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John 10:14-15
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
The goal of our walk with Jesus is to come to know him as our shepherd just as intimately as he knows the Father. A key thing for us to remember: In a world where so many people want to attract our attention and are willing to give us advice, we can refuse their voice. We listen to Jesus because he has shown his love for us by laying down his life for us. He is not a hireling, he is the Good Shepherd.
My Prayer…
Holy Father, you are wonderful and generous beyond description. You have shown your love by sending your Son to be my Shepherd. Help me hear his voice through your Word. Help me hear his voice through the wise counsel of spiritual friends. Help me hear his voice through the words sung to me by my brothers and sisters when we are assembled. Help me hear his voice in the Holy Spirit’s work on my conscience. Father, I want to follow your Son as my Shepherd and Lord because I know he, like you, is good! In the name of my Shepherd and Lord I pray. Amen.
Bible References
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:14-15
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.
The Lord speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd. The Greek word for good (kalos) here means “ideal, worthy, choice, excellent.” Jesus is indeed all of these! He is the only One who is all of these.
Next, He points out that He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. My father had lots of cattle when I was growing up and those cattle knew him and were not afraid when they heard or saw him. But if a stranger came to see dad when he was tending his cattle they were many times spooked and would start to stampede!
When dad was moving them from one field to another he would get in his truck and the cattle would follow him anywhere, it didn’t matter that it was a different environment, they trusted him to lead them safely. Once in a while a few would get distracted by something and try and leave the safety of herd, but dad’s helpers were there to quickly round up the errant cattle and coax them back to following their leader.
God has given us the best “helper” of all when we start to stray from Him and that is the indwelling Holy Spirit which will convict us of our errors in judgement and bring us back to God when we obey His leading!
Oh, that we would follow our heavenly Father with trust, fixing and keeping our eyes on Him and not our surroundings. We know Him, He is our Protector and Sustainer, and He is fully worthy of our trust and obedience!
I love how Jesus takes this intimate relationship that He has with His sheep to an even deeper meaning by comparing it to His relationship with Father God! This is a thrilling truth, the same union, communion, intimacy, and knowledge that there is between Father and Son also exists between the Shepherd and His sheep. Now that is astounding!
Jesus is foretelling of His death to come when He says, “and I lay down My life for the sheep”.
The righteousness that we claim through the shed blood of Christ, brings us to a deep and intimate relationship with the Creator of all that exists! Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us of our sin and present us clean before our holy God (1 Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 9:12). We call Him Father and we are His blood-bought, dearly loved children. What a glorious position Christ has given us, what mercy, love, and grace He has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God (1 John 3:1-2)!
Thank You Lord Jesus for dying at the cross for me, thank You for loving me and for being my Lord and Savior, my Good Shepherd, help me to follow You all the days of my life, for Your glory and my good, Amen!