The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

 

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep.”

“The Father loves Me because I sacrifice My life so I may take it back again.  No one can take My life from Me.  I sacrifice it voluntarily.  For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.  For this is what My Father has commanded.”--------John 10:11, 17-18

 

This is Jesus speaking of Himself as the good shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture.   He says that, “the good shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep.”  And so has Jesus, sacrificed His life for us. 

 

He goes on to tell us that He KNOWS His own sheep and they KNOW Him.  He even names His sheep and calls them by name and they follow Him because they recognize His voice.  They will never follow a stranger, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.  

 

We as God’s Children, need to be able to recognize the voice of our Good Shepherd, who willingly laid down His life for us, and then was able to take it up again, through the resurrection of His body.  Something that NOBODY else has ever done for us, in order for us to obtain eternal life in Heaven. 

 

Jesus tells us, “This is why the Father Loves Me,” because of His OBEDIENCE to God’s command.  So that we might have access to our Heavenly Father and that we might receive the inheritance of our SALVATION, that was carried out by Jesus’ death and resurrection, the laying down of His life and the taking it up again.  Through this act of His OBEDIENCE to God’s command, we are able to spend ALL eternity in Heaven with Him and Almighty God. 

 

We are TRULY blessed with a Good Shepherd, who loves His sheep and takes GOOD care of them and provides for their needs and protects them with His life.  If you are a Child of God, then you are receiving the benefits of being one of His sheep. 

 

If you are not one of His sheep, then you are out in this cold, unloving, sinful world at the mercy of the wolves and strangers who only mean to do you harm and to lead you down the WRONG path.  A path that will lead you to the destruction of your soul and an eternity in that place known as Hell.  But you can cry out to the Good Shepherd and He will hear you and come to rescue you from the howling wolves and the depraved strangers and you will be SAVED from  those things that would only harm you.  You can do this by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and you will be able to recognize His voice and follow Him to His home.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!