Briefing: Have you ever heard the saying, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck?” It is interesting how some people do not trust the evidence.

Dispatch (Assignment): Read John 10:22-42.

On the Street: I spent several years on midnight shift where my primary focus was DUI enforcement. I would make traffic stops and arrests based on the evidence that was presented. I documented and logged my evidence in order to convince strangers (jurors). I made a decision to take someone’s freedom away for the safety and security of the person driving as well as all the other people driving on the road that night.

Once an arrest was made and the paperwork completed, the wait for court could sometimes take months and even years. The court experience was always interesting. No matter how good my evidence was or how “drunk” the defendant looked, there was always a chance that a charismatic, likeable, smooth defense attorneys could woo a jury.

The Jews of Jesus’ day were presented with overwhelming evidence in the case of God’s Son, the prophesied Messiah. Jesus had taught and performed miracles but they still want more. He voluntarily gave them everything to convince them of who He was. He even gave them confessions.

We are familiar with Jesus teaching in parables but this seemed to be foreign to His audience. They ask Jesus to tell them plainly if He is the Christ. When Jesus tells them, “I am” they pick up stones to kill Him.

Jesus is the shepherd, standing in His sheep pen surrounded by sheep that do not recognize His voice. These people claim to belong to God. They ask for evidence but do not consider it when He gives it to them. Funny side note: Jesus is the shepherd even if they chose not to believe it. How many times have sheep been able to kill their shepherd? I doubt it has ever happened.

We see in the prior chapter that the thief will attempt to steal Jesus’ sheep. Here, we see a flock that does not need to be stolen. These sheep do not recognize or know the Shepherd’s voice. They will not follow Him into the pen for protection. The thief can pick them off with no problem. They are lost but don’t realize it.

The evidence now switches from Jesus to us. There is more than enough evidence to prove Jesus is the Christ. Is there enough evidence from your life to prove you are one of His sheep? Do you find yourself outside the pen asking Him to prove to you that He is the Savior?

The issue is not Jesus’ evidence; it is clear and convincing. If it is not the evidence, then why would someone not accept Him as Christ? If you find yourself on the outside of the pen, know that you are not of His flock. You know He is the gate and no one enters except through Him.

If Jesus were on trial for claiming to be the Christ, and you were on the jury, would you be able to look at the evidence and say, “yes, He is the Christ”? If you were on trial for claiming to be a Christ follower, would there be enough evidence for a jury to say, “yes, he is a Christ follower”?

Investigational Resources: The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

Officer Safety Principle: There is evidence of who you are. Is it the kind of evidence that points to Christ or away from Him?

from The Gospel of John Through the Eyes of a Cop
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
Click here to check out the entire Through the Eyes of a Cop series!