Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– John 5:24
His Voice
I remember reading the story of a missionary who was traveling in the Middle East when he saw a huge flock of sheep. He asked the driver to pull over and he did. Then, the missionary when to the fence and started calling the sheep…he just kept trying to bring them to where he was. They just stood and stared at him. Jesus explained just what happened; “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). When the real shepherd came by, the missionary saw them all run in unison their real shepherd’s voice. We can know Jesus’ voice; He speaks through the written Word of God, the Bible.
His Word
Just as I said, God reveals the source of eternal life and that life is found only in Christ (Acts 4:12). Jesus tried telling the religious leaders, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39), “yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:40). They had God right in front of them and refused to come to Him. That meant they would have had to humble themselves but they would not and so they were opposing God (James 4:6).
His Salvation
The Apostle Paul asks the question, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching” (Rom 10:14). What he is saying is that faith comes be hearing, which is hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17), so the source of eternal life is in the Bible, for in it, you find the Savior (John 3:16).
His Comfort
God is the God of all comfort and how much more comforting is it than to know that you are not at peace with God and there’s no more condemnation hanging over your head (Rom 5:1, 8:1). It’s like sitting on death row waiting for the execution but God intervened on your behalf and place His Son in harm’s way and took the punishment that was due upon you (and me). His rod comforts us because it represents the scepter of His divine Kingship and as subjects of His kingdom, we are under His sovereign care.
Conclusion
Jesus desires that those who have not yet believed in Him, come to Him. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and they will place their trust in Him. If so, they will know His voice when they hear it and read it, and believe it, and take comfort in it. That’s why grace is so amazing. We have an amazingly gracious good God Who required a sacrifice, then provided it Himself in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
