Reflections on “How Long” John 10: 22-30

Catching up with posting sermons.  this one was preached the Sunday before I left for a trip to London and Scotland.  I had a fun time preaching this sermon.  I enjoyed playing with the idea of Jesus annoying us.

 “How Long” John 10: 22-30; SAPC, Denton; May 8, 2022; Richard B. Culp 

2At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”

Introduction: it was the Festival of Dedication time in Jerusalem.

We know it as Hannakuh - a joyous celebration of the Jewish Maccabean uprising up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors and the reclaiming of Jerusalem in 2nd C BCE (use this link to learn more about the origins of Hannakuh https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah)

A celebration of God’s saving power.

A reminder of God’s presence in their midst. 

there is Jesus, who some would have said then and we say now, is not just a reminder of God’s presence in our midst, but actually God’s presence in our midst.

there is Jesus walking through Solomon’s Portico. 

This is an important place, not just because it was a porch on the east side of the Temple, but because it is known as the “Porch of Judgment.” From this location, the King would make his judgments and exercise justice for those who were brought before him. (https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-john-1022-30, Associate Professor of Homiletics, United Lutheran Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa.)

In that place, at that time, some Jews gather to question Jesus.

Perhaps we see the irony - in the midst of the joyful celebration of what God has done for God’s people historically, there is less than a joyful response to Jesus, who is God in their midst.

move 1:  the question they ask:  How long will you keep us in suspense?  If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.

a.  In some ways, a very fair question.

1. Jesus has been in Jerusalem since his arrival for the Festival of Booths in chapter seven (7:10).  Not sure how long exactly - three chapters of John does not equate to an exact number of days.

1. but Jesus has been there, teaching regularly in the temple complex. 
2. His teaching evokes much discussion concerning his identity, origins, and authority, and results in a division among the people. 

1. Some believe that he is the Messiah,  and others believe that he is demon-possessed, or worse, a blasphemer who deserves to die (7:40-44; 8:48, 59). (https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-john-1022-30-5; Elisabeth Johnson, Professor, Lutheran Institute of Theology, Meiganga, Cameroon)

5. Maybe it is just a question for clarification, but in the context, it seems like a challenge.

b. Either way, it is an almost impossible question for Jesus to answer.

1. Or at least answer in ways they can understand.

2. Even a direct answer - “I am the Messiah,” is not a simple answer.  It would just lead to complicated questions about what that means and how can he pivot it.

3.  In fact, Jesus has tried to tell them:  He says, “I told you but you do not believe.”

4. I hesitate to cast too many stones at those asking the question, because I know, we know, how hard it is to believe sometimes.

5. in some ways, it feels like we are right back with Thomas demanding definitive proof in order to believe.

c.  A hard question for Jesus to answer, but he gives them, he gives us a way to understand the answer.

1.  “Look at the works that I do.  They testify to me.”

2.  It says to them - if Jesus is doing things and teaching things that point to God’s saving grace, that show him as the Messiah, then they have their answer before them.

3. It says to us, if we look around and see God at work, see God’s saving grace showing up, see people following Christ in ways that show him as the Messiah, then the answer is before us.

4.  A powerful story we read in Acts.  People doing exactly what Jesus describes - testifying to Jesus and God’s lifesaving grace:  the obvious ones are Peter, who steps into their grieving process and tells Tabitha to rise up;  

Tabitha, whose life has already shared God’s love with others 

and then the early Christians, who gathered with Tabitha to grieve and look for God’s healing powers to be found.

5.  that’s the kind of story that testifies to Jesus as the Messiah.

6.  After we baptize Birdie today, we will walk her around, if she’ll go, and introduce her to the faith community that has committed to telling her stories about God’s saving graces and living in ways that show forth the Risen Christ.

In other words, testifying to Jesus as the Messiah.

Move 2:  here is something else from this question I find interesting.

a.  In Greek, it could also be translated as “how long will you annoy us, or vex us?” instead of “how long will you keep us in suspense."(Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 2, Thomas Troeger, 445).

1.  Can’t you see the scene play out that way?

2. Those who gather, those who have watched Jesus, those who have felt threatened by Jesus’ teaching and healings, asking him - : how long are you going to annoy us?”

3. Great question.

b.  the answer Jesus gives could also be interpreted - as “I’m going to annoy you until you see me as your Messiah.”

1. I’m going to continue to do things that testify to God’s saving grace in your lives;

I am going to really annoy you by dying on the cross for you;

I am going to keep annoying you by sending my followers to live in ways and do things that continue to show God’s saving grace.

2. I am going to annoy you until you get it - until you understand and accept that God loves you and sent me to save you.

Conclusion: how long?  As long as it takes.