Dear Friends,
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:1-2 (KJV)
“He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.”
Isaiah 40:11 (NLT)
The Scriptures include myriad of verses that compare the Lord to a Shepherd. As we approach Easter, let us turn our attention to the Tenth Chapter of John, where Jesus explains his role as the good shepherd.
“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. John 10:14-15 (NIV)
In the Reformation Bible, R.C Sproul points out that “know” here, as so often in Scripture, means more than a mental grasp; it includes personal understanding and a commitment of will. To say that God “knows” a person in this way refers to His gracious redemptive commitment to that individual.
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 10:16
Up to this point, Jesus ministry had been focused on the Jews. Here he announces that he is the shepherd for all who will listen to his voice.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 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.” John 10:17-18
Note the significance of these verses. Jesus is declaring that he will not only voluntarily lay down his life for his sheep, but that he will live again. When Jesus raises Lazarus in John 11, he reveals God’s power over death.
“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 will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30
Jesus uses the analogy of the shepherd to explain his role as our Savior. If we listen to his voice and follow him, he offers us eternal life.
Verse for the Week:
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 