We Are His Sheep If We Believe In Him

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

May 12, 2025

in Spritual Growth

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Readings: Numbers 27:12-23
Acts 13:15,16,26-33
John 10:22-30
4th Sunday of Easter 2025 Homily – Abp.Hines

The God that we serve is very powerful. So powerful that He’s able to do what He is supposed to do. But He sets boundaries. He chooses anyone He wants to use. He can use those who we think are the least expected people. He can even use sinners to carry out His will. Everything is set by God since the beginning of time. He is the Beginning and the End. We are not here by accident. There is a purpose and a reason.

At this particular time, we see Jesus at the Feast of Dedication. In History, Alexander the Great basically set its course during this time. He had four generals working for him. They were all coveting the position Alexander the Great vacated after his death. The one handling Israel was a man named Antiochus. He made sure that all the people were to follow what he dictated. The people however were not cooperative. So he sent soldiers to Jerusalem to desecrate the temple, kill many people, take away the women and children and seize their cattle. In a small town there was a priest called Mattathias. Antiochus thought that the leadership of Mattathias would cause the people to embrace the Greek teachings and forsake the Jewish Law. Mattathias had five sons. The sons did not adhere to the dictates of Antiochus and killed the soldiers he sent. He got mad and sent more soldiers to this little town to destroy its people. But God’s Hand was upon the Jews and the soldiers were defeated. One of the instruments in the temple that was damaged was the Menorah, which was a seven-branched candelabra used for worship. The fresh oil used when lit was supposed to last for eight days. But here we see that there was little oil left and it was good only for a day. But by an act of miracle, the light did not burn out and it lasted for eight days, which was the reason the Feast of Dedication came about. The Feast of Dedication is another name for Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century B.C.E. It usually occurs in December.

Symbolic of the destruction of the temple is the death of Christ. His resurrection is the restoration of the temple. The light emanating from the menorah is Christ. In Jesus’ situation, we see that there were certain people who wanted to stone Him not because of His good works but because they were accusing Him of blasphemy. Jesus knew these people were not those belonging to His flock. They were not His Sheep for they did not believe in Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” God intends for us to have a relationship with Him. He is the true authority. However, the people have made the temple the authority. Our task is to provide the imagery of God’s light. He has restored life. The life He gave is one of abundance, therefore we should show the light to the world. John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” It is unfortunate that many people focus too much on their own needs and wants, on themselves rather than God.

We are the temple, not a physical structure but living the life God has given us and being the light of the world. Christ was there during the Feast of Dedication not because of the Feast itself but to show them that He was the Light. The power is in us. Whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven. God has given us the Holy Spirit who will teach us everything. We just need to listen to God and not listen to other things. God will share with us what we need to know if only we believe. We are to believe if we call ourselves His sheep. Darkness has no authority in our lives. If we believe and listen to Him, then our lights can be seen. What God has spoken in the Old Testament, Christ reveals it in the New Testament. When we look at the Feast of Dedication, we must be reminded of our restoration.