God’s claim on us: "Not Your Own" 10-19-25

Overview

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

In John 10:11, Jesus declares, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." This is another of Christ's "I am" statements—an echo of the divine name from the Old Testament—and it carries a corresponding truth about us: if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, then we are his sheep. Throughout Scripture, God uses animals to teach us (the industrious ant, the soaring eagle, the stubborn mule), but the image of the sheep is uniquely tied to the believer. On the last day, the sheep will be separated from the goats. We want to be counted among the sheep.

What makes this Shepherd "good" is the cross. Unlike the hired hand of John 10:12-13 who flees when the wolf comes, Jesus lays down his life for the flock. He is the spotless Lamb who became the sacrifice, dying for the sin of the world and rising again so that forgiveness—justification, "just-as-if-I'd-never-sinned"—might be received through the faith God works in us by Word and Sacrament. This is the breadth, depth, and height of his love made concrete in an empty tomb.

"I Know My Own, and My Own Know Me"

In John 10:14, Jesus says something our independent hearts often resist: "I know my own and my own know me." He owns us. The world insists we belong to ourselves, but Scripture testifies otherwise. He chose us before the foundation of the world Ephesians 1:4-5. He redeemed us, transferring us into the kingdom of his beloved Son Colossians 1:13-14. He claimed us in baptism, clothing us with Christ Galatians 3:27-28. And he has taken up residence in us, so that even our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we "are not [our] own" 1 Corinthians 6:19.

The opening question of the Heidelberg Catechism captures the comfort of this truth: What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Freedom of Belonging

Being owned by God is not a burden—it is freedom. Consider Paul, writing from prison, uncertain whether he would live or die. With "eager expectation"—the Greek pictures someone craning his neck forward in confident hope—he declares, "to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" Philippians 1:20-21. Whether by life or by death, Christ would be exalted. That is the joy of a man who knows he does not belong to himself.

When circumstances tempt us toward fear, hopelessness, or self-reliance, the gospel anchors us in this confidence: the Good Shepherd knows his sheep by name, lays down his life for them, and will never run when the wolf comes. You have been chosen, redeemed, claimed, and indwelt. You are not your own. You belong to him—and that is good news.

Transcript

What you open your Bibles, please, with me to the 10th chapter of the gospel of John, if you're 3s

using a few addition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that New Testament page 90 for 9s

our study in God's Word today, the 10th chapter of the gospel of John. 14s

We continue in this series, the red letter words of our Lord. 20s

It's various sections of this sermon series that extends all the way until summer of 2026. 25s

So we're spending a lot of time looking at what it is that Jesus said. 32s

And we're in that first section of this lengthy series entitled, I am, you are. 39s

When Jesus said, I am, he was declaring using that Old Testament references that he was God. 48s

And so when Jesus said, I am, that means he's God, and we're not, right? 57s

When Jesus said, I am the bread of life. 66s

We studied that that means we are the vessel of Christ. 70s

When Jesus said, I'm the light of the world. 76s

We studied that that means that we are the reflection of the Christ. 80s

When Jesus said, I'm the gate. 86s

That means we are the sheep. 90s

Last week as we studied, when Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. 93s

That means that we are those that live. 99s

And so today as we continue on in our study, we come to another I am statement of our Lord. 104s

And so fill in the blank then today. 113s

When Jesus says, I am, what does that mean then for us? 117s

Who are we? 123s

Fill in the blank. 125s

So we turn the pages of Scripture. 130s

We see that God often times used animals to illustrate. 133s

For example, God raises up ants and talks about being industrious. 141s

Or God talked about the lion and compared the lion to his wrath over sin. 150s

God talked about eagles and soaring that when we wait upon the Lord, we're like that eagle. 161s

That is confidently soaring. 170s

God talked about horses and mules and said, we don't want to be like a horse and a mule in spiritual stubbornness. 174s

In one verse Jesus mentioned for animals. 186s

He mentioned a wolf, a dove, a serpent, and the fourth one in that verse. 192s

Sheep. 203s

Sheep. 207s

We touched very briefly on it. 208s

In that sermon on the gate, let's go deeper on that subject this morning. 212s

Sheep is this incredible image that God lifts up. 221s

I think of the image of judgment day when we will stand before the Lord and the Scripture says that the sheep will be separated from the goats. 228s

You want to be a sheep. 240s

Don't you? 241s

Because a sheep refers to a believer. 243s

And when you think about sheep, what immediately comes to mind is a shepherd. 248s

Look what Jesus says, the beginning part of verse 11. 254s

He says, I am the good shepherd. 260s

He echoes that down in verse 14. 266s

I am the good shepherd. 270s

And a reason why he's good? 277s

Look at the second part of verse 11. 279s

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 284s

That also is echoed. 289s

Drop down to verse 15, the last part. 291s

And I lay down my life for the sheep. 296s

That is the beautiful glorious gospel, isn't it? 302s

That's the good news that we are given to proclaim. 309s

His glorious news that the second member of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ has come and died for the sin of the world. 314s

That's what's called we stated before. 329s

Objective justification, or the whole world is made. 332s

Justification, break it down just as if we never sinned. 336s

That there's forgiveness through Christ. 341s

And that is received then through faith, that faith that God gives through word and sacrament. 345s

That glorious beautiful message of the gospel. 355s

That Jesus Christ became the sacrificial lamb. 359s

The spotless lamb of God, dying for us on the cross. 367s

That Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. 373s

That the sacrifice for sin has been accepted. 375s

But God should have done what he should have done is just let us 381s

wander away in our sinfulness. 388s

And it he comes to us to redeem us, to forgive us through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, 393s

in credible grace and in credible mercy. 404s

And how committed Jesus Christ is to us. 408s

Look at verse 12. 413s

The hired hand who's not the shepherd and is not owned the sheep, 416s

sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 422s

The hired hand runs away because a hired hand is not care for the sheep. 430s

Just a job for the hired hand. 435s

But with Jesus, the depth and the breadth and the height of the love for us, 439s

seen so concretely in the cross and the empty tomb. 448s

Jesus, the good shepherd, the good shepherd. 457s

And then he says, second part of verse 14, 469s

I know my own and my own, 475s

know me. 484s

I know my own and my own. 486s

Know me. 493s

What did he say? 500s

He, what's us? 507s

He owns us? 517s

We like our independence, don't we? 529s

We like our independence. 533s

We don't like people telling us what it is that we need to do. 536s

We like to do what we want to do when we want to do it. 543s

Why think just today around the world in all the different types of languages? 553s

How many times is one person going to turn to the other person and say, 563s

you are not the boss of me? 573s

We like our independence, don't we? 584s

In fact, the world in a whole, 589s

the world in a whole world tells us that we belong to our self. 590s

Now, certainly we like the images here of the good shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ protecting us, 604s

and providing for us. 613s

We like that image as there of being led to green pastures and being led to those calm and still waters. 617s

We like the image of the shepherd with the rod and the sheep passing by the shepherd each and every night. 625s

And the shepherd using the rod to push back the wool to check for any stickers or thorns that might be caused 635s

by the shepherd's hand. 644s

We like that image. 645s

We like protection and provision and care and green pastures and still waters. 648s

We are all for that, right? 657s

We're all for that. 660s

But when Jesus says, 662s

I own you, 669s

you're my own. 673s

Here's just something in us, isn't there? 681s

That goes, 684s

what did he just say? 692s

He, 696s

he owns me? 700s

Prince, a lecture, Frederick III, 710s

Vonder Fletz. 715s

That's quite the title in name, isn't it? 719s

Prince, a lecture, Frederick III, Vonder Fletz. 723s

We'll shorten it to just Vonder Fletz. 729s

Vonder Fletz, he presided over an area in the 1500s in Germany. 732s

There was a theological dispute going on. 742s

And so he said, 745s

I want a document to be written that addresses this theological dispute that writes down the meaning of Christian doctrine. 748s

And what was the result was a document called the Heidelberg Catechism, the Heidelberg Catechism. 759s

In its current form today, it's 129 questions and answers. 768s

For our reformed friends in the faith, 776s

Presbyterians, for example, 779s

that's a really, really important doctrinal statement, 781s

the Heidelberg Catechism. 785s

Now, as Lutherans, we've got our own doctrinal statements, right? 788s

We've got the Book of Conqueror. 790s

We've got Luther's small catechism. 792s

We've got the large catechism. 794s

We've got the Augsburg Confession, etc. 796s

All in this book of Conqueror. 799s

That's our doctrinal statements. 802s

For our reformed friends, are Presbyterian friends? 804s

They've got the Heidelberg Catechism. 808s

Certainly, there is agreement with regard to the first question in that catechism. 811s

Question. 822s

What has your only comfort in life and death? 824s

Answer. 831s

That I am not my own, 833s

but belong body and soul in life and in death 839s

to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. 844s

What's your only comfort in life and death in the answer? 850s

That I'm not my own, but belong. 856s

Body and soul in life and in death 861s

to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. 864s

I'm not my own, I belong to him. 867s

He made you. 876s

He knew you before there was a you. 880s

He knew that there was going to be a you 883s

before the very foundations of the world were laid. 886s

Polarites, in Ephesians, the first chapter. 891s

He says, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world 894s

to be holy and blameless before him in love, 901s

he destined us for adoption as his children 906s

through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure 910s

of his will. 914s

He destined you. 920s

He chose you for that. 921s

Therefore, you are not your own. 925s

You're not your own. 932s

Scripture tells us that he redeemed us. 936s

Colossians, the first chapter. 939s

He has rescued us from the power of darkness 942s

and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son 946s

in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins. 950s

You've been bought back, you have been purchased. 955s

You have been forgiven through Christ. 958s

You are not your own. 961s

Scripture tells us that he's claimed us. 967s

Galatians, the third chapter, is says, as many of you as were baptized 970s

in Christ have clothe yourself with Christ. 975s

There's no longer due or Greek. 980s

There's no longer slavery. 982s

There's no longer male and female. 985s

For all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 987s

He has claimed you. 991s

Therefore, you are not your own. 993s

Bible tells us that he has taken residence in us. 997s

First Corinthians 6 says, or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit 1004s

within you, which you have from God, and that you catch the words, 1011s

are not your own. 1018s

Scripture tells us of this incredible bond that he has with us. 1023s

Look at verse 14 of our text. 1029s

I'm the good shepherd. 1034s

I know my own, and my own, no me. 1036s

Just as the father knows me, and I know the father. 1042s

You're not your own. 1051s

You're just not your own. 1055s

And to be owned by God is not cumbersome. 1060s

It's freeing. 1068s

It's freeing. 1070s

Think of Paul. 1071s

Philippians 1 chapter. 1073s

When Paul writes this little book, which is really a thank you note, 1076s

when Paul writes this little book, he isn't prison. 1079s

He doesn't know whether he's going to live or whether he's going to die. 1083s

And in verse 20, he writes, 1088s

it is my eager expectation. 1091s

The Greek word there for expectation, 1094s

it means to strain your neck forward, because you're trying to see something. 1096s

You want to know what is coming, and you're looking forward to it. 1100s

So your neck is strained. 1105s

Almost as if you wanted to happen quickly for you. 1108s

You're straining to see a head, what is a head. 1112s

He said, it is my eager expectation and hope. 1116s

Remember what's the biblical meaning of hope? 1120s

It's confidence. 1123s

So he's straining ahead with eager expectation of what will come. 1124s

And he has confidence that I will not be put to shame, 1128s

in other words, that Jesus Christ will not let him down. 1134s

In any way, but that by my speaking with old boldness, 1138s

Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, 1144s

whether by life or by death. 1148s

See what Paul lived or whether he died, what was paramount to Paul? 1152s

That he exalted the Lord Jesus Christ. 1156s

That was all that mattered. 1160s

That was all that mattered. 1163s

He writes in verse 21, 1164s

for to me, living is Christ, 1166s

and dying is gain. 1170s

So if he dies, he goes home to be with the Lord, 1176s

and if he lives, that's just fine too, 1180s

because he continues on in his ministry. 1182s

And either way, God is going to be exalted. 1185s

He's going to be exalted if he continues on in his ministry, 1189s

this side of heaven, or he'll be exalted as he falls before the Lord 1192s

that he loves face to face. 1196s

Paul says, whether I live or whether I die. 1199s

I don't know exalted, Jesus Christ. 1204s

See, that's someone who lives with a confident, 1209s

inner joy. 1211s

That is characterized by hope and not hopelessness. 1214s

That's one who has joy in life. 1221s

He's not something living life to get by and one more day. 1224s

I got to get through this as one who's in prison, 1228s

writing this thank you note, 1231s

living with such joy. 1233s

This is one who delights in God whatever he's going to do, 1235s

who doesn't live in this rejection of what might be. 1239s

This is one here who lives in the freedom of knowing 1245s

that his own, his own by God. 1252s

And that gives that sense of purpose and joy 1262s

where he realizes, 1267s

I don't belong to me. 1273s

I don't belong to me. 1276s

I'm not my own. 1280s

God owns me. 1285s

God owns me. 1288s

And that beautiful song this morning. 1293s

Here are a few of those lyrics again. 1299s

I belong to the Lord, 1303s

oh, I'm not my own. 1305s

I belong to the Lord, I'm not my own. 1308s

I'll honor him for this, I know. 1311s

I belong to the Lord, not my own. 1315s

And if he's redeemed me, I'm not my own, 1322s

the measure of my worth is his love alone. 1326s

He declares my standing and he declares my state. 1333s

So I will know myself by the name he gave. 1339s

I'm not my own, and now my heart is free. 1345s

Oh, make her come and make what you will of me. 1349s

There's nothing broken that you cannot repair, 1354s

so Lord, I leave my life in your loving care. 1359s

I belong to the Lord, oh, I'm not my own. 1366s

I belong to the Lord, I am not my own. 1372s

I will honor him for this, I know. 1377s

I belong to the Lord. 1383s

I'm not my own. 1386s

And so when the Lord Jesus says in verse 14, 1392s

I'm the good shepherd, I know my own, 1400s

and my own, know me. 1408s

Did he say that? 1414s

Yes. 1418s

And sheep, that's good news. 1421s

So fill in the blank, right? 1431s

Since Jesus says, I am, since he says, I am, 1437s

what does that mean about us? 1453s

Fill in the blank. 1461s

Since he says that he owns us, fill in the blank. 1465s

That means we're not. 1474s

Are on. 1482s