Marian
Scriptures: John 10:1-30 Psalm 28:1 Romans 11:25-27 John 3:16 Matthew 5:17-20
“Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice...”
This beautiful passage of Scripture fills me with joy. We can know His voice as He speaks our name.
There can be no sweeter sound than His quiet whisper when our souls are grieving over the loss of a precious family member or friend. Our loving Saviour waits with arms open wide to comfort our broken heart, and He weeps with us, feeling our pain, for He is no stranger to pain and grief.
There can be no greater distress than the believer who knows they have let Him down by falling to temptation – and yet our Good Shepherd waits patiently, calling our name; not in condemnation, but in loving conviction, reminding us that His precious sacrificial blood still cleanses today, if we will but respond and fall on our knees in repentance.
When Jesus spoke those words in John’s Gospel, He was speaking specifically to His chosen people Israel. Those who were His disciples heard and believed whilst others, especially the Pharisees, believed he was a blasphemer. Their eyes were blinded, and to this day, many devout Jews who worship Jehovah, remain blinded to Yeshua. However, Romans 11: tells us there will come a day when God will remove the veil from their eyes (Romans 11:25-27) This is another study for another time.
In John 10:16 Jesus says, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
Jesus was speaking of all people in every nation of the world, “for God so loved the world.” (John 3:16). Our Jewish brothers and sisters are special in God’s sight, He chose them, and it is their Scriptures, the Old Testament that Jesus came to fulfil.(Matthew 5:17-20). He chose the Jewish people for purpose and today, we Gentiles can know Jesus because of the obedience of the early disciples and apostles in spreading the gospel message.
The love of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is beyond our human understanding. It is so great that He was willing to lay down His life for all who will follow Him. He invites us to come just as we are, broken, sinful, often unable to forgive ourselves for our own foolishness that led us to sin against Him. He waits and even runs toward us as He sees us coming, bedraggled, broken, feeling we don’t deserve forgiveness. He sees our heartfelt repentance, even before the words of sorrow pour from our lips, salty from our tears and He lifts our face to look into the eternity that shines out through His eyes. We know in that moment that we are forgiven, as gently He tells us, “Go and sin no more.”
Sometimes in life we wander foolishly, following our own “lush new grass” desires that can suddenly lead us into a place of peril, a cliff top ledge. We become entangled in the prickly brambles as we panic, and there seems no means of escape. We bleat in fear at our own stupidity that got us here. It is in that moment we hear His voice calling our name, as He gently untangles the briers and lifts us onto His shoulder to take us home to the safety of His sheepfold.
These have been my own experiences – my own testimony – and even though I’ve let Him down more times than I want to remember, He has NEVER once failed me when I’ve turned again to Him or cried out in my need of His rescue. In His great love He gently guides us, teaching us through the mistakes we make. He longs to bring us to the place of perfection, but our Heavenly Father gave us free will to choose, and all too often we listen to the enemy of our souls and taste of the forbidden fruit. We see this pattern even in the disciples who walked alongside Jesus. It is the pattern that shows us that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. It is the pattern that nailed our Saviour to the cross in order that we might be forgiven by His precious blood spilled out for all who will turn to Him in repentance.
Sometimes I sit and wonder how different my life would look if I could live it again knowing what I know now, but then I realise that just maybe, if I had lived it as perfectly as humanly possible, I may find I was like the Pharisees, thinking I was better than everyone else. I may not understand the immensity of our Heavenly Father’s love in sending Jesus to earth to die for all who truly repent. It is in this moment that He reminds me that He has kept no record of my sins and mistakes. Through the precious blood of Jesus, He has wiped my slate clean and what He has done for me He can do for everyone who will simply listen for His voice and respond to His offer of forgiveness and a new start.
Prayer: Good Shepherd, with the Psalmist I say, “To You I call. You are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me, but hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help.” (Psalm 28:1). May my ears be ever listening for Your still small voice. AMEN
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