Today’s devotional is on John 10 about the Good Shepherd. This is a story I have heard from the pulpit several times already, but it’s point is always driven home more and more each time I hear it or read it. The symbolism here is really good if you understand the ways of a shepherd in that time. Still if you do not the meaning is still understandable.
Jesus here is telling the Pharisees that there is only one way to the Father and that is through Himself. Those that know Him will hear His voice and will follow Him. Those that do not know it will think they are going the right way, but will be lost. Jesus compares Himself to the Pharisees as a shepherd that would lay down His life for the sheep, but the Pharisees are self serving and the sheep are not their main interest and they are not about to lay down their life for them. Of course the sheep we are talking about here are people, more clearly the people that believe in Jesus Christ and the Father.
Of course Jesus’ teachings here was infuriating the Pharisees and they were ready to kill Him. When He made the claim in John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” So not only was He claiming to be the only way to the Father, but that He was God. So the Jews were ready to stone Him because this to them was blasphemy. Jesus told them though that they should not believe Him because of what He has said, but by what He has done. His works are the works of the Father so believe in them.
I think the same could be said for us that claim to be Christians today. Do you believe that we are Christians because we say so or do you believe that we are Christians by what we do? I think we could all take a bit of Jesus’ teaching here and apply it in our own lives.
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