John Chapter Ten
For 21 days we will be looking at the 21 chapters of John as a church while we go through 21 days of prayer and fasting.
Today Alexa Leech walks us through John chapter 10.
John 10 discusses the parable of the Good Shepherd told by Jesus to the Pharisees. It reads:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and they 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.”
The relationship between the sheep and their shepherd in this parable is powerful. The sheep not only know their shepherd’s voice, but they follow that voice with blind, unadulterated trust. The shepherd not only tends to his sheep, but he cares for them deeply – he knows them by name.
I read a story recently of a group of Turkish soldiers attempting to hijack a flock of sheep near a hillside in Jerusalem during WW1. When the shepherd awoke to the scene of his flock being led astray, he did what he hoped would bring them back: he called out to them with a distinctive call. The sheep heard his call and returned back to him without hesitation. The soldiers knew they could not override the power of that familiar and authoritative voice.
Do you know the Shepherd’s voice? His name is Jesus. Can you hear Him call out to you when you are being led astray, and do you run back to His cover of safety upon hearing Him? This passage tells us that they this comes only to steal, kill and destroy. The voice of the this is often appealing, and it likely sounds different to each of us. Whether it be temptation, envy, gossip, worry, or hopelessness, one thing is sure – it is never the truth. The sheep instinctively know to flee from the voice of a stranger, and God desires the same for us. The more familiar we become with His voice, the more natural it becomes for us to abide in Him, follow him, and respond to the truth.
Reflection:
Where, when, and how do I hear the voice of God most clearly? How can I make time for that daily?
What lie(s) has the enemy convinced me are true in my life? What is one practical step I can take to surrender them to God?
