Today’s Reading:
John 10: 11-21
“ I am the good shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep” (v. 11)
Have you ever felt like it is not worth it to follow Jesus ?
Perhaps you were going through a severe trial and you wondered: “ if Jesus is the Lord and He loves me, then why is He allowing me to go through this trial? So, you wonder: ”Why should I follow Jesus ?” “ I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep.” These are Jesus words aimed at warning, instructing and assuring His audience. He warns them about false Shepherd so that they will not follow them. He instructs them about Himself as the good Shepherd and what He provides for His flock. And He assures them of His sacrificial care for them and of the fact that He will accomplish His purpose with them. I will point out some truths here about Jesus the good Shepherd: The good Shepherd lays down His life for the Sheep, but the hired hand has no concern for the Sheep. – John 10: 11-13.
For four times in these verses, Jesus repeats that He lays down His life (John 10: 11; 15;17; and 18 ) . In the first two verses, He repeats that He lays down His life for His Sheep. The last two times, He emphasizes that He lays down His life so that He may take it up again. Jesus giving up His life for us as sinners was the greatest act of selfless love in world history. Jesus died in our place. We should have faced God’s righteous eternal judgment because of all our sins. But Jesus intervened with His own blood to pay our debt. Jesus’ death was successful. His resurrection verifies that the Father accepted His sacrifice – Romans 4:25. Jesus contrasted His own sacrificial love and care for His Sheep with the false Shepherd of Israel whom he referred to as “hired hands” who only cares for themselves – John 10:12-13.
The hired hands are more concerned about saving their own lives than they are about saving the Sheep. It is no loss to them if the Sheep perish as long as they escape with their lives. The contrast means that if you follow the good Shepherd, you can be assured that He cares for you more than His own life If you are one of His Sheep, Jesus promises in John 10:28 : “ I give eternal life to them and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand”
BABALOLA IKOTUN
Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for intervening with your blood to pay our debts on the cross of Calvary.
Thank you, Jesus, for redeeming us from the curse of the law.
Thank you, Lord, for delivering us from the powers of darkness and translating us into the Kingdom of Jesus in whom we have redemption through His Blood.
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