I am nervous to even start writing again about this chapter. Such big things are being expressed and direct teachings from Christ. I approach this study daily with fear and trepidation with the responsibility of discussing scripture well. We are teaching out kids this week about exegesis. And it is the practice of going to scripture with the understanding that you are not to input your thoughts and values on what you think it means; but to take from scripture what God meant it to mean. It is so easy especially in the new testament to diverge here. Many of the verses coming up and leading into Resurrection Sunday are grossly mishandled and misinterpreted. The Bible is God's living and breathing Word! This is incredible- yet also terrifying to me. I have in my hands God's Word. I am responsible for how I handle, learn and use this.
Jesus has 7 I am statements in John. 3 and 4 are mentioned in this passage. Jesus is shifting from the metaphor discussing teachers in verses 1-5 to now talking more directly about himself. This fits in well with where we are going Wednesday and Thursday which will be jumping a bit into Romans 5 before circling back for an introduction to Palm Sunday. Jesus first discusses the poor religious teachers verse good shepherds. We now see him say in verse 7 " I AM THE DOOR of the sheep." If anyone enters by me he will be saved. Jesus Christ is the only way. We see him say in John 14 I AM the way, the truth and the life. Here he is saying I am the door. There is but one way to eternal salvation and it is through Jesus Christ. He is and always will be the only means to heaven. He is the access point to the Father because He is the only one worthy to stand before the Father on our behalf. And that he did. He did it to the point of dying for our sins. He did it while we were yet sinners. He did it while we were lost in our transgressions; while we were sheep that had gone astray. He came and died and rose again; that we might have life and life more abundantly. There is but one way- JESUS.
V11 I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus identifies himself as both the way i n and the caretaker. He is the Shepherd. He is the lead of the church. The church is His and He is ours. He goes on to discuss the hireling and it is thought to be something of the "hired leader" who is there in good times but when tragedy strikes or hardship comes he flees- because he is hired to care for the sheep- he is not maybe fully invested (discussing in point the evil leadership in Israel at the time). But Christ as the Shepherd knows his sheep by name, and they know him. And he lays down His life for them.
v14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for my sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold, I must bring them also, that they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd. I audibly sigh even reading this. It is so big. I pray that I can get a grasp of it and get it from my head to my heart. I love the words I know my own and my own know me, just as my Father knows Me and I know the Father. We, through Christ, are invited into this intimate relationship with God. We are not strangers or aliens. We are invited into the fold. No longer will the chasm created by the sin of Adam; separate from the love of the Father. Through Jesus Christ, and then being kept by Jesus Christ we are invited to know the Father as He already knows us. He knew us before we were born. We intricately knit us together in our mothers wombs. Before we were even a thought he numbers and orders are days. This God, who created all; sustains all; through His son invites us to call him Abba. Father. Is this not mind blowing? And He did it through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. He did it through the blood of the Lamb. Jesus.
Jesus continues- there are others not of this fold... that is me and you sister! He is referring to gentiles! He is talking about us- that he came that ALL might be redeemed. One flock- One shepherd. It is incredible to think all over the world, in thousands of tribes tongues and languages we have brothers and sisters IN Christ! Who lift up His name! Who share the same Heavenly Father and that one day we will all worship Him together. But in the mean time we all have one Good Shepherd- Jesus Christ the Lord! This is gloriously good news!
In the times we are facing we must come to realize we are not alone. We cannot buy into the isolation or the sorrow that I see running rampant. We are not alone! We have Jesus- and Jesus is enough! I hear Paul's words echo from Philippians, " I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengths me." He is our strength, our portion, our Redeemer. He is our good shepherd; and He satisfies our needs.
Jesus says, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd... to the woman at the well, I AM he. Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life? He came and died and rose again! Jesus is Lord.
Worship today:
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