John 10: The Shepherd's Passion, The Sheep's Rest
John 10: The Shepherd's Passion, The Sheep's Rest
John 10
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (John 10:3, NIV)
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11, NIV)
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14-15, NIV)
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16, NIV)
I and the Father are one. (John 10:30, NIV)
1. Encountering Jesus Through the Fog of Human Judgment
In John 10, Jesus declares Himself to be the good shepherd, the gate for the sheep, and ultimately, one with the Father. These declarations sent shockwaves through the crowd and stirred fierce resistance. To them, this was a mere man—with the same human nature as theirs—audaciously claiming to be God. This leads us to an honest question: "If I had been there in that moment, how would I have reacted?" Perhaps I too would have picked up stones, just as they did.
This reveals the limitations of human understanding—we are trapped within the fog of our own perception and judgment. We try to understand God within the confines of our experience, reason, and common sense. Yet the incarnate God always comes to us by breaking through those very confines. The journey of faith begins with the humility to acknowledge our ignorance and limitations. Only when we confess that our own measuring sticks can never fully comprehend God do we become ready to hear the Shepherd's voice.
2. Not by My Effort, but by the Shepherd's
Jesus says, "I know my sheep and my sheep know me." Here, knowing refers not to intellectual knowledge but to a deep personal relationship. So how do we, as sheep, come to know the Shepherd? It's not because sheep possess exceptional spiritual abilities. Rather, it's like how a newborn naturally comes to recognize their mother after hearing her voice and heartbeat millions of times.
The tremendous effort comes not from the sheep, but from the Shepherd. It is the Shepherd who calls our names, seeks us out, and speaks to us continually. Our knowing is simply a natural response to the immeasurable accumulation of the Shepherd's relentless voice. Salvation doesn't come through our striving and effort, but through the Shepherd's tireless passion and unconditional love toward us. My faith stands not on the foundation of my own decisions, but on the solid rock of His faithfulness.
3. A Love That Cannot Be Stopped
The climax of John 10 is found in the unbreakable resolve of the good Shepherd. He declares, "I lay down my life for the sheep," prophesying the love of the cross. This self-sacrificial love doesn't stop with just the sheep already in the fold. "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also." These words reveal how vast the Shepherd's heart is and how relentless and powerful His plan of salvation truly is.
Who could possibly thwart the will of a Shepherd who searches the entire mountainside for one lost sheep? The world still operates by the law of survival of the fittest, like a wilderness where we easily lose our way. Yet our hope lies not in our weakness but in the Shepherd's mighty will. We find true peace and rest in His promise that He will ultimately gather all His sheep under one Shepherd. Faith is not about the strength with which I hold onto the Lord, but about trusting in His grip that will never let me go.