Wednesday, May 8, 2024
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. John 10:14-16 CSB
“I Am the Good Shepherd.”
What does it mean to hear Jesus’ voice and follow Him? What does it mean for Him to be the Shepherd and for you to be His sheep?
Shepherds have a very important job. Sheep are completely defenseless in the face of an attack. They have no sharp teeth or claws, and they certainly cannot outrun a predator, so when a wolf comes after them, they are going to lose. They are totally dependent on the shepherd to protect and lead them. He watches for danger and uses the crook of his staff to pull them back into the fold when they start to wander outside the bounds of protection. The sheep know their shepherd, and they will listen to the shepherd and follow where the shepherd leads. Shepherds may even give up their lives to protect the flock.
In the scripture above Jesus says that He is the good shepherd, and we are His sheep. We listen for His voice and follow Him. He will lead us, guide us, protect us, and He has laid down His life for us. He had all the power in the world to save us, without giving His life, but He did not choose to save Himself. His willing sacrifice of His own life for His sheep, made it possible for everyone who chooses to come, to have salvation. He identifies Himself as the good shepherd as He laid down His life for us.
Sheep really are pretty dumb animals. They have no direction, and they will follow each other anywhere, even into danger. They are slow learners and do not learn from painful mistakes the first time. They are stubborn and not one of the more graceful or beautiful of God’s creations. They are unpredictable and easily stray from where they are not supposed to go. They need close supervision from their shepherd.
Do any of these characteristics sound familiar? The only way you would know I am talking about sheep and not people is because I told you I was talking about sheep. People are guilty of every one of these characteristics and they can get us into some pretty bad situations. Jesus knew this, and it is no mistake He uses sheep and shepherd as examples. Just like stubborn sheep, without a shepherd, we will walk right into trouble, especially if we have someone to go with us! We need the gentle voice of the good shepherd to call to us, lead us and guide us. We need the loving tug of His staff to pull us back to Him, to safety, where we belong. We need His love, grace, mercy, and protection. Jesus is our good shepherd. He does all these things for us when we belong to him.
The Bible also talks about how the sheep know the voice of their shepherd. They listen for it and when they hear it, they come. Listen for the gentle sound of the good shepherd in your life and follow His lead. Without Him we are lost and He will never lead us astray. And we know that as sheep trust their shepherd to lead them and take care of them, we can trust Jesus and follow him, knowing he will take care of us. Just as a shepherd cares about every single sheep, Jesus cares about every single detail of our lives.
How can we hear his voice? Because we belong to him - I know my own, and my own know me… When we are in a relationship with Jesus we will know his voice, just as we know the voice of our friends and family. Our relationship with Jesus should be even more intimate than those relationships. When we seek him, learn from him, walk with him, spend time talking to him, as well as listening for him, we will hear his voice when he calls for us. Are you listening for his voice today?
