2.1 Key themes⤒🔗

• Jesus saves everyone who believes in him.
• To believe in Jesus means to put all your trust in him.
• If we trust in anything else, then it means we do not really believe in Jesus.
• Jesus came to give us a complete salvation and a full life:
  - When he came the first time, he saved us from our biggest problem: sin.
  - When he comes again, he will save us from all our other problems.
• The miracles of Jesus were signs of the complete salvation that he is going to bring.

2.2 John 3:16←⤒🔗

^16. For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

© NET Bible

2.3 John 10:7-11←⤒🔗

^7. So Jesus said again, 'I tell you the solemn  truth, I am the door for the sheep.

^8. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 

^9. I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture.

^10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly .

^11. I am the good shepherd . The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.'

© NET Bible

2.4 What does it mean to believe?←⤒🔗

Jesus is our salvation. That is what his name means. But how do you know if Jesus has also saved you?

In John 3:16 we read that everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved. If you believe in Jesus, then you can be sure that he has saved you from your sin. Eternal life is yours!

But now we must ask, “What does it mean to believe in Jesus?” To answer this question, let us look at our passage from John 10. In this passage Jesus says two things about himself:

1. He is the door for the sheep (verse 9).
2. He is the good shepherd (verse 11).

Sheep must live in camps with fences. Otherwise, they can be killed by wild animals or stolen by thieves. But every camp has a door, where the sheep can go in and out. The shepherd stands at the door, to open and close it for his sheep. In the time of the Bible, the shepherd would even sleep in front of the door, to make sure that no animal or thief could come in at night.

Jesus says that believers are his “sheep.” Just as sheep trust their shepherd, believers trust in Jesus. Just as sheep come only to one door, believers come only to Jesus if there is something that they need. Sheep do not listen to the voice of a stranger (verse 8). They trust only in their shepherd.

This shows us what it means to believe in Jesus. To believe in him means to put all your trust in him.

2.5 The only salvation←⤒🔗

Jesus is the only true door and the only true shepherd. If we trust in anything or anyone else, then it means we do not really believe in him.

Today, there are many people who say that they believe in Jesus, but it is clear that they do not fully trust in Jesus. For example:

• Some church people to pray through other people. They say that they believe in Jesus, but they also trust in a person to help them.
• In other churches, people will say that they believe in Jesus, but they also look for blessing and protection from their ancestors.
• Some people think that they must still sacrifice animals to God, just as the people of the Old Testament did. They do not trust that Jesus is the final sacrifice (John 1:36).
• There are many, many people who think that they can go to heaven if they live a good life. This means that they do not fully trust in Jesus to save them. They think they can save themselves, if they do good things!

The truth is: Jesus is our only salvation. Remember that it is God who chose the name “Jesus” for his Son. Through this name God said to the world, “Here is the salvation that comes from me! Trust only in him!”

2.6 A complete salvation←⤒🔗

In Lesson 1 we saw that Jesus came to save us from sin. But that is not where his salvation ends!

Sin is our biggest problem. But sin is also the root of all the other problems in the world. Just as a tree grows from a root, all the problems in this world have come from sin.

If Adam and Eve did not sin, there would be no death in the world (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19). There would be no pain and suffering (Genesis 3:16). The earth would be a beautiful place, and we would enjoy all our work (Genesis 3:17–19).

When Jesus came the first time, he came to give his life for his sheep (John 10:11). In this way he saved us from our biggest problem: sin. Our sins have been forgiven and we have become God’s children.

But this world is still under God’s curse. We still face many problems in this world. When Jesus comes again, he will also save us from all these problems. He will take away all suffering and death.

In John 10:10 Jesus says, “I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” Jesus has come to give a full life to his sheep! If you believe in Jesus, you can already enjoy the beginning of that full life now. You have peace with God, and you have his Holy Spirit.

But one day, you will have the full life that Jesus has promised. You will enjoy his complete salvation. He will take away all sin and all suffering. He will give you a new heaven and earth. There, God will wipe away all your tears. You will live with him forever (Revelation 21).

2.7 Jesus’ miracles were signs←⤒🔗

Have you ever wondered why Jesus did all his miracles? One reason is that he cared for people. That is why he healed them, drove out their demons, gave them good wine, and gave them food when they were hungry. But there is a more important reason why Jesus did his miracles. His miracles were signs (John 2:11; John 4:54; John 6:26).

The miracles of Jesus were only temporary. He raised people from the dead, but later they would die again. He gave people bread and fish, but they would become hungry again.

Yet his miracles were signs of the full salvation that he is going to bring. Through his miracles he was saying to the people: “If you believe in me, you can look forward to a life without suffering, sickness, and death!”

Let us always remember why our shepherd is called “Jesus.” He is our only salvation, and with him there is complete salvation! Let us trust in him for everything that we need.