I AM the Good Shepherd [John 10]

 1"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.  2"But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5"A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."

What does it mean to have a good shepherd?  What would it mean if you were a sheep?  Ponder this with me as you read this passage of Scripture. 

The first thing that comes to mind as I think about being a sheep who knows the shepherd's voice:  He is always there, always protecting, always leading.  He calls me by name.  It is no wonder that I would know His voice.  He would be a constant in my life. There would be nothing that I did that would occur without His presence, His input, His knowing.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

I truly do have this Good Shepherd as my shepherd.  I am one of His sheep for whom He laid His life down. So why do I have such a hard time hearing His voice?  Why am I always a little unsure if it is He I am following?  Does my unrest reflect who He is or does it come from my fears?

What are the fears that keep us from really knowing this Good Shepherd?  Mine start with the fear that He really doesn't care about me individually.  I think He has lumped me into the flock, but does He really call me by name?  Does He speak words that are directed to my heart or just words that are directed to all His sheep?  Because of this fear, when I hear Him call me by name, I question it.  Did I just make that up because I want the personal touch?  In this passage Jesus makes it clear that the answer to my question is, "No."  The picture He paints is intimacy.  "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." 

But I am so afraid that I might get it wrong.  He addresses that fear too.  "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." (v. 13-14).  He takes the responsibility for this intimacy.  He knows me in the same way that the Father knows Him and He knows the Father.  He has invited me into that very same relationship.  He lays down His life so that I can hear Him clearly.

 

You are the Good Shepherd who calls me by name.  You know me.  You have laid Your whole life down for me.  I praise You for Your constancy, Your input, Your knowing me. Lord, I want to believe, help me with my unbelief. Replace my fear with this truth of Your individual love for me.  Your grace and power to change my mind is abundant. Thank You.





Verna McCrillis, 12/11/2010
Feedback:
Marybeth Dewey (Guest) 12/11/2010 16:29
This passage, and your reflections, Verna, were so encouraging to me. I didn't realize that part of what I was believing was that he didn't call me by name; specifically when things are difficult for me, or that if things are difficult, I have done something wrong. That is a huge burden to carry. I am glad for a shepherd on whom I can entrust that burden :). Thank you for this reminder.