The Good Shepard

He is our Shepard…

John 10:1-21
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 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. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

These verses speak to the heart of who we are. Not who the Jews are, not who the Christians are, who WE are. We are all His flock. He is OUR Shepard. To follow anyone or anything else will lead to death and destruction. To follow Him brings life and Salvation and safety. Our Shepard lays His life down for us.m…Every day.

There is no easy way in. To get into the Kolingdom of Heaven you have to believe. For many, that was and still is the battle. That is the war. To believe the message that Jesus brings to this world. His world. He was sent so that all of Man would be saved. He did this through miracles of healing, through His words as He taught, and through His death and resurrection at Calvary.

As Believers, we are given the duty…the Commandment to go out into the world and spread the Gospel. We are to be the sower of seeds. These seeds that we plant are planted by what we say and how we walk in this world. We are to walk and speak in such a way that calls upon someone to ask you, “What is up with you?” You have been called to be different. Not of this world.

Some Pharisees saw Jesus as a man of God. Some as a demon-possessed man. How do you see Him? Okay.. now go tell someone. #JesusSaves

Amen.
DK