The Scattered Children of God

The Scattered Children of God

Well we will be having a new topic soon, once I have finished on the Atonement of Christ. That being "Who is Jesus"?

But for now I would like to give another example of scripture detailing for whom Jesus died for. Lets us begin by going to John Chapter Ten.
Jesus Speaking;

"I am the good shepherd, I know my Sheep and my Sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the Sheep. I have other Sheep that are not of this Sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd" (John 10; 14-16)

Jesus clearly lets us know that he is laying down his life for his Sheep. Also that he also has another pen of sheep to bring in. This is contrast to those who are not his sheep,

"You do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 10; 26-28)

Jesus did not say you do not believe, so therefore you are not my sheep. He said, "You do not believe because you are not my sheep". There is a difference, God’s chosen elect from eternity in Christ (Eph 1;4-14 ) are his sheep and they will believe. Jesus has given them eternal life and they shall never perish. Why will they never perish? Because they have been predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ from eternity.

Then in John Chapter 11 this evidence comes out at the discussion of the Sanhedrin,

"Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for that one man (Jesus) die for the people than that the whole nation perish.

He did not say this on his own, but as High Priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and to make them one. (John 11; 49-52).

This passage is important as Caiaphas was prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation and also the scattered children of God. Which are his Sheep spoken about in chapter Ten, the one flock under the one Shepherd.

Lets look at verse 51-52 of John Chapter 11. John is talking about the Jewish nation and also Gentiles who will believe as they are called the children of God.
Look at how Jesus treats the Gentiles. He does not treat them as a mass, meaning every person in the world. He treats them selectively and calls them ‘the scattered children of God’. Then he gives us God’s purpose in Christ’s death; To bring them together and to make them one. In speaking of the nation of Israel he has in view the children of God who were not scattered when he wrote, now he says, God intends to take the scattered children of God and bring them together with the unscattered children of God, so that they will be one.
The nation then, in John’s mind is the elect of Israel, and the scattered children are the elect among the Gentiles. Jesus Christ died for these people, in there place only.

This passage is clear that Jesus died for his elect people only, let us have a look at the truths again,

Jesus lays his life down for his sheep, some are not his sheep that is why they don’t believe. Jesus is after bringing in his scattered sheep to bring them in to one flock. Who are these people. They are believers, children of God. Jesus died for the Jewish nation, meaning the elect in Israel and also for the scattered children throughout the world and following ages who have been chosen to believe. It is clear Jesus did not die for a mass of people, but for a scattered number throughout the world, his elect!