LEARNING DAILY

John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them. I give eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

John 10:11, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Pastor Ed Newton, Lead Pastor at Community Bible Church, spoke about one of my favorite passages this past weekend. Jesus was explaining what the shepherd does to protect his sheep; those hearing Him speak would probably know Ezekiel’s writing about shepherds who led irresponsibly and his prophecy that a day would come when He would send the Good Shepherd to seek out and gather the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus said He was that Good Shepherd.

It would be good for each person reading this to take the time to read the entire tenth chapter of John. This page of the blog is a summary of that chapter given by Pastor Newton. There is so much to glean from this and to understand in order to apply the teaching to your life. I pray you will take the time to read and study this chapter.

In verse 3, you will read, “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out”. I have wondered about this verse for a long time; there are a lot of different voices trying to get the Believer’s attention. “The sheep know their shepherd’s voice and will respond to no other voice. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice because they are close to him” (Pastor Newton). It is important for the Believer to stay close to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, because He wants you to hear Him. The Word of God is His written Word to those who follow Him. Notice in this verse that “the Good Shepherd knows the sheep by name”; the Good Shepherd knows every Believer’s name! think about that! He knows everything about you and calls you to walk the narrow way in order to become like Him.

Verse 9 states, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture”. “Jesus is the only door, not one of many doors, that leads to heaven” (Pastor Newton). There was no door to the sheep pen in the days of Jesus. There was just an opening. The sheep would enter for the night and be content because they knew the shepherd would lay in front of the opening to keep danger from entering the pen.

Verse 10 is important! “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” “The thief is the devil – disguised as an angel of light, found also in the false teachers, false prophets, and religious leaders who are leading people away from God’s Word. This blog has spent quite a bit of time lately discussing those who are leading people away from the way Jesus desires His followers to walk. Jesus came to give life – eternal life with Him in His kingdom – life in abundance. Many would teach/preach that an abundant life means wealth, prosperity, driving the luxury cars, social status, prestige, and a high position. But Jesus is not talking about any of that. He is talking an abundant spiritual life, a life growing in one’s relationship to Him, and a life consisting of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of stuff! “This comes from following [pursuing] Jesus; He is the Blesser. We don’t chase Him because of what He gives” (Pastor Newton).

That brings us to Pastor Newton’s last verse, John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them. I give eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep – all who would come to Him to be saved and changed by Him. For those who do, the Good Shepherd’s promise is clear. “They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” This is permanent and unalterable relationship with Jesus Christ.  The eternal life given by Jesus to His “sheep”, to true believers, cannot be stolen, withdrawn, or lost!

The takeaway statement on the Listener Guide is clear. “The Lord is MY Shepherd! Is He yours?”