Daily Dose of Hope

October 23, 2025

Scripture - John 10:22-42

Prayer: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 23

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We are currently working our way through the Gospels and Acts. Today, we finish John 10.

In the second half of chapter 10, we find Jesus walking in the Temple. It is the Festival of Dedication, otherwise known as Hanukkah, which celebrates the rededication of the Temple in 164 BC. You may recall that in the 2nd century BC, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to force the Jews to give up their faith. A group of Jewish rebels, led by Judas Maccabeus, fought back and ultimately reclaimed the Temple. It's no accident that John speaks of Jesus walking through the Temple at this particular time. He is pointing to an underlying theme that Jesus, like the heroes of Hanukkah, is coming to redeem Israel and relieve them all from their oppression.

But there are other themes in this short passage. John is clear to continue the theme of Jesus' identity, pointing to divine images for Jesus. He is a shepherd, and he is someone who is with the Father. The shepherd imagery here is intended to remind the listeners of the Good Shepherd in the Psalms. Remember, throughout the Psalms, God is seen as the shepherd of Israel and Israel as sheep. Think of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want..."

The Jewish leaders are again livid that Jesus keeps using this divine language and saying that he has come from God and God is his Father. They actually pick up rocks to stone him. But Jesus challenges them. He basically says, "For what good work from God are you stoning me?" They tell him that it wasn't good works that led to this but blasphemy. Jesus uses the Jewish Scriptures to speak out against that. But they are blinded to truth. Jesus slips out of their grasp, for there is still more Kingdom work to do before his time comes.

How often are we blinded to the work of Jesus right in front of us?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki