“Jesus the Good Shepherd” John 10:1-18
This morning we heard the words of Jesus Christ
in John 10:1-18. He brought up the analogy of the relationship between sheep
and their shepherd. The people listening to Jesus would have known that
shepherds were responsible for feeding their sheep, caring for their sheep, and
protecting their sheep. As Christians, we look to Jesus as
the source of new spiritual life. He is our provider, our protector, and the
One we follow.
How does Psalm 23 relate to Jesus as the Good Shepherd?
In Psalm 23 we have such a beautiful picture of
the Good Shepherd, Jesus and how he cares for his flock. This scripture passage
describes the great benefits we can have if we follow Jesus as the
Shepherd. Some of those benefits include
- Rest in peaceful places (which would include times in the presence of God where the “Peace beyond our ability to understand”, which is talked about in Philippians 4, takes over despite difficult circumstances.
- Strength to continue on
- Jesus guiding us in the right direction for our lives
- Protection and comfort when we go through the hardest parts of life
- The goodness and unfailing love of Jesus pursuing us always
How does Philippians 2:1-11 relate to Jesus as
the Good Shepherd? – Pastor Ben
Philippians 2 has helped me learn what the example of Jesus means. We read about Jesus choosing a humble human life over his divine privilege in heaven for the sake of our ransom. We have seen true love in the example of Jesus choosing a sacrificial death on our behalf. Jesus leads as a humble servant through sacrificial love.
What can we learn from the truths we have heard today? – Pastor Rebecca
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Savior, who described Himself as the Good Shepherd.
Jesus revealed Himself to be humble and worthy of following.
Jesus calls His followers to a personal active relationship with Him.
Looking to Jesus for guidance is an essential part of this relationship.
How should we respond to these truths? – Pastor Ben
Right here and now, each of us should ask ourselves if we consider Jesus Christ to be our Good Shepherd? We will pray and ask God for grace and guidance. Today let us make a decision to daily spend time reading about Jesus in the Scriptures. In this time let us look for the plain simple truth of who Jesus is and what Jesus has said. Let us spend energy reflecting on these truths, what they mean, and how we should respond.
After this time of learning, let us ask ourselves a few simple questions.
Who is Jesus?
What is Jesus like?
What does Jesus care about?
What has Jesus said that is relevant direction for how I live today?
Today let us make a decision to have conversations with other believers about our questions and about what we are learning here. Each night this week let’s pause to thank Jesus for being our provider, our protector, and the One we follow.