“Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.”” John 10:11-16
The sheep trust the shepherd. When he calls, they recognize his voice and come. When a wild animal threatens, they may get excited but he protects them. When one gets separated from the flock, it calls out and the shepherd comes for it. The shepherd puts his life at risk for the sheep.
For me, these words and those following in John 10:27-28 mean the world to me. They define who I am and want to be. I am a man who desires the confidence of the sheep.
We need to know in our heart AND in our mind that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He was present at the fall of Adam and Eve, Je saw their first break of trust, their loss of trust in God. At that moment, He knew what He would do. He knew He would come into their fallen world to lay down His life for His flock.
Jesus didn’t let the world wonder lost for millennia until the Annunciation and that first Christmas. Read the Bible. All through the Old Testament God interacted and acted. Just like now. Jesus promises He would never leave us alone (Matthew 28:20). He has been active in our world since He ascended. We just get too busy or distracted to see Him.
These verses hit to the core of my being because of that confirmation. In a dark hour, He gave these words to me through my daughter as confirmation of His presence. The whole reason of writing our story and publishing “I Knew His Voice” was for this reason. To confirm to the world that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and actively present and working to protect His flock.
Do you know Him? Is Jesus your Shepherd? Make sure Jesus knows you, “Mine know Me.”