“I am the good shepherd;"
For the Shepherd, those who watched over and
cared for the flocks, their priority was to see that in the end of the
season, that as many of sheep arrived home safely as possible. The sheep
were the Shepherd's priority, he was driven by a love for them, and incidentally
sheep are difficult animals to tend to. Sheep often behave badly and often,
foolishly. Sheep “but heads” against each other needlessly and spread parasites
and disease to one other, yet, it is for just such an animal that the
Shepherd was willing to lay down his life.
The Good Shepherd
Sheep in so many ways, mirrors the behavior of
humanity and even Christians, yet it is for this lot of humanity for
which Jesus Christ died to demonstrate God's unconditional love, grace, mercy
and forgiveness.
Jesus made it his priority to come and do all
that is needed so that we could, like the sheepfold at the end of the
season, be with our God and Father and have eternal life.
Jesus laid down his own life for all of
us, and he did it willingly. Jesus was not compelled nor forced by any law
or resident power to go to the cross, it was only out of his love for us,
each and all of us and his Father that he did this to show the great depth of
God's love and mercy toward and for us all.
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who
does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a
thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the
sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his
voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought
out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because
they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will
run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used
this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling
them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell
you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and
robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters
through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have
life, and have it to the full.
runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and
scatters it.The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for
the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and
my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay
down my life for the sheep. 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. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my
life—only to take it up again. 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.” Jhn:10:1-18
Jesus did for us, each and all of us, what not
even the best of us could ever had done for ourselves. Even in our
sinfulness our God showed us his unconditional love for us. God would
not abandon us to the wolves of sin and death, but came to us, and was
among us as one of us all to deliver us.
"You see, at just the right time, when we
were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die
for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to
die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us." Rm: 5:6-8
What the cross truly is, is the
means by-which God's eternal decree of forgiveness, grace, redemption,
sanctification and more are brought into our experiences when we come to
believe in Jesus as God's uniquely born Son, the only Savior for humanity.
As a Shepherd Jesus made us his
priority, to redeem us, and bring us into his eternal sheepfold that
awaits any and all who will but freely receive it. beyond the confines of this
life there is great glory beyond what any can understand.
The Father’s Will
Jesus did this out of love for us, but also
out of Love for the Father in Heaven to fulfill God's purpose which he has
ordained and his loving desire to have us as his Children. This was,
and is, the eternal will of God.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father which
was for us to have eternal life.
"All those the Father gives me will come
to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down
from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this
is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has
given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that
everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and
I will raise them up at the last day.” Jhn: 6:37-40
Jesus came to do the will of the Father, which
is, that the Father wanted you and I, and all of us as his own.
Jesus Will get us Home
The Shepherd never took is flock where he
himself has not gone. Jesus has walked the life we each and all live. Jesus, as
the great Shepherd knows how to get us home when our season upon this Earth
comes to a close, Jesus has made us his priority, to bring each and all
and as many who will but freely receive it into the household of the great God
for all eternity.
Benediction: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack
nothing.He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet
waters,he refreshes my soul.He guides me along the right paths for his name’s
sake.Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you
are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.You prepare a table before
me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup
overflows.Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" Amen.
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Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahaoma
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