Thursday, February 18, 2016

Our Good Shepherd - February 18 Readings: John 10


(For some reason, this may not have posted as it was scheduled to this morning)

Context

If the life of Jesus were a movie (and, of course, it has been many times), John 10 would play with ominous and foreboding music behind it. Yes, the chapter begins with what seems like a beautiful teaching about Jesus being the good shepherd for the sheep, a thought we will explore in the devotional. But there is much more working there.

Jesus is describing himself as the Good Shepherd, but it is not in a vacuum. He is contrasting himself to the thieves and robbers who come to "steal and kill and destroy" (verse 10). His teaching again divided people, some renewing the accusation that he was demon-possessed and others identifying how silly that idea was.

Things began to come to a head at the Feast of Dedication, another precursor to the eventual moment of his death. People gathered around him and asked for a clear declaration. "Are you the Christ?" He told them he had been clear but they did not hear him because they were not of his flock and only his sheep hear his voice (verses 26-27). It is not hard to imagine that the religionists were not thrilled with this insult.

But when, in verse 30, Jesus said "I and the Father are one," they were horrified and picked up stones to carry out the sentence for blasphemy. It was a declaration of Jesus' divinity, an affirmation that underpins the doctrine of the Trinity. Since it was not the time for his self-sacrifice, Jesus simply walked away from them and continued his ministry.

Devotional - The Good Shepherd

John 10 describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep, even laying down his life for them. He calls us by name and we follow him. He leads us to pastures where we can find the food we need and protects us from the thieves and predators who seek our destruction. He gives life to his sheep - eternal and abundant.

And it is a good thing, because we are sheep. When we are described as sheep in the Bible it ought never to be taken as a compliment. Sheep cannot survive without a shepherd and we cannot live without our Savior, Jesus Christ. Think about the conditions of sheep and why we need a shepherd.

Sheep are prey. Just about every predatory, carnivorous animal in the world loves the taste of mutton. If sheep were not watched over, they would quickly become lunch. This world is full of spiritual predators who would seek to deceive us, distract us, divert us and destroy us. False apostles and false teachers abound who seek to use the sheep for their own purposes. We need a shepherd. We need a Good Shepherd.

Sheep are wayward and not that bright. Sheep are not like other creatures. They do not have a great sense of danger or direction. They wander off into trouble when left to themselves. It is interesting that we are so prone to seek independence when, as sheep, that is the last thing we need. We require a shepherd to guide us and keep us from harm - a Good Shepherd.

Sheep are defenseless. Most animals have some sort of defense mechanism to protect themselves. Some can run fast to escape danger. Some have sharp claws to fight. Some have hard shells or quills or, like the skunk, the ability to make predators pay through the nose. Sheep have no such defenses. They are not fast, they cannot jump and bound away. They don't have hard shells or bad smells to protect them. They are helpless. We are helpless in this world without the help of our Savior and Lord, without defense against all those spiritual predators.

Sheep need a shepherd. We need a Good Shepherd. That's the bad news. The good news is that we have one - Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

Father, thank you for my Good Shepherd who leads me to green pastures and calms me beside still waters. He protects me from the predators who would destroy me loves me enough to lay down his life for me. I need him, oh, I need him. Every hour I need him. 

Think and Pray

Think about what it means for you to be a sheep and for Jesus to be your good shepherd. Consider your dependence on him. 


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