Sermon Manuscript

[Video: “Alex Honnold Climbs Taipei 101 - Trailer” - 1:01]

On Friday, January 23rd, at 9:17 AM Alex Honnold did the unthinkable. He stood at the ground floor of a building in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan’s capital city. Stared up into the sky, put his hands into a pouch filled with chalk, and then stepped up to the side of a skyscraper called Taipei 101. A skyscraper that is 1,667 feet tall and has 101 stories. One of the tallest buildings in the world. And he began to climb. Without ropes or anything to protect him. A type of climbing known as Free Solo Climbing. And he did this live on TV. Through a Netflix stream. I’m going to show you some footage of that climb behind me. But as he scaled inch by inch, foot by foot, and floor by floor up the side of that building he had a number of interesting moments. As he began to climb he waved at the cheering crowd. As he climbed higher he paused to wave at his wife who was watching from a high floor. At several points he had to clean grease off of his hands and shoes to maintain his grip before continuing upward. There were moments when he held on by just his leg as he reached behind and took more chalk out of his pouch. At one point he high fived a man who was inside of the building. Then as he came closer to the top the winds began to pick up making it more difficult than he had planned. Finally, after reaching the top he took a selfie before embracing his wife. And he did it all in about 90 minutes. An hour and a half.

Can you imagine? I can’t imagine actually doing that. I mean. What would it be like to walk up to a skyscraper without any protection and nothing to catch you and just climbing all the way up to the top. I can’t imagine that! But I also can’t imagine what it would have been like to be there and watch it all take place right before your eyes! Can you imagine what that would have been like? Just to stand there and see a man climb a building. Knowing that at any point within that hour and a half climb, if something went wrong and he fell, that he would die. Seeing someone take their life into their hands in that way for that long and then to watch them climb and stand on top of that building? It’s absolutely crazy. But for hundreds who were there and millions who watched it on Netflix that’s what they saw. And while Alex Honnold somehow remained calm throughout that climb everyone else did not! Because they were all witnessing something that no one had ever seen before! The highest urban climb in history. Wow. It’s crazy.

And there are these moments within all of our lives in which we see something or experience something that is hard to describe. Moments where we know a lot is at stake and a lot can go wrong. And yet it’s in those moments that we witness something that we will never ever forget.

In the first-century there was a moment like this that took place within the life of Jesus. It was one of the most important moments of His life. A moment where a crowd gathered around Him, asked an important question, and demanded an answer which put His life on the line. It was as if they had thrown Him out on the ledge of a building and expected Him to fall. But He didn’t. He climbed up their challenge and in the process revealed to them who He really was and why He really came. And one of the men who were there on that day was one of His disciples named John. And today we’re going to examine his account of what happened, understand what it means and why it is important to our faith, but we’re also going to use this passage to lay the foundation for where we’re headed together in 2026. Because we’re going to be challenged by John to be witnesses for Jesus in a yearlong theme called Be My Witness.

So let’s get started. If you have your Bibles, turn with me now to the book of John chapter 10. This morning we’re going to be in verses 22-38. And if you would like to follow along with us online you can always do so by using our app. It’s called Church Center. So if you open it up and click on Sunday Services, followed by Message Notes, you will find everything that you will need for our time together.

As you turn there and get prepared, let me share with you just a little bit about the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is the fourth Gospel account in the New Testament written by one of Jesus’ disciples. A man named John who is also referred to as one of the Sons of Thunder and “the one whom Jesus loved.” And John’s Gospel begins in an interesting way. John writes in John 1:1 that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John then tells us in verse 14 that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” So John describes how Jesus was the Word of God before He became the Son of God.

And within John’s Gospel He shares story after story which reveals who Jesus is. In one story He turns water into wine showing His power to perform miracles. In another He healed the son of an official simply by saying the words. He wasn’t even there. On another instance He healed a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years by simply saying, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And the man did! At one point He fed five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish and that same evening walked on water! He also healed a man who was born blind. Miracle after miracle after miracle. And it was those miracles which were meant to confirm His message. The message He brought from God explaining who He was and why He had come. And while many believed in Him many did not. Including many of the Jewish religious leaders. Scribes and Pharisees who believed He was pulling people away from God and not pointing them to Him. And by John chapter 10 these people had had enough.

So here’s what they did. We read in John chapter 10, beginning in verse 22, that:

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade 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 Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Alright. Stop here for just a moment. Before we go on we need to see why this moment was so important. This may be one of the most important passages in all of Scripture and it certainly is within the Gospels. So let’s look into this event and see why what happens is so important and what’s going on here. First of all, we’re told in verse 22 that this event took place during the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem while Jesus was walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. Also known as Solomon’s Porch. So what was the Feast of Dedication?

Well, the Feast of Dedication was a Jewish religious festival which commemorated the time in history where they rededicated the temple. Because in 167 B.C. there was a man by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes IV who was reigning in Judah. And he was a wicked and evil ruler who had declared that he was God in human form. And he demanded all people to worship him. But the Jews, of course, refused. So he went into their temple and placed a pagan altar in it for burnt sacrifices and then sacrificed pigs in the temple. Pigs were unclean animals to the Jews and so this event became known as the “abomination of desolation” because by doing this he defiled the holy temple and the holy altar. This then led to what was known as the Maccabean Revolt and through that war the Jews won their freedom and rededicated the temple to God. And when that happened they created a festival which was known in Jesus’ day as the Feast of Dedication but it’s known today as Hanukkah. Hanukkah takes place during the first two weeks of December and it’s a celebration of the rededication of the temple after the Maccabean Revolt.

So it is within this festival that Jesus is approached. Don’t miss that because I’ll explain why that matters in just a moment. So during that festival as Jesus was walking through Solomon’s Porch, a place where Rabbis or teachers would go to teach and answer questions, it’s in that place that Jesus is surrounded by a group of Jews. An angry mob really who comes and asks Him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, if you are the Messiah, if you are the Anointed One of God then tell us plainly!” So Jesus answers them and says, “I’ve told you already and you did not believe Me! The works that I do testify to who I am but you did not acknowledge them and so you do not believe in Me. And it’s because you’re not one of My Sheep!”

Now previously within this same chapter if you scan up in your Bibles to the beginning of chapter 10 you will see that earlier Jesus had spoken to a group of Pharisees and told them that He is the Good Shepherd. He says that in verses 11 and 14. He also had said that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. A reference to what He will do through His death on the cross. And He had said that He lays down His life for His Father who loves Him. And that it was His Father who was in Heaven that had given to Him this mission. Immediately after this some people said, “He’s crazy! What’s He talking about?” But others said, “How can a crazy man perform the miracles that He does!!!”

So Jesus has stated this before. He is a Good Shepherd with sheep. Only the sheep hear His voice and obey Him. He says in verse 27, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them Eternal Life. And no one can ever snatch them or take them away from Me! And then He says in verse 29, “And no one can take them out of My Father’s hand either!” But then Jesus says something in verse 30 that is huge. It is so huge that it is a truth that is foundational to all of Christianity. He says, “I and the Father are one.”

Now when Jesus says this it’s a big, big, deal. And in the original Greek language of this text it’s written in a way that is actually more explicit than what is found here in the English. Let me just explain it very quickly. There are several Greek words for the word “one”. One is called EIS. It means to be “one in purpose” or maybe “one in the same goal”. But the other is called HEN. It means “one in essence”. That’s the one Jesus uses here. He says EYW KAI HO PATHR which means “I and the Father” but then He says “HEN ENSMEN” which means “we are one”. But not one in purpose or goal but one in essence. “Within Me”, Jesus is saying, “is the Father and within the Father is Me.” In other words, “I am God and He is Me.”

Wow! So think about this. You’ve got to see this. Within the very festival where a Pagan ruler claimed to be God and desecrated the Temple Jesus stands before His accusers and says, “I am God!” Wow!!! And that is a truth that Christians believe because it is the basis for every thing that we believe. It’s called the Incarnation. And we celebrate it at Christmas. But it’s because Jesus is God and that God took the form of a man that we are able to be in a right relationship with God. He became one of us so that in dying for us we might be made right with Him. It was not a good way to save us or the best way of saving us. It was the only way! If Jesus had not been God then He could not have paid for the sins of mankind and we would be hopeless, helpless, and still guilty before God. But because He was God we are saved.

Alright! We’ve got to continue. I wish I could say more on this but just know that this statement underlines everything that Christians believe. But while we celebrate this truth the Jews on that day were angered by it because they thought Jesus was not God. So here’s what happens next. We read in verse 31:

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 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, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

So immediately after Jesus makes this claim the Jews pick up stones to stone Him. But I want you to see what Jesus says. How does Jesus answer them? He says, “For which of my good works are you stoning me?” In other words, “What sin have I committed that is worthy of being stoned and of dying?” And they say, “It’s not because of your works but because you have said that you are God. And that’s blasphemy!” You see they understood the word for “one” that Jesus had used. And so Jesus points to Scripture and a passage from Psalm 82:6 in which God says to His people, “You are all gods, sons of God” to describe who they are in Him.

And then Jesus says something important in verses 37 and 38. And it’s here that we’re going to land for our time together this morning. Let me re-read it to you. Jesus says, “If I am not doing the works of My father then do not believe me but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” It’s the exact same thing that He had said in verse 25! Where Jesus had said that the works that He did bore witness to who He was! And here He’s saying it again! And years ago I was taught by my Pastor Dr. Gary Johnson from Indian Creek years ago “If it’s repeated it’s important!” And this is important to Jesus!!! Because He’s saying it over and over again. He says, “My works show you who I am! What I do shows you who I am!!!”

And I don’t know if you know this or not but the same thing is true for you and me. Your works show who you are. Jesus’ miracles showed that He was from God and that He was God. But your works and mine show who we are too. You and I can claim that we are followers of Jesus. We can claim that He is first in our lives. We can claim that we put Him first through the way we live our lives but our works will prove it! Works don’t save us but they show if we are saved!!!

Your works show who you are. They are a witness to who you are. That was true in the first-century and in the early church. And it is true in the twenty-first century and the modern day church. What you do - good or bad - shows who you really are. Your works are a witness to who you are as a follower of Jesus. To whether you are one of His sheep or not.

Because do you remember what Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8? Just prior to the Day of Pentecost? After Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead? He told His disciples: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

You will be My witnesses. And in the book of Acts that word “witness” is found 20 different times in 20 different verses! So all throughout the book of Acts what we see is that the early church were witnesses for Jesus. Through what they said and what they did! Through the way they loved each other and the people around them! Through the Gospel that they preached and the churches that they planted! They were witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem and then in Judea or the surrounding area and then in Samaria which was just to the north and to the end of the earth! They lived out the Great Commission by making disciples and witnessing to others! And how did they do that? They did that through their “works”. Because our works show who we are and who we are not. Your works will show who you are and who you are not.

And so in 2026 we are going to enter into a yearlong theme called Be My Witness in which we are going to talk about how we can make a difference. How we can make a difference in our city, our community, our country, and our world. We’re going to be challenged to see ourselves as witnesses for Jesus Christ when we go to school, go to work, go to the grocery store, or go and serve within our community or on a mission trip in our country or overseas. We’re going to think about and talk about what it looks like to be a witness for Jesus each and every day.

And we’re going to remember and remind ourselves and others that what we do matters. Because our works don’t save us but they show that we are saved. They demonstrate who we are and who we are not. That was true in the life of Jesus. His words, His teaching, His actions, His love, showed who He was. And it’s true in our lives as well. Our words, our beliefs, our actions, and our love show if we are a follower of Him or not. And this dark and evil world people that you know and I know are desperate to see the Light and to see Jesus. They are looking for Him and they are looking to you and me to point them to Him.

So we need to be His witnesses. How can we do that? Let me wrap up this morning by giving you three reasons for why you should be a witness for Jesus. Here’s the first one. You should be a witness for Jesus because it confirms who you are. When Jesus pointed to His works He was showing the religious leaders and those who questioned Him on that day who He was and why they should believe in Him. Because His works were powerful and they spoke for Him. They showed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He was not only the Son of God but also God Himself. So it should not have surprised them when He said that “I and the Father are one.”

But the same thing is true for you. When you live your life for Jesus and are willing to speak to others about your faith or allow them to see what you do it confirms who you are over and over again. When you choose to go to read your Bible instead of sleeping in or go to church instead of going to a sports event or work you show others who you are in Christ. When you make a decision to invest in the lives of people in this place through Life Groups or through serving you show others who you are in Christ. The same is true when you make certain decisions in your life which honor Jesus or refuse to make others that don’t honor Him. What you do shows who you are. It confirms who you are.

Second, you should be a witness for Jesus because it challenges others to change. When Jesus pointed to His works He was challenging them to consider what His works revealed. It was His miracles that proved He was not only from God but had the power of God. That He was God! They testified to who He was but they also challenged others to compare His works to their own. To help them to see that He was different and that they needed to be different too.

And the same is true for you and me. When we are a witness for Jesus it challenges those who are not followers of Him to stop and consider their own lives and the changes that they need to make. In fact, from the very first day you give your life to Jesus and are baptized your life will bear witness to who you are and the decisions you make will challenge others to do the same. This is why when I speak to people about being baptized and they say something like, “Do I have to be baptized in front of others at church?” that I say, “No, you don’t have to be baptized in front of a larger crowd. In fact, the Biblical pattern is to get baptized right away. But why would you not want to do that? Because the moment you make that decision it challenges those who have not made it to do so. In other words, God immediately begins to use your life and your witness for Jesus. And that’s true with other decisions you make too. How you spend your money, your free time, what your priorities are in life, your decisions should look different than others and they will challenge others to change as well.

The third and final reasons you should be a witness for Jesus is because it culminates with eternal rewards. Because Jesus points out here that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. And then He says that He will give them eternal life and that no one will take them from His hand or the hand of His Father. You see your works produce your witness. And your witness produces obedience. And your obedience will produce eternal rewards and ultimately Eternal Life. Because your witness for Christ will result in rewards that will last for all of eternity!

You see we should all want to be witnesses for Jesus. We should be excited when we get the chance to speak for Him, to serve other people, or to love other people on behalf of Him. We shouldn’t be afraid or back down or be nervous because we know that when we get a chance to witness for Jesus it will show who we are, challenge others to change, and lead to eternal rewards! What more of a reason do we need for being the best witness for Jesus we can?

This past week I found an interesting article that was written about Alex Honnold. It was entitled Daredevil Climber’s Brain Shows No Fear During Extreme Stunts: Experts Reveal Why. And in the article they talk about how Alex Honnold’s brain is different from the average person. How? Because in 2016 a Neuroscientist named Jane Joseph set out to examine what possessed him to take on the challenges that he does by scanning it. And what they discovered was that in the part of the brain that typically deals with fear Alex showed little reaction to images that would produce fear in most people. Then they flipped the experiment and introduced a reward task where he could win money. And interestingly his brain didn’t respond to that challenge either.

The article went on to say that the reason for this is that often extreme sports athletes and adrenaline junkies become so used to the high stimulus that it takes a lot for them to experience fear or feel rewarded. Their brains are less easily scared and more driven by challenge. And in these athletes when faced with daunting and often fearful challenges they are able to enter a state where their attention is narrow, calm, and precise. The article finished by saying that for the average person adrenaline disrupts accuracy and judgement but for extreme athletes it organizes the brain. Instead of seeking safety and security they become better focused.

Interesting. It makes me wonder as Christians what could happen if we allowed God to rewire our brains. So that the fear that causes so many to not witness for Jesus could be used to help us focus on witnessing for Him. And what if that same boldness that was found on that day when He was challenged and His life was on the line could be found in us? And what if we could reveal who we are by pointing people to what we have done? Just as He did.

I believe that we can and that God wants us to do that together this year. Let’s allow God to change us so that we can become better witnesses for Jesus. The Bottom Line is this…

Reveal who you are in Jesus by showing others what you do for Him.

Let’s pray.

[Prayer: For God to help us be bold witnesses for Jesus in 2026.]

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