Feast of the Dedication

Text: John 10:22–31
Series: Sermons 2001 Rewritten
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the historical setting of the Feast of Dedication and its connection to temple rededication.
2. Show the irony of the Jews celebrating rededication while rejecting the Messiah standing among them.
3. Exegete John 10:22–31 in light of Christ’s identity, works, sheep, and unity with the Father.
4. Apply biblical rededication to repentance, renewed service, family life, priorities, and spiritual faithfulness.
5. Call sinners and unfaithful Christians to hear Christ’s voice and follow Him today.

Thesis

The Feast of Dedication reminds us that outward religious celebration is worthless if the heart refuses Christ, and true rededication means hearing His voice, repenting of sin, and following Him faithfully.

Introduction.

1. John 10:22 says the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. a. It was winter. b. Jesus was walking in the temple. c. The setting was religious, historical, and deeply symbolic.
2. The feast is also known as Hanukkah or the Feast of Lights. a. It was celebrated on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev. b. It lasted eight days. c. It remembered the cleansing and rededication of the temple.
3. The feast looked back to a dark time in Jewish history. a. Antiochus Epiphanes had profaned the temple. b. Pagan corruption had desecrated holy space. c. The Jews later cleansed and rededicated the temple.
4. During the feast, the Jews remembered dedication. a. Dedication of the temple. b. Purification from defilement. c. Renewal of loyalty to God. d. Thanksgiving for deliverance.
5. But John 10 shows painful irony. a. They celebrated dedication while rejecting the Holy One. b. They remembered temple cleansing while their own hearts remained hard. c. They honored past deliverance while trying to stone the present Messiah.
6. That danger still lives. a. A man can attend worship and refuse Christ’s authority. b. A church can talk about faithfulness while drifting from God. c. A Christian can remember old dedication while needing present repentance.

I. The Feast of Dedication Remembered Cleansing, Restoration, and Renewed Loyalty to God.

A. The feast grew out of temple defilement and restoration.

1. The temple had been desecrated by foreign power. a. Antiochus Epiphanes profaned Jewish worship. b. The temple was treated as common and polluted. c. Faithful Jews saw this as a grievous offense against God.
2. The temple was later cleansed and rededicated. a. The people remembered God’s mercy. b. They gave thanks for restoration. c. They marked the occasion with an annual feast.
3. The feast was not part of the original Law of Moses. a. It developed after the Old Testament period. b. John records it as an existing Jewish feast. c. Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem shows the historical setting without making the feast a binding Christian ordinance.

B. The feast should have reminded Israel of holiness.

1. Dedication means something is set apart for God. a. The temple was not a marketplace. b. The temple was not a pagan shrine. c. The temple belonged to the worship of the true God.
2. Rededication implies former defilement had to be corrected. a. What was polluted needed cleansing. b. What had been misused needed restoration. c. What belonged to God had to be returned to proper use.
3. The same principle reaches the heart. a. God is not impressed by ceremonies that leave sin untouched. b. God is not honored by memories without repentance. c. God does not accept outward dedication while inward rebellion remains.

C. The Old Testament repeatedly calls God’s people back to dedication.

1. Exodus 32 shows Israel’s golden calf sin. a. Israel had just been delivered from Egyptian bondage. b. Moses was on Sinai receiving the Law. c. The people turned quickly to idolatry.
2. Exodus 32:29 says, “Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD.” a. The command was urgent. b. It was not postponed. c. It demanded immediate realignment with God.
3. Dedication was not sentimental. a. It required repentance. b. It required separation from sin. c. It required loyalty to God above even painful ties.

II. The Jews Celebrated Dedication While Rejecting the Christ Standing Before Them.

A. They demanded that Jesus tell them plainly whether He was the Christ.

1. John 10:24 says the Jews gathered around Him. a. Their question was direct. b. “How long will You keep us in suspense?” c. “If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
2. Their question sounded sincere, but their hearts were not. a. Jesus had already spoken. b. Jesus had already worked. c. The evidence had already been placed before them.
3. John 10:25 says, “I told you, and you do not believe.” a. The problem was not lack of evidence. b. The problem was unbelief. c. They wanted another answer because they had rejected the answer already given.

B. Jesus pointed to His works as witness.

1. John 10:25 says the works done in the Father’s name bear witness. a. His miracles were not tricks. b. His signs were not entertainment. c. His works revealed divine authority.
2. John’s Gospel had already shown these signs. a. Water made wine. b. The nobleman’s son healed. c. The lame man at Bethesda made well. d. The blind man in John 9 given sight.
3. The Jews should have read the signs in light of Scripture. a. Isaiah 35 pictured the blind seeing and the lame leaping. b. The prophets pointed toward the coming salvation of God. c. Jesus’ works were not random acts of kindness only; they testified to His identity.

C. They were not His sheep because they refused His voice.

1. John 10:26 says, “You do not believe because you are not of My sheep.” a. Jesus does not blame God for their unbelief. b. He exposes their refusal. c. His sheep are identified by hearing and following.
2. John 10:27 defines His sheep. a. “My sheep hear My voice.” b. “I know them.” c. “They follow Me.”
3. This destroys empty religious claims. a. A man is not Christ’s sheep merely because he is religious. b. A man is not Christ’s sheep merely because he asks questions. c. A man is Christ’s sheep when he hears and follows Christ.

D. They tried to stone Him after He answered.

1. John 10:30 says, “I and the Father are one.” a. This is a claim of unity with the Father. b. It is not mere agreement like ordinary men may agree. c. The Jews understood the force of His claim.
2. John 10:31 says they picked up stones again to stone Him. a. Their dedication feast exposed their hypocrisy. b. They remembered a rededicated temple while rejecting the Lord of the temple. c. They wanted to kill the One they should have worshiped.
3. The lesson is brutal but necessary. a. Religious people can celebrate holy history while opposing present truth. b. People can honor past reform while resisting needed repentance now. c. A feast of dedication means nothing if Christ’s voice is refused.

III. True Rededication Requires Sober Reflection and Repentance.

A. People know how to reevaluate earthly matters.

1. A man will sit down and examine his finances. a. Where is the money going? b. What needs to be cut? c. What needs to be repaired? d. What should be given to God?
2. A man will examine his family life. a. Am I spending enough time with my spouse? b. Am I leading my home as I should? c. Are my children being taught? d. Is my family falling apart while I pretend all is well?
3. A man will examine his job or career. a. Am I going anywhere? b. Am I wasting time? c. Am I bringing work problems home? d. Do I need to work harder or change direction?

B. The soul deserves even more examination.

1. Second Corinthians 13:5 says to test ourselves. a. Examine yourselves. b. Test yourselves. c. Do not assume spiritual health without inspection.
2. We need honest spiritual questions. a. Am I serving the Lord as I should? b. Am I loving brethren as I should? c. Am I offending God by thoughts, words, or deeds? d. Am I drifting while still looking religious?
3. Rededication is not a feeling. a. It is not merely being moved during a sermon. b. It is not remembering better days. c. It is deciding to repent and return to the Lord’s way.

C. Psalm 51 shows the spirit of true restoration.

1. David did not need religious theater. a. He needed mercy. b. He needed cleansing. c. He needed a clean heart.
2. Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” a. Rededication starts inside. b. The heart must be renewed. c. The spirit must be made steadfast.
3. Psalm 51:17 says God accepts a broken and contrite heart. a. Not pride. b. Not excuses. c. Not image management. d. Contrition before God.

IV. True Rededication Means Hearing Christ’s Voice and Following Him.

A. Jesus’ sheep hear His voice.

1. John 10:27 says His sheep hear His voice. a. This is more than hearing sound. b. It means receiving His word. c. It means yielding to His authority.
2. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing the word of Christ. a. Christ’s voice is heard through His revealed word. b. Faith is not created by human tradition. c. Faith comes through the message God gave.
3. Hebrews 1:1–2 says God now speaks in His Son. a. The Son has final authority. b. No prophet, tradition, creed, or family history outranks Him. c. Rededication means returning to Christ’s word.

B. Jesus’ sheep follow Him.

1. John 10:27 does not stop with hearing. a. His sheep hear. b. He knows them. c. They follow.
2. John 14:15 says love for Christ keeps His commandments. a. No obedience, no biblical love. b. No following, no right to claim sheep identity. c. Sentimental religion is not discipleship.
3. First John 2:3–4 says the one who claims to know Him while not keeping His commandments is a liar. a. That is plain. b. That is needed. c. That is how Scripture cuts through religious self-deception.

C. Jesus gives eternal life to those who belong to Him.

1. John 10:28 says He gives eternal life to His sheep. a. This is grace. b. This is hope. c. This is security in Christ.
2. The promise is not given to rebels who refuse His voice. a. The sheep hear. b. The sheep follow. c. The sheep remain under His care.
3. No one can snatch faithful sheep from His hand. a. The promise comforts the faithful. b. It does not comfort the stubborn. c. It does not teach that a person may stop hearing and following while claiming the promise.

V. Today Must Become the Day of Dedication for the One Who Has Drifted.

A. God is willing to restore the straying.

1. Matthew 18:12–14 pictures a sheep that goes astray. a. The shepherd seeks it. b. The shepherd rejoices when it is found. c. The Father does not want one of these little ones to perish.
2. God’s mercy is not small. a. He forgave Israel when they repented. b. He restored David when David was broken. c. He receives the straying sheep that returns.
3. But mercy does not remove repentance. a. The sheep must be found and returned. b. The sinner must turn. c. The unfaithful Christian must repent.

B. Delay is dangerous.

1. Exodus 32:29 says, “Dedicate yourselves today.” a. Not next year. b. Not after the heart gets harder. c. Not after sin has done more damage.
2. Second Corinthians 6:2 says now is the day of salvation. a. God does not promise tomorrow. b. Opportunity is not obedience. c. Conviction must not be wasted.
3. Hebrews 3:15 warns, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” a. Hearing without responding hardens. b. Delay becomes resistance. c. Resistance becomes rebellion.

C. Rededication must become visible in life.

1. If worship has grown cold, return with reverence. a. Sing with understanding. b. Pray with attention. c. Partake with discernment. d. Hear the word seriously.
2. If family leadership has failed, repent and lead. a. Husbands must lead with sacrificial love. b. Wives must honor God’s order. c. Parents must teach children. d. Homes must serve the Lord.
3. If sin has entered, confess and forsake it. a. Private sin. b. Public sin. c. Neglect. d. Worldliness. e. False doctrine.
4. A feast of dedication without a dedicated life is empty. a. God wants the heart. b. God wants obedience. c. God wants faithfulness.

Application.

1. For the Christian who has drifted. a. Today is your day of dedication. b. Stop talking about what you used to be. c. Return to what Christ calls you to be now.
2. For the religious but disobedient. a. Do not celebrate religious history while rejecting Christ’s voice. b. The Jews did that in John 10. c. It did not make them faithful.
3. For the church. a. We must not live on memories of past strength. b. We must hear Christ now. c. We must follow Christ now.
4. For parents. a. Lead your home in rededication before it is too late. b. Ask hard questions about time, worship, example, discipline, and priorities. c. Children need more than religious nostalgia.
5. For the sinner. a. You cannot be dedicated to God while remaining outside Christ. b. Hear His voice. c. Follow Him in obedient faith.

Conclusion.

1. The Feast of Dedication remembered a cleansed and restored temple. a. It was a feast of memory. b. It was a feast of light. c. It was a feast of rededication.
2. But in John 10, the irony is painful. a. The Jews remembered dedication. b. The Messiah stood before them. c. They rejected Him and picked up stones.
3. That is the danger. a. Outward religion. b. Inward rebellion. c. Sacred memories without present obedience.
4. True dedication is not merely remembering better days. a. It is hearing Christ’s voice. b. It is following Him. c. It is repenting where we have drifted. d. It is returning to faithful service.
5. If you have fallen from the grace of God, today can become your Feast of Dedication. a. Not by lighting candles. b. Not by ceremony. c. By repentance, obedience, and renewed loyalty to Christ.

Invitation.

1. Hear the word. a. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
2. Believe Christ. a. John 8:24 warns that unless you believe that Jesus is He, you will die in your sins.
3. Repent. a. Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
4. Confess Christ. a. Romans 10:9–10 teaches confession with the mouth and belief in the heart.
5. Be baptized for the remission of sins. a. Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
6. Live faithfully. a. Revelation 2:10 calls the Christian to be faithful until death.
7. If you are a Christian who has drifted. a. Hear the Shepherd’s voice. b. Repent of sin. c. Return to the Lord. d. Rededicate yourself today.

Word Study.

Scripture Interlock Table.