John 10- The Good Shepherd

I just got done studying John chapter 10 with a group of great, young guys.  It's energizing to see their love of God's Word.  It's also energizing to see all the amazing truth packed into John chapter 10.

Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd.  I can't go into all of the awesome details about the Good Shepherd that's packed in here but I will write about a couple of awesome things that are revealed in this chapter.

In verses 1-6 Jesus gives an analogy featuring sheep and a shepherd.  The sheep and shepherd in this analogy are in a village.  In the village are many sheep, some belonging to the shepherd and some not.  If you can picture this in your head you might see a very chaotic scene.  Let's imagine that several shepherds and their sheep are moving about this tiny village at the same time.  How on earth do the sheep know where to go and who to follow?

"He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.  When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow because they know His voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Verses 3-6

Do you recognize the Good Shepherd's voice?  Do you run away from other voices trying to lead you astray?

In verses 7-10 Jesus shifts the sheep and shepherd from the village to the countryside.  Here He calls the shepherd the gate.  In those days the place where the sheep were kept was closed off but they didn't use gates like we do today.  Instead, the shepherd would lie down at the open space in the pin and act as the gate.  Nothing got in or out except through him.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved."  Verse 9.

Jesus is the way, the only way.  Do you acknowledge that?

Finally, in verses 14-18 Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd.  He says that He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him.  Beyond that He lays down His life for the sheep.  In fact, Jesus will lay down His life for sheep that aren't yet in His sheep pin.  Meaning, He intended to add Gentiles to the flock... and He did.  Meaning, He still intends to add sheep to the flock... and He will.  That is why He says He gave up His life.  So that through Him there might be "one flock and one shepherd."

His death was for you.  Are you being called into His pin?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He calls you and I to Him by name.  Amen.  He is The Way, The Truth and The Life.  Amen.  He laid down His life for us.  Amen.

If you want to read more about how Jesus is our shepherd read passages like Psalm 23 or Ezekiel 34.  Thank God for giving us the Good Shepherd today.