John part 12-The Good Shepherd
Key Verse: So the Jews
gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If
you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you
do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,
but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they
will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who
has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them
out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” John
10:24-30 ESV
Jesus loves to speak in
analogies, giving us examples of things in this world we do understand to teach
us about our faith. In chapter 10 he
uses the example of how sheep behave to show us we are like that in our relationship
to God. In his book A Shepard Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller gives us helpful things
about sheep behavior to open this passage up to us. Here is a summary of some of his best points:
1.
The life of
a sheep depends a lot on what kind of shepard it has.
2.
More than
any other animal, sheep need protection, they have no defenses.
3.
Sheep are
timid and scare easily.
4.
Sheep are “mass-minded”
they have mob instincts and will do what everyone else is doing.
5.
Sheep are
habit animals and will keep doing the same thing even if it is bad for them.
6.
Sheep are
stubborn.
7.
Sheep are
stupid and dumb; when there is danger they will just freeze.
8.
Sheep will
not rest if they are afraid, not getting along with other sheep, have a pest
bothering them, or are hungry.
9.
Sheep become
stuck on their backs because they get too fat.
10.
In the
sheepfold (where the sheep sleep) the shepherd lays down in the opening of the
door, so anyone trying to hurt the sheep will have to cross over him. In this way, he is the door.
See yourself in there anywhere?
If not, just ask your spouse (*wink).
Let’s read John chapter 10 and see what God has to say to us. As always, remember to pray and ask Him to
open up your eyes to His word for you.
Read 10:1-21
·
In this
passage there are two types of people who interact with the sheep, the shepherd
and the thief. Make a list of how the
sheep respond to each. Remember to watch
for the synonyms also (ex: the thief is called a hired hand in verse 13).
·
In verse 6 it
says this illustration is an analogy.
Who is the real Good shepherd?
Who is the real thief? What do these verses tell you about how each
acts?
·
Reread verse
9. What are the benefits to following
Christ? Read 1 Chronicles 4:40, Psalm
23:2, Isaiah 49:9-10, Ezekiel 34:12-15 for more benefits to following the
Shepard.
·
Journal
prompt: What is hard about following Jesus?
Is it hearing His voice? Is it
trusting He will really provide for you?
Is it seeing when the thief comes to destroy your confidence? How can you develop a trust for the Savior?
Consider praying the words of Psalm 23 back to God as a response to your
reflection.
Read 10:22-42
·
In this
passage Jesus continues His shepherd analogy but then in verse 30 makes a bold
statement. Reread verses 31-33. Why does this statement upset the Jews? Read
Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 24:16.
·
Verses 34-36
are confusing at the first read. The
reference here is Psalm 82:2-6. What
Jesus is saying is that if a human judges they are taking on a god-like
role. Read this Psalm. In quoting this Psalm was Jesus saying they
were judging who He was correctly or incorrectly?
·
How do
verses 37-38 support the purpose of the book of John? The purpose is found in
chapter 20:30-31.
·
Journal prompt: In this section, Jesus says
you can tell who is telling the truth by the works that are done (v.37). Knowing if Satan or God is speaking is called
discernment. When have you had to use
discernment in your faith? If you haven’t,
how can you develop it? What questions
can you do when you aren’t sure who is talking?
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