The Benefit of a Personal Relationship with the True Shepherd
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash
I remember my first philosophy class when the professor challenged us to disprove the belief that knowledge can only be gained through our five physical senses. It was a basic exercise to help us students think more deeply than usual.
Admittedly, I was naive and dismissed the instructor’s challenge. I missed the point. Although I believed knowledge could be ascertained beyond our five senses, I was too lazy to process and think about his challenge. I was ignorant of philosophical empiricism or rationalism.
Sadly, this is the case too often for many of us. We’re lazy thinkers. We’d rather accept things as we perceive them or as told to us by others than examine truth with our own questions and thoughts.
Another challenge for many of us is our predisposition and preconceived beliefs. We tend to be set in our ways. We already believe what we believe. And we believe what we want to believe. As the old expression goes— ”Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind is already made up!”
This is what Jesus faced with His disciples, the crowds, and the established religious leaders, especially the Pharisees. It’s the same today—inside and outside the church.
Scripture
“I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn’t enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in somewhere else is a thief or a robber. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen. [vss 1-3]
After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don’t recognize his voice.” Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn’t understand what he meant. [vss 4-6]
Jesus emphasized, “I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before I did were thieves or robbers. However, the sheep didn’t respond to them.
I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food. A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need. [vss 7-10]
(John 10:1-10 GW)
Key phrase—
He calls his sheep by name and leads them...
Digging Deeper...
Review the Scriptures above as you answer the following questions
What is the first truth Jesus guarantees?
What does Jesus say to counter this guaranteed truth?
What does Jesus say about the shepherd, gatekeeper, and the sheep?
Why do the sheep only follow the shepherd rather than a stranger?
Did the people understand what Jesus told them?
Do you understand this illustration?
Reflection...
Jesus spoke of a new kind of leadership and relationship with God, unlike what the people saw in the religious leaders of that day.
At first, Jesus spoke in a general sense—in the third person. He described the Kingdom of God and the relationship of God with His people in a familiar agricultural setting. The shepherd and sheep analogy was familiar to Israel. The prophets often used the metaphor of God as a shepherd to His people.
Jesus spoke of a close relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. The shepherd calls the sheep by name and they respond to the shepherd but won’t follow a stranger’s voice. Jesus also describes the leadership of the shepherd—“he walks ahead of them.”
Those who heard this illustration don’t understand it. So, Jesus becomes more pointed with His second declaration when He says— “I am the gate (door)….” Jesus is the shepherd in the first story and He is the gateway—the way—in and out of the sheep pen into the pasture.
This is one of several declarations by Jesus of who He is—the Messiah and the Son of God. These first ten verses are only the beginning of a longer explanation of true leadership in the Kingdom of God.
The key to understanding this illustration and declaration is to see how personal it is. Relationship with God is intimate and spiritual. It is not based on obedience to a set of laws. Obedience and trust are earmarks of God’s kingdom, even under the Law of Moses.
The reward of this obedience and trust in the true shepherd is safety, provision, and abundant life.
Taking it to heart...
Read through the Scripture text again as you consider and answer these questions
How is the declaration of Jesus in verses 7-10 different than the illustration in the first five verses?
How does Jesus describe Himself and how is this contrasted from other self-proclaimed shepherds?
Who do you think Jesus refers to as “thieves (or robbers)”?
Do you know Jesus as your shepherd in a personal way?
Do you recognize the voice of God?
Have you experienced the spiritually abundant life Jesus promised?
Personalize it...
Meditate On This— Jesus spoke of a new kind of leadership and relationship with God, unlike what the people saw in the religious leaders of that day. The key to understanding this illustration and declaration of Jesus is to see how personal it is. Relationship with God is intimate and spiritual.
Prayer Focus— If you’ve not experienced the personal promise of Jesus as a shepherd in your life, simply call out to Him in prayer. Ask Him to speak to your heart and confirm that it is His voice. He calls all of us to a life of trusting in Him as sheep trust and follow their shepherd.
©2021—Word-Strong