Oh, I love His Word. Everything
that comes out of His mouth. He didn't make them to doubt.
Jesus answered them, verse 25. If that be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you. And you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me, but You believe not because you
are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, not everybody
is a sheep. Turn with me for just a moment.
Hold your finger there in John 10 and turn to Matthew 25. When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He
set upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered
all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divided his sheep from the goats And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on his left. There are sheep
and there are goats, and a goat never becomes a sheep, and a
sheep never becomes a goat. Not everybody is a sheep. Well, who are? his sheep. Not everybody's a sheep. You
know, for whom did he die? He died for the sheep. If not
everybody's a sheep, you know what that means? That means he
did not die for everybody. And there's no other way to look
at that than that. He did not die for everybody. How can that be fair? How can
it be fair for him to die for somebody and not die for somebody
else? How in the world could that possibly
be fair? Anybody ever thought that? Since when are you in a position
to set in judgment on God and Consider yourself to be fit and
confident to judge what he does as fair or unfair. Are you confident
for that? Nay, but old man, who art thou
that replyest against God? You and I are not fit to sit
in judgment on God Almighty and try to decide whether or not
we agree with what He's doing or whether or not we think it's
fair. He's God, and whatever He does is right. He doesn't
do it because it's right. It's right because He does it.
He has no law over His head. He's God. Bow. Bow to whatever He says. Now, if not everybody's a sheep,
who are the sheep? Can they be identified in the
Word of God? Well, yeah, real clearly. Look
at our text in John chapter 10. He's talking about his sheep
here. He says to these fellows in verse 26, you believe not
because you're not of my sheep. As I said unto you, you're all
not sheep. Well, the Lord speaks plainly. I can't look at somebody
and I can't look at somebody I don't know and know whether
or not they're sheep or not, but he can. He knows his sheep. And he tells these fellows, you're
not of my sheep, my sheep. He says, hear my voice. I know
them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they
shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My father, which gave them me is greater than
all. And no man is able to pluck them
out of my father's hand. Who are the sheep? Well, right
off the bat, they're the ones the father gave him. They are
the elect. My father, which gave them me. You know, this was a favorite
phrase of our Lord Jesus Christ. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Him that cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out. This is the will of him that
said to me that of all which he had given me, I should lose
nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. Would you turn
with me to John 17? This is our Lord's great high
priestly prayer for his people, and there's not a more awesome
passage of Scripture, we're allowed to listen in as the son prays
to the father. And six times in this chapter,
he refers to those the father has given him. Look in verse
two. As thou has given him power over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou has given him. Verse
six, I've manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest
me. out of the world. Look in verse
9. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. For they are thine. Verse
11. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. Verse 12. While I was with them
in the world, I kept them in thy name, those that thou gavest
me. I have kept, and none of them
is lost. Look in verse 24. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. Now there isn't
any doubt in my mind who the sheep are. They are those the
Father gave him. They are the elect of God. identified in this passage of
scripture. Now, this is the uniform teaching of scripture. This is
not just pulling out something. Be the church of God, which he
purchased with his own blood. Christ loved the church and gave
himself for it. By one offering, he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. This is the uniform teaching
of scripture. The scripture I thought of is 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
verse 3, where Paul's declaring the gospel. Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel. And you remember what he said
in verse 30? He said the gospel is how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. The gospel is not Christ died
prior sins. I love that precious statement. I'm not in any way
taking away from the importance of that precious statement, but
if all I say is Christ died prior sins, I didn't tell the gospel.
It's how that Christ died prior sins according to the scriptures,
according to the Old Testament scriptures. That's the scriptures
he's speaking of when he makes that statement. Now, when that
Blood was shed and put on the doorpost. Was it put over everybody's
doorpost? It was just Israel, wasn't it? You remember how God
said, against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move
his tongue? Against man or beast, that you
may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the
Egyptians and Israel. When the great high priest representing
the Lord Jesus Christ went into the very Holy of Holies with
that breastplate, did that breastplate say the world? No, it had the
names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. That's who
he represented. For whom did Christ die? His
sheep, his elect. And we don't have to read the
Lamb's Book of Life to know who they are, because our text tells
us, look in verse 26 again, of John chapter 10, who are the elect? How can they
be identified? He said, you believe not, because
you're not of my sheep as I said unto you. You know what sheep
do? They believe. Every single one. They believe. That crowd that said, how long
are you going to make us to doubt? If you're the Christ, tell us
plainly. I'll tell you something my sheep knows. He is the Christ. I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God, God's Christ, God's anointed Messiah. I believe
He's God's anointed prophet. I believe He's God's anointed
priest. I believe He's God's anointed
King. I believe He's the Son of God. At Ethiopian Munich, it says,
Here's water. What does hinder me to be baptized? If there's
a reason why I shouldn't be, I want to know. Philip said,
If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered,
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I do too. I really do. I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Creator, that He's God manifest in the flesh, that
He's the only Savior of sinners. He's God's Christ. I believe. I really do. I love that scripture in Acts
13, verse 48, as many as were ordained to eternal life. Anybody
know the last word? Believed. Believed. Who are the sheep? They're the
ones who believe. Look what he says in verse 27. My sheep hear
my voice. You ever heard the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ? Now I've heard preachers, they
say, well, the Lord said this to me, the Lord said that to
me. They even say, you know, he said my name. I don't believe
them for a second. That's a lie. They never heard his voice. No,
I'm sure of that. Are you sure of it? Absolutely.
Absolutely. I'll tell you what, I have heard
his voice in a much more loud way than an audible voice. You've
heard his voice when you know this is the gospel. This is,
this is not just a preacher's opinion. This is not just a denomination
of distinctions. This is God's truth. This is
God's word. You've heard God's voice when
you know this is the truth. You know that, you've heard his
voice. Why don't I agree with that?
Well, you ain't heard his voice yet. That's exactly right. But he goes on to say, my sheep
hear my voice, verse 27, and I know them. I know them. He doesn't know
everybody. And he knows who you are. He
knows everything you've done. He knows everything I've done.
He knows everybody in that sense. He's omniscient. But what about
that crowd? He said, depart from me ye that
work iniquity. I never knew you. I never loved
you. I never knew you to be one of
mine. I never had an intimate relationship with you. You were
never my bride. I never knew you. But His sheep
are the ones He knows. Now, here's what I'm hoping in,
that He knows me. Now that you've known God, or
rather, are known of, God. He knows his sheep. Verse 27, he says, they follow
me. Who are the sheep? They're the
ones who follow him. Now, how in the world do you
follow somebody? There's only one way to follow
somebody. You keep your eyes on them. You look at them. Where they go, you go. You move
where they move. Whatever direction they're going,
you keep your eyes on them. A believer is someone who's always
looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. And even when he doesn't see
Him, as he wants to see Him, he knows that He is complete
in him, that He is his salvation. The Lord Jesus is my salvation.
Now, sometimes I see that real clearly. Sometimes it gets a
little foggy. But I tell you what, when it's
foggy, that's when I really know he's my only hope. I mean, there
ain't no doubt about it then. You know, I mean, the only hope
I got. They follow him. They keep their eyes on him. They continue looking to Christ. Look what it says next. He says
in verse 28 regarding his sheep, I give unto them eternal life. They're the people who have eternal
life. They've got the life of God in
their very soul being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible by the word of God that liveth and abideth
forever. The life of God in their soul.
That's what the new birth is. That's what the new nature is.
If any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Eternal. This is life eternal. That they might know thee. Actually, I'm claiming to be
somebody who actually knows the living God. And I'm not talking
about name dropping either. I'm talking about He knows me
too. He knows me. That's my hope.
I know Him. He knows me. He gives unto me
eternal life. And look what it says next in
verse 28. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. You know who the sheep are? They're the ones who never perish.
They're the ones who persevere all the way to the end. They don't quit. They don't get drowned with the
cares of this world like the thorn choked here. They don't
depart when they see the persecution coming like the stony ground
here. They continue in the faith, grounded
and settled. They continue looking to Christ. They continue following Him.
That's who the sheep are. They're the ones who will never
perish. Do you believe a sheep of Christ
could perish? No! No! Look what he says. Neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. I think of the strength
of the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, My Father which
gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Now, the cause of who died? Those for whom he died cannot perish. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies it. Who
is he to condemn it? It's Christ that died. Need to
say anything else? I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. For whom did Christ die? The
sheep. And they're identified in this passage of scripture.
Now I want to close by asking a few questions. Now you listen real carefully
to this question. Can the gospel be preached? Can the gospel, the one and only
gospel, can the gospel be preached without preaching for whom he
died? And you know how I want to answer
that question? And I know the answer to that
question, but here's the way I'm going to answer that question. I'm
going to ask you to answer that question for yourself. And I
can tell you this, you won't have any peace until that question
is answered. Now you won't. You won't have
any peace. And that question was answered
in this message. I didn't hear it. Well, it was.
I'm sorry you didn't hear it. It was answered. Am I saved if I reject this?
Well, I'm going to let you try to answer that one yourself too. I think that's the best way to
do it. You better find out the answer. But here's the question I really
wanted to get to. I wanted to get to those other
ones that they were very, but here's the question that I want
to try to answer. Those other ones, you know the
answer. You do. But here's the question I want
to leave you with. Can I know for sure that he died
for me? Am I going to have to wait till
I see the Lamb's Book of Life before I can know whether or
not he died for me? I know. I've thought about the
Lamb's Book of Life. You know, if it could be opened
up to me, you know whose name I'd look for first? It wouldn't
be yours. It wouldn't be yours, I'm sorry.
I'd look at you on down the line. Well, can I know that my name's
written in that book? Yes, you can. Yes, you can. You can walk out of here for
sure knowing you're complete in Him. You can walk out of here
with all the joy of full assurance. You can have it right now. Now,
how can I know for sure if Jesus Christ the Lord died for me?
Let me quote this scripture to you. Romans chapter 5 verse 6
says, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for thee ungodly. Who did he die for? Those who
are without strength. Not a little bit. No, without. Without. Totally and completely
without strength. No spiritual strength. Would
that be you? Christ God for who? The ungodly. Do you fit that description?
Do you? Right now, do you fit that description? Without strength. Ungodly. You really believe that? You're
not just giving the right answer. It's what you really believe
about yourself. Everybody here knows how to give the right answer.
It's one thing to say you believe in total depravity. It's another
thing to believe you're totally depraved. I mean, they're two
totally different things. Without strength. Ungodly. Do you believe that
about yourself? Then if you do, I guarantee you
Jesus Christ died for you. I guarantee you, there's no doubt
about it. That's it. Do you believe He's the Son of
God? Do you believe He's God's Christ? Do you believe that whatever
He intends to do, because of who He is, it must be done? Do
you believe that? I think of those two blind fellas
come groping up in there and He said, that I am able to do
this. You know what they said? Yea,
Lord. You believe? Beloved, if you do, Jesus Christ
shed his precious blood for you and all the joys of full assurance
are yours right now. Let's close by looking at Romans
8 just again for just a moment. Romans 8. Verse 28, And we know, and they may not,
but we do, we do, we know, that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are thee called according
to His purpose, for whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
them He also called. And whom He called, them He also
justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Sorry? Done. Is it really? Yes. Yes. In Christ. Union with Him. We
just heard about it. What should we say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not? What could
possibly prevent Him? It's not going to happen. How
shall He not, with Him also freely, without looking for reason in
us, give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is He to condemn? If it's Christ that died, yea,
rather it's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God.
who also maketh intercession for us. Amen.