In today’s blog, we find Jesus continuing his “mini sermon” on the Temple steps in Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, we discovered that He identified Himself as the Gate to the sheep pen, and the sheep of His pasture come in and out only through this Gate. We saw that Jesus spoke words that many of us are familiar with:

“The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

And last week, we saw that Jesus not only identified Himself as the “Gate of the sheep,” but also as the “Good Shepherd of the sheep” when He said:

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Jesus looked ahead to when He would actually lay down His life for us by dying on the cross for our sins. We also discovered the simple truth that the sheep need a faithful shepherd to watch over them, one who is actually their “owner” or “master.” And then Jesus restated His identity:

I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father…” (John 10:14-15a).

Jesus is plainly telling those in the crowd that He personally knows each one of His sheep, just as His sheep know their Shepherd. And then Jesus shocked the crowd by saying the He and the Father know each other intimately. Jesus directed their thoughts to his relationship with the Father, plainly identifying two of the members of the trinity, the Father and the Son. 

If you recall, during His earthly ministry, Jesus focused on reaching the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But even though this was His focus for ministry, He never forgot that His message would one day reach out into the entire Roman Empire (and eventually around the world). And that’s why He continued by saying:

“I have other sheep who are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice, and they shall become one flock with one Shepherd” (John 10:16).

The amazing thing is that Jesus knew that His message of salvation would reach out into the Gentile world, and as we know, it was the Apostle Paul who would carry that message beyond the borders of the “land of Israel. In the end, there would be one flock of sheep, consisting of both Jew and Gentile, and we call this flock “the church!” And it is the church who must always listen to the voice of the Shepherd and follow Him. 

And then later, as this same group of religious leaders gathered around Jesus during the Feast of the Dedication, Jesus plainly asserted His deity. As the Jews continued to ask Him whether or not He was the Messiah, Jesus responded by saying:

“I told you and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep” (John 10:25-26).

I’m sure that this further riled the religious leaders, and then Jesus told them about His sheep, saying:

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

And Jesus was speaking of all those who would follow Him in generations to come. As in the first century, His sheep “hear His voice” speaking to them through the Holy Spirit, and they “follow after” their Shepherd who “gives” them eternal life. Notice that eternal life is a “gift” from the Good Shepherd, and gifts are received, not earned. And the gift of eternal life is available to all who ask to receive it. The “ask” comes from a humble and  repentant heart that desperately needs the “life” that Jesus came to give all of us. It’s spiritual life, life that transforms our hearts causing us to live a life that honors the Shepherd. 

If any of you have not done so, I encourage you to just “ask” Him to be your Shepherd today. If you hear His voice calling you, just respond in humility and faith, and he will give you His life. As I’ve said many times in the past, it’s a simple ask, but it must come from a humble and contrite heart, and such a heart, as David said, God will not despise (Psalm 51:17). 

May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care.