John 10:7-16 Then
Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of
the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he
will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not
come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd,
one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep
and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling
flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the
good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My
own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay
down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this
fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will
be one flock and one shepherd.”
Dr. Nolte continued that the
Pharisees were the hirelings. Jesus stated that God would provide the perfect
shepherd and His sheep would hear and recognize God’s voice through the “true”
shepherd. Plainly, He was the shepherd from God, who pays attention to every
single sheep. Jesus said “I am the door.” He is the gate by which we enter
Heaven and by which every godly teaching comes to us. Jesus said, “I am the
Good Shepherd.” The word “good” here is qualitative and defined as: complete or sufficiently perfect in its
kind; having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use; opposed
to bad, imperfect, corrupted, impaired. Having moral qualities best
adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God's law requires;
virtuous; pious; religious; kind; benevolent; affectionate; faithful;
benevolent; merciful; gracious, and opposed to bad, vitious, wicked, evil.
John 3:16-17 “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.”
Why is this good news, the
best news you could ever hear? Because, Jesus clearly identifies the way to
eternal life and tells us how to get there, through the Master Shepherd -
Christ. In His sheepfold is salvation and the full-blown life that God created
us to have and experience. The benefit of the sheep is the focus and the
priority in God plan of redemption. Yet, people do not know the way. Today,
thieves and robbers are attempting to identify the gospel of Jesus Christ as
“bad news”. The Christian religion doesn’t look to punish, but to reconcile and
restore us to an upright position and life. The gospel is love, not hate and the
gift of God in inclusive, not exclusive. God has love and compassion for us.
1 Corinthians 1:18 “For
the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
No one is excluded from
hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd. Do not let the negative narrative
define God, the gospel and Christians. Stand firm and do not allow the “good
news” of the gospel, which the world needs to hear, be attacked by sinful
darkness of God-rejecting unbelief. Jesus, Lord and Savior, is the best news
ever. Grab it back. God is omniscient (all-knowing) and Jesus (the Good Shepherd)
knows His sheep and their needs completely. Maslow's hierarchy of needs used
the terms physiological, safety, belonging and love, social needs or esteem,
and self-actualization. Christ meets our needs.
Jesus laid down His life for
His sheep. The Master Shepherd is sovereign over His sheep. Freedom is
operating within Almighty God’s framework; not doing whatever you want,
whenever you want. Jesus Christ is the solution to sin. So, who are the sheep? -
Those who hear and follow the Good Shepherd. Jesus will pursue lost sheep, but
sheep need to listen and respond by following. Take a step towards Jesus. The
Good Shepherd is calling.
In Christ, Brian
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