|
So Jesus said to them again, “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 hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through 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. “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 is not the owner of 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 is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” John 10 |
*The love of Christ knows no bounds. It’s a endless as the Ocean, as reliable as the Sea. Having been to Chincoteague Island last weekend, tne Ocean is fresh in my mind. I stood on the sure at the end of the weekend and said goodbye to my old friend, the Sea. Tears fell down my cheeks as I stood there, for the Ocean reminds me of God’s unwavering faithfulness.
Let’s look at all Jesus does for those He loves, just in this tiny passage of Scripture.
He is the door
He saves us
He gives us entry to pastures
He gives us life abundantly
He lays down His life for the Sheep
He knows us
He is known by us
He desires to bring others to Himself so that He can shepherd them
*Now let’s look at the thieves and robbers out there who try to get at us in other ways, just hired hands.
They come to steal from us
They come to kill us
they come to destroy us
The hired hand leaves when the wolf comes, Jesus stays and protects us from the wolf. Earlier in Chapter 10 of John Jesus says this
| To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” |
Jesus, calls us by name
He leads us out
He puts forth all His own
HE Goes Ahead Of Them
He goes ahead of us. He prepares the way in which we should walk. He is truly the Good Shepherd.
Jesus, Thank You so much for your guidance, Your leadership and Your love. I’d be lost without you. But with You, I never have to fear being left or forsaken, I never have to fear being lost. I love you God, because You first loved me. I have actually only learned to love others because You first loved me. I’m forever grateful. Amen and Amen!
hisshadowings.com 