Tag: Festival of Dedication

Updated: 8/16/2026

Sermon Prep

This was a tough month for me. Work ever since being diagnosed with MS in May hasn’t quite felt the same because I don’t feel the same. Feel the need to take a nap like nothing else and lack a lot of the drive that has gotten me this point in my life. More mentally foggy than ever and on top of that my work quota became even tougher to achieve. Very stressful season and yet still had to preach this Sunday sermon.

In fact, this year so far has felt a bit foggy and it’s harder for me to remember it because its flown by so fast. Feel like I blinked and months just disappeared from my memory. Then again, it could be that since my health scare in late February and the other medical problems my family has had this year it hasn’t necessarily felt like a smell the roses sort of year and more of a remembering that there’s roses to smell once you slow down a bit.

But God knows I need to slow down, so in his perfect timing he assigned me to teach this section of scripture in mid-August when there’s plenty of other things I’d rather get done. Do even more at my high velocity job that’s just getting busier, finish my long-gestating book, manage my home, stay connected to community and family, along with numerous other things I cared about more than God. Just being honest here and that blur of unmet expectations just weighs on me like a gargantuan boulder of responsibilities most days. Life’s busy and I allowed it to get that way.

Then again, at the beginning of the month it was slow and good. My Glory and I celebrated our golden anniversary in southern Colorado which was a much needed break from it all. Those two days really helped me catch my breath for a bit and be in the right place spiritually to share this message like I did last week. I didn’t dedicate as much time as I’d prefer, but at this point I’ve taught almost a hundred sermons and the workflow is so much easier to enter and exit in a timely fashion when focused on the task at hand. Certain rabbit holes just aren’t worth the extra research required.

In any event, the prep was not so much rushed as it was delayed largely on my recent and uncharacteristic lack of time management lately. Usually, I have these built out and nearly complete with a week to spare. This one was in that shape by late Friday night, so that I could properly enjoy Sabbath with my family. Not my greatest prep but efficient enough to get the job done, while spinning the rest of my life’s plates. With that, here’s the YouTube recording of this message and the notes below:

Sermon Notes

Intro

• Story of Mr. Garcia whistling so loud his son Sam heard him almost a mile away.

Main Point

• The sheep know their shepherd because they hear the Word and listen to him.

The Shepherd and His Sheep | John 10 (NRSVue)

“[1] “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. [2] The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” [6] Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. [7] So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. [13] The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. [14] I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. [17] For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” [19] Again the Jews were divided because of these words. [20] Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” [21] Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

• The shepherd symbolized the OT ANE concept of “a royal caretaker of God’s people.” – NIV Study Bible (2011)
  • God is the Shepherd of Israel, while Israel’s leaders were false shepherds.
    • Pastor = shepherd in Latin, so Israel’s leaders were false pastors.
• 2 of 7 “I am” statements: the sheepgate (John 10:1-10) and shepherd (John 10:11-18).
• The sheepfold Jesus mentions would’ve been a courtyard in front of a house (John 10:1).
  • Different flocks were separated in sheepfold; gatekeeper is here for story sake.
  • The “other sheep” that join the flock are Gentile/non-Jewish Christians.
• Throughout this text, Jesus alludes to his atonement for our sin (John 10:11, 17-18).
  • Jesus is our substitute, inviting us to participate in his victory over death and sin.
• The hired hand had every reason to go, yet the shepherd had to stay (John 10:12-13).
• The Jews reference the man born blind who was healed right before this (John 10:21).

“[22] At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, [23] and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. [24] So 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.” [25] Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, [26] but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. [27] My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. [30] The Father and I are one.” [31] The Jews took up stones again to stone him. [32] Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” [33] The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human, are making yourself God.” [34] Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? [35] If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— [36] can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? [37] If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. [38] But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” [39] Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.”

• Festival of Dedication = Hanukkah (winter); warmer in the portico (John 10:22-23).
  • Pastors (i.e. Israel’s leaders) were honored during this Festival of Lights.
• God’s people are the sheep, whether Gentile or Jewish which he saves (John 10:25-29).
• Clear Messianic claim given God is not human and he’s one being (John 10:30-33).
  • Under the Mosaic Law, claiming to be God was blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16).
  • Jews began preparing the judgment for blasphemy, which was the death penalty.
• Jesus appeals to Psalm 82:6 doubling down on his fully divine nature (John 10:34-38).
  • He claimed that he’s Lord of the divine council and greater than the sons of God.
• Jesus escaped easily because he didn’t stand out looking unremarkable (John 10:39).
• Many believed what Jesus did and said because of John the Baptist (John 10:40-42).

Why It Matters

• We sheep know the shepherd because we hear the Word himself and listen to him.
  • As you walk the Way, God’s voice will be easier to discern over your own.

Power Text

“[3] For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. [4] In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. [5] The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. [6] O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! [7] For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!” – Psalm 95:3-7 (NRSVue)

Outro

• Do you hear the Word? Do you “believe the works” and listen to the shepherd?

Final Thoughts

Like I usually tell the fellow teachers at church, my method and style of sermons leaves a lot of unknowns baked into the final product. I don’t quite know what I’m going to say or what the Holy Spirit himself will guide me to emphasize until the sermon has been shared. Will I go off on tangents or stick to the broad bullet points? To be honest, I’m never quite too sure until I’m there in the moment. I try to let the Lord lead and just see what happens with the congregation.

This style preference keeps my messages in particular somewhat unpredictable and improvisational without going off the rails entirely either. It’s not perfect and sometimes it sucks because the material deserved a different approach more suited to it. Regardless, I think in this case under these circumstances it was a fine message with lots of fun moments sprinkled throughout I never considered mentioning in the prep stage. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.