Are You Listening? – John 10:1-18
“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go 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.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
What does the passage say?
We finished our journey of reading through the book of Romans and transition back to read according to the schedule on Upper Room. On a personal note, I would like to that everyone, who prayed for our travel. Our family safely arrived in NYC. My father will be flying out to Korea, to attend a meeting, and my family and my mother will be staying here until he comes back on Wednesday.
V. 1-10 Jesus says that he is the gate and shepherd. He says that everyone who came before him are ‘thief and bandits.’ What does this mean? He is using an analogy, saying that the Kingdom of God is like a sheep pen and himself as the shepherd and gatekeeper.
The evil of the world becomes ‘thief and bandits’ who try to take the sheep away from the pen. When the sheep are out, they suffer. And Jesus comes to give life. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (v. 10 NRSV)
V. 11-18 God’s sacrificial love is the only way this is possible. When the world is continuing to take us away from the ‘sheep pen,’ only a good shepherd who lays down his life can save and protect us from the evil scheme. Ultimately God is asking us to accept that sacrificial love and imitates it. For there are more sheep outside of the pen.
It says, “You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too” (v. 15 The Message).
What does this mean to me/ us?
Christ is asking us, children of God, to listen to his voice. It says, “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (v. 3 The Message).
It is a blessing that we have a good shepherd, who brings us to green pasture and who we can follow.
However, like sheep following the shepherd, we should also imitate the love projected to us and share it with the world. The love is shown when Jesus says, “I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary” (v. 14 The Message). Yesterday, in our service we heard about how the American missionaries imitated the sacrificial love of our Lord, to save the people of Korea (the sheep outside the pen). It doesn’t mean that we all have to go overseas and risk our lives. However, at least, can’t we live out this day and imitate the Greatest love, by putting others before my own needs?
Lord, we thank you for your Great Love. Thank you for being our Lord and Shepherd. May we continue to live this life, as we imitate and follow your sacrificial love. Help us to see your ways.
In Christ Name, Amen.
What are your thoughts?
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.