PODCAST
The Great Shepherd
April 9th, 2014
John 10:7-18
In my early twenties, I lived on a farm. We raised crops, calves, and sheep. Always a shepherd at heart, I love sheep. When the ewes gave birth to new babes, you could tell if one would be rejected by its mother. I became surrogate to one such lamb. Feeding with a bottle, I watched “Lammie” grow from babe to adult. Looking into the pen overflowing with sheep, I called, “Here Lammie!” She would lift her head and shove through the crowd to greet me. To a bystander, they all looked the same, but I could pick her from the flock.
Jesus said, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . . and I lay down my life for the sheep (10:14-15).” I knew Lammie and Lammie knew me, but I would not give my life for her. God would not ask that of me; but he did ask this of Jesus. Like any son, Jesus had freedom, but He willingly chose to obey his Father’s command. God gave Jesus authority not only to give his life, but to offer us life as well. Christ’s obedience to the will of God gives us the ability to truly “know” him.
Author: Cynthia K. Stiverson
