The Truth That Brings Peace

READ JOHN 10

Have you ever thought of yourself as a sheep in need of a shepherd. The world does not teach this. Sheep are weak. Shepherds are poor and they smell bad. What you need to do is figure out how to succeed on your own. You don’t need someone to lead you. Do it your own way at the expense of others. Bring others down so you can rise up. The world will tell you that the weak do not win and only the strong will survive. In fact in today’s culture you may even hear of things like money, success, and power as the key things to strive for. All that is bling is glorified with no mention of Christ. In American culture Christ is dead. The world gives us many messages. How will you get into heaven?… just live a good life. Who is God? It is whoever you want him to be.

In John Jesus gives us an entirely different message through a simple metaphor…

WE WILL LEARN THAT JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD and he wants us to be his sheep.

It is a simple metaphor with profound meaning and it offers truth in the face of what the world teaches. In this passage we see that Jesus teaches that he is the Gate and the Good Shepherd. To the unbelieving Jews this teaching was sacrilege and they eventually try to stone him… Just as the world tries to kill him today.

In verses 1 through 5 of John 10 Jesus tells us about the sheepfold and the shepherds. The man who enters by the Gate is the Shepherd of the sheep... all others are robbers. He calls out his own by name, leads them and they follow because they know his voice. The sheep will not follow a stranger and will run from him because they do not know his voice.

Jesus teaches that he is the Gate and the Good Shepherd who’s sheep follow only him. His own have a special relationship with him. True believers are called by name by Jesus to be lead by him and only him because they know him.

How is it that Jesus knows your name out of so many? Do you know Jesus as your personal savior and Lord? What can you do this week to better develop this relationship?

In verses 6 through 21 of John 10 we see how the parable of the Gate characterizes the good Shepherd. Those before were robbers but those who enter through Jesus will be saved. The thief kills and destroys but Jesus comes to give life in the full. Jesus is the good shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep. The hired had runs away from danger and leaves the flock for he cares nothing for the sheep. As the father knows Jesus, Jesus knows his sheep and dies for them. There will be one flock and one shepherd. God loves Jesus for his sacrifice but gives Jesus his own choice to follow His will.

Jesus teaches that he is the Gate sent by God to die so that Jews and Gentiles may have salvation.

We learn from these verses that Jesus is the only true way to God and that he has come to die for the sins of all people, Jew and Gentile, so that all may follow him.

In the last section we talked about how Jesus knows your name out of so many… If he knows your name then he knew your name on the cross and he was thinking of you specifically as he endured the pain and the shame and died for your sins.

How does this knowledge change how or who you will witness to in the days ahead?

The truth presented through Jesus Christ causes a crisis of decision in all who hear His witness. Read verses 22-42. During the feast the Jews ask Jesus to tell them plainly that he is the Christ. Jesus answers that his miracles are proof but they are not his sheep so they do not understand. He is one with God. The Jews prepare to stone Jesus because of his claims of Deity and Jesus answers that they are wrong when they themselves were once called sons of God.

“even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

After hearing this they tried to seize Jesus but he crossed the Jordan and many believed in him.

In this section we see Jesus as he is confronted by the Jews about his deity and they try to stone him for claiming that he is the Son of God. From it we learn that Jesus Christ and God are one. We also see how the world often reacts to the witness of Jesus. The absolute truth that Jesus is the Son of God will not be accepted by all those who are presented this witness.

Who in your life do you need to pray for so that their hearts may be softened to the truth offered by Jesus? Just as Christ and the Father are one - we as believers are in union with Christ… Do your actions and behaviors reflect your kinship with God?

So again there is this question... what does it mean for you to be a sheep before Christ the Son of God? The world’s teaching comes from a thief and robbers but Christ’s teaching is righteous truth. When we are sheep before the almighty God we have the power of the Holy spirit within us to do God’s will and there is nothing that will ever take us away from that fellowship with Christ. That is real. That is the truth that brings peace. Let us pray.