John 10:7-18 – So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may 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 I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Clearly Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the One who loves the Sheep because they are His own. He is the Creator and so all the sheep exist because of His hand and His love. He created them, He covered their sin, from the Garden of Eden until the present day and forever. In Genesis God speaks of Himself in the plural during creation. At creation He states “Let us” at the making of mankind. (Genesis 1:26) When speaking of the consequence of the sin of man the Lord God once again spoke of Himself in the plural “us.” (Genesis 3:22) John 1:1-3 clearly states that’s Jesus was with God and was God “In the beginning.” So the sheep are His creation. However among the sheep are both those who belong to Him and those who do not. Those who did not belong to Him are those who by the means of His gift to them of free will, chosen not to love, believe in, and follow Him. (John 3:18, 36) But oh, the marvelous truth is that He is the “Good” Shepherd and the boundaries of His goodness are unlimited. How sad that those who reject Jesus as Savior and Lord will never know the unlimited love of Jesus for us. They only perceive what their limited unsaved minds can conceive. But for those who love the Lord Jesus, and respond to the call to serve Him, His goodness is perceived as an endless horizon, seen and never fully grasped. Oh how good is Jesus to all, and especially to those who love Him and acknowledge who He is.
“12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” Previously in V10:1 Jesus speaks of a thief and a robber who enters the sheepfold not through the gate. They cannot enter through the gate because they do not belong among the sheep. They are among the sheep not out of love but for nefarious reasons, to harm and kill them. (V10:10) Now Jesus is speaking of a hired hand and that person is different than the thief and robber. The hired hand has been hired to take care of the sheep and while the seas are smooth does what he is being paid for. But when the seas turn rough, or deadly, he abandons ship to protect himself without a care for the sheep. He is the babysitter who runs out of a house on fire and leaves behind the baby in the crib. This is a disreputable person who does not love those he is hired to protect and who, in fact, cares nothing for them. He is there for himself and not for his charges. This definitely applies to those who pastor as a job and not from the deep love of Christ flowing through them. The hired man needs another place to earn his wages. He does not love the flock and he does not love the one to whom the flock belongs. Clearly we need to beware a wolf hunting among the flock, and also the thief and robber, but we should not trust the hired hand to do what he is unwilling to do.
“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Those who belong to Him recognize Him as the one and only. We know Him because He first knew and loved us. (1 John 4:19) Those who know Him as Lord and Master, as the only way for salvation, have received a full measure of His love and grace. We see Him smiling at us, His smile stops us in our tracks, and we want to be with the one who smiles at us. He has the ability to save us and keep us. Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
This entry was posted in Devotion and tagged Genesis, John, Micah, Numbers, Psalm by Bob with
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