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Gospel Reading for April 28, 2026 – John 10: 22-30
IDENTIFY
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
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“But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
It is not simply being baptized as a Christian that ensures we belong to the sheep of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. If we do not listen to his voice and follow him, then we are not truly part of his flock.
The Jews kept asking him to tell them plainly that he is the Christ. Yet his actions—his mighty works—were already speaking far louder than words, and still they did not believe. If they would not believe what they had seen, would they believe merely because he said it?
When we live in a way that reflects what is expected of Christians, our actions themselves will IDENTIFY us. There is no need to declare, “I am a Christian”—our lives should speak for us.
Lord Jesus, may our actions and the lives we lead draw others closer to you.
