John 10
October Memory Verse: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 (NIV)
Read: John 10
How well do you do at listening to the voice of Jesus?
In our passage, Jesus makes the statement that He is the Good Shepherd. He proves to be the Good Shepherd because He lays down His life for His sheep (v. 11, 15). He is not like the terrible Shepherd, who sees a wolf, flees, and lets the sheep fend for themselves (v. 12-13).
But what I love about this passage is the personal relationship Jesus has with His sheep. Jesus knows the sheep and they know Him. He says multiple times that the sheep know His voice and follow Him (v. 4-5, 16, 26-27). And what we need to understand is that for an animal to follow someone, they have to be willing to trust them.
For example, my grandfather-in-law has cows. If you know anything about cows, they are dumb. And sometimes herding cows can be difficult (I almost died one time trying to help him). But right now, the cows that he has are not difficult to herd into new fields. You see, he has built trust with them. So now, all he says is “Come on Boys!”, and the cows follow him wherever he is trying to lead them. They know his voice, but they also aren’t afraid when following him.
In our lives, it may seem, at times, as if Jesus is leading us in the wrong way. But if we are just being honest, He is not a bad Shepherd, we are just bad sheep. We don’t listen to what He is saying to us. We don’t trust His ways (even though He has never led us astray). If we are His sheep, then we need to listen to His voice. Jesus is the Good Shepherd!
Are you listening to His voice? And has Jesus been trying to tell you something and you have just ignored it?
By: Brice Stockton
Read: John 10
How well do you do at listening to the voice of Jesus?
In our passage, Jesus makes the statement that He is the Good Shepherd. He proves to be the Good Shepherd because He lays down His life for His sheep (v. 11, 15). He is not like the terrible Shepherd, who sees a wolf, flees, and lets the sheep fend for themselves (v. 12-13).
But what I love about this passage is the personal relationship Jesus has with His sheep. Jesus knows the sheep and they know Him. He says multiple times that the sheep know His voice and follow Him (v. 4-5, 16, 26-27). And what we need to understand is that for an animal to follow someone, they have to be willing to trust them.
For example, my grandfather-in-law has cows. If you know anything about cows, they are dumb. And sometimes herding cows can be difficult (I almost died one time trying to help him). But right now, the cows that he has are not difficult to herd into new fields. You see, he has built trust with them. So now, all he says is “Come on Boys!”, and the cows follow him wherever he is trying to lead them. They know his voice, but they also aren’t afraid when following him.
In our lives, it may seem, at times, as if Jesus is leading us in the wrong way. But if we are just being honest, He is not a bad Shepherd, we are just bad sheep. We don’t listen to what He is saying to us. We don’t trust His ways (even though He has never led us astray). If we are His sheep, then we need to listen to His voice. Jesus is the Good Shepherd!
Are you listening to His voice? And has Jesus been trying to tell you something and you have just ignored it?
By: Brice Stockton
5 Comments
As you said Brice, following Jesus takes trust. It takes willingness to follow where the Spirit is taking you, even when you do not have all the information you want. As Christians, we have to be willing to set aside our desire to have all the information, to know the plan. When we do that, we are trusting God's plan, allowing him to drive the car. I've been struggling with this problem lately, but when I read the Bible and reflect on the books from the Old Testament, you see that when characters trust God and follow his simple instructions one at a time, the plan falls into place and God's glory is shown. It's like following LEGO instructions!
"Other Sheep" (v. 16)
Has anyone ever heard of a church called Other Sheep Church? As silly as that sounds, most of us fall into the category of "other sheep". Jesus came to proclaim a truth the Pharisees didn't want to hear. They believed the Messiah would come to save Israel and not the detestable Gentiles. Jesus made them angry, and blew their minds, when he said salvation was for ALL who would repent of their sins and trust in Him alone.
I am grateful for a God who expanded His love beyond the chosen people, Israel, and came to save other sheep like me! Good word today Brice!
"He is not a bad Shepherd, we are just bad sheep." Really good, Brice. That's an excellent reminder we should keep in the front of our brains at all times.
Proverbs13
As we read the passage (v.13-14) , The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life that one may turn away from snares of death. Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruins . Every prudent man acts with knowledge but a fool flaunts his folly . A wicked messenger falls into trouble but a faithful envoy brings healing . It's a joy to know to dwell and remind faithful to his commands
There is great comfort and peace knowing that though we have free will, we can give it back to God for His will. Then He promises not only eternal life but present security along the way. The John 10:27-30 verses are some of my favorites.