#DailyDevotion Jesus’ Hear His Voice And Follow Him

Saturday Easter 4

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
Jesus knows those who will hear his voice and follow him. It is an amazing thing to watch in the mid-east, sheep that is and shepherds. There a number of flocks will gather together at a well for water and they will get all mixed up. When all the flocks have been watered the shepherds will call their flocks and they will all separate out from one another and follow their shepherd. You can see reflections of this in the Old Testament when such as Isaac’s servant meets Rebecca at the well or when Moses meets Zippurah.

 

So when Jesus speaks, those who are his will listen to him and follow him. This is wonderful news for us and for when we do evangelism. Not everyone we talk to about Jesus will listen to us. If people don’t listen and come to Jesus when we share his word it isn’t our problem and we most likely didn’t do anything wrong. This person just isn’t one of Jesus’ sheep or isn’t one yet. We can speak Jesus’ word with seriousness and earnestness and should but the pressure of conversion is all on Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

 

This knowledge of Jesus and us and the Father is intimate. We who follow Jesus don’t just know facts about Jesus. We know him and he knows us. In a similar but not exact fashion as a husband knows his wife and vice versa is the type of knowledge we have of Jesus and he of us. We have become one spirit with Jesus. Jesus and Father know one another intimately. Jesus brings us into that communion through the Holy Spirit.

 

When Jesus spoke these words he had come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But Jesus did not lay down his life for these only. Jesus lays down his life for other sheep not of Israel, i.e. the Gentiles. Most of us were once part of that fold. Because Jesus laid down his life for us, this sacrifice brings us into this fold of believing Israelites making us one with them. In Jesus there is no longer Jew or Gentile, just his people, the Church.

 

Now the Father loves the Son because the Son lays down his life for the sheep. We love him because he has done this for us. But the Son also has authority to take up his life again. Jesus did that too. Jesus willingly went to the cross and Jesus took up his life again on the first day of the week. He is risen never to die again. Jesus promises to raise his sheep up to eternal life on the last day as he calls us up, those who are his who are in the graves will rise first and then we will be changed and meet the Lord in the air. Such is the fate of his flock.

 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending us Jesus to lay down his life for us. We glorify you for having him take up his life again. Give us ears that hear the voice of the Good Shepherd today so we may be gathered to him when he returns. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.