The Only Godly Good Shepherd

The Only Godly Good Shepherd

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11 "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."
19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words.20 Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?"21 Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?"
Jesus Asserts His Deity
22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem;23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.26 "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.30 "I and the Father are one ."
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.32 Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"33 The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."34 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'?35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?37 "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."39
John 10:11-39 (NASB)


O - I don't know if it is the Holy Spirit's revelation in me, but this scripture makes it so obvious who Jesus is. The son of God, our good shepherd, and ultimately the one we should follow. The Gospel of John, does a great job in revealing, or re-exposing Jesus' deity to the people of God. It is important to remember John was writing the Gospel so that the young Church's might not lose sight of His deity. The tendency was already occurring in the early church to reflect on Jesus as a prophet who did good works, and had good teachings and was therefore worth following. But if you (we) lose touch with his deity we will miss a critical feature of who He is. He is the "the One" , the only Saviour of the world, the only redeemer of man, the only reconciler with God, the only Shepherd we are to follow. A couple of interesting notes from this scripture is that Jesus let's us know directly He is the good shepherd, and is given that role by His Father in heaven, and that He does lay down His life for His sheep, that he has been given all authority to do so, and to take his life up again, to heaven. He foretells that he has other folds of people outside the nation of Israel that are His sheep, and that they will become a part of his flock (salvation is for all people, not just the Jews). What Jesus gives to his sheep is eternal life, and the guarantee no one will ever be able to snatch them away from Him. The last observation is that Jesus would like us to believe Him for who is says He is, but if that is not enough, His works testify directly that He is doing the works of God, and that should give us understanding that God is in Him.

A - The application for me is to be sure I am mentally placing Jesus in the position that He rightly deserves in my life, the One, the good Shepherd of my life. He does so with the authority from God, and all the power and capability of keeping His promises of eternal life without separation from Him or God ever again. So when I live, I must walk in life with the confidence of knowing I have a good shepherd, one I can completely trust and follow. What a powerful paradigm to live under. Living with a good shepherd who is God, gives confidence, hope, and unshakeableness to live a life that is confident and assured, so the only question is what am I waiting for.



P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart. I pray Lord that your Holy Spirit would be that reminder to me that you are my good shepherd, that I can follow you with full trust, and confidence that you are my savior, my protector, my strength, and that your direction and your ways are the direction I need to head in. I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.