The Reason for the Season! Do You Believe This? - John 10:11-21

John 10:11-21

“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 sheep pen. 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?”

In first ten verse of John 10, Jesus had explained why the Pharisees were such "bad shepherds". They didn't care for the sheep and even laid so many burdens on them, which kept them from enjoying God's steadfast love. Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd", and he will know list the many qualities that make for a good shepherd including:

1. A good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for his sheep.  Jesus will soon prove this trait when he goes to the cross for all of his sheep, including us. 

2. Jesus has ownership in us, because he made us. Genesis tells us that Jesus, as the pre-existent Word, was with God in the beginning when God created the world and made us in His image. 

3. Jesus is aware of the threats to the sheep and is strong enough to protect them from the wolves who seek to destroy them. We now know this is the devil and all of his miniors, whose sole goal it is to steal, kill and destroy Jesus' sheep. 

4. Jesus KNOWS his sheep and his sheep KNOW him. There is a very intimate and personal relationship the GOOD SHEPHERD and his sheep. Just as the shepherd spends lots of time daily with his sheep, so Jesus wants to spend lots of time with us daily. 

5. Jesus the Son is in completely connected with God the Father. As such, Jesus shows us the Father's love which Jesus came to reveal. This was his primary mission on earth, to draw all people to the Father.

6. Jesus has the authority and power to not only lay down his life, but to take it up again. Ultimately Jesus, the Good Shepherd, proves He is the Son of God, when God raises him from the dead, three days after He is crucified for our sake.

Once again the people were divided. Some thought he is a lunatic. Some thought he was the Lord. What say you?

As we celebrate the birth of Christ tomorrow, we see God's amazing and stunning plan of sending His Son to become one of us.  Jesus knows everything one could possibly know about being human. Jesus knows you and wants to get to know you better. 

Do you KNOW Jesus? Do you realize Jesus knows you by name and calls you to follow Him? If you know him, do you spend time with him growing closer to him? 

Jesus was born, died and was raised from the dead to the right hand of the Father. The bible tells us that Jesus will come back again to judge the living and the dead. Those who rejected Jesus in this life will be separated from him forever, while those who called on His name for salvation and heeded his call to follow him, will not die but have eternal life! 

Do you believe this???

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