The Everlasting Grip of God

John 10:25-30 -  “Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.30 I and the Father are one."

These verses are good news for us believers.  Jesus alone gives us eternal life through the work on the cross (verse 28).  The Father gives us, the believers, to Jesus.  God the Father is greater than all.  (Good news for us today.)

Eternal life means we never perish…but…but you say, we all have an appointment at the front of the church whether in a casket or an urn.  Someday, unless Jesus comes back first, we have an appointment with death.

In the meantime, we walk through this life buffeted by the cares and worries of every day existence.  Remember this (verses 29 & 30) “no one can snatch us out of God’s hand” because of God’s everlasting grip.  Remember, no one, no one, no one can snatch us away from God.  And remember, God the Father and God the Son are together on this.  Oh, this is good news for us who believe.

Most of us have some kind of fear of death.  Yesterday, after I finished preaching, a man told me he had died but was brought back to life.  He said, “I saw ‘The Light;’ it was serene, peaceful and good beyond description.”  He said, “Don’t be afraid.”

I close with Question #1 from the Heidelberg Catechism. 

WHAT IS YOUR ONLY COMFORT IN LIFE AND DEATH?

Answer:

That I am not my own,

but belong– body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,

and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way

that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven:

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. 

Because I belong to him,

Christ, by his Holy Spirit,

assures me of eternal life

and makes me whole-heartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Amen.  Thank you Heavenly Father; Thank you Jesus.

*The thrust and idea for this Blog came from Pastor Randy Bloomer of Roseland Reformed Church in Roseland, Minnesota, spoken in part at the funeral of Jeanette Holwerda on September 1, 2012.