day 10
Closer to Jesus
Embedded Files
📖 read JOHN 10
📖 read JOHN 10
The good shepherd and his sheep
1 ‘Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
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 listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.’
6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, ‘Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 ‘I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep 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 are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.
18 No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.’
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided.
20 Many of them said, ‘He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?’
21 But others said, ‘These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’
Further conflict over Jesus’ claims
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,
23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.
24 The Jews who were there gathered round him, saying, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’
25 Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.’
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,
32 but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’
33 ‘We are not stoning you for any good work,’ they replied, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’
34 Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, “I have said you are ‘gods’ ”?
35 If he called them “gods”, to whom the word of God came – and Scripture cannot be set aside –
36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, “I am God’s Son”?
37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.
38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.’
39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptising in the early days. There he stayed,
41 and many people came to him. They said, ‘Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.’
42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Shepherding was a regular job in old Israel, yet one with high responsibility and associated with danger, sacrifice, and seclusion. A good shepherd was hard to find. Many were paid but, in dangerous situations, they would abandon the flock and run for their lives. Shepherding was leadership. Good shepherds supplied provision, guidance, and safety to the flock. The same had to be true of the spiritual leaders of Israel, but it wasn’t. Unfortunately, most religious leaders of those days became leaders who were only taking care of themselves, like in Ezekiel’s times.
That is why when Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd they did not understand what He meant. Neither about the sheep entering through Him nor about Him laying down His life for the sheep. But His sheep recognized His voice and followed Him. He was the real Shepherd Isaiah wrote about, pointing to Messiah.
There is still opposition to Jesus and He is still calling His sheep to follow Him. We are His sheep. We are shepherds too, entrusted with His flock. Let us carefully watch Jesus and follow His lead. In Him, we will find life and life to the full.
Stay still for a couple of minutes and listen to the voice of your Shepherd. Where is He calling you? What is He telling you as to one of His sheep? What is He telling you as to one of His shepherds? Ask Jesus: “What do You have in Your Word for me today?” Listen and pray.
📖 INTERCESSION
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Acts 2:42-27
🙏 PRAYER
Pray for the flock of Jesus, His church.
Pray for leaders of churches, to lead like Jesus did.
Pray for the health and multiplication of churches.
Pray that everywhere in the world - every city, village, high rise, digital space - there will be one healthy church for every one thousand people.
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