The Voice of a Stranger

John 10:1-11
Jesus is telling the people that he is the Good Shepherd, that his voice is the one the true sheep will recognize and follow.  The voice of a stranger they will not recognize and therefore will not follow (vs. 3-5).  Jesus makes it clear here: his followers will hear his voice and will follow accordingly.  How many of us readily admit that we do not hear his voice, or there is confusion when trying to hear from him?  How many times do we say that things would be so much easier if only He would tell us what we should do?  Or how many of us simply neglect even attempting to hear his voice out of indifference?  What a scathing indictment against ourselves!  Are we not confessing a serious issue?  This is not to be taken lightly.  If we admit that we are not hearing his voice, then there are only two conclusions: (1) we are not a part of his flock (vs. 26-27), or (2) we have heard the voice of a stranger and have grievously wandered (vs. 5, 12-13).  Neither or these two conclusions are acceptable.  If we are comforted by the fact that we believe we fall into the second category, whereby we are still saved, just simply gone astray, then we are probably deceived and fall into the first category.  For there is, or at least should not be any comfort found in this second category for a true believer.  Not hearing his voice is a serious problem, that should not sit well with anyone truly following Jesus.  Let us review the example for us here in John 10.  The Jews gathered around him asking him to simply reveal himself as either being the Christ or not (vs. 24).  A seemingly honest and genuine request to hear his voice.  The problem is that he had already told them, they just hadn't heard (vs. 25).  See the major issue of not hearing his voice?  Even when he tells them things plainly they do not hear, they do not believe.  In fact, when he does reveal himself, as in vs. 33, they pick up stones to stone him.  Is he not revealing the answer to the very question they have asked him only 9 verses ago?  Although hearing and seeing, they were not actually hearing and seeing (Matthew 13:13-15).  See the problem?  We absolutely must hear his voice, or we will hear without hearing and see without seeing.  Their action of wanting to stone him reveals that, although not Jesus' voice, they were hearing someone's voice that was leading them to action (stoning).  Jesus warns that there will be other voices heard (vs. 5).  His voice is not the only one speaking.  There is a thief who has come who will lead the "sheep" astray into destruction (vs. 10-13).  And he will lead them (us) into believing there is another way into the kingdom (vs. 1).  We see this in the life of the Pharisees and Jews in this passage.  They rejected Jesus, not because they wanted to go to hell, or outright rejected scripture, but because they had heard a stranger's voice and been led astray.  They had been convinced that Jesus was not the way into the kingdom, and that they could climb in another way, circumventing Jesus.  Jesus preached that he is the way, the only way into heaven (John 14:6).  We would readily admit and claim this, as we too want to go to heaven, just like these Jews did.  But we are also told that this life of belief in Jesus will manifest itself in rejection and hatred by the world (John 15:18-19), many persecutions and hardships (Philippians 1:29; II Timothy 3:12), rejection by family (Matthew 10:36; Luke 12:53), a loss of life and comfort, indeed everything (Luke 14:26-27; 33; Philippians 3:8), for it is with much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22), and in this life we will hear his voice (vs. 3-4, 27-28).  Perhaps we do not hear his voice because we have listened to the voice of another, convincing us there is another way, an easier way into the kingdom.  A way where one can climb in, avoiding these hard commands and sufferings admonished by Jesus.  Have we not bought into this idea?  No wonder we do not hear his voice, for we are too busy listening to the voices of thieves and robbers (vs. 1, 8), which we are warned is a typical response in our day (II Timothy 4:3-4).  Do not be deceived, we are hearing someone's voice because we have all taken some kind of action or steps.  We must go to him and implore him to reveal to us his voice, and his voice alone.  We must admit our wanderings and our neglect of listening to him, indeed our desire to not hear from him, except in dire circumstances, that we may direct our own lives (which in reality is to hear the voice of the enemy).  Are we desperate to hear his voice?  Or have we accepted the other way to climb in?  Let us now ask what he says.