“One flock, One Shepherd!”
Scripture reading for November 4th: Ezekiel 28-30, John 10
John 10: 14-19 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 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. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.” There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.”
Jesus used a familiar illustration for His instruction of the Jews concerning His role and mission on earth. He was the “Good Shepherd” who knew and loved His sheep. His sheep would listen to His voice and knew Him as their “Shepherd”. As a Good Shepherd, Jesus stated plainly that He would lay His life down for the sake of the sheep, a reference to the crucifixion to come. This would protect them from the ‘wolf’, or Satan. Jesus plainly stated that His Father loved Him and this obedient sacrifice was assigned to Him by the Father. These amazing words brought division among the Jews. Some said Jesus was demonically possessed or insane and others refuted them with the fact that Jesus had opened the blind man’s eyes. And Jesus had a bigger flock as well–His sacrifice was for the whole of mankind!
John 10:4-6 “When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the loving and merciful gift to us ‘sheep’ of the ability to hear Your voice and know Your Son, Jesus Christ, as the “Good Shepherd” Who laid His life down on the cross for me and all who will choose to believe on Him. Protect me always from the voices of strangers and assure me daily of Your precious love and promises of eternal life in Your presence.
Ezekiel 28:25-26 “”Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.””
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