Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

Why Did Jesus Come To Those Whom He Knew Would Never Be His Sheep?
Originally Published October 7, 2002 I have many friends who throughout their marriage have been unable to have children. It was as much a mystery to me as it was to them. All the tests came back positive, indicating that all systems were a go. Yet, there remained no children, no pregnancy, and not even a hint of conception. The couples I know who have been through this trial have turned to adoption as a means of adding to their family. This is truly a labor of love, especially when considering a child who may be passed the toddler years, having grown up in another family, or a foster family, or perhaps even in another country. But each couple did not even seem to care about such variables, but took it all in stride, pouring out their unconditional love on that little boy or girl. Some of the couples of whom I speak made their express purpose to go overseas some to Russia and some to China in order to adopt an international child. The initial visit, usually to an orphanage, must have been an overwhelming sight. Looking at so many children who needed a stable home environment, with a loving mom and dad to deeply love them, must have been truly heartbreaking. And while they wished in their hearts that their lives were big enough to take all those children home with them, their mission was clear. They had come overseas to find one particular child, or perhaps even two at the most, whom they could adopt and treat as their own family. How they would find that one particular child was a completely subjective process, something only conceived of and understood in the minds of the parents-to-be. Perhaps they had a criteria before they left the United States: boy or girl; blonde, black, or brown hair; at least four years old, if not older; and no living relatives. The standard is different from family to family, but the result is usually the same. A child is chosen out of the myriads of needy children, and then begins the process of paperwork and red tape, while future dreams of joy sustain the hope of an end to the arduous process. I think no analogy more vividly portrays the answer to the question at hand: Why did Jesus come to those whom He knew would never be His sheep? To be sure, there really is no illustration that can completely portray the truth behind Jesus earthly ministry two thousand years ago. But the illustration of a couple traveling to another country for the specific purpose of adopting one particular child is one that reflects the biblical record regarding Jesus coming to minister. That biblical record unfolds to us two passages which expressly tell us why Jesus chose to come to earth, to be born as a baby, to grow as all men do, and to suffer what was predetermined before the foundation of the world. In short, He was on a mission from heaven to earth for the expressed purpose of seeking out those whom the Father had given Him, from before the foundation of the world, to be the Fathers newly adopted children.
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Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

The question as posed in the title was one that was asked in class this past Sunday morning. It related to the subject of unconditional election upon which Jim Kaboos had been instructing us. In short, the real frustration that was felt by many, yet voiced by one, was caused by the truth of Gods Word that Jesus ministry of prayer (John 17:9) and guidance (John 10:27) and death (John 10:11) was for His sheep and for His sheep alone. The frustration came as some ponderously wondered what in the world Jesus purpose was for those who were not His sheep. In other words, the question can be restated this way. If Jesus came to minister solely for and on behalf of those who were (predestined and elected to be) His sheep, where does that leave the goats? Did He not come down to minister to them? Didnt He come down to seek and save the lost? And arent the goats the lost? Let me make my initial approach to the issue by giving a parenthetical introductory remark. This remark is something that must be used as a builders square to make sure our foundation is true to form. I believe that the foundation of answering the question comes in a commitment (once again!) to the sovereignty of God. Have we embraced the truth yet that God is God and we are not? Have we emotionally (and not just intellectually) embraced the truth that God can do with His creation whatever He wills and pleases (remember Psalm 115:3)? Lets give a cursory answer in light of this truth. If Jesus only reason for coming down to earth was to minister to, pray for, and die for those whom He had elected before the foundation of the world, then that would be perfectly okay. What charge will we lay upon God for not doing what we think He ought to be doing or what we think He ought to have done? On a personal note, I do think it totally amazing that Gods people would get so upset at Him or at the truth about Him (or even at the truth about Him as presented by someone else!). If they stopped and realized the truth about Gods sovereignty, first and foremost, there would be almost no problem whatsoever. Now on to actually answering the question! Answering the question as to why Jesus came to those who would never be His sheep, begins with answering the more fundamental question: Why did Jesus come to earth to minister? If we answer the more fundamental question, then the peripheral issues, such as that indicated in the initial question, can be more easily solved. Thus, we must concern ourselves at the outset with those passages that clearly state why it was that Jesus came. And if we can find any such passages from the mouth of Jesus Himself, then our task of Bible study is made that much easier. As stated before, there are two passages that expressly tell us why Jesus came to earth (cf. Matt. 9:13; Mark 2:17; John 12:17)1. The first is found in both Matthews gospel as well as Lukes. Both of them record the following statement from the mouth of Jesus:
Matthew 10:34 is the other explicit statement from the mouth of Jesus describing the purpose for His coming. In this article, only the other two (or three, to be precise) are the objects of consideration: Matthew 18:11 with Luke 19:10, and John 18:37. Having stated this, Matthew 10:34 must (1) be considered within its context of verses 34-39, and (2) have as a conclusion nothing contrary to the other statements of Christ expressing His purpose in coming. In short, suffice it to say in this note that the Matthew 10 passage is clearly harmonious with the other statements regarding Jesus mission. For in this passage, Christ says that He came
1

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Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

FOR THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST.
Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10

The context of Luke 19:10 gives the clearest example of this mission in action. In that story of Zacchaeus (the wee little man who climbed the sycomore tree to see the Lord Jesus), we read that, when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at your house (Luke 19:5). The story is clear. Jesus passed a certain way in order to find a certain man named Zacchaeus. Jesus then called Zacchaeus down from the tree explaining that He must abide at Zacchaeus house that very day. And, When they arrived at his house and began fasting, Jesus remarked that This day is salvation come to this house (v. 9). Then follows our key verse, which states that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Zacchaeus was the living example of that truth, and therefore the living example must explain that truth. The second passage that explicitly tells why Jesus came to earth is found in His answer to Pilates line of questioning in John 18:28-38. The entire line of questioning centered on Jesus claim to be King. Pilate had already asked Jesus in verse 33, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus responded in true Rabbinic form by asking Pilate a question in return: Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me? (v. 34). Pilate seems to be a quick learner and so responds with another question: I am not a Jew am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You up to me; what have you done? At last, sensing that the questioning of this lame-brained was quite useless, Jesus states the truth regarding the nature of His claim to Kingship: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm (v. 36). We said that Pilate was a quick learner, but being God in human flesh, Jesus also knew Pilate was a quick study. So His reply to Pilate evoked a question that allowed Him to deliver the final blow of truth regarding His mission to earth. Therefore Pilate said to Him, So You are a king? (v. 37). And then Jesus answered,

to divide. He came to divide those who loved everything or everyone else more than Him from those who loved Him more than anything or anyone else (v. 37). He came to divide those who did not want to take up their cross and follow Jesus from those who did (v. 38). He came to separate those who loved their lives from those who were willing to lose their lives for His sake (v. 39). By way of harmonization, this is consistent with Jesus mission in Matthew 18:11 and Luke 19:10 to seek those who were lost. His seeking and saving was itself a dividing. It separated those who believed and were saved from those who were not. Thus, when Jesus stated that, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, He intended for the readers to understand that He came to differentiate between those to whom He preached, and to separate those who believed. For in the very nature of seeking and saving there is the intention of dividing and separating one group from another. And likewise, when compared with John 18:37, the discussion with Pilate on the subject of truth is itself a dividing one. In that short discourse, John shows us that Jesus made a clear division between Pilate, as an example of those who did not hear His voice and follow the truth, over against those who had heard His voice and follow the truth.

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Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

YOU SAY CORRECTLY THAT I AM A KING. FOR THIS I HAVE BEEN BORN, AND FOR THIS I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD, TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. EVERYONE WHO IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE.
John 18:37

Now, to do a little harmonizing and synthesizing of these two passages. As you recall, the first purpose for which Jesus came into the world was that of saving lost people. And the second, as just noted from John 18:37, was that of exercising His kingship among those people who were of the truth and who heard His voice. Therefore, to harmonize these two passages, the lost whom Jesus came to save are those who had already heard or would eventually hear the voice of Jesus and ultimately be considered as those of the truth. Stated another way, Jesus came to exercise His kingship among those lost persons who would hear His voice and obey the truth. Synthesizing these two verses, we can accurately conclude the following then, based on our harmonization. If Jesus coming was to save the lost (Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10) and to be the King of those whom He saved (John 18:37), this means that His coming was for His own, that is, for His sheep, first and foremost. (This is what the Scriptures say, not I.) Consider the first reason. The statement that Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost clearly teaches that Jesus mission was to find and save particular persons. Let me I pose some questions to help us see this truth. Did Jesus seek out every lost person? No. Did Jesus save every lost person? No. Did He seek out some lost people? Yes. Did Jesus save some lost people? Yes. Then the answer is that Jesus came to seek and save some lost persons. Now, consider the next question. Which ones were those that Jesus came to seek and save? John 18:37 answers that for us: Everyone who is of the truth. Why did He mention these? Because the express point of His answer to Pilate was to mention that He was a king over those who were of the truth and who heard His voice, Consider again the context of Luke 19:10, as we further synthesize the truth about Jesus mission to earth. This story itself provides us a window of illustration into the saving ministry of Jesus in His coming to earth. When read in light of the truth in John 6:37 and 39, we see that Jesus came with the expressed purpose of finding Zacchaeus, who was one of His elect. Jesus said in John 6:37,39:

ALL THAT THE FATHER GIVES ME SHALL COME TO ME, AND THE ONE WHO COMES TO ME I WILL CERTAINLY NOT CAST OUT AND THIS IS THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME, THAT OF ALL THAT HE HAS GIVEN ME I LOSE NOTHING, BUT RAISE IT UP ON THE LAST DAY.
John 6:37,39

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Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

And so those whom Jesus came to seek He would successfully save. And those whom He came to save would not be lost, forgotten, or turned away. Thus, His coming was for a particular few whom He would find and save. Zacchaeus was the prima facie example of this truth. Also consider again John 18:37. We recall that Jesus said here, regarding His kingship, that for this I have been born, and for this I have to come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. To what does the this refer? It refers to the following phrase, to bear witness to the truth. In other words, Jesus is saying that He was born and that He came into the world for the expressed purpose of bearing witness to the truth. Then He further identifies a particular group of people as being associated with that truth: Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. This means that Jesus came to bear witness to the truth for those who would hear His voice. And in this way, we can understand His kingship to which Pilate referred and to which Jesus responded affirmatively. You say correctly that I am a king. In other words, You are right that I am a king. And to bear witness to the truth of my kingship, I was born and have come into the world. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice since I am their King. Jesus clearly implied that Pilate was not of the truth and therefore Pilate would not understand any claim to kingship that Jesus had made. That is why Jesus made the statement in the first place. Whew! Theres the first answer to the question, as hard an answer as it may be. The plain fact of Scripture seems to be that Jesus came to search out, find, and communicate His truth to particular lost persons in order to save them and be their King. But now we are left with the peripheral issue we alluded to earlier. The fact remains that He did come and preach to those who would never be of the truth and who would never truly hear His voice. Why then did He come to them? As I make my approach to answering this portion of the question, I thank you so far for your patience. Sometimes to answer one question we must seek a foundation upon which to answer it. As stated previously, since we were initially hoping to answer something relating to Jesus coming, we had to first look at why it was that He said He came. And this we have done. So now on to the answer which will hopefully and clearly communicate the truth of Scripture to this portion of the question. Despite a commitment to the sovereignty of God, which I trust you have acquired thus far, there is no doubt that some frustration wells up inside of us when we realize that Jesus did most certainly preach to many, many lost persons, most of whom would later plot against Him and crucify Him. Why did He do this, if it was not His intention to save them? Let me sum it all up by briefly stating that the biblical position seems to be that His coming to non-elect lost persons was in order to further His sovereign plan to move the gospel beyond the nation of Israel and out to the rest of the world. Let me see if I can explain this to you in a concise manner (seeing as how dozens of books have been written on what I am about to explain!). First, I dont want anyone to be ignorant of the fact that the purpose of Gods salvation of Israel from the beginning was to see that salvation message and experience extended 5

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throughout the rest of the known world. From the beginning Israel was intended to be a light to the nations (Isa. 42:6-9; cf. 49:6). Israels purpose was to be a national flashlight or lighthouse for all the other nations of the world, so that they would see the salvation of the Lord and want to come in.2 And lo and behold what happened? The other nations did see the salvation of the Lord. But it happened with an unforeseen twist, one that I will address later. God intended that Israel would see themselves as a light for the nations. Yet they hated other nations. They became so puffed up in their being chosen by God that they mutated into an introverted and arrogant nation, worrying only about the matters pertaining to their own nation and purposely shunning Gods original intention for the other nations of the world. 3 The book of Jonah is the greatest example of this truth. In that story is the tale of a man who understood Gods intention for Israel, yet hated the Ninevites so much that he sailed as far as he could in the opposite direction so he would not have to preach to them. Read his words once more so that you will get just a taste of Israels hatred for Gods original purpose. When God saw their deeds, that *the Ninevites+ had turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life. And the Lord said, Do you have good reason to be angry? Jonah 3:10-4:4 Israel did become a light for the nations, despite their efforts not to be. Yet that unforeseen twist to which I alluded above was that they became that light to the world in a way they did not anticipate. To be more precise, Jesus came to His own and those who were His own did not receive Him (John 1:11). Instead of receiving Him, they rejected Him. He boldly proclaimed to them that, you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in youyou are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truthBut because I speak the truth, you do not believe MeHe who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God (John 8:37,40,45,47). And even after their plot to kill Jesus was seen through to success they continued rejecting His truth, extending this rejection also to Jesus apostles, just as He prophesied in John 15:18-20. And what happened when their
Consider also Jesus description of His nationally Jewish disciples in Matthew 5:14-16. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peckmeasure, but on the lamp stand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
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Thus, the reason for Jesus statement in Matthew 5:15 that they should not hide their light and keep it to themselves, but rather put it on a stand and let everyone else in the house benefit from it.
3

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Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

rejection of the gospel drove the apostles, deacons, and first Christians out of Jerusalem? The gospel of Christs salvation spread to the Gentile nations of the earth! Thus, Israel did become a light to the nations, and it was by their rejection of the gospel that they became such. Paul speaks of this in Romans 11:12 where he remarks that Israels transgression meant riches for the world and riches for the Gentiles. He stated that their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world (v. 15). Now what does this all this fine theological talk have to do with the coming of Christ to those who would never be His sheep? Paul explains in Romans 11:7. What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day. And David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever. Paul explained it in that passage much clearer than I am about to. Jesus came to preach the gospel to Israel, but He knew that Israel would reject it. Paul stated that Israel was hardened in the preaching of that gospel. And this hardening was all part of the bigger plan, for in hardening some of the Israelites, those who were chosen would take the gospel to the other nations of the earth the Gentiles - so that they too would come to salvation in Christ. Now that plan, in all of its twists and turns, is something that I could never have fathomed. And evidently neither could Paul, for he concludes this great and sovereign scheme of God in chapter 11 with the exclamation:

OH, THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS AND UNFATHOMABLE HIS WAYS! FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? FOR FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS. TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN.
Romans 11:33-36

Quoting Isaiah 42:6 (and 49:6), which we cited earlier, Paul preached of Israel in Acts 13:47, I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth. Finally, this had become a reality! For we learn in the very next verse, And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And this verse brings us back full circle to the original intention of the mission of Jesus in the first place to seek and save particular lost persons to hear His voice and be followers of His truth. Acts 13:48 merely adds further commentary on this mission by particularizing these lost persons even more, describing them as having been appointed to eternal life.
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Thoughts on the Doctrines of Grace

Pastor Rob Wilkerson

So to synthesize the coming of Jesus in our first answer, with the question as to the coming of Jesus to those who would never be His sheep, all of this together can be understood as follows: Jesus came to those whom He never intended to be His sheep in order that those who would never be His sheep would be used of God to motivate those who were appointed to become His sheep to go out into the world to bring salvation to the end of the earth (Acts 13:47). Was this not the expressed mission given to the apostles at the end of Jesus earthly ministry? All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nationsteaching them to observe all that I commanded you (Matt. 28:1820). Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned (Mark 16:15,16). The apostles mission, then, was different from Christs original mission only to the extend of knowledge. Christ knew those whom He came to save, and the apostles did not. Not knowing those particular persons who had been appointed to eternal life, they were therefore, to preach to everyone. Yet the goal of their mission was the same as that of Christs: Seek and save the lost, or preach to everyone everywhere and when a lost person believes, baptize him and make him a disciple of Jesus and teach Him everything Christ taught. In so doing, the gospel will continue to fulfill its original purpose of making worshipers of God and followers of the truth world-wide. In closing, let me say from a pastoral perspective how necessary it is that we stop looking at this issue of election and predestination in terms of some injustice or unfairness that is being performed on those who are not elect. The fact that Jesus came to earth to fulfill a saving purpose only for particular persons does not make that mission unfair. God had a purpose in mind for those who heard the preaching of Christ but were not chosen. It was to fulfill His ultimate purpose for those who were elect, namely, that they should go out and preach the gospel to the world, to all creation (Mark 16:15), and to all nations (Matt. 28:19-20). Thus, God sovereignly does with His creatures what He wills. And He does it all to bring about the fulfillment of His pre-creation plan which was to glorify Him. It has nothing to do with fairness, and everything to do with sovereignty and divine freedom. Jesus came to His own, knowing they would reject Him because it was His predetermined plan that they would reject and crucify Him, as Peter preached in Acts 2:23. And having rejected and crucified Him, God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death (v. 24). This verse then, could very well be a second answer to our question, one which we could expound upon perhaps later: Jesus preached to the goats so that the goats would kill Him, with the result that God could raise Him up and put an end to death. In summary then, Jesus came to His own so that they would reject Him. Read that statement again, and do so very carefully. In their rejection they would crucify Him with two results. First, death would die and the power of sin would be destroyed (1 John 3:8). Second, the elect would spread throughout the world and preach the gospel there. Therefore, Jesus coming to those who would never be His sheep was much, much larger in scope than our feeble minds usually think of it. We normally think of it all in terms of just getting saved and going to
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heaven, dont we? But God has thought much bigger than that. From before the foundation of the world He was thinking in terms of making world-wide worshippers for Himself. Let us humble ourselves then under the mighty truth of Gods sovereignty, beholding His eternal plan with awe and wonder. Let us cease from our wounded emotions that do not easily give way to His glory. Let us prostrate ourselves before His sovereign plan, submit ourselves to it, and commit our minds to thinking along His lines of thought and not along our narrow lines. Let us think as big as God does, and not in the tiny framework in which we try to understand and relate to Gods salvation. No, it doesnt seem fair that Jesus would only come to a certain few to seek them and save them. No, it doesnt seem fair that Jesus would come and preach to the others who were never intended to be His sheep. But fairness grows dim when we know that everyone who has ever been born should be justly condemned to hell for their sins. And fairness completely disappears when we see that Scripture, from beginning to end, Gods purpose has always been about proclaiming the truth of His salvation, using His creatures to accomplish that end. And I trust that this article, feebly conceived of and written as it may be, has somehow been used of the Spirit to illumine your mind and shape your understanding of His sovereign mission.

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